Topic: Body Color 1968 GT Styled Steel Wheels?!

[thumphries]

My 1968 GT Fastback still has all four of its original GT styled steel wheels. The car was original Acapulco Blue, and all of the wheels look like they were originally BODY COLOR. My previous understanding was that the styled steel wheels were always completely chrome other than the "GT" badge in the center. Has anyone ever heard of/seen body color GT wheels in '68?

Attached are two pictures of the wheels as they appear today.

[gtamustang]

Argent inserts on the steel styled wheels were far more common in 68. The trim ring and center cap are bright metal, not chrome. The 68 trim rings are different than 67 styled steel wheel trim rings. I know the 68 standard steel wheel could be painted body color from the factory (usually accompanied with small hub caps), but I have not seen body colored inserts on the steel styled wheels with supporting documentation.

You may want to lightly remove the acapluco blue paint from the insert and see if argent paint is underneath.

Regards,
Pete Morgan

[thumphries]

Pete,
Again thanks for the insight. Forgive my ignorance, but by "argent" do you mean dull metal as opposed to the bright metal the trim rings and center caps were? All I've ever seen are the completely bright metal ones-are the argent ones reproduced? Did they go to the bright metal wheels at some point in the production year or was it based on some other option?

I'm relieved that there weren't body color GT wheels, if it was the way it came I'd put it back to that, but it would have looked odd.

-Tim 

[midlife]

Argent is a silvery-gray shade of paint, very common on these Mustang parts.  Found on the inside grill surrounds, for example.  Do a search here on the forum for Argent and you'll get an idea of the shade of gray it is.

[Andrew@MagMustangs]

Body Color Styled Steel GT wheels were "supposedly" optional on 1969 GTs (Never seen them myself), but not on 68. The 69 used the same wheel as 68.

What are the date codes on your wheels? (Found under the center cap around the lug holes, just under the (FoMoCo) logo stamp.)

[denonito]

Just to help possibly...If you aren't familiar with the Argent color. There are 2 different shades of Argent, the color on the 1968 wheels sometimes called, Light Argent, aka silver gray metallic. There is a Dark Argent, aka Charcoal gray metallic. Dark Argent is the color found on 1965 - 1967 KH styled steel wheels and maybe other places I can't currently think of...

[drummingrocks]

Just to help possibly...If you aren't familiar with the Argent color. There are 2 different shades of Argent, the color on the 1968 wheels sometimes called, Light Argent, aka silver gray metallic. There is a Dark Argent, aka Charcoal gray metallic. Dark Argent is the color found on 1965 - 1967 KH styled steel wheels and maybe other places I can't currently think of...

A good comparison of Dark and Light Argent is the standard '66 hubcap.  The lighter sections are Light Argent, and the darker ones are Dark Argent.