TheSamba.com :: View topic - My Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies Project

Thu Jan 12, 2023 5:47 am

Awesome racing picture... I ran across (I think on the DKW enthusiast Facebook group that I am a member of) an amazing picture of a racing DKW F12 yesterday, which, if it had some of those same wheels on it (can't tell from the photo), seems to show them to be pretty strong!

Thu Jan 12, 2023 7:23 am

Now you have a goal!

Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:10 am

NJ John wrote: Now you have a goal!

Oh, yeah, that's me all the way! Ha ha!

Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:29 am

Acquiring an actual mating DKW hub cap...

I got the idea to join a DKW car & motorcycle enthusiast group on Facebook, in hopes of possibly finding a/some appropriate hub cap(s) for these DKW F12/Junior wheels. I posted a picture of my wheels, and said thanks for any leads/guidance. Wouldn't you know that someone saw an ad for some fellow in Italy (an old car enthusiast located in Anguillara Sabazia) selling *one* on Ebay! I contacted the seller, who turned out to be a really nice guy, and asked if I could buy it. He sounded a little hesitant at first, because the cap was not "perfect," but I looked at the pictures in his Ebay ad, and decided that I definitely wanted it. I purchased it in November 2022, and it took maybe about two weeks or so to get here, including processing thru customs, etc.. The shipping ended up costing more than the cap itself, but I'm still very happy! Here are two pictures by the seller, from his Ebay ad, and one selfie I just took this morning (2/1/2023). Not sure what I'm going to ever do with it, but I'm still VERY happy to have one!

I still haven't purchased any tires yet--still looking--not in any rush...

2/2/2023 EDIT: Adding this previously-shown image, to illustrate how these hub caps look on the wheels, fitted to an original DKW F12/Junior:

Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:41 am

Order some tires already. I’m sitting here waiting for updates. Lol

Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:23 pm

NJ John wrote: Order some tires already. I’m sitting here waiting for updates. Lol

Sorry about that, man!

I'm close, but the ones that I think I want are presently out of stock. I am keeping in touch with the supplier.

That's about the best I can tell you right now!

Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:02 am

Finally some suitably Oddball Tires...

Not my first choice, but wanted to move ahead on this latest project. And besides, I can always get some different tires at some point in the future.

I bought (from a good ebay seller--not Amazon) these 165/80R13 "Forceum" mud tires: https://www.amazon.com/Forceum-Off-Road-Light-Radi...deae8f9840 ... It would appear that they are semi-popular among the growing "Kei Trucks" crowd, which we are seeing more and more of here and there on Connecticut roadways (so maybe I'll have a market for selling them used at some point). There's even a place in CT that specializes in them: https://www.jdmimportsct.com/

I ordered them online on Friday, February 10th, and they arrived at my house on Wednesday, February 15th. I contacted my trusted local garage to see when they might be able to take on the job of mounting and balancing the tires on my nicely refinished DKW wheels--they said bring 'em down, and by Friday the 17th, I brought them home. These are a couple of pictures of them as-mounted & balanced.

Ongoing thanks to the good guys at Stony Creek Auto Service of Branford CT for the typically awesome job they did! They are "car guys" and treat *your* stuff as if it was *their* stuff!

I did get 'em onto the car thru the weekend, and even did some driving with them, so stay tuned for more updates...

Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:24 am

You should change you name to “KnobbySteve”.

Wed Feb 22, 2023 9:40 am

NJ John wrote: You should change you name to “KnobbySteve”.

Hmm, something to think about...

:D

Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:38 am

Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies - Finally on the car...

Saturday, February 18th, 2023 was they day I finally bolted them onto the car, with some 1" spacers that I had bought from Amazon (I knew the car was going to look goofy enough, so the slight bit of wider stance I figured might help). The generic Amazon center caps and center cap stickers were also used (push thru from the back installation), and I think look kinda cool. These first two shots were the first ones I took once I got everything installed, with the car still sitting in the garage...

Next time, we roll it outdoors, and do some local-area initial test driving...

Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:14 am

Can’t wait to see it outside. I think the desert’s of North Africa would make a good backdrop.

Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:23 am

NJ John wrote: Can’t wait to see it outside. I think the desert’s of North Africa would make a good backdrop.

Thanks John! The streets of Branford & Guilford, CT are going to have to do in the mean time! Happy Friday!

Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:59 am

Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies - Finally on the car... (part 2)... Rolled the car outside for some initial pictures in the daylight, right after bolting everything up (still prior to test driving), Saturday, February 18th, 2023...

Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:32 am

Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies - Getting ready for some road testing... Still on Saturday, February 18th, 2023 photos... Rolled car back in the garage briefly, and then set out for some local-area initial test driving...

BELOW: Don't forget that I am running 1" thick spacers at all four corners, hence the slightly "wider stance" that may be apparent here (with apologies to Senator Larry "Wide Stance" Craig, ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Craig_scandal#...0mine.%22)

BELOW: Close-up to illustrate "Spidey" (now much more secure, with a wire loop around his waist--I was lucky he never fell off before that), and the super-cool CVA (https://www.ctvwa.org/) 30th anniversary commemorative badge that I'm proud to display.

BELOW: In this view I'm heading west on Connecticut Route 146/Leetes Island Road in Branford, approaching the intersection with Stony Creek Road and Thimble Islands Road. My favorite local independent automotive garage, "Stony Creek Auto" is coming up on the left. Stony Creek cemetery is ahead on the right.

Thu Mar 30, 2023 7:01 am

Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies - Some initial local road testing... Continuing with more images from Saturday, February 18th, 2023... Finally rolling at some semi-serious speeds--I decided to drive on I-95 northbound a couple of exits to get over to Guilford. I turned on "WAZE" on my phone while I was driving on the highway, to compare what its satellite tracking of my speed was, to what my car's speedometer was reading. At 70mph indicated on my car's speedo, WAZE indicated that I was doing an actual 60! So, now I have a feel for what speed I'm actually driving, with these smaller tires... In Guilford I stopped for a couple of photos by the town green, and then I drove CT Route 146 (a scenic shoreline secondary road) over to the Stony Creek section of Branford for a couple more pictures, taking advantage of some low-angle illumination from the setting sun.

BELOW: Guilford Town Green, Guilford, CT

BELOW: "Downtown" Stony Creek Village, southeastern end of the town of Branford, right across the street from the water

Thu Mar 30, 2023 9:07 am

Thirteen Inch Oddball Steelies - A couple pictures in some light snowfall... The date was Saturday, February 25th, 2023, and we had gotten some light snow (rather unusual for the very mild winter we just experienced here in Southern Connecticut). I knew the roads would probably be freshly salted, so all I did was roll the car outside for a couple of pictures. Gives a unique look to pictures, I think. Top was down also, in anticipation of better weather days hopefully soon to come!

Tue Apr 04, 2023 1:25 pm

A little bit of driving around Branford, CT... Monday, March 6, 2023 (I have Mondays off), and a slightly overcast, but generally mild day. Top was already down, and car was accessible, so off we went.

Two photo-op stops this time: #1 = Branford Point; this is the point were I believe the Branford River is considered to empty into the ocean. There's a little parking area where you can park and watch boats from several nearby marinas come in and out.

Stop #2 was Stony Creek (farthest eastern part of the town of Branford), specifically the Stony Creek Post Office, where I stopped to check my P.O. Box. The Post Office is right across the street from the water.

Wed Feb 28, 2024 1:27 pm

Tried these wheels/tires out on Doug the '60 Bug (via some 5-to-4 bolt adapters). Kinda cool!

Here's also the immediately previous look, with 16" repro "Pre-A" wheels, and some old Foxcraft skirts that I last used on the car approximately 30 years ago or so! This picture is courtesy a local old car friend, Adam Goldstein.

P.S.: My "OCD" was kicking in with regard to the driver's door "33" gumball not being totally level, as is slightly obvious in the picture with the Foxcrafts. I finally managed to straighten it at the same time I was installing the 13-inchers. I also had found an NOS "33" Rolling Rock oval shape sticker online, and it's visible on the rear quarter window in the knobbies picture also.