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Learned a couple of things about '67 repro bolt-ons
As I posted awhile back, I threw a starburst and wasn't able to recover it. In the process of replacing it, I learned a couple of things I didn't know, one of which may help some of you keep from losing your starbursts.
1. When my new replacement starburst arrived, the color between the fins was gray, not black like my wheels and other starbursts on my car (see photo). Doing some research, I discovered the early repro bolt-ons had black between the fins. That changed to gray (the color of original KH wheels) in August 2009. Why anyone manufacturing reproduction wheels wouldn't get something as basic as the color right to begin with is beyond my understanding. Anyway, I'll just paint my new starburst fins black like the rest of the car has.
2. I've found 2 loose starbursts over the 3 years I've owned my car. Both had broken retainer clips. I could pull them off by hand. I assume the starburst I lost fell off because of a broken clip. Check out John Hinckley's article below for an explanation as to why this is happening. It all has to do with the lug nuts on the repros being larger than the lug nuts on the original wheels. I'll be pulling all of my starbursts and making sure the flats of the lug nuts are oriented correctly.
I know this has been discussed before, but it really depends on which ’67 repro wheels you have. I know there have been at least three distinctly different types and probably more. I suspect Steve’s wheels are the early Western Wheel reproductions. The set I had on my car were Corvette America Gen IV wheels and used the standard lug nuts just like the originals and were painted gray. I ran them for five years without a loose starburst.
I know this has been discussed before, but it really depends on which ’67 repro wheels you have. I know there have been at least three distinctly different types and probably more. I suspect Steve’s wheels are the early Western Wheel reproductions. The set I had on my car were Corvette America Gen IV wheels and used the standard lug nuts just like the originals and were painted gray. I ran them for five years without a loose starburst.
You're correct, Mike. My wheels say KH Western on the backside. Don't know when they were put on the car. My lugnuts look like these but without the antitheft locking pieces:
The only reason I can think that my early repro wheels have black fins instead of the correct gray is that it might have been a copyright or some other intellectual property issue. I mean, if you're trying to reproduce something, you'd certainly want to get the color as close to the ones you're reproducing as you can.
I wish my wheels were the correct color but I don't mind the black and I'm certainly not going to buy new ones. And, yes, I could paint all the fins on all of my wheels the correct gray color but I'm already 70 years old. I don't know if I have enough time left to complete a project of that magnitude . So I'll paint the new starburst fins black and move on. Can't see them when I'm driving down the road anyway.
Original bolt-on wheels used black heat treated clips that were made of a special spring steel. They gripped much tighter than the zinc plated steel ones used for the Western Wheel reproductions.
I use a pliers and set each clip gap at 0.010 inches (4 clips) each time I remove and install a starburst cap. And yes there can be a clearance issue with the lug nuts if you are not careful. JohnZ pointed it out, but I also noticed it from the beginning.
Original bolt-on wheels used black heat treated clips that were made of a special spring steel. They gripped much tighter than the zinc plated steel ones used for the Western Wheel reproductions.
I use a pliers and set each clip gap at 0.010 inches (4 clips) each time I remove and install a starburst cap. And yes there can be a clearance issue with the lug nuts if you are not careful. JohnZ pointed it out, but I also noticed it from the beginning.
FWIW.
Larry
Thanks Larry. I remember you posting about the 0.010 clip gap before and have taken your advice by doing that everytime I take the starbursts off.
I don't suppose those black spring steel clips are available anywhere? I haven't seen them at any of the usual vendors.
Thanks Larry. I remember you posting about the 0.010 clip gap before and have taken your advice by doing that everytime I take the starbursts off.
I don't suppose those black spring steel clips are available anywhere? I haven't seen them at any of the usual vendors.
Steve
Have only seen them on original wheels/starbursts. I bought a set of original HC (first edition) starbursts from David Cosner at Bloomington MANY years ago. I have never mounted them on my car.......something I need to do one day. But my Western Wheel version still looks good and hasn't fallen off yet.
You would think someone would duplicate them. They cannot be that expensive. I would gladly pay $$ for a set just to have them.
09-28-2016, 04:18 PM
Learned a couple of things about '67 repro bolt-ons
. So I'll paint the new starburst fins black and move on. Can't see them when I'm driving down the road anyway.
But my Western Wheel version still looks good and hasn't fallen off yet. 