What Cragar is this?

-

matthon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
2,960
Reaction score
1,318
Chromed steel rim with aluminum center.

I don't think it's a GT, or a GT Chrome, based on the old ads, and they are one piece aluminum.

It looks different than my full chrome Cragars, which have a wider outer ring on the aluminum insert.

I don't see any signs of the grey being painted over chrome.

I've had it since high school, came in the trunk of a 57 Chevy I bought, and although I measured the bolt pattern wrong, I believe it's a Mopar big bolt pattern.

I'd like to get another, but I don't know what I'm looking for.

What is it?

20190420_182559.jpg


20190420_184052.jpg


20190420_171724.jpg


20190420_171948.jpg
 
That's an old Cragar S/S. Says so right on the cap. Summit has them.
 
It's a 2 piece wheel, chromed steel rim, bare aluminum center.
I see 1 piece aluminum or 2 piece full chrome new.
Haven't seen another one like mine.
I think I may have put the center cap on long ago.
 
The spoke isn't flat like a G/T or S/S. It has a bit of a ridge down the middle, like a Torq Thrust, but not as pronounced.
It looks a bit like this Swinger wheel, but while it says the Swinger is a one piece wheel, yours is clearly a two piece.

1971-02.jpg
 
The spoke isn't flat like a G/T or S/S. It has a bit of a ridge down the middle, like a Torq Thrust, but not as pronounced.
It looks a bit like this Swinger wheel, but while it says the Swinger is a one piece wheel, yours is clearly a two piece.

View attachment 1715323684

No, look again. That's not a ridge. It's a reflection. One is in the center, the other is not. That's a Cragar S/S.
 
No, look again. That's not a ridge. It's a reflection. One is in the center, the other is not. That's a Cragar S/S.

I think you're right. There's no ridge, but the spokes aren't as flat as a G/T. I always thought the cast centers were the same, but they're not. The only S/S wheels I ever owned were sold on the car 40 years ago.
Here's a link to some NOS S/S on feeBay. They look identical to matthon's.
NOS Vintage 1969 Cragar SS 15X6 Chrome wheels. Mint condition with caps Ford 4.5 | eBay
 
Why no chrome center?
Last pic I cleaned it a little.

20190420_232448.jpg
20190420_232511.jpg
20190420_232521.jpg
20190420_232749.jpg
 
It had a chrome center. A while back. lol
 
How can they be steel/aluminum? How are they bonded together?

Heck if I know, but Cragar still makes that same wheel. Summit has a pile of them. It's right there in the description too. Steel/aluminum.
 
It appears to me the center was never chrome.

20190420_234444.jpg


20190420_234609.jpg
 
The center is cast around steel then it is welded to the outer rim, i've cut them apart before.
 
I always search for this rim, or similar, never find any.
I have a few sets of Cragars, the aluminum pits under the chrome, on this one the chrome reflects on the aluminum, as in the last 2 pics.
The center has a shine of it's own, once I cleaned it.

Like I said, always looking, and of course I just found these advertised near me.
Can't say they're definitely Cragars, but advertised as Cragars.

00t0t_8GqGvWhcSai_1200x900.jpg


00w0w_3huBIhZ9wNG_1200x900.jpg


00707_8e5qx02gM95_1200x900.jpg
 
I always search for this rim, or similar, never find any.
I have a few sets of Cragars, the aluminum pits under the chrome, on this one the chrome reflects on the aluminum, as in the last 2 pics.
The center has a shine of it's own, once I cleaned it.

Like I said, always looking, and of course I just found these advertised near me.
Can't say they're definitely Cragars, but advertised as Cragars.

View attachment 1715323719

View attachment 1715323720

View attachment 1715323721

The backs sure look like they're Cragars. They're unilug, which we know Cragar sold.
 
Yours? I saw a set of these on the facebook mag wheel page. Pretty expensive, if I remember.
 
Just discovered what mine is, found the pic in the link below.
The camera doesn't capture the center very well, but it has that sparkle/grainy look, you can see it mostly on the edge of the center on mine in the last pic I posted.

Found the gold one too, it's a Cragar.

Set of 5 on ebag now for $2500.

Cragar Sparkler Mags N.O.S From 1970

Screenshot_20190421-004625.jpg


Screenshot_20190421-004744.jpg
 
The S/S "Sparkler". Interesting.
 
That is the early style Cragar S/S wheels that came on the market in mid 1964. Center section is casted aluminium with added metal plates so it can be welded to the chromed rim. I have restored one set 13x5 and is working on the next set. Takes alot of work but they turn out great.

20190105_160435.jpg


20190105_160338.jpg
 
I've seen S/S wheels with the chrome peeling on the aluminum centers like after a bad sunburn. I'm sure more than one person took it all the way off.

I had a pair of 15 x 9 that I bought cheap in the late '80s. Spent an afternoon with a wire brush and putty knife removing the flaking chrome from the center. Then I scuffed em and spray painted flat black.

I thought they looked pretty cool on the back of my jacked up '66 Malibu lol.
 
-
Back
Top