A/S in 1964

63 dream'n

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 4
I have some aluminum spacers to put under the fronts to get a bit more air. Dont want to swap,springs. The original springbtags are still on them. REAL reverse chrome wheels are tough to find and not cheap anymore. Going to scrap,the whitewalls for now and use the old Dragmasters up front . Gonna drop the rear a bit too. 10 + years with the car so a bit bored with it.

It’s a damn nice ride...... I’d rather be bored with it, than....... not have one at all......... just say’n!!!!!
 

64ss409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
Here are some different wheel combos from over a few years.
May3,64.JPG
Original P12 14x6 wheels with original tires. (wedding day, May 1964)

64billings3.jpg
Keystone Classic 14x6 reversed on front, Sears Roadhandler tires. Olds 14x7 wheels on rear with M/T slicks. about 2005

Christmas card photo.JPG
About 2015, 14x6 chrome spoke front 215x14 Toyo tires. 14x7 rear and M/T slicks. I forgot the brand of wheel, I wouldn't recommend them, a little crooked, hard to balance, unilug.
 

Dick MacKenzie

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
51018165_1147681908725592_2094227419329200128_n.jpg
 

55Brodie

Well Known Member
Here are some different wheel combos from over a few years.
View attachment 68012
Original P12 14x6 wheels with original tires. (wedding day, May 1964)

View attachment 68013
Keystone Classic 14x6 reversed on front, Sears Roadhandler tires. Olds 14x7 wheels on rear with M/T slicks. about 2005

View attachment 68014
About 2015, 14x6 chrome spoke front 215x14 Toyo tires. 14x7 rear and M/T slicks. I forgot the brand of wheel, I wouldn't recommend them, a little crooked, hard to balance, unilug.
Pic 3 look like Astro Supremes. I think U S Wheel still offers them.
 

real61ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
Its a shame you cant rechrome a wheel, or at least I havent found any shops that will. I have an original set of 14" reverse chrome wheels but the chrome is bad and the wheels have painted.
 

George Klass

Well Known Member
Its a shame you cant rechrome a wheel, or at least I havent found any shops that will. I have an original set of 14" reverse chrome wheels but the chrome is bad and the wheels have painted.

You can crome plate wheels or anything else, the process has been avaialble for more than 100 years. The reason you can't find many shops that will do chrome plating these days is because the process is highly toxic and "environmentally unfriendly". In many towns or cities, it has been made illegal to do it.

In the 1950's and '60's, I knew several shops in my neighborhood that did chrome plating. I knew the owners of those shops and many of the people that worked there. Every one of them died of cancer, at an unreasonbly early age.

The few shops that still do chrome plating have had to spend thousands of dollars investing in equipment, equipment that was never required "back in the day". From a health standpoint, "hexavalent chromium" is the most toxic form of chromium. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency regulates it heavily. The EPA lists hexavalent chromium as a hazardous air pollutant because it is a human carcinogen, a "priority pollutant" under the Clean Water Act, and a "hazardous constituent" under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Due to its low cathodic efficiency and high solution viscosity, a toxic mist of water and hexavalent chromium is released from the bath. Wet scrubbers are used to control these emissions. The discharge from the wet scrubbers is treated to remove (or try to remove) the chromium from the solution because it cannot remain in the waste water. In short, there is not enough money in doing chrome plating anymore, to make it worth the cost of meeting these stringent requirements or to even find employees willing to work in that kind of environment.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
You can crome plate wheels or anything else, the process has been avaialble for more than 100 years. The reason you can't find many shops that will do chrome plating these days is because the process is highly toxic and "environmentally unfriendly". In many towns or cities, it has been made illegal to do it.

In the 1950's and '60's, I knew several shops in my neighborhood that did chrome plating. I knew the owners of those shops and many of the people that worked there. Every one of them died of cancer, at an unreasonbly early age.

The few shops that still do chrome plating have had to spend thousands of dollars investing in equipment, equipment that was never required "back in the day". From a health standpoint, "hexavalent chromium" is the most toxic form of chromium. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency regulates it heavily. The EPA lists hexavalent chromium as a hazardous air pollutant because it is a human carcinogen, a "priority pollutant" under the Clean Water Act, and a "hazardous constituent" under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Due to its low cathodic efficiency and high solution viscosity, a toxic mist of water and hexavalent chromium is released from the bath. Wet scrubbers are used to control these emissions. The discharge from the wet scrubbers is treated to remove (or try to remove) the chromium from the solution because it cannot remain in the waste water. In short, there is not enough money in doing chrome plating anymore, to make it worth the cost of meeting these stringent requirements or to even find employees willing to work in that kind of environment.

I have used the powder coat "chrome" a few times to get a part done that otherwise would cost a fortune to actually chrome. If you prep it well the parts come out amazing. Plus its tough as nails in the end. I was a powder coat tech for several years for a huge manufacture and would recommend it over actual chroming any day from a cost and durability point. Though we all know how we like our shinny things to be as shinny as possible and there just isn't an exact replacement for real chrome yet.
 

real61ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
You can crome plate wheels or anything else, the process has been avaialble for more than 100 years. The reason you can't find many shops that will do chrome plating these days is because the process is highly toxic and "environmentally unfriendly". In many towns or cities, it has been made illegal to do it.

In the 1950's and '60's, I knew several shops in my neighborhood that did chrome plating. I knew the owners of those shops and many of the people that worked there. Every one of them died of cancer, at an unreasonbly early age.

The few shops that still do chrome plating have had to spend thousands of dollars investing in equipment, equipment that was never required "back in the day". From a health standpoint, "hexavalent chromium" is the most toxic form of chromium. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency regulates it heavily. The EPA lists hexavalent chromium as a hazardous air pollutant because it is a human carcinogen, a "priority pollutant" under the Clean Water Act, and a "hazardous constituent" under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Due to its low cathodic efficiency and high solution viscosity, a toxic mist of water and hexavalent chromium is released from the bath. Wet scrubbers are used to control these emissions. The discharge from the wet scrubbers is treated to remove (or try to remove) the chromium from the solution because it cannot remain in the waste water. In short, there is not enough money in doing chrome plating anymore, to make it worth the cost of meeting these stringent requirements or to even find employees willing to work in that kind of environment.

I think you misunderstood my post. Getting items chrome plated isn't a problem, there is a chrome plating shop 10 miles from my house, they do my bumpers and other small items but they won't plate my wheels. Something about about the shape of the wheel. The chrome reverse wheels that were so popular back in the sixties were plated then the center was welded in. That's what these are, they were originally bought and used on a 66 Chevelle when the car was new.
 

George Klass

Well Known Member
Interesting about having to have the centers welded on after they were plated. I had never heard of that. I had my '62 409 front wheels chromed and I'm pretty sure they were all one piece when I took the wheels in to get plated.
 

benchseat4speed

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
So I either scrap the whole whitewall thing or pay Coker their blood money at 192 per tire. Not happening.

Why?? You have thousands into the car already, you want a certain look, what’s another 450 bucks in front tires that will make the car? Your 64 looks fantastic as is btw. Great color, decals in the 1/4 window, wheels are great too. I think your plan to use those old dragmasters with some pinner whites will look great. I shelled out stupid money for my front tires (from coker) no regrets.
11489BAE-EE42-42DA-9D55-4FC612B18942_zps9apzla1c.png


Wide whites went out in 61. For me, anything newer than that with wide whites doesn't look right.

Agreed. Seen people put wide whites on cragars and aluminum slots for their ‘gassers’ :slap3:doh

Here are some different wheel combos from over a few years

Ron!! Glad to see you posting again, you have my all time favorite 64. I love that car!

Its a shame you cant rechrome a wheel, or at least I havent found any shops that will. I have an original set of 14" reverse chrome wheels but the chrome is bad and the wheels have painted.

You can, I got a quote from wheel vintiques to do just that. They will cut the center out, re chrome the barrel and the center, and weld em back together for about 500 bucks a wheel, plus shipping there and back. Haven’t bit the bullet yet but I might.
 

El Rat

Well Known Member
A/S I think Don Gays poncho was pretty formidable about that time. Won class at Indy and was kicked for not having “stock” muffler. Carl was really upset he argued that the muffler was a factory replacement. He should know they owned the biggest Pontiac dealership in the area. Don could drive when he was a young man.
 

4onthefloor

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Why?? You have thousands into the car already, you want a certain look, what’s another 450 bucks in front tires that will make the car? Your 64 looks fantastic as is btw. Great color, decals in the 1/4 window, wheels are great too. I think your plan to use those old dragmasters with some pinner whites will look great. I shelled out stupid money for my front tires (from coker) no regrets.
11489BAE-EE42-42DA-9D55-4FC612B18942_zps9apzla1c.png

Yeah but shelling out the money and not sure if I willlike it is the decision. I tried putting pinner portawalls on the wheels with the extra black walls and they squeezed out from the bead like a turd.


Agreed. Seen people put wide whites on cragars and aluminum slots for their ‘gassers’ :slap3:doh



Ron!! Glad to see you posting again, you have my all time favorite 64. I love that car!



You can, I got a quote from wheel vintiques to do just that. They will cut the center out, re chrome the barrel and the center, and weld em back together for about 500 bucks a wheel, plus shipping there and back. Haven’t bit the bullet yet but I might.
 
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