Gran Toros / Sputafuoco Wheel Variations

Very early Gran Toros had Delrin® bearings just like the early Hot Wheels Redlines. Delrin® is Dupont's acetal polymer. Acetal is a low friction polymer and feels very slippery. Unfortunately, acetal is difficult to machine to tight tolerances.

The Delrin® bearings were soon replaced by a "cap style wheel. The Gran Toros cap style wheels differ from the Redline type in that the cap is the hub. On the Redlines the cap is the "hub" and the "tire" as a single piece that snaps over a backing plate. Redline caps can be replaced by carefully working a single sided razor blade between the cap and the backing plate. The Gran Toros hubs are tapered and are pressed into the "tire." They are not easy to remove and unless they were not pressed together tightly at the factory you will destroy the wheel trying to disassemble it.

The Delrin® bearings appeared on the following models: 

The first releases of Gran Toros came with "Racing Slicks" type tires. The "second wave" of Gran Toros models came with both the "Racing Slicks" as well as a treaded type of tire.The wheel hubs varied between models.

There were seven basic styles of Gran Toros wheel hubs: 

  • Double 5-Spoke - This was the standard wheel hub found on most Gran Toros.
  • Simple 5-Spoke - This type of wheel hub came in a regular and "deep dish rim" and is found on the T'rantula, Torpedo, TwinMill®, Silhouette, Lotus Europa, and Mantis.
  • Bicycle Dragster - These are the front wheels on the T'rantula and Torpedo.
  • Wire-Spoke - this wheel appeared on the Chaparral CanAm (2J).
  • Alfa Romeo 33/3 Wheel - This wheel only appeared on the Alfa Romeo 33/3.
  • Abarth 695ss Wheel - The Abarth 695ss is so small that it has a completely different wheel and hub.
  • Mebetoys Style Hub - This rare variation appeared on some Lamborghini Miura models. The hub looks like a type of Mebetoys series wheel.
Click on any of the images to enlarge them.

This picture shows an early Gran Toros Ferrari CanAm with a rear wheel removed to show the Delrin® bearing.
  

Here is a closeup of the Delrin® bearing on a Gran Toros Ferrari CanAm.
  

This picture shows the "back side" of the
wheel that mounts on the bearing.
 
 

This picture shows a side view of the bearing.
  

This picture shows the "back side" of the wheel mounted on the bearing.
  

This picture shows the rear wheel of a T'rantula (cap style).
 
 

Here is a closeup of a T'rantula hub. T'rantulas and Torpedos came with this style of Simple 5-spoke rear wheel.
  

This picture shows the rear wheel of a "cleaner" T'rantula (cap style). It's harder to photograph the wheel hubs if they are well chromed.
  
Here is a closeup of the "clean" T'rantula hub.
 
 

This picture shows the Bicycle Dragster wheel of a T'rantula without the "hub cap." The tiny cap snaps on the wheel and in most cases easily comes off by gently pushing the wheel toward the body.
  
Here is a closeup of the Bicycle Dragster wheel without the "hub cap."
  
This picture shows the Bicycle Dragster
wheel with the "hub cap" in place.
 
 
This picture shows a "cap stye" wheel on a T'rantula with the hub removed.
  
This picture shows a different angle of a
"cap stye" wheel on a T'rantula with the hub removed.
  

This is a straight on picture of the hub. To remove the hub you push the tire part of the wheel toward the body of the model. Unfortunately the hubs on the majority of models are so tight that you may break the axel when removing the hub.
 
 

This picture shows different angle of the removed hub.
  

This picture shows another angle of the hub.
  

This picture shows the back of the removed hub.
 
 

This picture shows the Alfa 33/3 Wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Alfa Romeo 33/3.
  

Here is a closeup of the Alfa 33/3 Wheel variation.
  

This picture shows the Alfa 33/3 Wheel variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Alfa Romeo 33/3.
 
 

This picture shows the Abarth 695ss Wheel variation on the front wheel of a
Gran Toros Abarth 695ss.
  

Here is a closeup of the Abarth 695ss Wheel variation (front wheel).
  

This picture shows the Abarth 695ss Wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Abarth 695ss.
 
 

Here is a closeup of the Abarth 695ss Wheel variation (rear wheel).
  

This picture shows a Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Lotus Europa.
  

Here is a closeup of the Simple 5-Spoke
wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Lotus Europa.
 
 
This picture shows a Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the front wheel of a Lotus Europa.
  
Here is a closeup of the Simple 5-Spoke
wheel variation on the front wheel of a Lotus Europa.
  
This picture shows a Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Mantis. Note that it is has "deeper dish" than the Lotus Europa hubs.
 
 
Here is a closeup of the Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
  

This picture shows the Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the rear wheel of a "cleaner" Mantis. It's harder to photograph the wheel hubs if they are well chromed.
  

This picture shows a Simple 5-Spoke wheel variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
 
 

Here is a closeup of the Simple 5-Spoke
wheel variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
  

This picture shows the treaded tire variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
  

Here is a closeup of the treaded tire variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
 
 

This picture shows the Racing Slick tire variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
  

This picture shows the treaded tire variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
  

This picture shows the Racing Slick tire variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Mantis.
 
 

This picture shows a Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Ferrari P4.
  

Here is a closeup of the Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Ferrari P4.
  

This picture shows a Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Ferrari P4.
 
 

Here is a closeup of the Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of aGran Toros Ferrari P4. Note the extra width of the rim.
  

This picture shows a Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Lamborghini Miura.
  

Here is a closeup of the Standard Double
5-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Lamborghini Miura.
 
 

This picture shows a Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Lamborghini Miura.
  

Here is a closeup of the Standard Double 5-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Lamborghini Miura.
  

This picture shows the Mebetoys Style Hub variation on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Lamborghini Miura.
This picture shows a "late run" Gran Toros Chaparral with rare (for this model) Wire-Spoke wheel variation.
Here is a closeup of the front Wire-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral.
This picture shows the Wire-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral.
 
 

This picture shows the Wire-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).
  

Here is a closeup of the Wire-Spoke wheel design on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).
  

This picture shows the Wire-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).
 
 

Here is a closeup of the Wire-Spoke wheel design on the rear wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).
  

This picture shows the treaded tire variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).
  

Here is a closeup of the treaded tire variation on the front wheel of a Gran Toros Chaparral CanAm (2J).