However, the cost of chroming parts these days makes them an expensive venture to build from scratch. Still a popular choice for many period-style builds, deep-dish chromies are affordable and are available new once more in some pretty awesome sizes. Aftermarket sports or ‘mag’ wheels were exotica, so these deep-dish wheels were a far simpler way to earn some street cred or run wider tyres if the width allowed. MORE How to make mini tubs for your street machine Deep-dish ChromieĪ PRODUCT of the early years of the Australian hot and custom car scene, deep-dish or reversed factory steel wheels – either painted or as ‘chromies’ – were a direct result of what our pioneering generation were spying in US magazines. These include George Anthony’s XC sedan (above, top) and both Owen Webb’s ‘Wild Thing’ XY pro streeter (above, centre) and his ‘Bruiser’ XW ute (above). ![]() Need a good example of a quality ride shod in these ‘brake cookers’ (as they’ve been disparagingly labelled by morons)? Take your pick – there are so many iconic cars rolling on Auto Drags, whether in satin or full-polish finish. As a result, prices have skyrocketed for original Auto Drags, leaving many in the USA – where these rims aren’t considered anywhere near as cool – scratching their heads. The ‘Adelaide wheel’, as it’s affectionately known, is an integral part of the clean, tough street-car look that Croweaters have monopolised since the 1980s.Īuto Drag fans are a devoted lot and have no time for the re-released version (following the original company’s demise a few years ago), nor the myriad copycats that are available. IS THIS the ultimate aftermarket wheel? Born directly from the US drag racing scene, the Auto Drag is still considered to be the benchmark tough rim by many – especially South Australians. Some folks will call any old Aussie mag a ‘Tasman’, but in truth there were dozens if not scores of local wheel manufacturers in the days before imports became readily available.įamous wearers of the model include our very first Convo Pro-clad feature car, Stan Shaw’s blown ’57 Chev, and the early-2000s era of Gary Myers’s GM-176 (above). This is not an exhaustive list by any means – if we’ve missed your favourite, let us know!Īnd, unless you’re of a certain age, you can be forgiven for not realising that a massive homegrown mag wheel industry sprang up in Australia in the mid-to-late 1960s. To help you find the perfect rollers for your street machine, we look at some of our sport’s most iconic wheels. The growth of Australia’s aftermarket wheel industry boomed throughout the late 1960s and 70s, and in recent years it’s become easier and cheaper than ever to have some classic imported rims of a bygone era land on your door step. Some projects strike just the right balance between form and function when it comes to rolling stock, but if you get the balance wrong it can leave your ride looking, well, shite.įirst published in the March 2021 issue of Street Machine. ![]() ![]() WHEELS are the cornerstone of any hot car build.
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