Torque Thrust ad

[Dave Galassi]

Does anyone on the lounge have a magazine ad from the 60's showing a picture and description of a magnesium American Torque Thrust wheel?  I've scoured old magazines for some time and haven't been able to find one.  In addition, and this may be directed at Sir Licks a Lot, does anyone have a picture of Friar Tuck and or The Iguana that shows a Competition Engineering sticker?  It would have been a white rectangular sticker with a black border giving the information of that shop in Altadena, CA.  

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[Jim Ratto]

Dave, prob not much help, but maybe. I used to have an old Volkswagen Greats mag that had a b/w photo feature article on The Iguana. I know I've lost the magazine, but maybe you have that old issue stashed somewhere? Think it had Lightning Bug up on tow on the cover? This is going back 20 yr for me now. But I vaguely remember that article had a shot of the CE decal. I think...

good luck man,

Jim R.

[Dave Galassi]

I'll check and see what I have Jim.  Thanks!  You used any of those old red pepper and parmesan cheese packets from the glove box yet? What are the boys for Halloween? 

D

[johnl]

Dave, being that I seem to be the one associated with these wheels back in the day here is what I can offer.  Rich Kugel and I use to drive all the way to Pasadena to do business with a Firestone store on Colorado Blvd.  As I recall the original connection from that came from Ak Miller where Jerry Kugel (Rich's brother) worked.

Anyway, I remember we were there on a Saturday morning and one of the employees walked out with an American VW Mag wheel.  This was the first one either of us had ever seen and of course we didn't like them.  Didn't like real BRM's back in the day either but that is a different story.

The guy was trying to sell us a set each for around $200 which put the price right up to the moon for us.  One could buy Porsche style chromies for about $20 each then.  I never saw Americans on a VW until the day on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park just south of Knott's Berry Farm I chased down the girl driving the Baja Bug and purchased the two from her.  Those cost me to chromies and the tire change and a few $$.

So to answer your question I doubt there was ever an ad for these wheels in print but if so I'd sure like to see it.   Fast forward to 1971 when Doug Haydon found the remaining inventory of these in American's warehouse in Rancho Dominguez.  We pooled our $$, purchased the entire inventory and the rest is history.

[johnl]

I neglected to mention that our first exposure to these wheels at the Pasadena Firstone store would have been late 1964 or very early 1965.

[Fastbrit]

Back at home I have an original brochure from American... I can scan it but won't be home until end of next week.

[Dave Galassi]

John, as always, thank you for the insight.  I've never seen an ad either, but I believe Larry Rick, Dave Conklin and a few others have.  Was the Firestone dealer called Caldwell Tire? If so, they were also the drag slick recap place to go back in the day. I really appreciate your input on these matters.

Keith, if you do, I'd reallly appreciate seeing it, as I need to find a clean copy of one.  Thanks for looking!

Dave   

[johnl]

John, as always, thank you for the insight.  I've never seen an ad either, but I believe Larry Rick, Dave Conklin and a few others have.  Was the Firestone dealer called Caldwell Tire? If so, they were also the drag slick recap place to go back in the day. I really appreciate your input on these matters.

Keith, if you do, I'd really appreciate seeing it, as I need to find a clean copy of one.  Thanks for looking!

Dave   

Dave, It may have been Caldwell Tire as that sounds familiar but it has been almost 50 years ago.  I do remember them having much in performance stuff and it was on the south side of Colorado Blvd and just east of downtown Pasadena.

Keith, I'd also like to see your American info as well.   

[NAO]

Dave

Hope this may help you out...

Nao

[speedwell]

Dave i remember  that you asking me this before about the competition engineering  stickers and i 've just still looking again on my archives , and nothing on the friar tuck and iguana the name was painted/signwriting on the doors bottom (where the Running Boards were)

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but i noticed a small stickers with 2 letters C&E it's a white with a black C and red E ...the E is in the C Certainly initials for competiton engineering
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hope it helps  Dave  

[speedwell]

Dave I found this on the net
 

Competiton Engineering

[Dave Galassi]

Thanks everyone!  Nao, I appreciate that shot, but I am really looking for a picture showing the 5 x 205 wheel and it's nomenclature.  This is going to be tough.

Fabs, I know I've asked before, but with as many pics as you've got, I figured you might have gotten something new in.  I remember seeing in a photo of the back of the vehicle a picture of the sticker I am looking for.............it is the version prior to the one you've got there Sir Licks a Lot.  That one is from the 70's.  Back in the 60's, CE was building hypo stuff out of their Altadena shop and the sticker was a simple black and white with no stylized graphics or symbols.  That is what I am hoping to find again, I just can't remember where I saw it and which car it was on (Friar or Iguana - as both engines were "touched" by the CE crew).

Again, thanks so much to everyone for the help.  There is a purpose for it...................

[.]

Not a magazine ad, but the original boxes.

[Dave Galassi]

Thanks Richard.  I should be more specific.  I'm looking for an ad that calls them torque thrust wheels.  We all know that, but I'm trying to prove a point to a group of people.  As for the CE sticker, I'll have to keep looking.  Maybe I saw it on a drag racing site somewhere.  I do know for sure that it was either Friar Tuck or The Iguana. 

[team97]

Hey, that's my dad's old A/FC (Killer Whale) in the Background of the Friar Tuck at Irwindale

[Dave Galassi]

Cool car Glen!  Not often a Vega gets called a whale!  I would have loved to see it run.