65-66 wheel ID help

[Mike E.]

Included with my purchase this week of a 70 convertible were 4 steel wheels. (Not rallys). The owner insisted that they were original equipment with the PO2 hubcaps he had (which were not PO2's, but the regular passenger car cap.)
Anyway, after wading through that with my boots on, I brought them home.
They still have tires mounted, so I can't check the width exactly, but they appear to be 5 1/2", and of course are 15" with 15" tires.
They have the small valve stem hole, the double bumps next to the valve stem hole, and have the circumferential depression for the safety bead.
They are visually identical to the NOS 3869156 wheel I have, EXCEPT, the NOS wheel and one of the others is spot-welded, while the other three are riveted.
They do fit over the calipers, so they are not an earlier wheel.
Are the riveted ones the old 8080's? What do I have?
Help me sort this out!
Thanks,
Mike Ernst

[Timothy B.]

Re: 65-66 wheel ID help

Mike,

I purchased a set of these wheels for my 63 years ago, they have the disc caliper (extra step) clearance in the back like 65/66 wheels but are rivited not spot welded. I am not sure about the offset but I think these wheels are the GM replacement for 63/66 w/ 5 1/2" and may be the replacement for earlier vettes but I am not sure. If you dismount a tire, check and see how the rim is stamped inside and you may also find a part # sticker glued inside the rim. I also purchased some 63/64 rims for my car and two of the rims either had a later date or no date at all but I seem to remember the 8080 sticker inside the rim. All four of the 63/64 rims were cone shaped in the back for drum brakes and are welded. I can email pictures of the rivited wheels if you want to compare.

[Mike E.]

Re: 65-66 wheel ID help

Thanks for the input--got some pics from another source. I appreciate the help.