<VV> Documenting stock FC wheel changes

[Kent Sullivan]

Jim, thanks much. Your research matches mine. It's frustrating that there is little to no context in those entries to indicate what the content of any of the changes actually was.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Becker <mr.jebecker at gmail.com> 
Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 9:16 PM
To: Danny Davis <corsa180gt at gmail.com>; Kent Sullivan <kentsu at corvairkid.com>
Cc: Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Subject: Re: <VV> Documenting stock FC wheel changes

I thought Chevy was using safety rims since some time back in the '50s. 
Evidently not, so much for me contributing to crowd wisdom.

Here is what I picked out of some parts catalogs.  A computer guy can walk you through use of GMPartsWiki to see a lot of this yourself.

As of 2/61 the FC used wheel 3758150.  This same wheel was used on full sized cars back to '57, at least as the replacement.
The 6/62 catalog still lists 3758150 for '61 FCs but 3798810 for '62 FCs.
By 10/62, 378150 was gone and 3798810 was the replacement for '61-'63.
As of 10/63, 3798810 was still listed.
By 7/64, 3798810 was replaced by 3849574.

Boiled down, it looks like original production was probably:

'61 - 3758150
'62-'63 - 3798810
'64-'65 - 3849574
This assumes changes with the model years, and tells nothing about how they changed each time.

Added complication is that more part changes are in the books after FC production ended.  So other wheels could be found on an FC, either from getting new replacements or used ones picked off other vehicles.

The parts history says 3849574 was replaced by 3870769 in 10/66 (used on Camaro).
That was replaced by 3960336 in 3/73.
3960336 was still listed in 11/76 when the last Corvair parts catalog was published although parts history says it was replaced by 3989423 (from intermediate cars) in 9/74.

Jim Becker

-----Original Message-----
From: Danny Davis via VirtualVairs
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2018 10:30 PM
To: Kent Sullivan
Cc: Virtual Vairs
Subject: Re:  Documenting stock FC wheel changes

My 1963 Deluxe Rampside original wheels did *not* have the "safety bead"
aka bead lock
This is an earlier St. Louis build with the 4-speed "mystery shifter"
Known to be original wheels due to low mileage, (54,200) original full wheel covers for the DeLuxe series.

Danny Davis
Graham    WA
206-643-6718
CORSA Western DirectorOn Sun, Jul 1, 2018 at 4:23 PM, Kent Sullivan via VirtualVairs < virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Let's try a "wisdom of the crowds exercise": I'm trying to pinpoint 
> when stock FC steel wheel rims had the safety bead added. The bead is 
> visible and "feel able" as a narrow, shallow trough that goes around 
> the entire rim about one inch in from the edge, on the front face. If 
> you have access to a stock-appearing FC for which the modification 
> history is known way back, please respond...
>
> If you have any Chevrolet documents that speak to the changeover, that 
> would be great, too. I went through several years of parts books and 
> the information was very sparse and inconclusive.
>
> I have heard that this change was at the beginning of the '62 model 
> year but some field research has so far indicated that Chevy was still 
> using the non-bead type late into '63. Hence the need for data from 
> untouched vehicles and/or Chevrolet documents.
>
> I was also told that the three "bumps" on the face of the wheel, for 
> holding a center cap in place, were not present on the '61 wheel. I am 
> not researching that particular item at the moment but it's all part 
> of the FC Wheel Evolution Saga. (Soon to be a major motion picture!) 
> And, related, there may be another running change -- appearance of 
> bumps on the outer edge for retaining full-wheel covers? Or perhaps 
> Greenbrier only? Again, I'm not researching that at the moment but it 
> just adds to the fun.
>
> Thanks!