Finally! A correct Reproduction Jack for 1969-1974 C3 Corvettes. For years, the only thing available for your younger C3 was GM’s replacement jack for the 1975-1982 models. But that jack had a larger footprint and did not fit into the 1969-1974 as well as the original. Using Corvette Parts that are not designed specifically for your car can cause unnecessary headaches – and make the job last longer than needed. This new reproduction jack will fit correctly – and easily – and will look great. Plus, it doesn’t come with the GM pricetag, making this correct reproduction easier on the wallet too.
It never fails. When GM introduces a new wheel style on a Corvette, some Corvette owners want to upgrade their Corvette with the new style wheel, but with a different finish.
When GM gave us a stunning, new five-spoke wheel design on the Corvette Grand Sports for 2010, some of the base C5 and C6 owners liked the wheel style and some of the Grand Sport owners who already had the wheels, wanted them either chromed or black powder-coated.
Zip Products has the C6 Corvette Grand Sport Reproduction Wheels you need so you can update your C5 or C6 with dramatic, GS, five-spoke style. They are available in three configurations: 1) 18×8.5″ front and 19×10″ rear with proper offsets to fit any base model C6 without fender flares, 2) 18×8.5″ front and 19×12″ rear with proper offsets to fit C6 Z06 Corvettes and Grand Sports and 3) 17×8.5″ front and 18×9.5″ rear with proper offsets to fit 1997-2004 C5 Corvettes without the Z06 option.
These Corvette wheels are all made of cast aluminum and are available in three finishes: brilliant triple chrome plating, dramatic gloss-black powder-coating and a snazzy-looking “two-tone” wheel which has a black powder coated rim and a machined aluminum center.
All of Zip Products Grand Sport reproduction Corvette wheels accept the stock tire pressure monitoring system sensors. They come with the appropriate center cap, either chrome, black or machined aluminum. Chrome lug nuts and center cap decals are sold separately and are listed in Zip’s 1997-2004 C5 Corvette Wheel Accessories and C6 Corvette Wheel Accessories sections.
Now all you need to do is order a set and bolt them on.
The stock C4, C5 & C6 Corvette brake calipers look nice but you can now add some style and color to your Corvette’s calipers with our new brake caliper covers. Our Corvette Brake Caliper Covers are made from 6061 T-6 aluminum, come powder coated in your choice of black, red, or silver, are TIG welded and have a patented fastening system. Installation of our brake caliper covers is very simple and does not require any special tools; any novice car enthusiast can install the caliper covers in about 10 minutes per wheel. So for a quick and easy way to help make your Corvette’s wheels look great, install a set of fully licensed by GM C4, C5, or C6 Corvette brake caliper covers.
In the email you can read about the best rally wheels the industry has to offer. Our rally wheels are correct reproductions and come already painted. Also talked about in the email are the newly redesigned and most correct 1963-1966 Corvette Knock-Off Wheels and 1967 Corvette Bolt On Wheels. These wheels, with the input from a number of Corvette restoration experts and NCRS judges are the best available reproduction wheels for 1963-1967 Corvette owners.
Of course when you are talking about Corvette wheels you should also consider how you are going to keep them clean. Our Adam’s Green Wheel Cleaner is not only safe to use on almost every style wheel but it is 100% water based making it very eco-friendly.
If you have picked up one of our 1953-1982 Corvette Restoration Catalogs you may have noticed the “restoration tips” spread throughout. The latest addition to these tips describes how to properly use interior dye to paint some of your Corvette’s interior parts. If you would like to read more about Dyeing Corvette Interior Parts Click Here or if you would like to read all of our Restoration Tips Click Here.
As always we like to include four new fan photos that Zip fans have loaded to our facebook page in our emails. Go to our page at Facebook.com/ZipCorvetteParts and upload your photo today. Tell us your Corvette story.
If you are interested in reading more about all of the most recent Sales, Zip News, New Corvette Parts, New Technical Articles and more then you can read the entire email here, or better yet; subscribe to our Corvette Parts email list here and get helpful emails like this delivered directly to your inbox.
If you are asking, “How do I clean my new Corvette wheels?” or are just shopping around for the absolutely best wheel cleaner on the market; Adam’s Green Wheel Cleaner is the answer. Besides being the best wheel cleaner available, Adam’s green wheel cleaner can be used on any style or brand wheel except polished billet aluminum wheels (we recommend using soap and water on polished billet aluminum). This wheel cleaner is not only safe to use on almost every style wheel but it is 100% water based making it very eco-friendly.
Adam’s green wheel cleaner takes advantage of new breakthroughs in chemical engineering, creating a new class of non-ionic cleaner that does not release harmful zwitterions. Because of this it can be used on tires and all types of wheels including clear coated, painted, aluminum, polished and anodized. The active ingredient in this cleaner was developed here in the USA to replace the acids, butyl and butyl ethers found in most tire and wheel cleaning products, which have been proven harmful to both wheels and nature. Although butyl is a highly effective cleaner, as well as inexpensive, it can be hazardous to you or your Corvette’s wheels. Plus, butyl will white-stain aluminum and damage clear coated wheels and powder coating finishes. Butyl is very harsh on your skin, causes respiratory distress when inhaled, and it is not readily biodegradable. With no butyl present in Adam’s green wheel cleaner, after a 24 hour period it will biodegrade approximately 98%, protecting our surface waters from polluted storm drain runoff.
Adam’s green wheel cleaner is not a spray-on, hose-off cleaner. It requires agitation with a brush, sponge or wash mitt to break the initial bond between the dirt and the wheel. Spray-on, hose-off type wheel cleaners are harsh, acid based cleaners that damage wheels over time. Adam’s green wheel cleaner will never harm your wheels or the environment!
A used set of original Kelsey Hayes 1963-1966 Corvette Knock-Off Wheels or 1967 Corvette Bolt-On Wheels look amazing, but with their originality comes a very high cost. Zip does have a great alternative; a replica set of wheels that will save you a great deal of money while still providing great looks. We sold a version of these wheels for many years, and although they were the best wheel on the market they were not exactly perfect as far as looks. With even more room for improvement these replica Corvette knock-off wheels and bolt-on wheels have since been retooled with input from a number of Corvette restoration experts and NCRS judges so that now our 1963-1967 Corvette wheels are even more correct than ever.
The latest redesign of the Corvette knock-off wheels and bolt-on wheels have resulted in a wheel that is much closer to the original style than ever before. The new designs include deeper wheel lips, correct profile fins, and a more correct surface finish. Modifications to these three areas of the wheel sets have increased the popularity of the replica wheel sets greatly and we believe rightfully so.
You may have inquired about the 1963-1966 Corvette Knock-Off Wheel Sets or 1967 Corvette Bolt-On Wheel Sets at some point over the past few months. If so you were probably told they were not available due to tooling issues. We can confidently say that all problems have been resolved and the high quality replica Corvette wheel sets are now available and ready to ship right away. Each knock-off wheel set comes complete with original style hardware (which is completely interchangeable with original hardware) including adapters, spinners, correct cones, lug nuts, and even a reproduction lead hammer for a safe and accurate installation. To top it off, the replica knock-off wheels also come with complete instructions so you will not have to worry about whether the wheels were installed correctly or not. The 1967 Corvette bolt-on wheel sets also include interchangeable original style hardware including the starburst, “bowtie” centers, clips, retainers and lug nuts. Installation instructions are included with these wheels as well.
If you would like to know more about Midyear wheels: Read our previous post “1963-1967 Corvette Wheels” and learn about all of the wheel possibilities in 1963-1967 including the knock-off wheel, rally wheel, 1967 bolt-on cast alloy wheel and more.
For quality off the charts, superior strength, unsurpassed craftsmanship, near- infinite customization and, oh yeah, stunning looks, there is no Corvette wheel finer than Forgeline. Forgeline 3-Piece Wheels are made of 6061 T6 true forged centers sandwiched by 6061 T6 spun rim halves and assembled using aircraft-grade hardware. All wheels are built to order, so individual requests for special colors, optional fasteners, etc. are welcome and easily accommodated.
We offer two different styles of Forgeline wheels for C5 & C6 Corvettes. The first set consists of Forgeline Premier Series Corvette Wheels. A standout on the street – and the show circuit, our Forgeline premier wheels come standard with a fully polished outer lip and your choice of powder coated center wheel in Silver, Gloss Black, Matte Black, Gunmetal or Matte finish Titanium. The inner rim shell is available powder coated (see our Forgeline Options for more information) and grade 8 stainless steel piston head torx bolts are used throughout. For C5 Corvettes, the Forgeline premier series wheels are available in 18″x9.5″ and 19″x11″ or 19″x9.5″ and 20″x11″. The base C6 Wheel sizes include 19″x9.5″ and 20″x11″ while the Z06, ZR1, & Grand Sport sizes run 19″x10″ and 20″x12.5″.
Though every Forgeline wheel is built to meet the rigors of track use, the Forgeline Competition Series raises the bar just that much higher. The competition wheels are three pounds lighter than the Forgeline premier series wheels. They include a stepped lip that offers muscular looks and greater load capabilities. Each Forgeline competition wheel comes with a fully polished outer lip and powder coated center wheel in Silver, Gloss Black, Matte Black, Gunmetal or Matte finish Titanium. Each inner rim shell is available powder coated (see our Forgeline Options for more information). Forgeline Competition Series Corvette Wheels are available for C5 & C6 Corvettes. The C5 sizes include 18″x10″ front wheels and 18″x12″ rear wheels while the C6 includes 18″x10″ fronts and 18″x11″ rears for the non Z06, ZR1 or Grand Sport. If you are upgrading to the Z06, ZR1 or Grand Sport size wheels because you have upgraded your Corvettes Body Panels, or you are wheel shopping for your Z06, ZR1 or Grand Sport Corvette and you would like a wheel that is going to last, then we have Forgeline competition series wheels available in 19″x10″ and 20″x12.5″, which will be perfect for showing, racing, tracking, or autocrossing your Corvette.
A great advantage to buying Forgeline multi piece wheels is that in most situations they can be repaired at far less than the cost of a new wheel. Even so, all Forgeline wheels come with a 3 year limited warranty that will cover defects in material or workmanship. Forgeline will repair or replace the wheel(s) upon inspection if they determine that the probelm is related to materials or workmanship. Read more about their warranty here.
C5 & C6 Corvette Forgeline Wheel Styles:
As mentioned above, all of our C5 & C6 Corvette Forgeline Wheels are built to order, which means there are plenty of opportunities to add your own personal touch to your new set of wheels. Each Forgeline wheel is available with a powder coated center wheel in any of the following pictured below: triple chrome, diamond cut, brushed with a clear powder coat, black chrome, fully polished, or race gold.
Forgeline Option A – Center Wheel:
Triple Chrome
Diamond Cut
Brushed - Clear Powder
Black Chrome
Fully Polished
Race Gold
The standard outer wheel lip on all C5 & C6 Corvette Forgeline wheels comes polished. Optional finishes are available in any of the following pictured below: brushed with a clear wheel lip, powder coated clear, fly yellow, gloss black, gunmetal, matte black, satin black, silver, transparent red, & victory red, or you can have the outer wheel lip triple chrome plated.
Forgeline Option B – Outer Wheel Lip:
Triple Chrome Lip
Brushed W/Clear Lip
Powder Coated Lip
Forgeline Option C – Inner Rim Shell:
The inner rim shell on all Forgeline Wheels comes natural or powder coated gloss black, gunmetal, matte black, satin black, or silver at no extra charge. Additional options include having the inner rim shell fully polished or triple chrome plated.
Forgeline Option D – Wheel Fasteners:
The standard fasteners used on all Forgeline Premier Series Corvette Wheels include piston head torx bolts while all competition series wheels are held together with 12-point bolts. Optional fasteners available include: black oxide bolts, lightweight titanium bolts with jetnuts, and hidden bolts for premier series wheels only.
Black Oxide Bolts
Hidden Bolts
Titanium Bolts
This Forgeline product overview video discusses the advantages of Forgeline premier and competition wheels plus additional options that are available for each design.
Hours of precise machining, inspecting, customizing and testing goes into the making of every Forgeline wheel. Check out how Forgeline wheels are made from scratch right inside the Forgeline factory in Ohio.
With so many different Corvette wheel designs on the market, finding the perfect set for your Corvette is not always as easy. At Zip, we take the guesswork out of the equation by listing the exact Corvette year a particular wheel set will fit. Of course this is assuming you Corvette has not been modified with aftermarket brake packages and/or body conversion kits. If your Corvette has been modified then you should be sure the wheels you are ordering are going to fit properly. To do so, you just need to understand wheel spacing terminology and use basic math skills. Let’s go over how to measure your wheels.
Wheel Back Space
Wheel back Spacing is very simple and is often confused with the offset. To determine a wheel’s offset you must first find the wheels back space. The back space can be measured in inches but should be converted to millimeters before proceeding to find the offset. To find the back space place a straight edge across the rear of the wheel and measure to the mount pad. The distance equals the wheels back space, which in this case is 6.75″. Multiply the back space by 25.4 to convert the back space to mm (6.75″ x 25.4mm = 171mm).
Wheel Offset
Wheel offset is the distance between the centerline of the wheel to the wheel mount pad. It is measured in millimeters and the outcome can result in a zero, positive or negative measurement. To have a zero offset, the wheel mount pad must be even with the centerline of the wheel. A positive offset means that the mount pad is shifted past the centerline towards the face of the wheel, while a negative offset means the mount pad is shifted past the centerline towards the rear, or the brake side of the wheel. To determine the offset of a wheel you must first measure the overall width of the wheel. Lets say the wheel measurements are 18″ x 9.5″. Now convert the width to millimeters by multiplying the width by 25.4mm (9.5″ x 25.4mm = 241mm). Next divide the wheel width by 2 to determine the wheels centerline (241mm/2 = 121mm). With the centerline and back spacing of the wheel determined and converted to millimeters simply subtract the centerline from the back spacing for the offset (171mm – 121mm = +50mm).
Remember, we take into consideration every wheels backspace and offset before we offer a particular wheel for your Corvette. Each wheel set is listed for certain year applications because they are designed to fit properly to those models and are not guaranteed to work on Corvettes with modified body panels, suspension, brakes, etc.. For more information on which Corvette wheels are right for you feel free to Contact Us today.
Earlier this year we added the new C6 ZR1 style chrome wheels to our inventory. The C6 ZR1 wheels are currently available in black, chrome, & hyper-dark silver but until now could not be ordered in C6 Z06 or ZR1 Corvette wheel sizes. After months of waiting and telling Z06 & ZR1 customers that the chrome ZR1 wheels were not available, we now have C6 ZR1 Chrome Wheel Sets available for the Z06 & ZR1 Corvette. The new reproduction Corvette Chrome Wheel Sets come with two front wheels that measure 19″x10″ and two rear wheels that measure 20″x12″. It will only be a matter of time before these stunning wheels start appearing on C6 Z06 & ZR1 Corvettes local to you.
Did you know that if you purchase a new set of Corvette Wheels & Tires at the same time that we will mount and balance them for free? This is just one more way we try to provide the absolute best customer service you will find in the Corvette Parts & Accessories industry.
Chrome Corvette Wheels look great no matter what year, body style, or color your Corvette may be. They are not exactly the cheapest upgrade over the stock Corvette Wheels, but as most people would agree, the brilliance added to the Corvette from a new set of chrome wheels is well worth the cost. For those of you who have spent your fare share of money purchasing chrome Corvette Wheels here are a few recommendations that should help you get the most out of your purchase.
Corvette Chrome Wheels
Before your chrome wheels are installed on your Corvette for the first time we recommend purchasing some of Adam’s Americana Premium Carnauba Paste Wax. The paste wax is very important as this is what will ultimately protect your chrome wheels from contaminants. Once your chrome wheels have been installed on your Corvette apply the carnauba paste wax to the wheels as you would normally apply the wax to the Corvette. By waxing your chrome Corvette Wheels you are essentially filling in all of the small pores in the chrome, creating a protective layer between the wheel and brake dust or any other corroding substances. While in between waxings we recommend cleaning your Chrome Corvette Wheels with basic soap and water. Any special chrome wheel cleaner can strip the wax, which could do more harm then good as the wheels age. Every two months or so it would be good to re-wax the wheels so the protective layer is always kept fresh.
