Rally wheel date code, same for all 5 wheels?
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Rally wheel date code, same for all 5 wheels?
Are all 5 original wheels to a C3 all stamped with the exact same date?
I'm specifically interested in 1970
I suspect the answer is yes.....but could they 1 day apart?
To avoid speculation, let's figure out the truth with data. If you have a known original set on your vehicle, please post the stamped dates
I'm specifically interested in 1970
I suspect the answer is yes.....but could they 1 day apart?
To avoid speculation, let's figure out the truth with data. If you have a known original set on your vehicle, please post the stamped dates
Last edited by split63; Oct 10, 2021 at 11:51 AM.
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From: Shamong, NJ
There's no reason to believe the wheels would have all been made at the same time, and then kept together to all be installed together, on the same car. Glass dates are often different on windshields, rear glass and even from door to door. I've seen engines with blocks, heads and intakes all with different dates. GM wasn't building show cars, and they didn't care about things like date codes when building cars. Their inventory control wasn't all that sophisticated back then either.
Chances are good that a set of factory installed wheels would all be dated within a few days of each other, but I also think it's possible that you could find a wheel or two that were dated different from the others by a month or more.
If you find that the wheels are all dated within a few months of before when the car was built, you should be good.
Chances are good that a set of factory installed wheels would all be dated within a few days of each other, but I also think it's possible that you could find a wheel or two that were dated different from the others by a month or more.
If you find that the wheels are all dated within a few months of before when the car was built, you should be good.
Last edited by gbvette62; Oct 7, 2021 at 09:49 PM. Reason: Spelling
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I've not studied up on wheels... sooo, were 15"x8" rallys made on a daily basis or were they batched such that you have gaps in date codes? If daily then I'd expect to see multiple examples of dates that run the whole range of days in a month. If batched then it's reasonable and expected to see all 5 wheels carrying the same code. But with batching you could also have examples of cars with wheels that code weeks or months apart.
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I've not studied up on wheels... sooo, were 15"x8" rallys made on a daily basis or were they batched such that you have gaps in date codes? If daily then I'd expect to see multiple examples of dates that run the whole range of days in a month. If batched then it's reasonable and expected to see all 5 wheels carrying the same code. But with batching you could also have examples of cars with wheels that code weeks or months apart.
Feb 5 1970
February 3rd 1970
Feb 2 1970
Last edited by split63; Oct 9, 2021 at 01:46 PM.
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From: Waterford WI
I've not studied up on wheels... sooo, were 15"x8" rallys made on a daily basis or were they batched such that you have gaps in date codes? If daily then I'd expect to see multiple examples of dates that run the whole range of days in a month. If batched then it's reasonable and expected to see all 5 wheels carrying the same code. But with batching you could also have examples of cars with wheels that code weeks or months apart.
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Thread Starter
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From: Texas
Based on the images above, for each day they built them, they stamped them uniquely. Maybe they pumped out an inordinate amount on January 12th thru 14th 1971, but all the evidence is that they were stamped on the day of production. I could see a vette getting wheels from different dates as GM consumed the lot from one day and started another lot, unless wheel lots were delivered in multiples of 5 or if they were wrapped together; 5 wheels at a time. I suppose we will never know for sure.
Last edited by split63; Oct 9, 2021 at 05:22 PM.
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I'm sure there was a 'general' strategy used for batch-producing wheels and shipping to the assembly factory. But, between plants, shipping process, inventory process and fork-lift driver practices at various facilities, many of the C3's built could have 4 of the 5 wheels made on the same date. As the spare tire would be assembled at a different 'station' in the build cycle, the wheel date might be close but not the same day. But, because of how material control handling of parts was NOT precisely controlled, some wheels might be weeks apart.
Trying to put wheels on your car from the same fab date would be an exercise in futility, I think.
Trying to put wheels on your car from the same fab date would be an exercise in futility, I think.