1969 Z28 spare wheel

[cbgolz]

I have a question.  What color was the back side of an original 1969 Z28 spare wheel?  I have seen several pictures of the trunk compartments of Z28's and the backs of some spares are painted black, some gray, etc.  My jack base, hook, and ratchet are all dove gray.  Was the spare (if gray) the same color as the jack components?  Darker, lighter?  What is the correct color of the back side of the spare wheel from the factory?  Thanks in advance for your help.

[ZLP955]

Semi-gloss black with some argent silver overspray through the cooling slots. JohnZ posted a great picture of his former car's original spare showing this detail.

[ZLP955]

See JohnZ's pictures in reply #1 of this thread: http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=7300

[william]

http://www.camaros.org/pdf/tech_wheelpaint.pdf

[cbgolz]

Thank you all very much for the replies.  I had done my spare wheel in the correct manner.  Argent silver with some light overspray through the slots onto a semi gloss black backside.  I started to second guess myself when a saw a number of pictures of trunk compartments with a gray backside of the spare wheel.  Thanks, again for your help.

[lynnbilodeau]

Something like this.

[william]

Service replacement wheels were painted gray.

[Daytona Z]

FWIW,

Here's a Day 1 takeoff spare that was reportedly removed from the trunk of a 69 Z/28 that got a mag wheel change when brand new. The originals went home with the owner and were secured away in the basement until I got this wheel earlier this year. It's a factory spare dated K-1-9-4-18 and in mint untouched original condition. Obviously it was grey and not painted like the other wheels off the car?

[firstgenaddict]

There is a spec for Grey primed wheels... typically they would be service wheels however there is little doubt Kelsey Hayes would substitute them for bare wheels if necessary. My 69 Z 10D had 3 of the original wheels which were all 9 20 AD's with grey backs.

[KurtS]

That is not how they were shipped with the car. The five wheels were mounted at the same time and all were painted the same.

[Daytona Z]

So you are saying this was an over the counter wheel Kurt? Did they utilize the same dates as found on the cars for service wheels or did they use another series of dates?

[Steve Shauger]

Yes that is a service replacement/over the counter wheel.

[william]

Not nagging here but no one has seen every one of the 20,302 '69 Z/28s built. Over at the CRG we use the phrase "normative practice" to cover standard operating practices on the assembly line. That means production was configured to process uncoated Z/28 wheels. They were furnished raw, cleaned, dipped in black primer. The face of the wheel was painted argent. Did this process apply 100% of the time? No one knows but I doubt it.

I managed service replacement parts in automotive supply chain and if production needed my parts to keep the line going, they took them. In this case they ship from the same supplier. By November 1968 Chevy had more Z/28 orders than they could build and stopped taking orders. That tells me the plants were having a hard time keeping up. If the plants needed service wheels to maintain delivery schedules, it would happen.

Now that otherwise original cars are turning up with gray wheels, it looks like service wheels may have gotten into production on rare occasion. I have seen several grey AD and YH wheels in my days and assumed they were service parts. Maybe not. Wouldn't be the first time an original car was found to have 'incorrect' parts.

[Steve Shauger]

FWIW,

Here's a Day 1 takeoff spare that was reportedly removed from the trunk of a 69 Z/28 that got a mag wheel change when brand new. The originals went home with the owner and were secured away in the basement until I got this wheel earlier this year. It's a factory spare dated K-1-9-4-18 and in mint untouched original condition. Obviously it was grey and not painted like the other wheels off the car?

A couple of observations looking at the grey painted spare pictured. I can't see how a tire was ever mounted on it (no bead mark)and there are no jack base plate marks, chip paint or abrasions when it was secured in the trunk. Also no balance/ run-out bead/marking on the rim. Certainly we've learned anything is possible....

[69Z28-RS]

William makes a good point about 'never saying 'never''...  but one could say that about anything we discuss on here...

For my 2 cents worth, I'd have to agree with Steve (PaceMe)...