Did 289 FIA's ever come with....

southernfriedcj · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 05:30 AM

.....wire wheels? If so, does can anyone post a pic or a link? I'm trying to decide between the Trigo aluminum wheels and the wire wheels.
Thanks, Jim

computerworks · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 05:46 AM

..not that I've ever seen. All early pics of the FIA's in action show them with...well,... the FIA wheels.

ST · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 05:48 AM

You might want to reconsider the wire wheels, I don't think they'll hold up with any substantial horsepower.
Also the wires don't use the pin drives, they incorporate splines.

Ron61 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 06:11 AM

The wire wheels were used on the street Cobras. As state above they would not stand up to a lot of power and especially with sticky tires. They actually put a set on one of the early 427s and it twisted the wire spokes badly. I like the sire wheels for looks but they are a pain to keep clean.

Ron

southernfriedcj · #5 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 06:24 AM

Thanks, guys. Looks like it'll be aluminum FIA's.

Jim

Rick Parker · #6 (**permalink**) 03-08-2003, 10:00 PM

Wire wheels were only on the earliest of 260/289 competition cars as stated above, the advancing torque, horspower, and tire technology dictated a move away from the spline drive wire wheels. The first pin drive wheels adapted to the Cobra were made by Halibrand and were referred to as "Kidney Bean". They were used on many of the competition "Slabside Cobras" and race cars of the era, including Indy Roadsters, Corvettes and others. Very rare to see them on a Cobra these days. Phased out in late 1963 early 64 with the advent of the FIA and USRRC cars and ever increasing tire width.

Rick

acaskie · #7 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 08:21 AM

A number of the early comp cars, including a couple of FIAs, had Halibrand kidney-bean wheels at one time or another.

Widowmaker · #8 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 08:33 AM

I understand that handling suffered with the kidney bean wheels as they were too narrow for the power developed by the early 289 cars used for racing. The use of the "FIA" wheels improved the handling considerably.

Tongue Pirate · #9 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 08:44 AM

However, PS Engineering will make you a strong set of Kidney Bean Wheels to your liking & widths. These are the wheels I am going to go with. I like the way they look!