Pontiac Trim Rings

Discussion in 'The "Other" Bench' started by Nailhead, Jul 27, 2006.

  1. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    Would anyone happen to have the history of GM parts number changes on the trim rings for Rally2 wheels 14x6 as used on 68 GTO? Shows as 9781480 in my 75 parts book, but may have been changed to 475019. Is the new number original style? Thanks!
    John
    :beer
     
  2. JLP

    JLP Well-Known Member

  3. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    Once again, can only attest directly on what happened at Olds back then, but was typical of all the GM divisions when they centralized all the service parts warehouses and formed GMPD (Parts Division).

    2 inch trim rings were probably the example they used the most to brag about their projected savings for the future by getting rid of all the various ones used by each of the divisions and standardizing on one for everybody. (Guess whose?) :Dou:

    They had 9 different 2 inch trim rings in GM for 14 inch wheels. So in their infinite wisdom, they scrapped all the inventory of 8 of them at all the locations, puschased large quantities of the Chevy one (OOPS! :eek2:) that they standardized upon , reduced the quantities at the previously divisional warehouses, and changed the Service parts manual to reflect the new part number. Doubt the savings in projected purchase price ever caught up with the mountains of parts they scrapped, but I'm sure somebody got a big merit badge in Central Office and probably a nice bonus that year.

    While the Chevy one they chose would fit, it did not have the same retention clips, radius on the 2 inch surface (vs flat) and all were shiny unlike the original ones on the 68's which loked like brushed aluminum. I found this out the hard way at Story Olds in Lansing when I ordered a new set of them for my 1968 Cutlass. That was in 1971.

    Trim rings were only one part. They did it everywhere they could and built a huge staff in central office to analyze all this. Nice. :Dou: :Dou:

    Only way to verify what was put on the cars at the factory is go get an assembly manual for your car and see the part numbers of the actual parts put on the car. Senior judges know all this, so if you're going for senior status at the Car shows, better check it out. Again, this was Olds, may not have been the same as Pontiac and Buick. As Sir Charles said, "I may be wrong,....but I doubt it". :bglasses: :bglasses:
     
  4. oPh

    oPh Well-Known Member

    Great info Dave. After typing up the below, read your complete post. You're being there 1st hand is invaluable! One can definately see the consolidation of part applications GM was trying to accomplish. Corporate rearends were in development for the same reason.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Original trim rings used on '67-68 14x6 Rally II wheels were brushed stainless with 4 attachment clips. For '69, there was also a version of same 4 clip 14x6 trimring which was polished, not brushed. This version is little easier to find.

    The next version Pontiac 14x6 trim ring was not brushed & had multi-clip attachment (no clips, a stamped inner attachment asm). This style was used from at least '70 through the '72 models. Fairly easy to come up with & many run this style on earlier cars <edit, Dave is this the Chevy style?>

    For '73 models, the Pontiac Rally II trim rings were redesigned to a curved brushed style... very ugly, at least to me. The '73+ 15" RallyII versions were just bigger diam & were same as used on '73+ Chevy pickup rally wheels.

    Correct NOS or nice original brushed style 4 clip 14x6 Pontiac trim rings have been very tough find since, at least the early 90's. Used to spend quite a bit of time going through yards, dusty storages, & school buses looking for these. Same trim ring is also correct for '65-68 RallyI's. In the late 80's through the 90's, used to work the swappers hard, & bunch of $$$ was forked over on nice early brushed style Pontiac trim rings.

    Something else... close to 20 years ago Dennis Kirban was the 1st to sell repro Pontiac RallyI wheels. Late in the 80's, Kirban began offering a "repro" 14x6 RallyI brushed trim ring that looked really close to original, but there was some issue w/ the clips & the way the trim rings fit. This trim ring turned out to be a Mopar piece, that Kirban had bought up the inventory of :Brow: Not sure exactly what Mopar use, just throwing this out there, for those set on tracking down correct early style Pontiac trim rings.
    :3gears:
    Roger
     
  5. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    Hi Roger,

    Long time no hear from you. I've got quite a few of the 14 inch brushed aluminum 2 inch rings (correct for 68 Olds SSII (N66)), but the metal ring that holds the clips is all rusted out. I always wondered if there was some way to "unroll" that lip and use a new clip ring from a worthless full wheel cover of the same vintage from down your way. Bet those old schoolbuses are full of that kind of stuff.

    Is your friend "Welcome" still around? If so, tell him hello for me.

    Dave
     
  6. oPh

    oPh Well-Known Member

    Dave,
    Good to hear from you. Even down this way, most the old yards seem to be gone, & the ones that had good stashs in school buses seem to have been, for the most part, cleaned out. It's amazing what some long time yard owners would save, but sick how some folks just trample & damage nice stainless trim, trim rings, etc. Am lucky, there's still quite a few big yards where I'm one of the few allowed to sift through buildings full of parts.

    Do appreciate your sharing experiences from late 60's- early '70's. I've managed to speak at length to several local fellows & one lady who worked at various A-body asm plants in the late 60's, early 70's. Also a few zone reps. It's a shame, but unless they were/are "car guys", most don't remember all the little details.

    Roger
     
  7. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    Thanks!
    John
    :beer
     
  8. sky64

    sky64 bill merrick- RIP

    </edit,>
     
  9. Clanceman427

    Clanceman427 Hardtops need not apply

    Hello, resurrected thread. I have a set of what I believe to be the mid 70's style 14x6 Pontiac brushed style trim ring. On the backer ring it is marked "vented US 113" but I can't find any part numbers. Is there a spot to look for on these for part numbers? Would like to know what I have. Thanks.
     
  10. mrolds69

    mrolds69 "The Cure"

    There are no parts numbers on trim rings that I know of. I've never seen anything at all on them, and I've looked at 100's of them over the years. The way you identify them is...sight, knowledge + experience. 1st you ID the diam., then you look at the clip arrangement, then you look at the depth, the shape of the hole around the valve, if the ring has an inner lip. Finally...you look at the contour of the edge where it meets the tire. Post a pic front and back, give the diam, and I'll bet somebody here will know.
     
  11. Clanceman427

    Clanceman427 Hardtops need not apply

    Sorry about that, I posted from my phone and couldn't get the pictures posted. Here are some pics. I included one photo of it mounted on a Chevelle rim just to give 3D perspective of the ring. They are 14" diameter, 2" deep, and they incorporate a backer ring that has 4 rivet brackets, each with 2 "pointers" that grab the inside surface of the outer part of the wheel rim.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. SteeveeDee

    SteeveeDee Orange Acres

    Rare! In good condition, lots of money.
     
  13. afracer

    afracer Well-Known Member

    Oh Lord, I had no idea the trim rings were so ridiculous and hard to get ahold of the right ones. I have a set of four 15 x 8 Pontiac rally wheels that I got from various junkyards around 2002-03. Had to dig to find the last two but they were cheapat least and way easier to find than 15 x 8 Buick rally wheels. Always wanted to find some trim rings for them. I've ran them on my Sport Wagon forever now.
     

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