DeTomaso Mailing List: April 1997, Message #197
     



From: pantera@shiseis.com (Shane F. Ingate)

Subject: Panteras & Minilites

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 97 10:52:02 PDT



All,

Further to the thread on wheels for Panteras,

I'm going to offer my humble opinion on aftermarket

wheels.  While I think Wilkinsons new 17" Campy

repros are nice, I'd first consider Minilites.



I'll probably be accused of blasphemy for this,

but I think Minilites (one of the first manufacturers

of alloy wheels in the early 60's) would look great

on a Pantera.  I've seen a set on a Cobra, and I think

they look better than Halibrands (so they should too,

both Cobra body and Minilites are British).

British cars always look good on Minilites.

Trans-Am Boss Mustangs from the late 1960's and

early 1970's (Penske team?) ran Minilites (or

Minilite-look-a-likes).



So why would they look good on a Pantera?



I've always been attracted to the Mangusta wheels,

probably because they borrow heavily from the Minilite

design.  Then I was looking carefully through Wyss'

book on DeTomaso at a picture of a racing Mangusta,

and lo, on the front, are Minilites!  I know

someone has good taste.



Of course, this is just a pie-in-the-sky

design excercise, because Minilites in magnesium

dont came any larger than 15"x8.5" (at $639 ea)

and probably have the wrong offset and bolt pattern.

However Superlite in FL make Minilite-repros in all sorts

of custom sizes.......  Mmmmmm.  Wheres my

lottery ticket.....



Flame suit on!



Shane Ingate in San Diego