What wheels are these??

KevinVarnes

KevinVarnes

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I cannot figure out what the heck these things are. They look like '93 Cobra fan blades, but they have an E9SC part number and five lugs which translates to a Thunderbird application. Cobra wheels have an F3ZC part number and four lugs. They are not 15" MN12 fan blades because they are clearly cast with "17x7.5" in the hub area. They clearly have a Ford part number and the Ford logo on the inside of the wheel so not aftermarket. They don't appear to have been filled and drilled. So '93 Cobra wheels four years before the '93 Cobra wheels? I think these would look pretty nice on the '97 in lieu of the SVT 5 spoke Cobra R's I have for it. I highly doubt they are 5x108, but who knows at this point. If they are a direct bolt on with the correct offset and lug pattern I think I might pick them up.
www.ebay.com

Set (4) 1989 1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe SVT Cobra 5 Lug 17" x 7.5" Wheels | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Set (4) 1989 1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe SVT Cobra 5 Lug 17" x 7.5" Wheels at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
The third digit denotes Thunderbird application, so there’s a high probability those are 5x108. Weird!

This is pure speculation but I wonder if those were what would have been installed on the AWD SCs before the program was axed and the actual 93 Cobra wheel was simply recycling the existing casting dies to keep costs down.
 
Other than verifying the bolt pattern, the biggest issue is the center cap measurement. Those would be sweet if a stock center cap fit.
 
Zep5.0 said:
Other than verifying the bolt pattern, the biggest issue is the center cap measurement. Those would be sweet if a stock center cap fit.
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They do, iirc the ones that fit directly are the ones from Fox turbo coupes, also the cougar caps with the 10 hole wheels

IMG_6786.jpeg
 
Anyone have a Ford Motorsport catalog from 89-90 by chance? I’m wondering if these were in there and few ever noticed? Kind of like the 17x7” 5x108 FRPP SVT wheels(from the cancelled SVE/SVT Tbirds)
 
I tried finding a pdf of an '89 Motorsport catalog, but couldn't find one. That said, if it was sold through Motorsport, I think it would have had a M-1007-XX part number not a regular Ford part number no?

Seller has to get the wheels out of storage to take some measurements for me.
 
KevinVarnes said:
I tried finding a pdf of an '89 Motorsport catalog, but couldn't find one. That said, if it was sold through Motorsport, I think it would have had a M-1007-XX part number not a regular Ford part number no?

Seller has to get the wheels out of storage to take some measurements for me.
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The packaging would but not necessarily the casting. Many parts Ford sold through Ford racing are available through the mainline Ford parts system(like the old PI intake for example). If these wheels were intended for production and they made a run of them they may well have just put them in the Motorsport catalog to get rid of them
 
We'll see what we find. The seller actually seems pretty knowledgeable. He actually brought up the MN12 moniker on his own so he must know a thing or two about a thing or two. He also has quite a few other NOS Ford parts for sale on ebay.
 
My first impression was they looked like Taurus turbine wheels.

1747693351639.png
 
KevinVarnes said:
We'll see what we find. The seller actually seems pretty knowledgeable. He actually brought up the MN12 moniker on his own so he must know a thing or two about a thing or two. He also has quite a few other NOS Ford parts for sale on ebay.
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Let me know if you pass on them. I don't wanna get them out from under you
 
I have a bare one, what do you need? I'm not getting rid of them, They're going on the red cougar, but I can take pix tomorrow.
 
Zep5.0 said:
Anyone have a bare 15" fan blade? I'm not convinced these are 17' based on this photo
Click to expand...

Those look like 17” to me here’s a 5x114” rep

Besides which the 15” fan blade came out in 1993, they have a F3SC prefix, not E9SC
 

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XR7-4.6 said:
Those look like 17” to me here’s a 5x114” rep

Besides which the 15” fan blade came out in 1993, they have a F3SC prefix, not E9SC
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Actually looking at these vs the ones in question if the replicas based their casting off of the original wheels which it looks like they did, the whole of the 5x108” lug pattern fits in the circle, but the Mustang pattern ones needed a clearanced area for the lugs in the tapered section
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Actually looking at these vs the ones in question if the replicas based their casting off of the original wheels which it looks like they did, the whole of the 5x108” lug pattern fits in the circle, but the Mustang pattern ones needed a clearanced area for the lugs in the tapered section
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I zoomed in and they are 17x7.5 according to the stamp. I'll be dipped.
 
I'll have to post some action shots later, but I drove down and picked these up today. I took an old hub I had laying around for a quick test fit for lug pattern and center bore diameter. It dropped right in. These things have been sitting on a shelf long enough. Time to get them out into the world. These will allow me to finally upgrade to Cobra brakes on the '97. Now I need to get some tires for them. I'm thinking about either 225/55 or 235/50.
 
KevinVarnes said:
I'll have to post some action shots later, but I drove down and picked these up today. I took an old hub I had laying around for a quick test fit for lug pattern and center bore diameter. It dropped right in. These things have been sitting on a shelf long enough. Time to get them out into the world. These will allow me to finally upgrade to Cobra brakes on the '97. Now I need to get some tires for them. I'm thinking about either 225/55 or 235/50.
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Awesome! Just make sure the shop doesn’t hammer on external weights and don’t curb them! Those are pieces of history!
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Awesome! Just make sure the shop doesn’t hammer on external weights and don’t curb them! Those are pieces of history!
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I usually go to my old neighbor since he works at a tire shop and they use stick on weights.

Not curbing them is up to my wife since she drives the car way more than I do, but she's been rolling the '93 SC wheels on it for about 5 years with no damage so I think we're safe.

In case anyone is concerned, these will see spring-fall use only. I'm finally going to do steelies and snow tires for the winter months for this car so hopefully that will prevent the typical aluminum wheel bead corrosion that is oh so common up here.

I need to find the correct centercaps with the T-Bird logo. The car originally came with 15" chrome fan blades which I thought would use the same size centercaps, but the outside diameter of those are too small (the lock ring diameter is correct). It appears that I need something like these:
1748230113739.png

As opposed to these where you can see the outside diameter is much closer to the lock ring diameter:
1748230263178.png

Fortunately, Ford only made about 18,000 different design centercaps in the 80's/90's so they should be pretty easy to track down. ;)
 
KevinVarnes said:
I usually go to my old neighbor since he works at a tire shop and they use stick on weights.

Not curbing them is up to my wife since she drives the car way more than I do, but she's been rolling the '93 SC wheels on it for about 5 years with no damage so I think we're safe.

In case anyone is concerned, these will see spring-fall use only. I'm finally going to do steelies and snow tires for the winter months for this car so hopefully that will prevent the typical aluminum wheel bead corrosion that is oh so common up here.

I need to find the correct centercaps with the T-Bird logo. The car originally came with 15" chrome fan blades which I thought would use the same size centercaps, but the outside diameter of those are too small (the lock ring diameter is correct). It appears that I need something like these:
View attachment 12178

As opposed to these where you can see the outside diameter is much closer to the lock ring diameter:
View attachment 12179

Fortunately, Ford only made about 18,000 different design centercaps in the 80's/90's so they should be pretty easy to track down. ;)
Click to expand...
If you ever decide to sell them, let me know.
 
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