<VV> Documenting stock FC wheel changes

[Jim Becker]

I thought Chevy was using safety rims since some time back in the '50s. 
Evidently not, so much for me contributing to crowd wisdom.

Here is what I picked out of some parts catalogs.  A computer guy can walk 
you through use of GMPartsWiki to see a lot of this yourself.

As of 2/61 the FC used wheel 3758150.  This same wheel was used on full 
sized cars back to '57, at least as the replacement.
The 6/62 catalog still lists 3758150 for '61 FCs but 3798810 for '62 FCs.
By 10/62, 378150 was gone and 3798810 was the replacement for '61-'63.
As of 10/63, 3798810 was still listed.
By 7/64, 3798810 was replaced by 3849574.

Boiled down, it looks like original production was probably:

'61 - 3758150
'62-'63 - 3798810
'64-'65 - 3849574
This assumes changes with the model years, and tells nothing about how they 
changed each time.

Added complication is that more part changes are in the books after FC 
production ended.  So other wheels could be found on an FC, either from 
getting new replacements or used ones picked off other vehicles.

The parts history says 3849574 was replaced by 3870769 in 10/66 (used on 
Camaro).
That was replaced by 3960336 in 3/73.
3960336 was still listed in 11/76 when the last Corvair parts catalog was 
published although parts history says it was replaced by 3989423 (from 
intermediate cars) in 9/74.

Jim Becker

-----Original Message----- 
From: Danny Davis via VirtualVairs
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2018 10:30 PM
To: Kent Sullivan
Cc: Virtual Vairs
Subject: Re:  Documenting stock FC wheel changes

My 1963 Deluxe Rampside original wheels did *not* have the "safety bead"
aka bead lock
This is an earlier St. Louis build with the 4-speed "mystery shifter"
Known to be original wheels due to low mileage, (54,200) original full
wheel covers for the DeLuxe series.

Danny Davis
Graham    WA
206-643-6718
CORSA Western DirectorOn Sun, Jul 1, 2018 at 4:23 PM, Kent Sullivan via VirtualVairs <
virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Let's try a "wisdom of the crowds exercise": I'm trying to pinpoint when
> stock FC steel wheel rims had the safety bead added. The bead is visible
> and
> "feel able" as a narrow, shallow trough that goes around the entire rim
> about one inch in from the edge, on the front face. If you have access to 
> a
> stock-appearing FC for which the modification history is known way back,
> please respond...
>
> If you have any Chevrolet documents that speak to the changeover, that
> would
> be great, too. I went through several years of parts books and the
> information was very sparse and inconclusive.
>
> I have heard that this change was at the beginning of the '62 model year
> but
> some field research has so far indicated that Chevy was still using the
> non-bead type late into '63. Hence the need for data from untouched
> vehicles
> and/or Chevrolet documents.
>
> I was also told that the three "bumps" on the face of the wheel, for
> holding
> a center cap in place, were not present on the '61 wheel. I am not
> researching that particular item at the moment but it's all part of the FC
> Wheel Evolution Saga. (Soon to be a major motion picture!) And, related,
> there may be another running change -- appearance of bumps on the outer
> edge
> for retaining full-wheel covers? Or perhaps Greenbrier only? Again, I'm 
> not
> researching that at the moment but it just adds to the fun.
>
> Thanks!
>
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