Correct black

SIPLOWGUY

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
242
Reaction score
138
Location
Staten Island, New York
So after much research it is apparent that my 71 Fury I did come from the factory with black wheels. It seems mid 71 Chrysler stopped painting the wheels body color. My production date is 2-71. Now, my question is: Gloss or satin (chassis) black?
 
(Never knew of Chry to paint wheels body color, as a general rule for "wheel cover" cars.)

Satin black.

The chassis black which many sell is too shiney and hard of a gloss, by observation. What you want is what the black air cleaners and black engine brackets were painted with. What I found to be an exact match to the engine brackets and air cleaner used to be GM Gloss Black Engine Paint, which was more satin than "gloss". Not sure if any GM dealer still might carry it or what the new part number might be. Even brushed it onto the metal a/c lines on my '67 Newport and it all matched what was already there. FWIW

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67
 
My car did not come with full wheel covers. It has "dog dish" hub caps. I thought someone painted the wheels black but it turns out Chrysler stopped painting "hub cap" equipped cars mid 71 MY. I was thinking satin black but I seem to remember my Dad's 77 Dodge Aspen (full wheel covers) having a gloss black spare wheel. Thank you!
 
Agree. I would think the best for hubcap or no cap steel wheel the best black is right between gloss and satin. Like an eggshell. Maybe that GM black can be found on GM restoration sites.
upload_2021-8-22_12-35-11.jpeg

When I had these wheels made I had them painted whatever satin black they used. Looks fine with the full covers but too flat black, imo, with the cover removed.The original spare rim still has a little more sheen to it than the satin. Course in the end it’s your preference. Although when I see gloss black wheels with cop caps on a restored car the shiny black just screams Krylon imo.
 
GLOSS black. If you get a look and a clean original wheel they were gloss. They get scuffed from wiping and washing and they look satin. Then you take the tire off and they shine like a diamond inside the rim where it’s been covered it’s whole life.

here are phots from the factory.

57E2D75C-A144-42C5-9C73-9BFF23E63887.png


9425D5A6-2015-4746-893E-256C77C07B73.png


D335D8D8-4245-400F-8F3B-DE300A52BEAD.png


8BC1EF9E-035C-4792-85F3-63FE7E6322B1.png


660F37AB-6C07-4EE3-A223-4F61544BA185.png
 
GLOSS black. If you get a look and a clean original wheel they were gloss. They get scuffed from wiping and washing and they look satin. Then you take the tire off and they shine like a diamond inside the rim where it’s been covered it’s whole life.


That's what I seem to remember but everyone says satin. At one point the wheels on my car were painted flat black. Thank you.
 
I'm going to say its a gloss finish. The paint used was exactly high quality, and most likely, applied by dipping the wheel.

It aged fast and got a little dull, but there is no doubt that they started out gloss finish. I bought some new wheels from my local dealer in the 70's and they were glossy.

I wouldn't paint them with base coat/clear coat and make them a high gloss, but a gloss enamel like Rustoleum would come pretty close to OE.
 
They might well have been "gloss" rather than satin or flat, BUT they were not a hard gloss black as the exterior paint might have been. Whereas the body color wheels would have been the same paint the car body was painted in, being a hard gloss acrylic enamel finish.
 
Back
Top