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C1 wheels question

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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 12:08 AM
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Default C1 wheels question

Just one simple, (maybe dumb) question, but are you able to put 14" wheels on a C1 Vette ? Has anyone done or tried this before and did it have needed clearance etc. or did it just plain look "odd" ?
I have the chance to get a 14" set of Cragars for a really good price and thought I'd ask some members for their input.
Or is this blasphemy ??!!
Thx,
Gord
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 07:32 AM
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I think the main problem will be that they will NOT clear the front hub. These cars have a very large front hub. Very few original type Chevy wheels and a limited number of custom wheels will fit over this hub. The brake drum should fit. Just measure the drum diameter vs the wheel inside diameter.
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 08:28 PM
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A long time ago (but still in this galaxy) when I bought a 56 Corvette with some strange extras it came with old 14" mags and Goodyear Polyglas bias ply tires. It actually didn't look too bad. By the time I sold it I had installed 15x6 steel wheels and blackwall radials - the original Halibrand knockoffs were in the process of bring readied for but never reinstalled (it was an SR-1!).
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 12:46 AM
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ALL the early Chevy products have the same size center hole in the wheels (15" and 14"). Thus, they will fit. For example, 55-6 pass cars had 15" wheels then in 57 they switched to the 14" wheels------------------------same size hole in the wheels for the hub. So, yes, they'll fit. Also, 50s and 60s Chevys (including Vettes) also shared the same size 11" brake drums, so 14" wheel clearance with an 11" drum is not a problem.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 01:32 AM
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Thanks for all the good input ! I think I'll give them a try.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 01:31 PM
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14" Cragars and 14 Keystone classics work fine on a 58 and the keystones will even work with the ECI disc brake conversion kit.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 02:50 PM
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It would be interesting to see what a C1 with 14" and some short 50-60 series tires would look like. Lowrider?
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Old Sep 9, 2005 | 08:44 PM
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Yeah, that's the ticket! Low-profile tires on 14" wheels, with white-walls, gold-tone fake-wire wheel covers, and lets throw on some curb feelers while we're at it.

Kind of the ultimate juxtaposition of class and the lack thereof.

It would actually be pretty funny and cool at the same time, just as long as all of the changes were easily reversed once the fun wore off.
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