Minilite Washers - Production run interest

[bigcheese]

My quest for a source of Minilite washers has come up empty, so I am planning a run with a respected automotive CNC operation here in NH. Sample has been sent to them, and I am awaiting an estimate: final numbers will depend on interest based quantities, but I anticipate the lion's share will be in setup.
Pieces are planned to be exact recreation of original, including finish. I assume we would book in sets of 20, but that's open to interest.
Do we have interest in proceeding with this project?

Thanks - Hank

[chris_seven]

Your earlier thread interested me so I went to look at some Minilite Wheels and Nuts we have fitted to an old Ex-Works Rally we have tucked away in a shed (Unhappily not a Porsche )



These nuts all have captive washers rather than have them as separate parts




The Ex-Works Car we have dates from 1964 and the nuts look completely different to those shown in the original Minilite catalogue.

[bigcheese]

Hi Chris - thanks for the interest and your post. I am not an expert, but I believe the 'captive' washers may have been a later (or earlier) iteration of the lug/washer Minilite combination, or designed for fitment on other vehicles.
I have in excess of 20 lugs on hand, and one - but only one - of them is of the captive washer style (not in this photo).
Cheers - Hank

[chris_seven]

Hank,

The copy of the brochure which describes the captive washer is taken form the very first 'Minilite' brochure that was published.

The vast majority of early 'Alloy' wheels used sleeve nuts at around this time and virtually all of them used a captive washer.

We used Minilites on our Rally cars for many years and the sleeve nuts were always as real PITA and eventually Ford changed the entire mounting arrangement to eliminate their use.

By the mid 1970-s the range of wheels produced had increased significantly, wheel nut style had also changed and the Aluminium 'Sport' wheel had been introduced.

It is interesting that the wheel nuts you have seem to have been drilled. I assume the holes go right through and act as a vent?

I have a general 'archive' of Minilite articles, brochures and a number of the early wheel in differing sizes.

[21window]

Did u try this guy for washers? He's pretty knowledgeable and has gotten me some oddball stuff?

http://www.t3technique.com/

[bigcheese]

Thank you XXI - and thanks for pointing me in their direction. I have visited their site and have made inquiry.
I remain a little surprised that for an item so hard to come by there is so little interest in a source of production. Maybe they are hoarded within this group, or mabe T3 has the answer...hope so!
Cheers - Hank

[Harvey Weidman]

I think most use the generic washer that is used on the modern "mag lug".
H