Cavu2u

On new factory wheels..........



..is the finish in the slots (where the arrow points to) painted black, or bare metal?
Some of my wheels here have black paint chipping off, and some are just bare with no paint.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

daanbc

I know 1977 the slot was silver. And I know that 1980 was black. Not sure of the other years.

gbvette62

To start with, you have a mismatch between your wheels and center caps. That is an 80-82 wheel, with a 76-79 center cap.

The 76-79 aluminum wheels had the flat center section of the wheel, in the area behind the lug nuts, painted black. The slots were left natural, on the 76-79 wheels. 76-79 wheels had a smooth, but dull, unpolished aluminum finish. The center cap used on these wheels, was black around the sides, and chrome around the outer top edge. The emblem in the center of the cap, had a black background, and the 68-76 style crossed flag logo.

On 80-82 aluminum wheels, the only portion of the wheel that was painted black, was the inside of the 8 slots. There was no paint in the lug nut area, and the 80-82 wheels had a polished finish, and were clear coated at the factory. The center cap used on the 80-81 wheels, was all chrome. The emblem used had a black background, with the 1980 style flag logo. 82 center caps were also chrome, but the background of the emblem was a spun silver finish, with the 82 style crossed flag.

There was a third wheel, that was used exclusively on the 1978 Pace Car. The Pace Car wheel was polished, and had a red stripe painted around the outer edge of the rim. There was no black paint anywhere on the Pace Car wheels. The center caps used on the Pace Car, were all chrome, like 80-82 caps, but used the 76-79 style emblem.

hotrodnick

I painted my slots Graphite grey using Duplicolor wheel paint. On some models the slots were black. There was a thread last winter on painting slots.

AdamMeh

With that said, there are always exceptions to the rule. I have photos of a '77 survivor car with the black center caps and unpainted slots (natural finish), BUT - no black painted centers on the wheels.

Paul L

The Chinese version of the 1978 Pace Car wheels has black slots.

Cavu2u

In 1973, were the slots in the aluminium wheels painted or not?

Easy Mike

The 73 wheels did not make production. They were recalled. There is speculation only four sets left St. Louis. For a short while, they were available over the counter at Chevrolet dealerships. If memory serves, the slots were painted.

gbvette62

There were no aluminum wheels in 73.

Chevrolet had intended to offer aluminum wheels as an option, in 1973, but problems with them, caused Chevrolet to cancel the option. It was 1976, when Chevrolet finally sorted out their issues with the wheels, and started offering therm as an option.

As I said in my earlier post, the wheel in your picture is a 1980-82 wheel. The wheel that Chevrolet was going to put on 73's, was painted black in the center, behind the lug nut area, and the slots were either left natural or painted, I'm not sure since I've never seen a real set. The real 73 wheel, had an assortment of minor variations, from the 76 up wheel. The two biggest differences being that the 73 wheels were made buy American racing, while the later wheels were made by Kelsey-Hayes, and the 73 lug nuts were different, with a smaller diameter base than later lug nuts. You can not mount a 73 wheel, using the 76 up lug nuts.

The 80-82 wheel on your car, did have the slots painted black originally.

Do a search on the Forum for "73 aluminum wheels", or "73 YJ8 wheels", and you will find a number of posts about the history of 73 aluminum wheels. I'll warn you though, some of the posts got pretty ridiculous! There was a Forum member who had a set of 73 wheels. From what I remember, his posts about the wheels and the responses to his posts, got pretty pompous/stupid/rude/silly/ignorant.

77C34SPD

As stated earlier, dull brushed like finish, slots are not painted for 76-79 rims, which is the style a 73 would have come with if GM would have released them that year

Easy Mike

I recall that thread. His original position was that his YJ8s were factory original. He later conceded the wheels had been purchased over the counter at the Chevrolet dealership. They were 73 YJ8s.

Cavu2u

Thanks guys.

No aluminium wheels that year explains why the PO had the set of steel wheels included in the project. I believe I'll go with the bare finish vice the paint.

Steve

Sunset Orng 05

When I bought my one owner Pace Car the owner said that everything on the car was original. The car had 20K miles on it and my wheels also have the painted black slots with red stripe and, as stated above, mine are polished and not chrome. Although it is possible that the owner lied and for some reason swapped out the original wheels for aftermarket ones. Anyone else out there have a 78 Pace Car with the original wheels and the slots painted black besides me?

Shark Racer

I've owned my pace car since 99, has the original Kelsey-Hayes wheels (now in a stack in the garage). I repainted them shortly after I got the car, but they were painted black before, the paint had failed in the previous 21 years. Pretty sure the recipe is polished face (everywhere), red stripe on outer rim and somewhat rough cast slots with black paint.

Easy Mike

Pace Car wheels were regular YJ8s with the excpetion of being very highly polished (not chromed), having the red paint stripe, and having chrome sided center caps.

Indigoblue

My Pace car rims have the slots painted black ...also with the red stripe...and they are the orginal rims for car.....

gbvette62

I may be wrong on the Pace Car wheels being natural, in the slots.

I was basing it on a set of Pace Car wheels, that I sold at Corvette Carlisle, a couple years ago. They were original Kelsey-Hayes wheels, dated 1978, and were natural in the slots. I really didn't know the history on those particular wheels. I bought them from a customer, who had them on a 76. The black may have been removed from the slots of those wheels, or maybe they were service replacements, I don't know.

Yesterday, I spoke to a customer who is the original owner of a 78 Pace Car with 14 miles on it, and the slots on his car's wheels are black.

BKarol

In the NCRS judging manual for 78 it does not mention the slots being black on a Pace Car wheel. The way the paragraph is written one would assume the slot had a natural finish like the others but now it does not seem to be the case.

KapsSA

Wheels on my untouched 25 mile 78 pace car are polished, no black centers, and black slots. No clearcoat.

My 8K mile 79, untouched wheels. Unfinished slots and clearcoated(as are the wheels on my other 2 Vettes with this style.

NOS in the box Kelsey Hayes. No clearcoat.
.

I THINK the polished 80-82 wheels have black painted slots.

I do know the old aftermarket Western wheels have painted slots, both polished wheel or brushed/black center.

Cavu2u

KapsSA,

Thank you very much for the photos and explaination.

Steve