1:24 Minilite Double Fin 14 + tires

Eight arms you will recognize at first glance

The Minilite came about in the middle of the sixties in England as a light magnesium replacement for heavy factory rims. The wedge-shaped arms with their crisp edges quickly became a recognizable mark of the Mini Cooper S, the Lotus Cortina, the early Escorts and the small Healeys as well. The version with a double rib is later and carries more material exactly where the wheel took the greatest bite when cornering. You will tell it apart by two parallel ridges on each arm instead of one.

Which build it makes sense for

The set aims at the builder who wants to move a British car of the years 1965 to 1975 from its box form to a credible period specification. The fourteen-inch diameter matches what was actually fitted to these cars, so no unnatural gap or overhang comes about under the fender. The experience you need is rather average: the wheel is cast in one piece, and the main work lies in cutting the remnant of the sprue gate off and leaving the arm crisp.

What can be built with it

Most often it will serve on the competition and the civilian version of small British sedans and coupes, where the factory rim looks too tame. It works well with a conversion in which you make a club special out of an ordinary car too. The rubber tires are part of the package, so you are not putting the assembly together from two sources and do not have to work out whether the bead and the rim match in diameter.

Preparation and painting

Wash the casting in lukewarm water with a detergent before spraying, so that residues of mold release agent disappear. The magnesium look is captured by a matte silver-gray or a light golden shade, depending on how weathered you want the wheel to be. It pays to shade the inside of the arms lightly, otherwise the fine drawing will be lost in a photograph.