This afternoon I was moving stuff in the shed trying to make more room to stuff parts out of the weather. I was moving a stack of wheels and tires when I came across this one. I work in forestry and sadly some slobs like to take their trash out in the woods to dump it rather than take it to the actual dump and pay a small fee. A couple years ago I was cleaning up one of these illegal dumps and spotted a tire with an Olds rally wheel on it. That one went home with me and wound up in the shed. Today I looked at it more closely and the wheels not in the greatest shape but the tire looks new. I believe it's a 1968 wheel as it doesn't have the stainless steel bezel inserts and it looks like a 14X6. I know there's been a couple posts on what the factory used on these cars when they were new so I thought I'd post these pictures to see if anybody knows how old this tire is? No way I'd run it, but it may looks nice as a spare in a car show. Wadda ya think?

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What years did some of the GMs BOP have RH & LH wheels to fit the rear ?

 

12th week of 1989 is my guess at latest, by looking at the date code.

My mom's 86 Cutlass came stock with Uniroyals - popular that decade.

 

It sure looks like an Olds SSII wheel to me, and it is dated February 5, 1968. The LH code throws me off - it is an interesting feature and perhaps others can chime in to what it means (and/or how it got there) as my '68 assembly manual shows the "P-05 styled wheel" as having an LS code. P-05 was the wheel code for SSI in '66 and '67 but the SSI was theoretically not available for the '68 model year as the SSI was replaced by what we now call the SSII. However, I understand that some early production '68s (Aug-Dec '67 specifically) that ordered the P-05 option got SSI wheels instead of SSII wheels due to lack of availability of the SSII. In '69, the P-05 wheel code reverted back to the SSI (LE wheel code and later a separate SSI wheel (LY wheel code) for disc brakes) and N-66 became the code for the SSII (again LS wheel code).

The tire definitely looks new but I don't believe it is an original '68 issue for an "A" body Olds. The tire size that came with an "A" body car (as a radial) would have been 205R14 which equates to about a P205/78R14 by today's standards. H78R14 is about a P235/78R14 by today's standards. Also, I don't see white raised letter as being a factory option for tires in '68 - they were first made available as a factory option in the '69 production year. I don't know how to read the codes stamped into the tire - hopefully someone can.

Interesting wheel, though. I'd sure like to hear more about that LH code!

Randy C.

 

68 SSII. Nice find. You don't come across them very often. Most seem to want the 69 up version with the stainless trim rings around the cutouts.

 

John, I know its are to be sure of but is the grey paint original, would be a nice comparison for all of us who are trying to find a happy "correct" argent silver. This grey looks on the light side and the flat side as well

 

That's the kind of tire that originally came on my car except mine was GR70x15. Boy, if I could only buy a new set of repros...

1976 (original owner)
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1981 (after I owned it for two years)
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I would guess that tire was made in 1979. I don't believe they were making radial tires in those sizes any more in 89.

I wouldn't even run it as a spare. Now for a burn out contest.......

 

Thanks for the comments guys. I was hoping it was old enough to use as a display spare in one of my cars. But the newest project I've got is a 1971.

Randy, being the packrat I am I've got at least a dozen of these 14X6 wheels. I need to dig them out and see what codes are stamped on them.

Cameo White, it was fun to spot an Olds wheel when I was cleaning up a pickup load of dumped tires!

Steven, I suspect this wheel is faded some. There was an old thread where I posted a picture of the spare from my 1970 with a Wide Oval tire on it. I suspect that one has been out of the sun more any anything else I've got and still has the closest shade to original.

Ken, I think its really cool that you've got pictures of your car going back to when it was new! I suspect there's not many of us that can do that!

Randy, (svnt442) I've got a couple pairs of really wide bias tires mounted on slotted mags. Those would be good for burnouts until they fly apart!