Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

[Ciro A.]

This is not a Corvette question, but hopefully some of you guys can help solve this mystery. I subscribe to a classic car magazine. This months issue has an article about 1963 Full size Chevys (Impala, Biscayne). In the article the author cites a very rare wheel option, code P05 14inch chrome wheels". I did a Google search and no luck uncovering what these wheels looked like..can any experts out there that help solve this mystery or post a pic?

[Jim T.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

My bought used 1963 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport 327/300 4-speed in 1967 and it was pretty much original condition with nice and attractive looking wheel covers.

[Ciro A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Jim,
this wAs a chrome wheel option, not wheel covers or hubcaps. The article said it was very rare. The best I can surmise is that the wheel was chromed and the small dog dish type hubcaps attached to it. I know Pontiacs of the era had those gorgeous 8 lug Mags, but I've had no luck uncovering what these code P05 wheels looked like.

[Dan A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

On the optional equipment page of the 1963 Dealer Showroom album is listed "CHROME WHEELS- Set of five 14" size. For all models except Station Wagons.". No illustration is shown.

The Finger Tip Facts book lists "RPO P05 WHEELS, SPECIAL CHROME-PLATED-All except Station Wagon models.".

There is a member here that is into full size Chevys of that era. Hopefully he can shed some light on these rare wheels.

I think there is an Impala owners club or full size Chevrolet club and they probably have a web site. That may yield some information.


Good luck and let us know. I have never seen these chrome wheels. Maybe it never made it to production.

[Tom B.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

RPO P05 was supposedly a 1963 only option. Can't say that I ever saw one when they were new. if I did I probably thought they were owner added. You could buy them from the auto parts stores in reversed for about $14.00 back then. I suspect these were the standard 14" wheel just chromed. 1963 wheels were supplied in both 5" and 6" widths depending on application. The chrome option I would think would have been the 6" wagon wheels installed on the passenger car. I have a P&A for '46-'64 but it is a 1974 printing and these wheels are not listed anymore by then. Odd thing is that they list the '64 dog dish hub cap for 1964 Super Sport with chrome wheel and no mention of the 1963 dog dish cap being used on a chrome wheel.

Here is a '63 brochure page. Look in the lower right under addition equipment.

http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chevy/63c/bilder/8.jpg

P05 RPO code was also used for Buick chrome wheels and Pontiac honeycomb wheels.

Tom

[Dan A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

The '63 P&A dated October 1 '62 lists wheels for '63 but there is no mention of chrome.

The '64 P&A dated October 1, 1963 lists the following chrome wheels.

63 PASS. (exc. STA, WAG.).................(chrome)...................3 832949 26.75

64 PASS. (exc. STA, WAG.).................(chrome)...................3 844373 26.75

64 PASS............................................(c hrome)...................3844379 37.50

There are other wheels listed for '63 and '64 but no mention of chrome.

[Ciro A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

image.jpgAs I said, it is a mystery, there is a picture of a Vette owned by William Shatner that one reader thought might be a close relation to these P05 wheels. Google William Shatner Corvette

[Joe L.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

[ATTACH=CONFIG]64346[/ATTACH]As I said, it is a mystery, there is a picture of a Vette owned by William Shatner that one reader thought might be a close relation to these P05 wheels. Google William Shatner Corvette

Ciro------


These must have been aftermarket wheels. The 1963 passenger car chrome wheels were 14". All Corvettes from 1953 through 1982 were equipped with 15" wheels.

[Jerry S.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

I have seen one 63 Chevy which had the factory chrome wheels. It was a Cordovan Brown 63 BelAir two door sedan, four speed 327. I saw it in 63 or 64. It was a rebuildable wreck being fixed. The wheels were like the normal stamped steel wheels but chrome plated. There were no hubcaps though they could have been requisitioned by someone in the salvage process.

[Joe L.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

This is not a Corvette question, but hopefully some of you guys can help solve this mystery. I subscribe to a classic car magazine. This months issue has an article about 1963 Full size Chevys (Impala, Biscayne). In the article the author cites a very rare wheel option, code P05 14inch chrome wheels". I did a Google search and no luck uncovering what these wheels looked like..can any experts out there that help solve this mystery or post a pic?

Ciro------


There were 893 full size 1963 Chevrolet passenger cars built with the P-05 optional chrome wheels.

[Ciro A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Thanks for all the great replies to this thread, however the P05 wheels are still a mystery. Hopefully someone will uncover a picture of these wheels

[Robert G.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Don't know anything about it but this link shows a couple of 1970 Buicks with P05 14" chrome plated wheels.

http://www.highdefforum.com/car-forum/115098-muscle-cars-1962-1972-a-520.html

[Ciro A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Robert,
apparently Buick and Pontiac both had code P05 wheel options at later dates from the 1963 Chevy offering. It seems that the 1963 P05 was only for full size Chevy's, and only for one year (1963)

[Ciro A.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Here's a strange pic from the 63 sales brochure. The dog dish hubcaps on the top car seem to have some type of slotted wheel, perhaps these are the elusive P05'simage.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: Need Help from some knowledgable Chevy guys

Here's a strange pic from the 63 sales brochure. The dog dish hubcaps on the top car seem to have some type of slotted wheel, perhaps these are the elusive P05's[ATTACH=CONFIG]64348[/ATTACH]

Ciro------


Keep in mind that P-05 is an RPO code. Basically, it just denotes a custom wheel. It absolutely does not mean that the same part numbered wheels were used for all GM cars with the same RPO. In fact, it does not mean that all Chevrolet cars, even of the same model year, with the P-05 code used the same wheels.