Fit Porsche 356 or Vintage VW (Wide 5-Bolt rims)
5 Deano Dyno Soar (DDS) Alum-A-Lite Aluminum Wheels
Original (and terribly rare) spun aluminum Deano Dyno Soar (DDS) Alum-A-Lite aluminum wheels, measuring 15 x 5 in the rear and 13 x 5 in the front. Weighing in at a feather-light 5 and 3.5 lbs. each (approximately) respectively, they were designed for drag racing only, and are more rare and lighter than the legendary Speedwell BRMs. These wheels were run by most of the top drag race and street Cal-Look cars back in the 70s, and occasionally seen on Porsche 356s as well. In fact the rear wheels in the set came off of a Porsche 356.
History
You can’t swing a cat around a group of vintage photos without seeing these rims on the greatest cars from back in the day, including: Tar Babe, all of the DDS race cars, Here Comes ‘Da Bug, Lil’ Red, Mouse Trap, Mad Pineapple, Lightening Bug, Aardvark, Super Bug II, Anderson Bros, etc. They were THE wheel to have if you were interested in going fast. Aside from the light weight (“boat anchor” BRMs were 7 lbs. each ;-), another advantage was that racers could order custom offsets from “The Brother’s Lowry,” Dean and Ken as DDS.
So if these wheels were so popular in the 70s, why are they so rare? Many of those famous Gassers met an ugly end to their life in the guardrail as they pushed the aerodynamic limit of the VW Beetle chassis. Along with losing some iconic VW drag cars, countless sets of DDS wheels were destroyed. The few sets that remain are often damaged. In fact, it took me close to 15 years, buying 9 wheels, to create this set of 5. Let alone the NOS tires, which took me just as long!
So how do you know they are DDS wheels? After all, DDS never stamped their wheels. Aside from being incredibly light, notice the 3-piece construction (one center piece sandwiched between two rim halves), which were then welded together down the center (see detailed pictures).
There is a cool story behind the wheels:
13 x 5 Fronts: 13 inch DDS wheels are simply as rare as it gets! I bought these from Keith Seume (founder of Volksworld and Ultra VW magazines, author of the only two books that have ever been written on Cal-Look cars) approximately 15 years ago. Keith ran them on his nostalgia racecar, Flashback, which was featured in Volksworld Magazine years ago. Keith eventually sold that car, without wheels, selling the wheels to me.
The wheels were then occasionally run on my ’67 Cal-Look car, including when it was featured in a few magazines (Ultra VW, Super VW, etc.). I primarily ran these wheels for shows and the odd trip down the quarter mile.
15 x 5 Rears: Spent many years “back in the day” on a Porsche 356.
13 x 4.5 Spare: I bought this from a good friend several years ago.
Specifications
Please note that the proper way to measure a rim width is from INSIDE the wheel lips – done this way, the 4 wheels measure 5 inches wide (approximately 5.5 inches overall width), with the spare measuring 4.5 inches wide (approximately 5 inches overall).
I’ve taken detailed photos of each rim, including front and back, and can email more detailed pics to prospective buyers. As you can see, the wheels are in very good condition, balance beautifully, and only have the odd nick. Being spun aluminum, the wheels are incredibly easy to polish (if you like things smooth and shiny).
NOS Tires
Rear tires are period-correct Michelin “XZX” 165 R 15. These are not modern Coker Tire versions, but actual original tires. One tire was NOS, and the other a low mileage original.
Front tires were NOS Michelin “X” 155 R 15. These were among the first radials – they were THE tire to run back in the day – and were never reproduced.
I’ve driven less than 200 miles on the set of tires.
Spare tire is an NOS Michelin “ZX” 155 80R 13, never run or mounted, still running the original sticker/label.
Tires ARE NOT INCLUDED in the sale price, but the winning bidder has first right of refusal to buy the tires. I will otherwise have them carefully removed and sold separately. It took me approximately 15 years to build this set of tires, and they are the icing on the cake.
Other
The wheels are so light that you can actually notice a difference in the acceleration rate, and would be perfect for a lightweight Porsche 356, Nostalgia Gasser or period Cal-Look car. Don’t devalue your car by using reproduction parts.
Winning bidder will also receive a 2-page photocopy from an original DDS catalogue discussing the wheels.
Price for all 5 rims is $1950 (excluding tires), which is incredibly reasonable at only $390 PER WHEEL. I will not separate this set of wheels. Payment is either cash (in person pick up in Connecticut) or via PayPal (I will split the 4% PayPal fees, so buyer pays an additional 2%). Rims will be carefully packaged. Happy to ship worldwide.
Thanks,
John
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