C3 Wheel Color

[don justham]

1970 Corvette wheel color, I think it is a grey or silver color. Would like to buy in a spray can if possible. Can someone help me out on the color,brand of paint and where I can buy it. Thanks

[Joe L.]

Re: C3 Wheel Color

Don-----

The color was argent silver. For 1968-70, the argent silver had a slight greenish cast. Quanta used to sell this paint, but I think that I was told that they've discontinued it. They still do sell the plain argent silver, though. It's available both in spray cans as well as pint or quart cans.

I believe that OEM paints manufactures the argent silver with greenish hue. However, it's very expensive. I'd recommend painting the whee;s with plain argent silver and then applying a "top coat" of the greenish hue variety. That way, all you'll need is one can of it. That's assuming, of course, that you care, at all, about the greenish hue.

Incidentally, many folks think that argent silver was a particular, specific color. In PRODUCTION, though, many different shades of argent silver were actually used. The argent silver originally used on my original-owner 69's wheels was much darker than that which is sold today by any of the paint manufacturers which make this product. I think the specs used today are for the "typical" argent silver.

[Ervin Schlepp]

Re: C3 Wheel Color

Joe:

The original spare tire rim on my 1970 is more of a light grey looking color even thgough I have always been told the same information about it being argent silver with a green tint. This is an original rim with correct identification marking, date code and it has the typical poor paint job.

Erv

[Joe L.]

Re: C3 Wheel Color

Ervin-----

It's possible that the greenish hue paint was phased out sometime during the 1970 model run. If the wheel on your car is, in fact, original and has been in the spare tire compartment all of its life, then it's likely that's the case. My very late 69 definitely had the green-hued paint, although the substrate argent silver was MUCH darker than what is typically known as argent silver.

A few things though: first of all, the greenish tint is VERY subtle. Some folks might not even describe it as greenish. Second, the tint fades completely away if the wheel is exposed to sunlight for any period of time. On original wheels (except for those that have been in the spare tire well all of ther lives), the tint can usually only be seen on the portion of the wheel beneath the center hub cap. Even the portion under the beauty ring appears to fade away, even though it's covered by the ring.