Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

[Rob M.]

I got a question this weekend on the Alloy wheel color of 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1981 cars. In the black book for 1978 and 1982 Alloy is mentioned as a possible wheel color but someone asked me since the aluminum wheels (N90 & YJ8) were available from 1976 till 1982 this color should be available for all these years. So the question is: is the Alloy wheel color referring to the aluminum wheel option and should it be available for all these years or was this a wheel color for other material rims?

Your help is appreciated!

[John H.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I got a question this weekend on the Alloy wheel color of 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1981 cars. In the black book for 1978 and 1982 Alloy is mentioned as a possible wheel color but someone asked me since the aluminum wheels (N90 & YJ8) were available from 1976 till 1982 this color should be available for all these years. So the question is: is the Alloy wheel color referring to the aluminum wheel option and should it be available for all these years or was this a wheel color for other material rims?

Your help is appreciated!

Rob -

I think you'll find that "alloy" refers to the wheel material (aluminum), not to the wheel color; the standard steel rally wheel was painted argent silver.

[Michael M.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

Rob, John was correct that the verbage, 'alloy', refers to the material process in which the aluminum rims are hardened/formed, and has nothing to do with color. All aluminum wheels mass produced from 76-82 were basically the same brushed aluminum in color. The only differences over the production of these wheels was that the wheels on 76-79 models were painted black in the center ring area where the lug nuts are mounted, and the 80-82 model run's rims were 'not' painted at all and matched the color of the rest of the rim. The center caps were different in both cases as well. The only aluminum rim that doesn't conform to what I've just stated is the aluminum rims on the '78 Pace car which had a red stripe around the outer edge of the rim and didn't have the black paint in the middle. My 79 has the aluminum wheels true and correct to 79 with the black paint in the middle and need aluminum polish frequently, as they do oxidize and turn dark gray and lose their luster as the years pass. Hope this information has been helpful.

[Michael D.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

Alloy only pops up in the Blackbook for the 78 SA, PC, and the 82 CE cars. The SA option package required the aluminum wheels. The polished wheels were included with the Pace Car. Ditto for the 82 CEs; the CE aluminum wheel was part of the option package.

You had to take the aluminum wheels with these three, hence the "alloy" designation in the Blackbook.

[Rob M.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I go a question yesterday on 1973 wheels on the C3 Registry. Appearantly there was a aluminium wheel option in 1973, is this true? If so, what was the option number?

[Erik S.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I think those people should join the NCRS and enjoy for example photo's and discussions from Lyle

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...72526&uid=1509

[Terry M.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I think those people should join the NCRS and enjoy for example photo's and discussions from Lyle

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...72526&uid=1509

Erik, nice of you not to tell Rob to search the archives, but to do it for him. I better be nice to Rob. I gave him enough grief over the weekend. I am sorry Rob.

[Rob M.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

Erik, nice of you not to tell Rob to search the archives, but to do it for him. I better be nice to Rob. I gave him enough grief over the weekend. I am sorry Rob.

No worry Terry, we are always happy to help! and you are helping us as well to get our instructions and software better in order...

[Michael W.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I go a question yesterday on 1973 wheels on the C3 Registry. Appearantly there was a aluminium wheel option in 1973, is this true? If so, what was the option number?

I'm just curious Rob- was the person making any claim that their car came with YJ8s, or had he uncovered another set of over the counter items?

Including the set that Lyle found I think there's only four or five around, none originally delivered on cars.

[Terry M.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

No worry Terry, we are always happy to help! and you are helping us as well to get our instructions and software better in order...

But I only test the instructions because sometimes the brain cells don't fire, or fire too rapidly, and I have to resort to the most unmanly thing -- reading the directions. And, yes I know those symptoms are no joking matter, but we have to laugh at ourselves sometimes.

Patience is the key to getting through all this. Compared to what I have done at work, this is nothing. Seven of us did Q&A 40 hours a week for 18 months before the roll out of a part of a system. I can't tell you what it was for, but it was kind of important it work correctly. Kind of like air traffic control, but it wasn't that.

[Joe L.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I go a question yesterday on 1973 wheels on the C3 Registry. Appearantly there was a aluminium wheel option in 1973, is this true? If so, what was the option number?

Rob-----


The aluminum wheel option was first available for 1973 and was known as RPO YJ-8. However, only 4 cars were ever built with the option. I believe this was due to some sort of problem with the wheels involving casting porosity (not a good thing for wheels designed for tubeless tires). For some reason it took quite awhile to get this problem corrected and the YJ-8 option did not re-appear until the 1976 model year.

I wonder where those 4 1973's with the YJ-8 option are now?

[Michael W.]

Re: Help on (late) C3 wheel colors

I wonder where those 4 1973's with the YJ-8 option are now?

Joe- there's apparently no evidence that any of the four cars made out of the factory with YJ8s intact. Not even a tank sticker.

Pedro will correct me if required.