<VV> Kelsey-Hayes Wheels

Thu Sep 21 17:06:48 EDT 2006

My daily driver is a 62 sedan with (fairly poor) K-H wheels.  I have 
had them for years and 20k miles ... never a problem.  No leaks.  No 
need to true them.  My wife's wagon which is driven fairly often has 
a nice set, same thing, never a problem.

In general I have found all the rumors about them being a problem are 
unfounded.

At 05:40 AM 9/19/2006, you wrote:
>At the time, the K-H wires were the most expensive option available,
>even surpassing a/c in price. Add a set to a Spyder or a/c car and you
>could probably have bought a Corvette instead.
>
>Also, as is pointed out, they require tubes, correct maintenance, and
>add unsprung weight like crazy, and it all adds up to gross
>impracticability. Which is why they didn't sell very many sets, despite
>their dynamite looks.
>
>At the time, we in Friends of Corvair (Don Schneider's local club)
>kidded him about how he was trying to corner the market, as he managed
>to collect 10 full sets, most of them of show quality. At least half of
>the sets went onto various show cars that he built, and he even modified
>one or two sets of adapters for 5 lug use on lates, before concluding
>that it was better to convert the late hubs over to 4 studs. He even
>found that '65-6 horn button inserts could be used as centers in the
>knock-off nuts, and modified about two sets with Corsa inserts for use
>on Corsa show cars.
>
>Which is about the only thing K-H wires are good for - show cars.
>
>BTW, over the years, I've seen any number of pieces and partial sets for
>sale in swap meets. I always thought that if someone with deep pockets
>were to buy up all the partial sets, they could assemble who knows how
>many more full sets. And/or offer replacement parts for those already
>out there. And no, I don't have deep enough pockets for such a venture.
>It's just my idle thinking....
>
>-Mark
>
>Charles Lee at Proper Pro Per wrote:
> >
> > I heard that there were about 300 Corvairs, 1962-1964, that went for the
> > $495 option on a $2,500 car.
> >
> > I'm not certain of the price as new, but it was "up there" by 1960's
> > standards.
> >
> > Dave should know this bit of info - Dave are you there ?
> >
> > Back about 1985, I wrote to Kelsey Hayes for design specs etc, which they
> > didn't have, but he did add that he had a "bunch of them" in a back room,
> > and "Do you want them ?"
> >
> > So, "Uh... Yes." and I got them NOS.
> >
> > I sold them for about the "new" price, just to be "authentic" about it.
> >
> > I know one set was modified (I didn't get the adapters) to fit Don
> > Schneider's "Black Widow Corsa" and I think another set went on the white
> > counterpart to that car.
> >
> > I had a set for my 1962 Lakewood, which I ran at Lime Rock with them, and
> > that is definitely something that you DO NOT WANT TO DO !!!!! It was like
> > having sandbags on all four corners (at least in part due to it being a
> > wagon, but mostly those wheels !)
> >
> > http://www.yourbuyersinn.com/1962LakewoodWWs.JPG
> >
> > There were two kind of spinner inserts too.  I believe that the early
> > (1962-63) version has a burnished, almost purple, insert with a Chevy "V"
> > shaped emblem on it, while the later (1964 ?) was "spun" aluminum inserts
> > with a Chevy bowtie, which is the more common version that I've seen.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <TimogensTurbo at aol.com>
> > Subject: Re: <VV> Kelsey-Hayes Wheels
> >
> > > In a message dated 9/18/2006 7:45:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> > > john at nfdc.net
> > > writes:
> > >
> > >> Does anyone know how many Kelsey -Hayes wheels were produced for the
> > >> 13"-4
> > >> lug early Corvairs?  Also, were they a $300.00 option as I 
> have heard?  I
> > >> have a set of 4 with spinners plus an extra wheel w/o the hub and
> > >> spinner.  I
> > >> just want to know how rare an option I have.
> > >>
> > > ================================================
> > > Let's put it this way....almost every meet I go to I see a 65-6 Corsa
> > > Turbo
> > > vert..supposedly real rare......
> > >
> > > I've only seen a few dozen real K-H  wires in 40 yrs......why they go for
> > > $2000+
> > >
> > > Matt Nall
> > > stocker, mod, v8, turbo, boat, Sandcar
> > > ALLVAIR!
> > > Timogen was a softy!
>
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