Rally Wheels C3

[Mel Denish]

I am restoring a 1977 T-Top Coupe. I removed the old tires from the rims for sandblasting. I also removed the tire from the spare. This is when I noticed the spare was a 7 X 15 and the other 4 were 8 X 15. It is my understanding that the 7 X 15 was used in 1968 only. There are stampings near the valve stem which I am told are a date code. Is this true and how do you decipher the code? I have heard if this is an original 68 Rally Wheel it may be rare...

The stamp is as follows: K1-5 10 27 F W

I would appreciat any info on this!

Thanks,
Mel

[Jack H.]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

Date code decipher is given in the NCRS Judging Guide books. Yours translates to:

K= Kelsey Hayes
1= For Chevrolet
5= 1975
10= October
27= 27th
FW= Geometry/Model of wheel

[Robert E.]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

"FW" code deciphers as 15x7 1969 Z/28 Camaro, 1969 Camaro with 4 wheel disc or 1970-1972 Monte Carlo. My guess from the date stamp, it's for a 1975 Monte Carlo.

Robert

[Mike Baker]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

Are you sure?

I thought the 69 z28 used an AD code and that the other camaro wheels for '69 were 14x7. I hope I'm wrong. I do have 5 FW wheels sitting in storage that I've never checked the dates on. I assumed that they were for a Monte Carlo. If they were used on Camaro they would be much more marketable.

[Joe L.]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

Mike-----

The "FW" coded wheels were used on 1971-76 Chevelles and Monte Carlos with rally wheels. However, they do have the same off-set as the 1969 Camaro Z-28 "AD" or "YC" wheels. The "YC" wheels were also used for 1970 Monte Carlos with rally wheels.

The original 1969 Camaro 15X7 rally wheels coded "AD" were GM #3966934. These were replaced for SERVICE in May, 1969 by the "YC" coded wheel of GM #3970531. The PRODUCTION changeover probably occurred a few months prior to that time.

In February, 1972 the 3970531 wheel was discontinued and replaced by the GM #3997899. This is the "FW" coded wheel originally used for 1971 Monte Carlo applications. So, the "FW" coded wheel eventually became the SERVICE wheel for 1969 Camaro Z-28 and JL-8 applications, but it was not the wheel originally used in PRODUCTION for those applications. It could not have been; it did not exist in 1969.

[Mike Baker]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

Thanks Joe,

It's good to know that they were used on Chevelles as well as Monte Carlos. I was unaware of that. It's interesting that they changed part numbers so many times. Any idea if there was a configuration change or were the wheels identical from '69-'76?

Mike

[Joe L.]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

Mike-----

There must have been some sort of change, but I don't know what it was. As far as I can tell, there was no change in the dimensional specs of the wheel.

Also, while these wheels were used for Chevelles, that use did not begin until the 1972 model year. So, this was a bit past the "heyday" of Chevelle muscle cars.

[John H.]

Re: Rally Wheels C3

1969 Z/28's used the "AD" 15x7 rally wheel from September through December, 1968. That wheel was replaced in production in January, 1969, by the "YH" wheel (GM #3970531), which had additional caliper clearance; the "YH" wheel continued through the end of '69 Camaro production in November, 1969.