"El Mongrel" '65 Formula S Restomod

[moparmat2000]

I'm taking the camera out to the shop today to get new pics of all the things I want to write about. Pics and a write up on the cap install are coming in a future update as part of the overall write up on the "Mongrel". Donnie's got a nice product which I hope will solve the sloshing of gas out of the fill tube which provides that nice stained quarter panel look we're all going for.

Wheels are Western Wheel Co. offerings probably from the early 80s. I did a web search and found no pictures of these particular wheels. They made a large variety of "turbine" wheels if you all remember those. These are 4 1/2" bolt pattern and look a lot like the snowflake wheels that came on the black Pontiac Trans Am with the huge "firebird" decal on the hoods. I found these at a Pick-n-Pull on a 4 door Diplomat. Paid a whopping $60 with a full set of crap tires, caps and chrome lug nuts. A few months latter there was another Mopar with a set of these rims at the same yard and like a damn fool didn't pick up a couple for spares. Kick myself every time I think about it as the likelyhood of finding another set of these is probably zero.

Love your build. FYI These aluminum rims you have were stock mopar 15x7 rims not aftermarket. They are fairly rare, but were mass produced as factory optional equipment from at least 1981 to 1989 the last year for the M body. I believe they were also optional on diplomat and fury M body as well. Knowing what they were factory available on will help you widen your search. These were factory optional on Chrysler Fifth Avenue. And on the 1981-1983 Chrysler Imperial coupe.

 

[rapom65]

Well I never would have guessed that those were a factory option. Does explain why I found two sets within weeks of each other, both on early 80's mopars, in the local pick-n-pull. I can't remember ever seeing a car with these out on the streets. As I remember these have the Western logo cast into the back of the rim, hence I thought they were an aftermarket offering. Learn something new every day.