Whether it’s a daily driver, restomod, or a 100-point car, a set of factory wheels convey a look that works for the period. While original factory wheels were produced in a limited number of sizes back in the day, today’s aftermarket choices include a wide array of wheel sizes to accommodate larger tires.
You’ll find a range of factory-style wheels in the eBay Listings—from true manufacturer wheels through expertly crafted tributes. We’re not stuck with 14×6 and 15×7 wheels these days, thanks to the companies that market reproductions of the original designs.
Chevrolet Rally Wheel
The Chevrolet Rally Wheel kicked off the party when it appeared on the Corvette, Camaro, Nova, Chevelle, and Impala in 1967—as a mandatory requirement for disc brake-equipped cars. Rallies are smooth steel wheels with five oval slots, fitted with trim rings and center caps to cover the lug nuts. The style has spanned the decades. Factory-equipped rally wheels were standard issue on the Corvette through 1982 model-year. Buick and Pontiac both borrowed Chevy’s rally wheel design, fitting it with branded center caps. Aftermarket center caps for rally wheels include smoothies, knockoffs, and derby styles.
Chevrolet SS Wheel
The Chevrolet SS Wheel overlaid a five-spoke design on top of the classic rally’s five slots, and is most commonly associated with the legendary big-block Chevelle SS. Seeing those familiar spokes on a Chevelle gave hint to a potent V8 lurking beneath the hood. While factory rated at 450 horsepower, some say LS6 454-equipped Chevelles cranked out a whopping 500 ponies—100 ponies for every spoke, smoking those narrow street tires on stock rims.
Pontiac Rally Wheel
Pontiac fitted two versions of the rally wheel to the GTO, Lemans, and Firebird. The Pontiac Rally I was a six-slot version of the classic GM Rally. Pontiac’s Rally I ran from 1967 through 1970, when it was replaced by the Five Spoke Pontiac Rally II, which was similar to the Chevy SS wheel.
Pontiac Honeycomb and Snowflake Wheels
The Trans Am and a handful of other Firebirds wore Honeycomb wheels from 1971 through 1976. The original Honeycomb wheels used a Polycast production process and also found their way onto the GTO, LeMans, and Grand Prix. The Honeycomb was replaced by cast-aluminum Snowflake alloys in 1977. Snowflake wheels continued through 1981 model year, with a thinner snowflake design introduced in 1979. While gray is the most common Snowflake color, the Bandit T/A’s Golden Snowflake alloy wheels are the most memorable shade. Golden Snowflakes were fitted to special-edition Trans Ams. They were also available on cars equipped with the WS6 suspension package. A limited number of snowflakes were produced in Yellow Bird, Red Bird, and Sky (blue) Bird hues.
Oldsmobile Super Stock Wheel
The Oldsmobile Super Stock II and III wheels feature a unique five-spoke slotted steel design. The first version of the Super Stock (the SSI) merely riffed on the Chevy SS and Pontiac Rally II design. The Super Stock II set the 442 apart from the crowd when it hit the street in 1968. The Super Stock III took it up one more notch by matching the paint to the body color. The example shown—on a well-prepared tribute restoration—pops when wrapped with redline rubber.
