Road Wheels on 1st Gen and hub-centricity

[Paul K.]

I have a set of road wheels on my 64 that I got off another 64 in a junkyard 20 years ago. They are 15x6 fit fine and I have had no issues. My car originally came with steel wheels which were hub-centric. It is my understanding 64 was the first year the road wheels were available. I know about the register ring on the later wheels which my set does not have. My question is were the early road wheels on 64s and 65s hub-centric? Did they have some type of wider register ring?

[Lapham3]

Paul-I think there was only one size of rings and were '66-'70 only. You likely have the '71 and newer wheels that are very common. They register with the lug nuts with different offset that puts the wheel about 3/4" more inboard from the earlier-Dan

[1965rivgs]

My experience is authentic `64 road wheels do not have a register ring. The register ring starts in `65.

Tom Mooney

[Paul K.]

So, if I understand, even though Buick designed the 1st gen Riv with hub-centric steel wheels, staying hub-centric is not necessary since it was just mentioned that original '64 road wheels were not hub-centric? However, if the register ring was started in 65, Buick must have felt it was necessary. I am assuming 64 and 65 brake drum hubs are the same.

Edited March 14, 2011 by Paul K. (see edit history)

[John]

The hub size is smaller 65 vs 64, therefore the register ring.

John

[RivNut]

FYI,

If you're really looking for authenticity, don't forget the ONLY Buick in '64 that was available with the Buick "Road" wheels was the '64 Wildcat. That wheel option became available on the Riviera in '65.

The high end wheel option for '64 was the cast aluminum wheel cover with the stainless knock off center cap.

I've run a set of '67 road wheels with no register ring on my '63 since the early 1990's. When I first got the wheels, I took a chisel to the rings and have never had a problem with them.

Ed

[Paul K.]

I am not too worried about absolute authenticity for my car but the last comment begs the question: Since the road wheels were available on 64 Wildcats, it is likely quite a few 64 Rivieras were delivered new with road wheels as a dealer installed option. Would this scenario be considered an accepted original or "authentic" option?

[RivNut]

I doubt that Road wheels installed by a dealer on a '64 Riviera could be considered an option any more than the Skylark guys saying that adding a 2x4 dealer installed option on their 401 GS's would be.

If you're in a BCA judged event, you'd lose some points. If you're at an ROA event, folks would just say "Nice looking car" without worrying about authenticity. The People's Choice award for the 2010 ROA event went to a yellow '64 with white interior. I was entered in the stock class but had a set of early 50's style Skylark wire wheels on it. Apparently no one seemed to be bothered by the non-authentic wheels on it.

Drive it as you like it. I have Riviera Road wheels on both my '63 and '64 and have the 66 - 70 center caps on them. Purely my preference: I just like these caps better than the flat ones as were found on the 65 Rivs. 64 inserts were painted a different color than the 65's too.

Ed

[Guest wildcat465]

Ed is correct.

I generally judge 61-64 B and C bodies when I get to a National meet. I would hit a non-Wildcat wearing the Formula 5 (1964 terminology) for 1 point per wheel on authenticity. The 1964 Formula 5 wheel DOES register hub centric on 63-65 Riv's. If you look in the middle of a 1964 wheel, you can see how it works, as the area around the hub is "molded" to the hub. You will not see that on the 71-76 Chrome wheel as the Buicks that wore them had smaller hub centers.

And obviously, the 66-70 with the small register ring will not fit with out knocking them out.

Brass tacks, you you have Formula 5 wheels on your 64 Riv, and like the way they look, leave 'em on and have fun.

BTW, if you have any of the 64 Wildcat Formula 5 wheel centers and do not want them, let me know, I do!