58 spare wheel paint

[Brad H.]

Has anyone got a picture of their spare wheel in trunk with correct paint look (Hub cap side) that passed ncrs judging? How far to take silver toward center? Thank you.

[John H.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Has anyone got a picture of their spare wheel in trunk with correct paint look (Hub cap side) that passed ncrs judging? How far to take silver toward center? Thank you.

Brad -

Photo below is a '57 wheel, but they were all painted the same way - the outer face of the wheel was fully painted, from the rim flange to the center hub hole.


Wheel57Stock.jpg

[Brad H.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Hi John, 58 say's rim face is fully painted, center hub may not be completely covered, but rather oversprayed. Solid is fine then? or how much of hub would be covered? Thank you.

[Dan H.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Brad, operative word 'may', just paint the whole thing like they should have at the factory. Black dip primer on the back side will show some silver over spray.
Dan

[John H.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Hi John, 58 say's rim face is fully painted, center hub may not be completely covered, but rather oversprayed. Solid is fine then? or how much of hub would be covered? Thank you.

Brad -

The spare wheel has no center hub, unless it's mounted on the car as a road wheel; in any event, the hub on the car (front spindle or rear axle hub) won't have any body color paint on it, as the wheels were painted about 1/4-mile from the Corvette plant.

[Joe R.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Brad -

The spare wheel has no center hub, unless it's mounted on the car as a road wheel; in any event, the hub on the car (front spindle or rear axle hub) won't have any body color paint on it, as the wheels were painted about 1/4-mile from the Corvette plant.

Hi John,

Interesting, what was the name of the plant that painted the wheels?

Thanks!
Joe

[John H.]

Re: 58 spare wheel paint

Hi John,

Interesting, what was the name of the plant that painted the wheels?

Thanks!
Joe

Joe -

Corvette wheels were painted "next door" at the big main passenger car/truck plant, racked, and delivered to the tire mount/balance area in the main plant, then racked again and delivered to the Corvette building.

People forget that the St. Louis complex was the biggest assembly plant in North America in the 60's; it built Corvettes at 7 per hour, Impala/Caprice on the passenger line at 65 per hour, trucks from pickups to heavy-duty and school bus chassis at 35 per hour on the truck line, and all of the Corvair-based forward-control light trucks and vans (Corvan, Rampside, etc.) were built only at St. Louis.

Photo below shows the St. Louis complex in the 60's - the square building at the upper left behind the coal pile is the Corvette plant (the "mill building"); everything else in the photo is the Passenger and Truck plant.


PlantSite800.jpg