I just received documentation on my car and found out it came with sport wheels and not the chrome plated wheels. What exactly is the sport wheel? Is this the steel wheel with the dog dish caps? If it is, did they also have trim rings? What color should the wheel be? Can someone post a picture of a '70 A-body dog dish cap. I have seen some at local swap meets, but not sure which ones are correct. Thanks Tim Perkins 70 Stage 1
They're called super sport wheels.( code V-7) My car originally came with them. They were 14X7's with G70-14's. I have chrome repro 15X7's on it now. I believe the super sport wheels were the same basic rallye wheel design, but were painted body color and used a trim ring and the same center cap.
Let me try this again. On the car order form for a '70 GS it has code F-4 (Super wide oval/white billboard lettered tires G60-15, Inc. Sport wheels) and F-7 (Super wide oval/white billboard lettered tires G60-15, Inc. Chrome plated wheels). Right now I have the chrome plated wheels on the car, but my car originally came with the F-4 option and I am curious as to what a 15" sport wheel look like. So, what is a sport wheel? I tried to mount a tire on the Rallye steering wheel(option: X-2), but it wouldn't hold air, LOL. Thanks, Tim Perkins 70 Stage 1
Tim, I'm pretty sure those are the super sport wheels. They probably came in 14" and 15". Duane Heckman would know. PM or e-mail him(Duane on this BB), I'm kind of curious myself. I remember one of the older Year One catalogs had a Lime Mist GS with those wheels on the front cover. I never see them, most guys go with the chrome wheels whether or not their car came with them.
Tim, Got your answer. Duane wrote an article for the build sheet dealing with 15" wheels. I'll quote the relevant paragraph. "Also starting in 1970 another 15X7 wheel was offered. The sales literature called these Sport Wheels, and also listed them as part of the Super Wide Oval Group. This wheel option consisted of a regular 15X7 steel rim with a trim ring and a Buick dog dish hubcap. It was a low cost option for people that wanted the Super Wide Oval G60-15 tires on their GS." Here's the picture in the article.
Thank you Larry and all who replied. Those dog dish caps are cool looking. I'm sure I'll have a heck of a time trying to find a set of those. The pun about the tire and the rallye wheel, well thats another story(rallye wheel vs. sport wheel, HA HA). OK, so I'm easily amused. Thanks again, Tim Perkins 70 Stage 1
Just to add some confusion... Here's a photo out of the July 1972 Buick Master Body and Chassis Parts Book. Note the second row right pic. I'll post a close-up
Closer Pic GSX wheel?? Now the one above it (first pic above) looks like a regular Rallye and it's also labeled GSX.
Another One I've wondered about Here's a pic from the 1971 page from the same book. This wheel looks pretty cool. I've never seen one. Did they actually make these? Duane? Tim, I hope you don't mind me asking this question in your thread. I figured as long as we're on the subject of wheel identification...
Ken, I don't mind at all. Ask away. Hopefully this will educate the ones who want to know. I like the dog dish caps. As far as being listed for a GSX, well, anythings possible. Right? Tim Perkins 70 Stage 1
Tim, I had a Diplomat Blue 70 Stage 1 4-speed car with the 15x7 steel wheels with trim rings and dog dishes(F4 option). I sold it to a friend and when it was restored the wheels made the car look incredible. The picture in the article was taken from that car. If your car came that way I would suggest using them. It is an unusual wheel combo and everyone that sees them will remember. PS. (My wheels were all painted black.) Ken, The wheel you pictured is the 71-72 version of the 14" Super Sport wheel. The 69-70 version looks just like the 14" chrome wheels but they are painted. I do see these wheels from time to time but they are not common. I know of (1) 1971 GSX that had these wheels special ordered. It was the Platinum Mist GSX that Vicki ordered new. Larry, Glad to see you using one of my articles as a reference, It makes the time I spent researching everything worthwhile. Duane
Chris, No that's not one of my old cars. I had (2) Diplomat Blue 70 Stage 1 4-speed cars, both numbers matching. The one with the Dog dishes had AC, and a Pearl White deluxe bucket seat interior with both consoles. The other was a non-AC car with a Standard 2-tone blue front bench seat interior and a 364 posi. It originally came with the 14x6 Painted Super Sport wheels. I wouldn't mind getting the AC car back, it looks beautiful. I am sure I will get first shot at it if it ever goes up for sale. Duane
Only 68 1970 GS455 convertibles came with the F4 option and 663 1970 GS455 coupes. Just a little FYI...:TU:
Thanks for the pic James P and for the info, Duane. Those are pretty cool looking rims, in my opinion. Somewhere I have a magazine from the 80's/early 90's with Vicki's GSX. I'll have to dig it out and take a look at the pics to see the wheels on a car. I guess I didn't notice that detail when I first looked at it. I saved that mag because it said that Vicki's was the only GSX produced with a vinyl top. o No: I know otherwise. :laugh:
