When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Recently purchased a 73’ that came with a set of rims mounted that I am not familiar with looks like c2 Kelsey Hayes rims but not quite the same? Knock offs perhaps? Any idea on the value would be great too. Thank you
Are you joking, or is that a serious question?
Those are the P02 hub caps.
I am serious I am new to corvettes so my questions are pretty stupid. What are p02 hub caps? Hub caps that go on the stock rims or what? Explain like I’m 5 years old please haha!
Are you joking, or is that a serious question?
Those are the P02 hub caps.
The reason I asked is when I search up 1973 corvette all of the cars have the rallye rims that are more simple and chrome. So I figured these were from a different generation corvette or something. Are these hub caps desirable? Personally I prefer the rallye so I was looking to sell these and swap the rallyes on that the corvette came with.
Remove the hubcaps. Underneath should be the factory-installed rally wheels. Purchase trim rings and centers, and you have the look you want. Either was available from the factory. The hubcaps were an extra-cost option. (PO2)
If you ever find your tank sticker and the car came with them from the factory (OPTION PO2) then keep them with the car. Put them up in the attic for the next owner.
The reason I asked is when I search up 1973 corvette all of the cars have the rallye rims that are more simple and chrome. So I figured these were from a different generation corvette or something. Are these hub caps desirable? Personally I prefer the rallye so I was looking to sell these and swap the rallyes on that the corvette came with.
Not to me, and I agree with you. I think those 'fake' wire wheel hub caps are butt ugly, and I can't believe those were ONE - an upgrade, and TWO - actually put on Corvettes. The Corvette Rally wheels with beauty rings are the way to go, IMO.
Believe it or not, though, there are folks who would probably offer up good money for those - the NCRS folks who needs them for originality if the car was optioned with them, as I suspect a lot of owners removed these duds over the years, because they aren't terribly attractive, sporty, or aggressive looking. Those things are just awful, and belong on a station wagon or sedan, but not a Corvette. Just about the ugliest hub cap Chevrolet ever made.
Wait, did I say they were downright ugly yet?
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Jul 7, 2022 at 01:05 PM.
I've always liked the look on certain cars - definitely with white wall tires. I think it looks more elegant. In my opinion, GM wanted to retain the wire wheel/knock-off look but couldn't due to government regulation changes having to do with projections from the wheels*. The '65 Mako show car has a fine-finned knock-off that I think the PO2 is emulating.
*
Originally Posted by JohnZ
FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) outlawed any wheels or wheel covers with "winged projections" for 1968; that particular regulation was included in the FMVSS revisions due to Ralph Nader's efforts. That's why GM released special hex nuts and a special wrench as service replacements for KO wheel spinners - it was illegal to sell the original spinners after 1968; the same thing happened to all service replacement wheel covers that originally included spinners - the service replacements were sold with no spinner - just a round emblem that attached to the center of the cover.
I've always liked the look on certain cars - definitely with white wall tires. I think it looks more elegant. In my opinion, GM wanted to retain the wire wheel/knock-off look but couldn't due to government regulation changes having to do with projections from the wheels*. The '65 Mako show car has a fine-finned knock-off that I think the PO2 is emulating.
*
The knock offs on the Mako Shark are pretty cool, but those don't look much at all like the P02. And whitewalls on a C3 would just be blasphemous - it's a sports car. Not a pimp's Cadillac. The Exception being the C1's. Those looked fine with white walls....
Not the lady pictured in the one with the PO2's. The silhouette is hiding her disdain for those atrociously ugly and fake wire wheel hub caps. I think she's actually crying for having to be featured in the same pics as those abominations.
I'm not a huge fan of white walls on Corvettes either but from 1968 through 1976 almost 90,000 Corvettes came from the factory with RPO# PT7 or the later #QRM, White Wall Tires. That's a little over 1/3 of total production, so I'd have to say a pretty popular option in the day.
I agree with 67:72, the PO2's look great with the right tire and car color combination. I ran a set of PO2's on my 1970 coupe 350hp 350 4 speed. The car was white with red line tires and the PO2's looked great (I'll dig around for a picture). The rally wheels are fine too but don't forget they were as common as McDonald's cheeseburgers back in the day, they weren't just for Corvettes. They were shared with Monte Carlo, Chevelle, Camaro and even the lowly priced Nova. So, while the PO2 Deluxe Wheel Cover was not one of the most popular options, still 28,850 new Corvette owners (a little over 10%) opted to stand out from the crowd and ordered the upgrade.
Cheers, Greg
I'm not a huge fan of white walls on Corvettes either but from 1968 through 1976 almost 90,000 Corvettes came from the factory with RPO# PT7 or the later #QRM, White Wall Tires. That's a little over 1/3 of total production, so I'd have to say a pretty popular option in the day.
I agree with 67:72, the PO2's look great with the right tire and car color combination. I ran a set of PO2's on my 1970 coupe 350hp 350 4 speed. The car was white with red line tires and the PO2's looked great (I'll dig around for a picture). The rally wheels are fine too but don't forget they were as common as McDonald's cheeseburgers back in the day, they weren't just for Corvettes. They were shared with Monte Carlo, Chevelle, Camaro and even the lowly priced Nova. So, while the PO2 Deluxe Wheel Cover was not one of the most popular options, still 28,850 new Corvette owners (a little over 10%) opted to stand out from the crowd and ordered the upgrade.
Cheers, Greg
And P02's were offered on other GM vehicles too, so the I suppose the joke is on the Corvette owners back then who thought they were purchasing an option with some exclusivity...... So, unsightly and not so exclusive. Oh dear....
PO2s
PO2s
and on the Buick Riviera....
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Jul 7, 2022 at 05:59 PM.
Probably when the Camaro department first saw the new PO2's on the Corvette they thought they looked so good, that they cried and begged to have them for the Camaros too.
Probably when the Camaro department first saw the new PO2's on the Corvette they thought they looked so good, that they cried and begged to have them for the Camaros too.
And the same for Buick too, for the Riviera, and also for the Chevy Monte Carlo, and the Chevelle, and for the Impala? ALL of those cars also had the P02 option available to them. The old adage 'Buyer beware'.
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Jul 7, 2022 at 06:27 PM.
I seem to recall hearing that the PO2 wheels covers are quite heavy, and the unsprung weight that they add, is not in an advantageous place for handling.
I seem to recall hearing that the PO2 wheels covers are quite heavy, and the unsprung weight that they add, is not in an advantageous place for handling.
Yes they were/are heavy. So we have - heavy, ugly, fake wire wheel hubcap, non-exclusive --shared as an option by multiple cars in the GM lineup (see above), and no business being on a high performance vehicle that had any hope of handling back in the day. Other than that, it's a great hubcap!
Are these hub caps desirable? Personally I prefer the rallye so I was looking to sell these and swap the rallyes on that the corvette came with.
They are desirable to those that like them, but they are very polarizing much like luggage racks and colors. If you prefer the rallys, take these off, sell them, and buy trim rings and center caps.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
Help identifying rims
ALL of those cars also had the P02 option available to them. The old adage 'Buyer beware'.
