Mopar Wheel Details

by Tom Shaw

photos by Tom Shaw

Wheels make the world go ‘round, especially if you are into vintage musclecars. Lots of wheels will fit a particular car, but if you want to have maximum originality, you’ll need to understand the codes stamped into factory OEM wheels.

We spent some time with Frank Badalson, the top Mopar authority for our money. Frank took us on a tour of some original 1969 Mopar wheels. These wheels have never been repainted so all the paint and overspray patterns are intact. They even have their original wheel weights.

When you’re out in the field sizing up swap meet wheels, keep this info in mind and you’ll know if you’ve found the genuine items, or just another junk wheel.

Plain Steel Wheel Paint Patterns
All plain steel wheels were painted black on both sides, inner and outer. Wheels used with small hubcaps then got a coat of body color to match the rest of the car.

Hubcap Style Wheel Color, Front Wheel Color, Rear Spare
Small Hubcap Body Color Black Black/Black
Full Sized Hubcaps Black Black Black/Black
Spare Black Black Black/Black

 

This is Mopar’s standard, stamped steel 15-inch wheel. “This is what’s referred to these days as the “H” wheel,” says Frank Badalson. “It’s the heavy-duty 15 x 6-inch wheel, found on all Hemi cars and all ’69 1/2 440 Six Pack cars.” This pair still wears its original paint, front and back.


The “H” wheel gets its name from the “H” stamped between the lug holes. On either side of the valve stem hole are date codes. “With the valve stem hole at the 12:00 o’clock position, to the immediate left of the hole,” says Frank, “that “11” is for the 11th month, November. To the immediate right of the hole, that “7” is for the seventh day of the month, in this case, November 7. To the immediate right of that is “60”, which signifies 6.0 inches wide. To the immediate left of the 11, you’ve got “M58”. There were two major suppliers — Kelsey-Hayes and Motor Wheel — “K” would be Kelsey-Hayes, and “M” is Motor Wheel Company. The “8” is the year, 1968. Typically, a matched set of wheels are all the same date. Once in a while you may find a date code difference, but as a rule, all the wheels have the same date.”


 

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