What should the correct color be for SSII wheels on a 68 Cutlass Supreme?
Silver or Graphite (charcoal)?

 

Original 68 wheel

 

Thanks for posting that pic Mike!
I have had this one wheel that I am
now guessing is 68 Only? Looks just like
the one in your pic. The pie trim is so different.
It's like it is made to the wheel. It also
has the bolt on type cap.

Ctrain22, I believe they are argent, kinda grey.

 

The wheel wasn't mine but was posted by someone on ROP about 10 years ago. There were also pics of the 69 wheel in that thread. IIRC it was darker. Definitely not the same both years. Dave Heilala said that he used Duplicolor Truck and Van paint, Medium grey metallic. I tried a bunch of different grey rim colors, found one that matched, and then decided it looked too light and dull and didn't go well with the Scarlet/Black combo I have so I ditched it for a dark grey metallic


This is another pic of the same wheel:








This is a crappy pic but I ended up with this color:

 

I was thinking Duplicolor rally wheel paint in Graphite.

 

They are a dark grey metallic, not silver. 68 + 69 wheels are the same, but 69 wheels had chrome bezels around the holes. On 68 wheels around the holes were painted. If you took the bezels off a 69 wheel and painted it would be the same as 68 (not the stamps on the wheel, though).

 

You might consider the Eastwood Argent Wheel Paint:

http://www.eastwood.com/silver-argen...aint-set.html#

Attached is a photo of my wheels with this paint.

 

I don't think the color of the 68 and 69 SSII's were the same. 69 was darker, probably because the 68 was such a crappy color grey. Also to add to what you noted, 69 has a polished trim ring and 68's are brushed

 

What is the correct color for 70?

 

The color of 70 was the same as 68 + 69...dark grey metallic or argent. As far as 68 + 69 color differences...what you need to know is that the paint could be a different color on any day, or in any plant, at any time. In fact..2 cars made on the same day could be different colors, 5 wheels on the same car could be a different color. The colors were not computer mixed like today. So, if they ran out of paint or the guy didn't stir it enough...presto...different shade of grey. Finally...unless you are looking at an NOS 68 wheel that has never seen the light of day, you can't be sure of the color at all. That grey has faded a lot over 45 years or so.

 

Agreed!

I can't (yet) find a paint spec for '68 and '69, here is the one for '70 right from the Product Information Manual: "DARK GRAY LOW GLOSS ENAMEL CODE #372"

The other chassis/wheel paints specified for '70 are the same as '69 and '68, so there is good reason to believe the SSII paint is the same.

And though nobody has asked (and I'm not sure why), the mounting faces of the brake drums should be painted "CODE #384" when SS wheels are used.

 

So the 68 wheel I posted a pic of is clearly not dark grey yet it came out of a trunk of an original 68. Is that not the correct color?

 

I don't know diddly about these details but I will say '68 wheels always seemed to be a lighter color matte grey than the argent I think of in later years. The first pic Mike posted w/ red line tire is how my mind's eye sees them.

Continue on.

 

I know this is a older thread but I'm in the process of painting my 68 SSII. Has any one painted their 68 wheels with the Duplicolor Truck and Van paint, Medium grey metallic that allyolds68 mentioned? If so, can you post or send a pic?