I have removed my spare tire from the rim. The wheel is stamped inside Kelsy Hayes in a circular fashion and has the size 15 x 5 1/2 stamped in the steel. There is also a number 7 stamped upside down under the size. Someone mentioned there is a date code stamped but I haven't found it. There is another stamping that looks like an '8' with some other type of design but it's on a rounded edge and only half of it appears. Can anyone say where the date code is and what format is used? The second question relates to judging. I think the rim shows rather clearly this is a factory paint job (white) on a '64 rim which supposedly only came with black rims. Am I better off leaving the spare tire (not original) off the rim for the bowtie judges to observe or does it matter? Thanks, David
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
Again the date is immediately below the 15x51/2 stamping in a different and smaller font.
At the 15 end (of the 15x51/2) the month will likely be on a 45 degree angle to the 15. The year will be two digits and perpendicular to the 1/2" stamp of 5 1/2", with the 6 closest to the 2 of the 1/2" stamp. Sometimes the date stamp is a little off of this position but not so far as to be difficult to find.
Please post what you find, and your cars build date and sequential part of the serial niumber.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
Wayne is correct the '65 wheel is 15x5 1/2JK to accomodate the disc brake caliper. The '64 wheel is 15x5 1/2K.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
Thanks for the info. I will check the rim tonight and post the result. I don't recall any two digit date reference but I'll find out soon. Maybe I should be asking the '63 owners as this is probably a '63 model carryover rim. There was a good post on this subject before the board went down that basically said K-H had to deliver a certain number (or GM had to take so many) of the painted wheels which meant some would have remained for the '64's.
My '64 coupe has a September 1963 build date and is #1263. It was originally delivered with blackwalls which remained on the car until 1989(!) when the original owner sold it, so the painted wheels would be right.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
It's only speculation (which has a way fo feeding wishful thinking), but if the 7 you refer to in your first post is just under the 15 (of 15x5 1/2K) then that may represent July which is proximate to an early car (Sept. build). A good sign.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
OK, here I sit at my computer with a wheel on my lap. The previous posts have been extremely helpful and I think we are coming to a legitimate conclusion. All of the markings would fit in a two inch circle, maybe slightly smaller. The size is stamped 15X51/2K . Right below the first 5 and the X is the number 7. It is upside down, ie 180% from the 15X51/2K. It is a smaller font, perhaps 60% of the size of the 15X51/2K. About 3/4" below the upside down 7 and to the right is the Kelsey Hayes round logo that would probably fit inside a dime, size wise. To the left of the K-H logo is the wierd little design that is only half there on my wheel as the stamping is on a curve. It looks like an 8 inside with a funny 'P', kind of hard to describe. The other thing that is important to point out is the judging manual says the '64 wheels have a whole drilled in the "spider area", whatever that is. The 63's do not. Looking at this thing every way possible, there is not a drilled hole to be found.
This is looking more and more like a '63 carry over wheel, all 5 of them. The 7 would definitely fit a July scenario and used on a car built in September, especially when nothing would have been produced in August. I also have a phott of the car with the original blackwalls and the wheels are definitely white. I guess a lot of books are going to have to be rewritten as all of them say black wheels only in '64. Either that or everyone will say I'm smoking latin lettuce.
Any other comments would be most appreciated.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
I have a '64 wheel in my lap that has a 1 64 date code. It came from car #10,5xx., it does not have the drilled hole mentioned. I have seen some with the hole and in my experience more without. I think that may just be my experience. I wouldn't be concerned about the absence of the whole. Particularly on an early wheel.
You mention that there was no production in August of '63. There was no '64 model year production. But there were 523 '63 model year cars produced in August of '63.
Until you find the year portion of the date code I don't think you have made your case.
I know on some wheels it's very hard to find the date code. I know because I've tried to find the code many times on many wheels. They weren't very good about making a nice legible stamping. Sometimes it's very faint or not there at all. I've used all sorts of methods to read them. Wire brush, paint stripper, magnifying glasses etc.
The year portion of the code consists of the last two digits of the year in which the wheel was produced. It is found (usually) just below the 5 1/2, or the K of 15x5 1/2K. I have found that sometimes it's strayed from this spot. Sometimes quite a distance. Look further.
I don't have a known '63 wheel handy. As luck would have it I just sent out a set yesterday to be stripped of tires and paint so I could look for the dates. I have no idea when they will return. I told the fellow I was in no rush.Comment
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Re: Midyear steel wheel datecoding
I would love to know the layout of your '63 date code. If in fact the 3 and 7 are perpendicular to each other but on the same line, then I'm in business. If there has to a two digit year code, then I give up. At least until tomorrow when my eyes aren't bugging out of my head.Comment
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