For a long time I've been searching the net for original 15 inch hubcaps. Theses were available for station wagons with disc brakes. Pages 41 & 42 of my manual makes reference to such wheels but I've never seen a set anywhere.
Does anyone know anything about which hubcaps were used and what they looked like? The previous owner of my car converted to 15 inch wheels but when I bought the car it had plastic generic hubcaps. Presently my ride is wearing 1972 hubcaps.
-- Edited by Leo2+2 on Sunday 21st of February 2021 05:26:46 PM
-- Edited by Leo2+2 on Sunday 21st of February 2021 05:43:01 PM
Years ago a friend had a 67 Impala with disc brakes and it came factory with Corvette style rally wheels but they were only six inches wide. If I remember the centre caps were fairly flat and had disc brakes written on them.
I'm thinking it might have been just a Rally cap Leo. 67 disc brakes had the larger 4 piston calipers, and a standard type wheel won't clear that caliper. In 69, the introduction of the single piston caliper allowed any standard 15" wheel to clear, which probably made GM happy, use the standard rim, and say goodbye to that troublesome caliper.
Somebody with more knowledge on 15" caps will hopefully chime in.
__________________
65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I'm thinking it might have been just a Rally cap Leo. 67 disc brakes had the larger 4 piston calipers, and a standard type wheel won't clear that caliper. In 69, the introduction of the single piston caliper allowed any standard 15" wheel to clear, which probably made GM happy, use the standard rim, and say goodbye to that troublesome caliper.
Somebody with more knowledge on 15" caps will hopefully chime in.
I am not aware of any 15 inch wheels on the full sized cars after 56 until 67 with the advent of the 4 piston caliper disc brakes. You are right about the original 67-68 calipers. The 68 Impala SS I'm restoring came with the 4 piston calipers, which I am retaining, and the only front wheel I can use on it is the Corvette style rally wheel. Everything else hits the caliper.
All my other 66-70 cars have 69-70 single piston units and I can use any 4 & 3/4 bolt pattern 15 inch GM wheel on them.
PREFECTA....You got to be older than dirt!!!! I thought he was looking for "police" caps
I've never seen those...LOL
I didnt realize that these were the wheel covers that were needed on 15 inch wheels. In my previous posts the 67 Impala I mentioned had 6 rallys with flat disc brakes scripted caps. It was an Impala SS with a 327 and disc brakes ( four piston).
I wonder if these wheel covers might have been fairly cheap from the dealer in the 70s? It would be a nice upgrade from poverty caps and without any brand name on the wheel cover it would go on any make of car with 15 wheels.
Paul
-- Edited by Prefectca on Sunday 21st of February 2021 09:37:22 PM
All I have ever seen in the way of 15 inch wheels for 1967 full size Pontiacs are the skinny rally wheels on the disc brake option that were new for that year. They were 15 x 5" (if you can believe it) with four flat caps that said "Disc Brakes" on all four.
Hard to find but really who wants a 15" by 5" wheel (except a guy like me)!
In 69, the introduction of the single piston caliper allowed any standard 15" wheel to clear, which probably made GM happy, use the standard rim, and say goodbye to that troublesome caliper.
Just a little correction. I remember reading years ago that around midyear or better for the '68 model, they changed over to the single piston caliper. So, for the '68 cars, you could have gotten the 4-piston or the single piston caliper depending on build date then continuing on with the single piston caliper into '69 and '70.
My Jan 15th, '68 RCMP sedan has the 4-piston caliper so obviously sometime after that.
This is from my '58-'68 Pontiac catalogue #682 dated November '67.
The 1981 catalogue didn't have a caliper listing so I used the piston housing repair kit.
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Thursday 25th of February 2021 12:15:11 AM
Leo, one thing I forgot to mention, and I'm betting you know this. If I am right the US models used 15" wheels and had a full wheel cover with a 3 prong spinner.
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Leo, one thing I forgot to mention, and I'm betting you know this. If I am right the US models used 15" wheels and had a full wheel cover with a 3 prong spinner.
Those 15" US Spinners are really nice, looks like GM Canada borrowed styling cues for the 14" style used on Grande Parisienne:
There appears to be another 15" US alternative for '67 touting disc brakes:
Ray, I have the French version of this brochure. On page 15 about the hubcaps it doesn't say much, just that several models are available and there are a couple of artist renditions. Likely identical to the English brochure, just the type in a different language.
-- Edited by Leo2+2 on Saturday 27th of February 2021 11:16:01 PM
