Thanks for answering Mike's question Tim. As always, you keep us straight on the specifications.
Mike,
As for what RPO 273 means to me, my truck came with 15” wheels and tires when I purchased it back in 1976. It was only after digging into this site many months ago that I found out the 15” wheels probably came on the truck from the factory. I had thought for a while that they should have been 16” wheels. Since I have had the truck, despite years of my neglect, I have tried to preserve the pieces and parts on the truck for a future restoration. (Obviously, I could have done a much better job.) I knew when I purchased the truck that I had something special and I have now finally ended my guilt trip by getting the truck into the garage.
So this RPO 273 means trying to keep this truck as original as possible and practical. As I said later in my original post, I may just go the Jim Carter route and get something that I can use for now and feel safe. I can always send these original wheels to a wheel shop later for when I decide to delve further into this restoration. That may be my best solution for now. Right now I am just trying to get her running and rolling and stopping safely. However, I am still curious about the 3-clip verses 6-clip wheel differences. It may be less expensive to modify a 3-clip wheel to a 6-clip wheel than try to have some of the wheels I have restored. If the backspacing is the same and the slots are the same, did they just drop three clips? That is my main question.
Thanks again
Here is a link to something I found on this site from back in 2014:
3-Clip verses 6-Clip Wheels
