Help With The "73 Aluminum Wheels Please

[Koop]

I really liked how the trim rings from my rallye wheels looked as they came off and went sailing into the dirt in a corner. Not to mention how the rings looked after I would walk out in the shoulder of the road, pick it up and put it back on. Yeah, just a little out of round so my Vette would look like a clown car. :W

I miss my Rallye Wheels about as much as I miss my L48. :eyerole

I think that '73 looks great with those Alloys, cool color to!

What I really miss about my Rallye Wheels is the clicking noises the clips made when I was driving, I miss that almost as much as I miss those bias ply tires. Oh how those tires had a way of folding in a corner. Nothing but nothing hooked up as well as those Firestones, maybe butter on snot would have been stickier... . The donuts you could spin with those tires were incredible, side all folded over, explaining to your dad that the marks on the sidewalls were from rubbing up against a curb. The only thing I loved as much as the donuts on folded sidewalls was the trim rings flying off and hitting the neighbors garage door while I was spinning donuts in the cul de sac :bash .

Fond memories from my teenage years.

 

[76okievette]

Well , all I can say is I am glad this came up again this discussion about these wheels is one of the most interesting here. yj8 have you ever had a reading from the NCRS folks about your wheels? I have the stock rallye wheels on my 76.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

yj8 have you ever had a reading from the NCRS folks about your wheels?

Please not again!

 

[76okievette]

Why not Mikey we hear the whole story all over again already.

 

[1973yj8owner]

Well , all I can say is I am glad this came up again this discussion about these wheels is one of the most interesting here. yj8 have you ever had a reading from the NCRS folks about your wheels? I have the stock rallye wheels on my 76.

Here we go again, I own a set of the wheels. They did not come on the car. They came through the parts department of the Chevrolet Dealer that sponsors Corvette Club of Delaware Valley (I am a lifetime member). I am, also, a member of NCRS. On September 17, 2007, I joined the Central New Jersey Chapter of NCRS. The members were glad to have me join their group and were interested in the wheels. I showed them photos of the wheels. I believe there is a paragraph about the wheels on page 53 of the 73 & 74 NCRS judging manual. My car has not been judged. The wheels are in essence a 1973 Corvette accessory like the luggage rack, right hand outside mirror, locking gas cap, compass and child seat.

I believe that there are only two sets. My set and the set of three on Duntov's car at the Corvette Museum. The sign at the museum says the wheels are prototypes. How can you call a set of wheels prototypes given that a set was sold for retail at a Chevrolet Dealer. The Chevrolet dealer purchased them from GM and had to use Chevrolet pricing sheets to determine the selling price of the wheels. They were not given away for free as a promotional item by the Chevrolet dealer.

 

[1973yj8owner]

I have NOS lugs for this car in box GM #329383. Possibly for sale for right price.
thanks. Have pix of lugs if interested. Black centers.

The same lug nuts were used for the Corvette yj8's as the 1975 Cosworth Vega. I believe the part number is the same. The first type of the Corvette lug nuts have the black inserts and no round circles. The Cosworth Vega lug nuts have the round circles.

 

[1973yj8owner]

Would anyone have a pic of these wheels? Would like to see how they look.

The computer consultant stopped by today. he put a picture of the casting on the reverse side of the wheel on my id. The Kelsey Hayes reverse side is completely different. Can you see the part number 329381? Check the black book for the part number.

I sent a complete set of photos of the wheels to Marvin B and Ed M at NCRS with my name on each photo.

 

[1973yj8owner]

Would anyone have a pic of these wheels? Would like to see how they look.

I noticed that you are in New Jersey. I joined the Central New Jersey Chapter NCRS. At the September meeting, I brought photos of my car and the wheels. I would be happy to show you the same photos at one of the meetings.

I am reluctant to put photos on the internet for this reason. About twenty years ago, somebody asked to photograph the engine compartment of my car. I said ok. The photos are in a book that many people have seen. The rubber lip on the left side of the air cleaner on my car is torn. It is still that way. I bought the new gasket, never changed it. The wheels were on the car that day. I told him to photograph the wheels. He was not interested. There is no credit that photos of my car appear in the book.

 

[KOPBET]

What book? Title? Page number? I'd like to see it.

IANAL but I would consider photos of your engine fair game, considering the photographer would probably own the copyright and not you. Especially since you apparently agreed to let him take them without compensation in the first place.

You can put photos on the net with a copyright and/or watermark and reasonably protect them. It's done every day.

 

[Cosworth1]

Pictures of the Lug Nuts (Cosworth Vega)

For anyone interested
Here's what the lug nuts look like GM #329383

Moderator Edit: Cosworth1, I took the liberty of shrinking down those pics a little bit.
Hold the mouse over the attachments below will bring up the pics fully (re)sized -Evolution1980

 

[6880 Mike]

...What book? Title? Page number? I'd like to see it....

I'm guessing, but I can recommend Vette Vues' Fact Book of the 1973-1977 Stingray by M. F. Dobbins. Dr. Dobbins mentions the wheels and the fact none were delivered to the public on 1973 Corvettes.

 

[Cosworth1]

I'm guessing, but I can recommend Vette Vues' Fact Book of the 1973-1977 Stingray by M. F. Dobbins. Dr. Dobbins mentions the wheels and the fact none were delivered to the public on 1973 Corvettes.

great piece of history and makes interesting discussion/debate.
thanks for the info.

 

[6880 Mike]

...great piece of history and makes interesting discussion/debate....thanks for the info....

Dr. Dobbins has three terrific Corvette references: a volume covering the C2s; a volume on the 68-72 models; and the 73-77 volume mentioned above. Any and all are great sources for Corvette owners.

 

[milo30]

I have a question about the aluminum wheels. Mine have the black in the center but I have seen others that do not. Was this different on some years or are they just after market wheels?

Also, the paint is coming off mine. What is the best way to restore the wheels with this? I was thinking about just removing it all but kind of like the look of it.

 

[crowvet]

I have a question about the aluminum wheels. Mine have the black in the center but I have seen others that do not. Was this different on some years or are they just after market wheels?

Also, the paint is coming off mine. What is the best way to restore the wheels with this? I was thinking about just removing it all but kind of like the look of it.

On My old 75 the black was coming off. I stripped them, polished them and added spinners. I thought they looked nice. Heres a old picture. Maybe you can tell from it?

 

[6880 Mike]

...Mine have the black in the center but I have seen others that do not. Was this different on some years or are they just after market wheels?...Also, the paint is coming off mine. What is the best way to restore the wheels with this? I was thinking about just removing it all but kind of like the look of it....

Your wheels are probably correct. The earlier wheels had black centers, later wheels did not. Sorry, but I don't know the breakdown, but I'm thinking that by the 1980 model year, the wheel centers were unpainted. 80-82 wheels are also supposed to be eight pounds lighter per wheel.

Early wheels also had a clear coat on them which had a tendency to peel. Clean yours up and shoot the centers and edges of the slots with Krylon semi-flat black. Some folks use a clear coat, some do not.

 

[1973yj8owner]

great piece of history and makes interesting discussion/debate.
thanks for the info.

Dobbins was a member of Delaware Valley Corvette Club. He saw my car with the wheels. He owned a restoration shop in Hatboro Pa behind the WaWa store.

My wheels were never clear coated. The area around the lug nuts is painted a satin or flat black. The slots are painted the same color. I do not think the wheel slots on Duntov's car are painted.

The wheels came from the Chevrolet dealer on route 611 about 6 miles south of Dobbins old shop.

 

[humphbri]

I have a 75 built in late July 75. It has 76 alloys on it. I am thinking of swapping them for rallys, but what are the chances the original owner got the alloy wheels at time of delivery? I ask because he/she would not have receivced the car until August 75, and by that time 76s with alloys would have been coming off the production line.

 

[6880 Mike]

...what are the chances the original owner got the alloy wheels at time of delivery?...

Chances are slim the '76 wheels were available for late '75 production, BUT anything is possible. Any documentation with your car as to how it was originally equipped? If the wheels were available in late '75, build sheet or dealer invoice would show the option.

 

[humphbri]

Chances are slim the '76 wheels were available for late '75 production, BUT anything is possible. Any documentation with your car as to how it was originally equipped? If the wheels were available in late '75, build sheet or dealer invoice would show the option.

Thanks Mike, I don't have much in the way of documentation, so I can't be certain, I am still trying to figure out howi am going to see the top of the gas tank without performing a miracle. I think the most likely explaination is that the original owner received the car, drove it a few monthe and then saw 76s with alloys and decided to buy a set. Cheers