Topic: Correct Factory Steel Rims for '71 429 SCJ

[Peter855]

I am trying to determine which rim is correct for a '71 429 Mustang Sportsroof or Mach 1.   There seems to have been two kinds of plain steel 15x7 rims for 70 to 71: One with a solid center section and the other with "spokes" that left about a 1/4" gap in 4 places between the center section and the rim.  Does anyone know which is correct wheel for the above car?

Thanks,
Peter

[J_Speegle]

First welcome to the site. Hope you find the support and information your looking for related to concours restorations and the like

Checked my pictures and as one would expect didn't have many with showing the wheels in any detail with the hub cap and trim rings off While a fair percentage had the smaller 14 inch styled steel wheels.

Did notice that the Boss 351 appears to possibly used the same rim (for the hubcap trim ring cars since the tire size was the same.

Not sure that I've ever heard or seen solid centers with 70 or 71 dates on them. Know that some of the people making rims for all makes of vehicles have them but can say that Ford ever used them for either of these applications

Searching out to other sources I found an ad identified as Boss 351 15x7 factory painted rims on the Boss Registry site. Will copy and paste a few pictures from the post (with some enlarged ones) just in cause int he future the picture get deleted but the link to the original ad is below

https://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=66773.msg441937#msg441937

Want to again acknowledge that these pictures are from boss302.com














And a couple pictures of what was identified as 70 15x7 steel wheels







fair number of other ads that support the same design and style

[KevinK]

Pictures speak a 1000 words. 
I thought Ford went to 4 nubs to retain the center cap starting in 68?  Was this not a update across all steel wheels?  Maybe I'm misinformed.

[J_Speegle]

Pictures speak a 1000 words. 
I thought Ford went to 4 nubs to retain the center cap starting in 68?  Was this not a update across all steel wheels?  Maybe I'm misinformed.

Your welcome. Always found correct pictures of original details from multiple examples really helps

That has been the general thought though the evidence for at least this size and years appears to document otherwise. Maybe we need to reword the understanding since it appears that the company changed back at some point for at least this specific size rim/wheel. We're always learning something new as we should be. 

Will look for a thread on the nub change and link this one to it for more discussion and sharing.   

I should have tried the search feature earlier and found this somewhat related discussion

https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=21761.msg158000#msg158000

[Bossbill]

Pictures speak a 1000 words. 
I thought Ford went to 4 nubs to retain the center cap starting in 68?  Was this not a update across all steel wheels?  Maybe I'm misinformed.

Yes. 3 nubs in 67 or earlier and 4 nubs in 68 and later.

The version Jeff shows with the 3 nubs appears to be the "no eye" (eyes are the 4 vents between hub center and outer rim) T-bird wheel often advertised as correct for Shelbys since it is a 15x6 wheel. A similar 15x6 zero and 4 nub wheel is from 68 and later and found on some Lincolns and T-birds since they had full wheel covers.

[I have no idea why I typed 15x7 for Shelby steel wheels (of which I have 6); they are 6" wide.]

[Tucson Bruce]

as odd as it may seem, the 'standard' wheel on a '71 429Cj was a 14x7" steel wheel.  The 15x7" steel wheel, or Magnum 500 (if ordered), would have been used if the car was ordered with F60 tires.  You should check the Marti report, or the build sheet if you have it, they would tell you what wheel option your car left the factory with.

[specialed]

Also shelbys never used a 7'' rim until 69 when the new wide low profile f-60-15 polyglas gt  tire came out.

[JohnB]

http://429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/wheels.htm