DeTomaso Mailing List: April 1997, Message #200
     



From: Kirk Bailey <kbailey@acs.ryerson.ca>

Subject: Re: Panteras & Minilites

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:59:27 -0900 (PDT)



On Tue, 22 Apr 1997, Shane F. Ingate wrote:



> 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

>

Hi Shane: As a Pantera owner and former Ford Motor Co buyer:



The Trans AM 69-70 Mustangs were run for Ford by 2 teams:



Shelby American and Bud Moore Engineering (Parnelli Jones and George

Follmer were his team drivers) they did run Minilites and I've seen BOSS

302's at SAAC Meets with Minilites--in fact I have several photos of

both street and competition BOSS 302's clad in minilites- they do look

excellent. Ford sold "X" parts--i.e. competition BOSS 302 parts

including fender flares.



Penske ran the Mark Donohue Camaros



Kirk B in Toronto