Hat Rims

[mountainibis]

I picked up a 2N awhile back with the hopes of getting it running, selling it, and making a little profit.

The tires on it are in pretty bad shape, but the hat rims are in really good shape.

Do y"all think the hat rims would be worth a set of regular 6 lug rims with a set of decent tires on them?
 

[Den N Ms]

Mountainibis,You have to remove the tires to be able to tell if the rims are not rusted out on the inside band.
 

[Ultradog MN]

I would make that trade in a heart beat.
Except to a few purists who have GOT to have all original stuff (and then paint their 9/2N Red)
hat rims are over rated.
 

[mountainibis]

I took the tires off this afternoon. Breaking the beads was quite the cuss-worthy experience. I used a Hi-Lift jack on one and the neighbor's front-end loader for the other.

The insides look really good. There's some surface rust in both of them, but a good bit of bare metal, too. The Ford logo and some other stampings near the valve stems were still visible on both. If these tires were ever filled, the tubes never leaked much.
 

[Royse]

They're worth something to the restoration guys.
I bought one for one of my 8N's so I'd have a matched pair.
I don't know if you'd get someone to trade rims and tires for just rims but
you could list them for sale in the classifieds here and get some money
to offset the purchase of new tires if you already have the 6 loop rims.
 

[1951 8N]

[mountainibis]

Location is western NC.