1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

[Bob M.]

[Mike E.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Bob--
Two questions:
1) What is the rarest steel wheel, if this is the second-rarest?
2) What makes this a one-year-only wheel? I see absolutely no difference in anything you pictured (good job, by the way!) between that and the 10/63 wheel (1964) that I have in my possession. I recently sold a set of 4 steel wheels dated 10/62 that were identical to what you picture, and to the 10/63 wheel I have. (At least identical as far as I could see).
Thanks,
Mike

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

In another post Joe Lucia mentioned a different part # for early 63 that was discountinued in January 63. Could the difference in the early part # be the safety recess that's shown in pic #5.

I have never noticed a difference between 63-64 rims either.

[Tom H.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Good photos. Thanks for posting !!

[Bob M.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

I'm a novice at this and my knowledge is confined to '63s. The above replies may reflect the "scattered" information I was referring to that I encountered in current forum posts and in the archives.

Someone said, and I tend to believe "everything I read" because I tend to believe everyone is more experienced than I, that the solid axle wide wheel option (RPO 276?) was the rarest of all Corvette steel wheels.

And when researching the '63 wheels, there were comments/debate about 1964 wheels having a hole drilled in a "spider leg."

That's all I know, but I'm trying to learn...

Bob

[Alan D.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Take a look at a post by Terry Giulrani "63 wheels" on April 3, 2009
Picture of 64 wheel I posted looks the same.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

I'm a novice at this and my knowledge is confined to '63s. The above replies may reflect the "scattered" information I was referring to that I encountered in current forum posts and in the archives.

Someone said, and I tend to believe "everything I read" because I tend to believe everyone is more experienced than I, that the solid axle wide wheel option (RPO 276?) was the rarest of all Corvette steel wheels.

And when researching the '63 wheels, there were comments/debate about 1964 wheels having a hole drilled in a "spider leg."

That's all I know, but I'm trying to learn...

Bob

Bob--
You're exactly right on the toughest wheel around--the REAL 5 1/2 wheels for the solid axle cars are trading in the area of $3k per wheel. That price reflects the difficulty of finding them.

[Dan A.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

I have two 1963 wheels dated 3 63 and one 1964 wheel dated 1 64. I just dug them out and the ’63 wheels appear to be identical to the ’64 wheel. Same characteristics as the excellent photos posted above by Bob McLeavy.

I’ve seen wheels with the small hole in the spyder but not many and not for some time now. If memory serves I think there was an explanation regarding the small hole posted on this board some years ago.
Dan

[Joe C.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

from the pictures I see that the wheel is painted a saddle tan- were all wheels painted the car color ?

[Jack Y.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Thanks for the great pictures! Does anyone have a clue why they would be so unique? Certainly GM put the same size wheel on other vehicles.

Jack

[Mike E.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Thanks for the great pictures! Does anyone have a clue why they would be so unique? Certainly GM put the same size wheel on other vehicles.

Jack

Not necessarily. That's why the scarcity and value.
The C-1 15x5 1/2 wheels for example, are a combination of a passenger car center and a 1/4 ton pickup outer rim--things they had available, but in a new combination, for a VERY limited market. You're tlking about ca. 100,000 wheels for 63 alone, double that with including 64--they certainly could/would engineer something for that quantity.

[Dan A.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

For the '63 model year I believe the wheels were black if white wall tires were specified and body color if the tires were black wall. '64's wheel faces were painted gloss black regardless of tire option.

Dan

[David L.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Dan

Dan,
I have had about a dozen or more 63-E64 and L64 Corvette wheels in the last 20 years. The late 64 wheels had a small hole drilled in one of the "bumps" of the front face of the wheel. The hub hole was also slightly larger as it measured 2 29/32". The hub hole on the 63-E64 wheels measured 2 25/32".
Dave

[Dan A.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Dave you wouldn't have had an NOS '64 wheel for trade for a specified date '66 wheel at Carlisle quite a few years back would you? Also ran an ad in the Driveline for same?

Dan

[John D.]

Re: 1963 Steel Wheel Identification Detailed Photos

Bob, One of the nicer posts and pics I have seen on 63 wheels.
My 63 is 9900 and has the original wheels. Dated Feb 62 for a March car. Most all of the 64 wheels I have ever seen were identical to a 63. Seems the ones with the little hole on the hub are not that common. I don't know when those were made.
The first 63 I ever saw was in the summer of 62 at a GM training center. It was a silver coupe that was up on the rack at the Chevy class room. That room was next door to the United Delco classroom. At a lunch break one day 3 of us took turns sneaking into the Chevy room to look at this awesome coupe with silver wheels and blackwall tires.
Your saddle tan wheel reminded me of that. Thanks, John
P.S. Typical replacement Steel Chevy wheels were not shaped like a 63-64 rim on the inside. Didn't have the smooth arc. Had an offset. a step. Now maybe there is a Steel Chevy with the exact wheel as the Corvette but I think we would have discussed it by now.