Knock Offs on my 63 SWC

[63owner]

I have knock offs on my 63 SWC that are stamped "Western Wheel." I was wondering if anybody knows for SURE who was the OEM for GM in 1963. Is there a written guide somewhere? Corvette Blackbook maybe? I am a novice (Obviously) I inherited this car from my dad years ago. I didn't get to have a good sit down talk about the finer details of this car before he passed, so I am left guessing on some things.
Thanks

[Duke W.]

Re: Knock Offs on my 63 SWC

What you likely have is an early set of repros from the seventies or eighties.

It is a generally accepted fact that NO 1963 Corvette, other than a handful of the 25 pilot line cars, were delivered with KOs, and those pilot line KOs were a different design - "gear drive" with two-bar nuts that are illustrated in the 1963 Corvette Shop Manual. The KO wheels that finally went into production for the '64 model year were "pin drive" with three-bar nuts.

The original vendor was Kelsy-Hayes and the original KOs on '64 and later models are IDed by "K-H and a number that I don't recall off hand molded into the inside surface of the wheel. Maybe someone else can post it.

Circa late eighties or early nineties K-H bought Western and the molds were changed to say "K-H Western", but these, of course, are still repro wheels and most are equipped with "safety pins" that the orignal and early repros do not have.

Duke

[Dennis C.]

This posters name listing does not seem...

...to follow the NCRS Board guidelines as I understand them. Full name or first name and member #. If I am mistaken, I apoligize in advance.

[Geoff C.]

No apologies needed Dennis, you are right.

Pseudonyms are not acceptable here.

I'm a 63 driver too, and have been (off and on) since 1963. My favorite year. So 63 driver, what's you name? I might even have know your dad if he ever went to Bloomington, Carlisle, etc,. etc, etc. Some of us have been around 1963 Corvettes as long as 1963 Corvettes have been around.

Geoffrey Coenen

[mike cobine]

Re: This posters name listing does not seem...

when I checked this morning, his name was listed in his profile. Obviously he misunderstood the rules and put his name in the profile rather than the Name area.

Of course, now the profile has been pulled. Wonder if he will be back?

[Dennis C.]

Re: This posters name listing does not seem...

I certainly hope he is not discouraged by my post. I welcome all to this Board who seek to further their and knowledge and make contributions. My "hang up" is, I am a "rule player", I have made some rules, I follow rules, I believe in rules. It just happen to catch my eye that this post was not "by the rules". Please try to allow for my personal hang-ups. And by the way, I also believe 1963 Corvettes were never delivered with KO wheels. Mid 1964, yeah... Best, Dennis

[mike cobine]

Re: This posters name listing does not seem...

I think we could have gotten him to change his name easily enough, but I notice that the profile has disappeared. But if you check the profiles list, you will see there are others that are "not correct" that are still in the list. They just haven't posted and drawn attention.