chip-powell

I don't know if there is any way of getting a truly definitive answer for this, but I figured that I would ask anyway...

I've had my '71 Supreme for 11 years now. The wheels that were on it when I bought it were not the originals and I almost immediately replaced them with old look Cragars (because I like Cragars, that's why). Well, after 11 years I'm looking to change them to either the SSII or SSIII's. I like the look of both but would try to keep with the original look of when my Cutlass was new.

Is there any way of finding out if my car had SSII or SSIII's on it when it came off the line in July of '71?

joe_padavano

Only if you can find a build sheet.

chip-powell

Nope. No build sheet. Oh well. It was worth a shot. I was hoping for something like 442's got SSII's and Supreme's got SSIII's or something along those lines.

jmos4

Hi,

It sounds more like you're asking what is correct for a 1971

Not a expert but believe the SSII (bolt on center caps) were pre 73/74 maybe 75?

I know 1977 had SSIII (clip on center caps) as my old Delta 88

Regards,
Jim

joe_padavano

One more time, SSII vs SSIII is ONLY about the paint color, not the center cap. Here's the 1971 SPECS booklet. Read RPO N66 and N67.

Fun71

Do both - SSII on one side and SSIII on the other. Different look depending upon which side of the car is viewed.

Vintage Chief

I like SSII for a muscle appearance & SSIII for a more style-wise cruiser appearance.

Bfg

Or better yet, display each available option at each corner. You’ll really have them scratching their heads.

redoldsman

S, if I understand this correctly, same wheels, different paint. One could repainted and converted from one to the other.

joe_padavano

If you sandblast them they are exactly the same.

chip-powell

Joe,
One other question. Will the bolt on hubs fit a 15x7 SSIII wheel, or just the snap ons? Or are they the same?

joe_padavano

"Hubs"???
Do you mean wheel centers? Bolt on only fit on wheels that accept bolt-on centers, snap-in only fit on wheels that accept snap-in centers. And one more time, Olds made 15x7 SSIII wheels in BOTH bolt-on and snap-in versions, though the snap-in are MUCH more common.

The two light colored wheels are 15x7 for bolt-in centers, the copper wheel is 15x7 for snap-in centers.

chip-powell

Calm down Joe.
You call them wheel centers, I grew up calling them hubs. No big deal. Thanks for the info.

joe_padavano

The rest of the world calls this a hub.

srs1a

To me, it depends on the color of the car. I don’t like the look of the wheels painted some colors, while I like the look of them in other colors. I had a ‘71 convertible that was cameo white with SSIII’s and I liked the look (probably not much difference from SSII’s). I think it is all personal preference.

redoldsman

I never heard them called hubs. To me, hubs are what Joe is showing above. I always called them center caps.

droldsmorland

Definitely a personal choice so go with what you like. Who cares if its not 100% correct. Hell when these cars were new they (could've) arrived with no option standard rims and dog dishes knowing those would hit the trash as soon as one took delivery in favor of mags.

My 68 came with P02 hubcaps, yuk.... I pulled a set of 14" SS3s out of a bone yard when I first purchased the car. Blasted & primed them black not knowing what color it would be once restored.
Painted them red when I painted the car. I recently graduated to 15" SS1s. This car has had several iterations on it since it rolled off the line in Sept 67.

I think I may go back to 15" 73-74 SS3s IF I can ever find a set (that's not gold plated). I think I like the body color wheels better than the SS1s. SS Cragars are nice too. I have a set.
I do not like the look of the early SS2s. Too narrow and no trim bezels. So it will never go back to "100%" OEM under my watch.

Original P02 caps




Primed SS3s no stainless




Primed with trim rings



Restored



15" SS1s

acavagnaro

That's a great looking car. Only my opinion but you'd be hard pressed to put any wheel on it that looks better than the SSI.

Koda

In my experience, a wheel center fits on a super stock rim.

Hubcaps cover the hub and the studs. Sometimes called moons, dog dishes, and, when they were the cheapest version, my personal favorite, "poverties."

A cap that covered the entire wheel was a wheel disc.

My H/O has wheel centers. My dad's corvette has hubcaps. My Monte Carlo has wheel discs.

no1oldsfan

That is one beautiful red 68.

VC455

Agree. I wanted my VC to have more of a performance appearance, so I used blackwalls on SSIIs painted silver to be reminiscent of mags.

Vintage Chief

Gary - You certainly achieved the look. Beautiful VC.

joes_olds

Since SSII's are painted Argent and SSIII's are painted body color.

Assuming you could get two-toned paint with SSIII's from the factory, which body color would the wheel use, the upper or lower?

What do call them when they are not Argent or body color? Looking for a common nomenclature when when someone uses SSII/SSIII's not matching the grey/body color scheme.

droldsmorland

joe_padavano

davek1661

To me, the Super Sport 1's look like Buick wheels. When I think of Olds factory sport rims, I'm thinking of the Super Sport 2's or 3's, just because those are the wheels I saw on the cars in the early 70's when I was old enough to notice things like that...
https://oldsjunction.classicoldsmobile.com/ssi.html
https://oldsjunction.classicoldsmobile.com/ssii.html
https://oldsjunction.classicoldsmobile.com/ssiii.html