fw wheels abd trim rings

[BillOhio]

My 69z has fw, Monte Carlo wheels. Will the earlier trim rings fit this wheel? Looking for what is supposed to be on it and would like to run the trim rings until I find the right yh wheel

[69Z28-RS]

I believe any of the GM 15" trim rings will fit.   The trim rings used on Monte Carlos from '70 thru '77 actually have the same appearance, although the retention method is diffeerent...

Gary / 69Z28-RS

[BillOhio]

What came with the car has clips clear around the outside and where I think the correct ones have a corner, these are more curved going back to the center of the wheel. I might see if they have a part number

[z28z11]

Original trims and derbys will fit just fine (and grip) on the FW wheels - I have a set on my Z11 pacer (came with the car when I bought it; I like the 15's better than the original YJ 14" rims). The FW offset maybe a 1/2" different from the YH (I have all five of my original YH's on my X77), but when you have the trim rings on you cannot see, or feel, any difference in the rims from YH's. I have trims with 4 clips, and also the crimp style (recall, later production) holding, and they both fit fine. Just my opinion -

[69Z28-RS]

If there was a *recall*.. I'd love to see some documentation!    GM sold the 4 clips throughout the entire *life* of the Rallye wheels (on Corvettes thru '77), and the Corvette trims were larger / heavier than the smaller trims for the 6 or 7 inch wheels, and had the SAME four clips...  let's see some info on such a recall .. if there was one...

[z28z11]

The "recall" came from a post in the forum I read the other day. I never heard about a recall, and I've owned my '69 X77 Z since 1973, serviced it for a year and a half at the Union 76 station I worked at before I bought it. The trim rings and derbys, which I so carefully removed when it was parked on the street (when I was at school), are original to the car at least as far back as '71, and they are not 4 clip rings. By the way, all 5 YH wheels are still with the car, too - I resisted the urge to put aftermarkets on it, same as I didn't give in to the fad at the time and cut the roof for aftermarket Hurst T tops.
The only other scenario as to why the rings are "grippers" on my car would have had to have been a recall - or they are originals. 41K miles on it when I bought it for $1600, with Goodyear Polyglas GT's (second set) on car. The wheels have only ever had three sets of tires on them, stored since 1980. Rims are unrestored.
Like I said, this was an opinion, not an argument, based on my experience. If someone has additional info on a recall, silent or not, please chime in.
Regards,
Steve

[BillOhio]

I think I read about it on team camaro. 
Does anyone know if you can tell the repro from originals??

[lynnbilodeau]

Steve:

"The only other scenario as to why the rings are "grippers" on my car would have had to have been a recall..."

Like you, not looking for an argument.  Just trying to find out the truth.  But, there are other possible explanations.  Lots can happen in 2 to 4 years and 40k miles.  They could have been changed.  I saw more than one frustrated mechanic virtually destroy the four clip rings trying to beat them on with a giant mallet when there was a wheel weight in the way.  If one or more were damaged during an early service at the dealer, the original owner may have demanded a new matched set.  Not saying that is what happened, just saying it is possible.

Another possiblity?  Stealing hubcaps was pretty common among the hoodlums of the day.  Most of the Z/28's were kids cars, and were parked out doors over night.  Only mom and dad got to park inside (or, as in our house, only mom - we had a one car garage).  You cannot say that it is impossible that they were stolen early in the car's life.  You said yourself that you "carefully removed when it was parked on the street".  Perhaps the first owner wasn't as careful.

Third possibility?  GM used a lot of different suppliers.  Perhaps there were some cars that didin't get the 4 clip rings.  In fact, it seems like I have read of a car that got some of each type.   I know my 08A of 69 car probably came with the 4 clip rings.   Only two were still on it when my brother purchased it in 1975.  I bought it from him the next year.

I have never heard of such a "recall" until just recently.   Because it would be a safety issue, I have a hard time believing that GM would issue a voluntary recall that only was effective if the customer complained about it.  When I worked at the Buick dealership, we had a couple of those, but they dealt with A/C problems or such.  Never a safety issue.

What is the tag date on your car?  Some folks claim that some of the later cars got grippers instead of four clip.

[lynnbilodeau]

I think I read about it on team camaro. 
Does anyone know if you can tell the repro from originals??

Bill.  Sorry, it appears we unintentionally hijacked your thread.

I have no experience with the repro trim rings.   However, I have yet the see the repro of anything that someone couldn't distinguish from the original.   Some are closer than others.  I have seen none that are exactl.

[z28z11]

You are correct - I have no way of determining what when on with the trim rings in the 2 years/miles before I was familiar with the car. Totally residential storage with the owner before me (I went to high school with him) - I bought it while I was going to college, and used to park this car on the street and go home in my girlfriend's '64 Dodge beater (less strain on the Z for sure). I did pull the derbys and the rings off of it whenever I did park it for a weekend - but no alarm, or any other protection for the car other than door locks. Looking back on it now, it's a miracle it was never stolen or molested. The YH wheels could have disappeared, which would be a major financial setback nowadays. Car, by the way, is a January build - 01C.
One thing I do remember very well - I did not have to use a blade to remove them - just pull on the edge and work around until they popped off, derbys were even easier. I never lost one since I bought the car due to potholes or theft, which out to be some kind of record. Stupid gripper rings do a number on the paint finish on the rims - I still have not restored them.
I have never seen any identification marks on the trims - other than "feel" I don't have a reliable way of telling OEM from repops.
Anyone else have a clue ?
Sorry to digress, Bill - easy to get wound up on a topic and get off course.
Regards,
Steve

[lynnbilodeau]

Thanks for the reply Steve.  Again, I am not saying your car did not come with the gripper style.  Just no way to know for certain.
Any original owner vehicles out there?

JohnZ.   I know your car was a one owner when you got it.  Your 02D Z, does it have gripper style trim rings, or the four clip version.

[JohnZ]

JohnZ.   I know your car was a one owner when you got it.  Your 02D Z, does it have gripper style trim rings, or the four clip version.

All four of mine have the gripper-type rings, but I have no way of knowing if they're the originals; they're correctly-configured GM rings, but may be replacements or later '69 parts. The derby caps are originals.