On offer are five NOS 6.00 H16 Dunlop Road Speed RS5 tires mounted to original Dunlop 54-spoke wire wheels restored to show and painted OEW.
Goodyear, after acquiring Dunlop, destroyed the moulds for all the older bias ply tires, including the RS5. These well preserved examples are the last of the type. While the age of these tires make them unsuitable for road use they appear in every way as new and are perfect for concours.
The wheels need a light cleaning after many years of enclosed storage but are otherwise excellent. I am open to an offer that will offset the cost of purchasing five new wire wheels and suitable radial tires.
I’d orIginally intended to paint the car OEW so did up the wheels - soaked in a vat of NaOH to strip the old finish then media blasted ahead of acid etch primer, high solids primer and acrylic enamel finish - accordingly. I have instead finished the car BRG and don’t want to make the effort of changing the colour of these wheels. Besides, they’re nicely finished as is.
Nick, may I suggest, before you sell these beautiful wheels, you mount them on your BRG car? I’ve had several cars with contrasting wire wheels and they can look SHARP in my opinion. For example, I had a white car with red wheels and it always got complimented. Since they’re 16” wheels I’m assuming it’s an XK of some variety, and a rich BRG would go nicely with a rich OEW.
Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised. And if you do try it, post a photo!
Robert
We had a superb one family owner from new 3.4 litre (Mark 1) saloon here locally, factory new BRG with BRG painted wires. For his own personal preference reasons, original owner repainted wires in Cream, which is how the inherited car remains now with its current owner.
Every time I see this BRG Mark 1, I love its superb original condition …… but the white contrasting wheels look bloody horrible (my opinion ), regardless of any interests in originality.
I thoroughly enjoy the contrasting perspectives one gets in J-L.
As it happens I was realising today that in six weeks or so I’ll be reuniting the finished body onto the rolling chassis and will see the green on white effect in the flesh. It is quite possible I will like it, but I doubt my wife will. It may morph into a marital crisis.
), regardless of any interests in originality.