Aluminum Wheels 76-78

[Greg S.]

Are 76-78 aluminum wheels clear coated or natural? Are they date coded anywhere. If painted what is the best way to refinish? The set I have is slightly yellowed.

[Steven B.]

Re: Aluminum Wheels 76-78

Greg, your wheels are the coated (iirc) '80 on wheels, not the '76-'78 YJ-8's. The first style wheel had a brushed finish until the '78 Pace Car that was polished with a red pin stripe.

[Tom R.]

Re: Aluminum Wheels 76-78

Are 76-78 aluminum wheels clear coated or natural? Are they date coded anywhere. If painted what is the best way to refinish? The set I have is slightly yellowed.

Greg

The rims you're showing in the first picture with the Corvette Central box looks like rims post 1978. In 1978, the centers (area that included lug nut holdes) were flat black. Early YJ8s were brushed finish, as Steven describes and clear coated with lacquer. Its the lacquer that yellows the rim and can be removed with lacquer paint remover.

Your rims look more highly polished typical of Pace Car rims and later C3 rims. Once paint is removed and polished, you could re-coat them...or just leave natural which requires some maintenance from time to time.

I would have to pull a rim to figure out where the date code is located. Your second photo probably shows it.

[Paul D.]

Re: Aluminum Wheels 76-78

Tom,
I'm just curious. Were later model YJ8s manufactured by Western? I noticed in the OP's photos that his wheel is made by Western. I have 2 older sets in my shop and they all are Kelsey Hayes made in Mexico and the webbing on the back is completely different.. They are older with the black center area. They no longer show the brushed finish, but they could have been "worked on" at some time. Years ago I removed the clear coat and hand polished a set of YJ8s on a friend's 79. We did it by hand so as to not lose the "brushed" finish, which actually looked more like a "turned" finish as it had fine grooves on the face as if it had been turned in a lathe. They turned out beautiful with a darker appearance than you usually see on the polished wheels. We just sealed with wax and they still looked great when he sold the car several years later. Chip.