Please help with rims

[IDAS 69]

I have a 1969 442 hardtop coupe. car color is crimson red (original color) rims are painted same color. do I have ssIII or ssII? What color was my car borned with? Thanks

[2blu442]

In 1969 the wheels should have been argent grey rather than body color, and they should have had the bolt on center caps. I know 1968 used a 14X6 wheel, and that 1970 had a 14X7 and think but am not positive that 1969 was 14X7 too. I also believe these would be the SSII's. That's if you want original, but I've seen a lot of cars with wheels painted body color that would have been grey from the factory... and the body color looks nicer! John

[66400]

Original '69 SSII wheels will be 14"X6".

Henry

[Yellowstatue]

X2 on the 14X6 for '68 and '69; the '69 trim rings are different than '68, '68 trim rings had a small lip on the inner diameter.. also '68 did not have the funny trims around the five holes...just silver paint

[IDAS 69]

Thanks All! So i should have gray. Saw a car just like mine in a 1969 sales booklet that the dealer gave out and It had gray rims. Looks like I need to paint mine to be"As borned with" haha..... Thanks again, Eddie

[Jamesbo]

These are 15 " H/O wheels but you get the idea. No clear coat over argent grey.

[IDAS 69]

Got it.... Gray they'll be. She needs to be like my women....Original...Already really close... Thanks Jamesbo

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by Yellowstatue

X2 on the 14X6 for '68 and '69; the '69 trim rings are different than '68, '68 trim rings had a small lip on the inner diameter.

Actually, the '68 and '69 trim rings are same except the '68s are more of a brushed finish and the '69s are more polished finish. I see very few correct ones out there of either year, but even less of '68s.

[Cameo White]

The original 14 x 6 trim rings for both years were superceded around 1970. The NOS ones that are still around (at least those I have) are definitely different than the original 68's and I think are also different than the 1st type 69's.
If I remember correctly, some of the early 69 pictures had the thin lip on the inside of the trim ring. I read somewhere else (maybe ROP) that early 69's were brushed finish as well.
I have a parts catalog from September 1968 (PA-310) that lists different part numbers for the trim rings for 68 and 69; however, it is never real clear which wheel they are talking about for 68, so don't read this as being definitive evidence.
If anybody else has an earlier catalog and/or wheel pics maybe that would help shed light on the 68 and 69 years.

[wmachine]

I see "correct" rings are being repopped. Correct for '69 as they are a shiny finish, but not done in the more brushed '68 finish. I supposed with the right touch, they can be made into a more brushed finish.
I got the pics from Ebay not too long ago, but I didn't note where they came from.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by wmachine

I see "correct" rings are being repopped. Correct for '69 as they are a shiny finish, but not done in the more brushed '68 finish. I supposed with the right touch, they can be made into a more brushed finish.
I got the pics from Ebay not too long ago, but I didn't note where they came from.

UGH!. Those four clips were perhaps the worst design ever. I remember fighting with them. At least one clip ALWAYS lines up with a wheel balance weight. Correctness be damned, I'll only use the later multi-finger trim rings now.

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

UGH!. Those four clips were perhaps the worst design ever. I remember fighting with them. At least one clip ALWAYS lines up with a wheel balance weight. Correctness be damned, I'll only use the later multi-finger trim rings now.

Yeah, you'd think they'd put the "multi-fingers" on the back and still have the correct look. Guess they wanted to recreate the PIA aspect too!
"I know they're correct, I had to fight with them".