1965-1966 Chevrolet SS Spinner Hubcaps - what is correct?

[mercman from oz]

1965-1966 Chevrolet SS Spinner Hubcaps. Can someone please help me out.
With reference to the attached photo, it shows two 1965-1966 Chevrolet SS Spinner Hubcaps.
To the casual observer, they look identical, but take another look?
The recess on the hubcaps pictured on the left is deeper than the recess on the hubcap on the right.
Does this mean that one is correct for the 1965 models, and the other correct for the 1966 models?
As I live in Australia, no locally produced Chevrolet was ever sold here with full wheel trims.
I am trying to correctly identify the different model and year hubcaps that were offered by Chevrolet.
These two hubcaps have me stumped.
I know that they are genuine 1965 and 1966 Chevrolet SS, but don't know which is which?
While attending a car show in the USA, I saw a beautiful 1966 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Convertible.
To my amazement, he had an example of each type on one side of his car.
When I mentioned this anomaly to the owner, he was shocked.
When searching for these hubcaps on ebay, I am amazed to see so called "sets" with a mixture of both styles.
It is obvious that the Sellers have not researched these hubcaps and are not aware of this slight difference?
Even the well know Hubcap Dealer lists these hubcaps as 1965-1966 Chevrolet.
So, after this long introduction, can anyone one enlighten me to what is going on here.

[Mark 2]

The deep center covers are 65.

Shallow centers are 66.

[rocketraider]

You're probably on the right track with this, as carmakers often made just enough change year to year to confuse things.

 

If someone here on Forums has a Chevrolet FACTORY parts manual covering, say, 1965-1973, it will show if there are different part numbers between 1965 and 1966 SS wheelcovers.

 

Something else to consider. 1965 Caprice used these style wheelcovers too, with a Bowtie emblem in the spinner center as seen here:

You might compare depth of this 1965-only Caprice wheelcover to the SS versions and determine which year the SS wheelcovers are for.

 

On the change for change sake, Chevrolet offered their gorgeous simulated mag wheelcovers from 1965 thru I think 1968. There are not only differences between model years, but between individual carlines within the model year.

 

A Chevrolet friend has literally hundreds of those. He buys every 14" he finds and puts it in the parts stash. Couple times a year he'll go thru them, sort out the ones correct for his and his brothers' Chevelles, then either sell the rest or salvage the best components from them.

[61polara]

What year did Chevrolet first offer disc brakes?  That may have required a wheel change resulting in the hubcap change.

Edited January 6 by 61polara (see edit history)

[Mark 2]

First year for discs on a Chevrolet

B-body was an option in 67 I believe.

[PAV8427]

Do these have part numbers on them??

I will dig out my parts book and check. 

[John348]

I have a March of 1966 book upstairs I will give it a look when I go up. 

[mercman from oz]

Notice in this Hubcap Dealers Listing, these SS Hubcaps are listed as 1965-1966 Impala 14 Inch.
How does the Buyer know which type he is getting when there are two distinct Pressings?

[mrspeedyt]

I know if I had another Impala/ Caprice again I would prefer just the dog dish hubcap. was it available factory stock or did you have to get the wheel cover?

[rocketraider]

Dogbowls were probably standard on Impala, but I can't visualize an upscale car like Caprice having them.

 

OP, I can't speak for the hubcap dealer except to plead ignorance since the wheelcovers are so similar. If you order, specify which depth dish you want.

 

Since you're in Australia and shipping would be expensive, and return shipping would be an unreasonable inconvenience, I understand where you're coming from.

[mercman from oz]

Luckily, I am not in the market for any Chevrolet Hubcaps with the high cost of Postage and our poor exchange rate.
Many years ago, I started collecting one nice example of the different FoMoCo Hubcaps starting with the 1932 models.
While I am a dyed in the wool a Ford man,, I thought that I was being one-eyed just sticking with Ford Product Hubcaps.
So, I started to collect a nice example of the various Chevrolet Hubcaps, and that is when I noticed this difference.
A single model Chevrolet was assembled and sold in Australia up to and including the 1968 model.
All models prior to the 1967 and 1968 models came with the Poverty or "Dog Dish" Hubcaps.
For the 1967 and 1968 Chevrolets, they came with 15 inch Steel Disk Wheels with small hubcap and Dress Rings.

This is my collection of Chevrolet Dog Dish Hubcaps.

As you can see, they are not all in Mint Condition.

[nearchoclatetown]

Mercman, this same wheel cover was used on 1967 SS Camaros without disc brakes too but had darker grey paint in the louvered outer edge. Don't get those mixed in too. They were also used on 1967 Novas. My finger typed without my brain thinking. Camaro used a modified '63 SS hubcap, not a '65. But I do think Nova used the '65 style. 

Edited January 7 by nearchoclatetown
mistaken identity (see edit history)

[The 55er]

13 hours ago, mercman from oz said:

Notice in this Hubcap Dealers Listing, these SS Hubcaps are listed as 1965-1966 Impala 14 Inch.
How does the Buyer know which type he is getting when there are two distinct Pressings?

Not to go off-topic but it's hard for me to believe people will actually pay $100 for any set of these vintage Chevy 14" wheelcovers that are pictured by this dealer, even the spinners. These were some of the most common everyday hubcaps ever produced and there must be many thousands of them still in existance. I see optimistic sellers are frequently trying to get $200 for sets of the 1958-1961s on FB. With some serious looking while you're walking around a good swap meet any one of these caps should be available for $5 each or less. You could probably bundle 'em and get some really good deals on sets as the meet winds down. I often think there might be more of these hubcaps floating around than there are cars left to put them on. 

Edited January 7 by The 55er (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

3 hours ago, nearchoclatetown said:

Mercman, this same wheel cover was used on 1967 SS Camaros without disc brakes too but had darker grey paint in the louvered outer edge. Don't get those mixed in too. They were also used on 1967 Novas. 

I have learned something today.😎

 

I don't remember ever seeing a Camaro or Nova wearing them around here but that goes back to the obsession (ok, fetish) Chevy people here have with the Chevy Rally wheel. They put them on everything, even non-Chevrolets, and the only Camaros or Novas here that aren't wearing them generally have some type of out-of-style 80s Pro Street wheels.

 

While I like upscale factory wheel and wheelcover options, the Chevy Rally doesn't do  anything for me simply because they are more common than dirt.

[PAV8427]

Looks like same part number for 65 and 66. 
Difference in description is 65 lists Caprice where 66 does not. 
I will look at the Camaro/Nova vesion and report back. 

[The 55er]

I've probably sold a dozen or more sets of these 3964523 spinner hubcaps over the years and I never noticed the differences. Only remember seeing a few bowtie centers though. As far as I was concerned, they were just old Chevy hubcaps. Throw 'em on the ground, let the buyers sort 'em out!

[George Smolinski]

12 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Dogbowls were probably standard on Impala

They were not. Belair and Biscayne came with the dog dish caps both in 65 & 66. In 65 they had black bow tie and pinstripe. It was red in 66.

[rocketraider]

Since the part # is same for 65 and 66 full-size car as verified by 1972 Chevrolet parts book, is it possible that the shallower dish version is for the 67 Camaro and Nova choclatetown pointed out? Parts book will tell.

 

Of course if Chevrolet was like Oldsmobile, a later edition parts book may have consolidated part numbers. Hope John can find his 66 edition since that one is contemporary to the 65-66 cars.

 

Good discussion and can only benefit someone trying to correctly restore a 65-66 Impala SS or 65 Caprice. Thanks for starting this topic, mercman.

 

My experience is the Camaro and Nova people will dismiss the SS spinner their car may have come with (any of the wheelcover options, really) and go with those ubiquitous Chevy Rally wheels.🙄

[John348]

1 hour ago, George Smolinski said:

They were not. Belair and Biscayne came with the dog dish caps both in 65 & 66. In 65 they had black bow tie and pinstripe. It was red in 66.

One would think that, but that is not the case. Small hubcaps were standard on ALL Impala's from 1959 through 1964 with the exception of the 1961 model year, and Super Sport models. But this is a conversation for a separate thread. With advent of different choices for wheel cover options I would tend to think they kept the small caps as standard on the Impala line.  From the parts book I would tend to think Chevrolet followed this trend through the rest of the 60's (I am not positive). After 1964 things get a little out of my wheelhouse (pun intended) They will list both full size wheel covers and small hub caps for the year in question as passenger, with no specific model designation, but they book does state (exc SS, Caprice) so food for thought?

 

 

Interesting how the numbers can change and part numbers get superseded.  

 

1 hour ago, PAV8427 said:

Looks like same part number for 65 and 66. 
Difference in description is 65 lists Caprice where 66 does not. 
I will look at the Camaro/Nova vesion and report back. 

 

In the March 1, 1966, Parts book there are two different numbers for each year with a note to order a separate part for an emblem change if using on the Caprice.

So the 1965-part number is 3867881, and the 1966-part number is 3893599.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7 by John348 (see edit history)

[George Smolinski]

37 minutes ago, John348 said:

One would think that, but that is not the case. Small hubcaps were standard on ALL Impala's from 1959 through 1964 with the exception of the 1961 model year, and Super Sport models. But this is a conversation for a separate thread. With advent of different choices for wheel cover options I would tend to think they kept the small caps as standard on the Impala line.  From the parts book I would tend to think Chevrolet followed this trend through the rest of the 60's (I am not positive). After 1964 things get a little out of my wheelhouse (pun intended) They will list both full size wheel covers and small hub caps for the year in question as passenger, with no specific model designation, but they book does state (exc SS, Caprice) so food for thought?

John,

I have no proof for my statement regarding dogfish caps on 65 and 66 full size. I can only rely on the several hundred 65, 66 full size I’ve viewed. It would appear after reading your statement a couple times, that you offer no or shaky proof at best, IMHO. We may never know for sure either way.

[Mark 2]

Nice work John. Now that you brought it up, I have a 66 Impala 2 door. I believe the car was delivered new with the small caps because the wheels are painted body color - white in this case. When I bought the car 38 years ago, it had the standard Impala full covers. So they were probably (maybe, who knows) added at the dealer when new or early on.

 

Since the Camaro/Nova wheel covers were mentioned above, I think the 63 SS spinner caps were offered on the 68(?) Camaro SS.

[JamesR]

I still have the original wheel covers off of my '66 Super Sport Impala (my first car, purchased in '76 when I was in high school. I put a set of chromies on the car, which I bought brand new, $60 for the four.) Here they are on the trunk of my T-Bird. I didn't bother cleaning them off for the pic.

 

One of the four covers pictured didn't come off of my car, but I don't know which one it is. I bought it several years ago online to replace one that had been swiped (or lost) back in the day. I don't notice any difference between it and the others which were original to my car, but maybe I'm missing something. Can't remember what the replacement was advertised as, '65 or 66.

Edited January 7 by JamesR (see edit history)

[John348]

20 minutes ago, George Smolinski said:

John,

I have no proof for my statement regarding dogfish caps on 65 and 66 full size. I can only rely on the several hundred 65, 66 full size I’ve viewed. It would appear after reading your statement a couple times, that you offer no or shaky proof at best, IMHO. We may never know for sure either way.

 Yes true, I too have seen almost every Impala with full size wheel covers, but as a Tech Advisor for the Vintage Chevrolet Club I was asked this question a few times over the past 30 years.  I also own a small hub cap Impala that I show at a high level and I have been asked this question many times and had to provide documentation to skeptic judges all of the time.  As I pointed out after 1964 I am not sure of Chevrolet's policy and can only speculate. However, I do have some additional proof from a 1962 Engineering Features Book printed by Chevrolet that you should find convincing. There is some text about the "accessory wheel discs" as well. This is from 1962, but you are going to have to trust me that this the same info from 1959 through 1964 with the exception of 1961. There is also a factory photo of a 62 Impala four door hard top with small wheel covers. 

 

 

 

  

[John348]

1 hour ago, Mark 2 said:

Nice work John. Now that you brought it up, I have a 66 Impala 2 door. I believe the car was delivered new with the small caps because the wheels are painted body color - white in this case. When I bought the car 38 years ago, it had the standard Impala full covers. So they were probably (maybe, who knows) added at the dealer when new or early on.

 

Since the Camaro/Nova wheel covers were mentioned above, I think the 63 SS spinner caps were offered on the 68(?) Camaro SS.

Thanks,

This is from the 1962 Engineering Features Book, the foot note explains how the rims were painted. I am sure the AACA Library has a copy of the 1968 book and the information will be in there. We need to remember that the rims and tires were mounted and balanced at an outside facility and delivered to each of the assembly plants. 

 

 

[George Smolinski]

1 hour ago, John348 said:

 Yes true, I too have seen almost every Impala with full size wheel covers, but as a Tech Advisor for the Vintage Chevrolet Club I was asked this question a few times over the past 30 years.  I also own a small hub cap Impala that I show at a high level and I have been asked this question many times and had to provide documentation to skeptic judges all of the time.  As I pointed out after 1964 I am not sure of Chevrolet's policy and can only speculate. However, I do have some additional proof from a 1962 Engineering Features Book printed by Chevrolet that you should find convincing. There is some text about the "accessory wheel discs" as well. This is from 1962, but you are going to have to trust me that this the same info from 1959 through 1964 with the exception of 1961. There is also a factory photo of a 62 Impala four door hard top with small wheel covers. 

Are we talking apples and oranges? I spoke specifically about 1965 & 1966 and you seem to be referring to the earlier years. Also, I’ll toss this in the mix: my daughter bought a 1969 Impala years ago with 39,000 miles on it and it really was a little old lady car. It had the dog dish caps on it.

Question: Would original options lists or books prove anything one way or the other?

[PAV8427]

Per 1972 parts book. 
66 Nova listed as SS using 3890162. 
67 listed as Chevy(No Nova listing except for Mag style) using 3964523. 
Same as full size 65/66. 
Camaro only lists 67-68 with 350,396

(no SS) using only one shown with SS emblem as 3871174

[PAV8427]

[mercman from oz]

In Australia, the first year that General Motors Holden offered an Impala was 1965.

Prior to this, the only Chevrolet offered was the Bel Air Sedan.

For 1965, the Bel Air Sedan was continued, but an Impala 4 Door Hardtop was offered as well.

This was the first year that buyers had a choice.

As mentioned earlier, they all came with Dog Dish Hubcaps.

Full wheel covers were not available and were not stocked locally.

[rocketraider]

17 minutes ago, George Smolinski said:

Question: Would original options lists or books prove anything one way or the other?

The year's sales specs and materials will show what came as standard equipment on the different carlines.

 

My own thought is that if the General thought there was extra money to be made by offering items such as full wheelcovers as an "extra-cost" option, the car was going to have dogbowls as standard. Even on some higher line cars.

 

At least most American makes thru the 60s had nicely designed chromed or stainless dogbowl caps. When they switched to extremely plain lightweight stamped aluminum dogbowls in early 70s... Not only were they unattractive and cheap-looking, the metal some were made of was so thin it would split trying to remove or install them over the retainer nubs.

[John348]

26 minutes ago, George Smolinski said:

Are we talking apples and oranges? I spoke specifically about 1965 & 1966 and you seem to be referring to the earlier years. Also, I’ll toss this in the mix: my daughter bought a 1969 Impala years ago with 39,000 miles on it and it really was a little old lady car. It had the dog dish caps on it.

Question: Would original options lists or books prove anything one way or the other?

I did mention that after 1964 is out of my wheelhouse, so I would tend to think the car your daughter purchased reinforces that they came with small wheel covers after 1964, so I guess we all can say we learned something from this. Whie it is possible that 65 and 66 are one off production years and could be similar to 1961 where full size wheel covers were standard on Impala's, I would think that highly unlikely since the Caprice became the top line vehicle. 

Looking at this logically, and we have official proof that Impala line did not receive full size as standard equipment prior to 1965, and you presented visual proof of a 1969 in your family's possession at one time. So, it is safe to say that my apples to oranges and your apples to oranges have found a common thread.  

The option's list could verify it, but it would be easiest found in a fingertip facts book. Good question 

[Jim Skelly]

The early full-size '65 brochure shows wheel covers on all of the Impala models.  All of the Bel Air and Biscayne models show hubcaps.  The Caprice was introduced mid-year.  The '66 full-size brochure indicates that the Caprice is equipped with wheel covers.  All of the Impalas show wheel covers and all of the Bel Airs and Biscaynes show hubcaps.  Both brochures list many options but not a breakdown as to what options apply to which models.  Wheel covers are listed, so that would apply to the Bel Air and Biscayne.  Simulated mag wheel covers and wire wheel covers were also available on all models.

[Jim Skelly]

On 1/7/2024 at 5:23 PM, rocketraider said:

When they switched to extremely plain lightweight stamped aluminum dogbowls in early 70s... Not only were they unattractive and cheap-looking, the metal some were made of was so thin it would split trying to remove or install them over the retainer nubs.

My folks' '73 Caprice had a wheel cover split on the highest point on the crease of the outer rim.  It also happened to me after I got the car.  As you say, the metal was very thin.  

[EmTee]

22 hours ago, Jim Skelly said:

The early full-size '65 brochure shows wheel covers on all of the Impala models.

If the brochure is like the commercials I see on TV today, it's common to show cars with optional features (read that tiny text that flashes across the bottom of the screen).