The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 1960 chevy pu wheels

I need to buy wheels and the tire guy says he has 4 aluminum rims that'll work but I want to stay as true as I can to the year of the truck since now and then I get to use it in the movies, did they have aluminum rims in 1960?

Also need a heat shield (the engine is a rebuilt 1969) because when the truck gets hot it won't start so I have to be sure I'm parked where I need to be before turning off the engine (I'm usually hauling a horse).

Thanks!

I dont believe that there were any offered by the factory then. Custom wheels have been around forever though.....

Is your truck completly stock and factory correct?

go with a set of Ansen Slots or Halibrand Sprints (American Racing Salt Flat Special is similar, less $$$). Both would be period correct as an aftermarket aluminum wheel.

If you need to be correct to 1960, there really weren't any aftermarket aluminum wheels that far back. Halibrand made magnesium (mag) wheels I believe since the late 40's and dominated the racing market (like Indy, etc). American Racing came out with a 4 hole model and the Torque Thrust design in the late 50's and became popular with drag racers. Hot rods, street rods, and custom cars at this time relied on hub caps, wheel covers, and whitewall tires to personalize their vehicles. Around 1960 painted reversed rims became popular. Almost immediately chrome reversed wheels pushed wheel covers out of popularity. Chrome wheels really were the start of the custom aftermarket wheel industry in the early 60's.

As best I can remember, it was somewhere between 1962-1964 that American introduced the Torque Thrust in aluminum and quickly took over as the wheel to have. Around the mid 60's the Cragar wheel was introduced along with Ansen slot mags (and numerous copies). The explosion of popularity spawned a variety of other styles including the Keystone Classic design, and a bunch of other brands and styles. By the early 70's every hot rod Chevy pickup had slot mags, because by this time they were so common they were about the most inexpensive wheel available, and the only custom wheel that came with the 6 lug pattern. By the late 70's/early 80's, slot mags fell out of favor and were replaced with painted Jackman wheels.

If you're trying to stick strictly to 1960, slot mags are too new, however if you watch virtually any period movie hardly any of the cars are period correct. Movies set in the 40's and 50's frequently have thinline whitewalls for example. The movie producers and most of the audience don't know or care about the anachronism.

Put a heat shield around the solenoid. Some one makes a shield for starter and solenoid, two separate pieces. This problem has been reported on sbc, and my Olds 350 in a 63 did the same. Wouldn't start after it got warmed up good.

Larry

Put a heat shield around the solenoid. Some one makes a shield for starter and solenoid, two separate pieces. This problem has been reported on sbc, and my Olds 350 in a 63 did the same.
American Mags were the big thing on the left coast.
Larry

re: Is your truck completly stock and factory correct?

I don't think so. I know the steering column has been modified to put the gear shift on the floor and have a granny first plus the 3 regular gears (and reverse). I'm more concerned with the outside look staying pretty close to the 60's look but staying on a currently unemployed budget.

re:....go with a set of Ansen Slots or Halibrand Sprints (American Racing Salt Flat Special is similar,

If you need to be correct to 1960, there really weren't any aftermarket aluminum wheels that far back. Halibrand made magnesium (mag)

Put a heat shield around the solenoid. Some one makes a shield for starter and solenoid, two separate pieces.....

Thanks for all your help!