Enclosed front wheels appreciation

[octagonalpaul]

A less common design feature from a different time, I've really started to like the look of some of the cars with covered "archless" front wheels recently. Slammed ones are especially cool, they really give off a hovercraft effect.

























(photoshopped but you get the idea)











so, what have you got?

[86mike]

Looks cool but I heard that it's dangerous in the snow :-) The wheel wells fill up and you can't turn :-)

[Killbill]

Bumper cars ;D

[trg1984]

Probably a daft question but how do you change wheels? Do some have hinged wings?

[RobinJI]

From here

[rustempire]

My mind is now splattered all over the pooter after failing to comprehend the awesomeness of that Buick.

Rob

[WillCarter]

What is that red thing? Seriously cool.

[octagonalpaul]

this?



Nash Rambler, and a very cool one

[bl1300]

Feb 4, 2013 19:36:10 GMT trg1984 said:

Probably a daft question but how do you change wheels? Do some have hinged wings?

Knock on/off wheel spinner like you get on wire wheels possibly? I can also imagine a fair bit of swearing. But thats not the point they look brilliant on the right car.

[Seth]

Feb 4, 2013 21:03:20 GMT WillCarter said:

What is that red thing? Seriously cool.

Or do you mean the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante?

[RobinJI]

I think they mostly just rely on having a decent amount of negative travel on the suspension, so you can get to the wheel off like any other car once it's jacked up.

[jrevillug]

Feb 4, 2013 21:28:10 GMT bl1300 said:

Feb 4, 2013 19:36:10 GMT trg1984 said:

Probably a daft question but how do you change wheels? Do some have hinged wings?

Knock on/off wheel spinner like you get on wire wheels possibly?

How on earth would that help? Leaving aside the fact that most of this stuff has wheel nuts rather than centrelocks, you've still got to get the wheel off the hub.

As a real answer, if you look at most of the non-lowered examples, the hubs sit below the wheelarch lip, so the wheel can be tilted out at the bottom. I guess that most of the lowered ones have enough suspension droop when jacked up to allow clearance. And some do have removable panels.

[ettorebugatti]

The thirties will show you how's done.

[Mystery Machine]

Sorry, but I just have to include 'that' Punto!







Phase II of its evolution:

[octagonalpaul]

That's brilliantly crazy! Really does pull off the hovercraft look, almost spaceship looking. Always good to see cars stretching the imagination and possibilities.

[SparksECM]

The level of work in that punto is pretty immense. Reminds me of the audi concepts from iRocco, just more lairy paint wise.

[crazymonkey]

That punto is more extreme than some of the cars you would see at GTi tuning international 10 years ago. bearing in mind some of them are difficult to figure out what they are (or were in most cases)

so whats the turning circle like on it then ;D

[79cord]

[79cord]

makes me want to see a CX with covered wheels.
Morris Minor? Early Standard Vanguard, Vauxhall Omega ?
Some spat ideas were designed to be pushed out by the wheel as it turned.

[stealthstylz]

Damn Bruce beat me to it with the punto of win. It really is awesome, not just because of the crazy concept but because its finished so well.