Dec 2007 Stan Gundry The rumor is true that the Ford Rim (NWRA 40273)used by so many of us on our Studebakers is no longer available. It is also true that the Mopar rims that fit 69-84 Chrysler products w/o front wheel drive are also NLA, in fact they went NLA before the Ford Rims. This according to my local wheel and rim shop. But they also say there is one other option that is still available and that is NWRA 40709; the application book lists it as a sub for NWRA 40273. Supposedly the only difference between this and the 40273 is that it is a 6 1/2 inch wide rim. That should not be a problem, in fact with radials it might even be better. The shop said 40709 has the same offset as the 40273. I suppose the question is with the different profile for the tire, will it hit the fenders or the frame when turning, especially on an Avanti? I do not know. Has anyone on this Forum tried using this rim on Studes, and if so what was the result? Did it clear the Calipers and cross-over brake tubing on the disk brake models? BTW, the 40709 is used on the Ford Crown Victoria 1990-1997 and its Mercury counterpart.