Sorry for my ignorance, but can someone enlighten me, on why so many vintage cars have red rims? I notice it a lot, and not having anybody close to ask, thought I'd ask here.

R

 

I think this has been discussed before. As I remember the numberdummy had the ansewer. I believe it was something like red being one of two colors that the stock rims were painted for several years. Maybe he will reply?

 

As I recollect, there were 3 stock colours for a period of time, Red, Black & White.

 

Most wheels were painted black, but Red painted wheels were optional from 1952 thru circa 1956.

Red wheels were quite common on 1952/56 Merc's.

 

learn sumpthin' new every day .............

 

ND - thanks!! And also to the Colonel!

'52-'56? Is that just the trucks? Were cars optional earlier?

So, my '51 should be black, and not red, if they started in '52? I'll admit, I like the look of it, no matter HOW many I see like that - one of the few things that don't get repetitious, to me. As the saying goes, "Look Martha, ANOTHER refrigerated semi-trailer!!"...

I have seen a lot of pre-52 cars with the red wheels, but I'd like my '51 to be period-correct as I can (even if it IS going two-tone!), so I'll probably not be painting the rims red...

Thanks again,

R

 

I believe it was 1952 when red wheels became an option, but it coulda been 1951. I am certain it was not 1950 or earlier, because the Korean War began in 1950.

Huh??

Red wheels were an option on all Ford's from F1's to Lincoln's, it just seems Merc's had more red wheels than anything else. The dealers prolly ordered them that-away.

The major reason for red wheels was due to the Korean War, when production of white wall tires stopped.

In order to dress up the cars, the wheels were painted red.

Very few if any trucks had whitewall tires installed at the factory. If w/w tires were installed on trucks at all, the dealers did it, or the owner, and 99% of the time, only on F1/F100's.

Another casualty of the Korean War was chrome.

Midyear 1951 thru midyear 1953: There was no chrome whatsoever on cars/trucks except on bumpers, and some interior bits.

Copper underplating wasn't used, the so-called "chrome" was actually nickel, which was plated onto bare steel, then clear lacquer was sprayed on to preserve it.

The lacquer wore off, rust set in...why used trim, free from rust pits from 1951/53 vehicles is hard to find.

 

Red was an option on trucks going back into the '30s. I've got a 1938 Dealer Handbook that lists black as standard but shows Tacoma Cream and Vermilion red as deluxe options. For the staggering cost of $1.00 per wheel.

 

I'm aware of that, but after WWII ended, I believe red wheels were not optional till the 1950's because of the sellers market, there was no reason to offer them.

I've owned many a 1940's car, seen 1000's, don't recall seeing too many red or Tacoma Cream (first offered in 1928) painted wheels on these vehicles.

Ford management changed completly in 1945-46. The old way of doing things went out as soon as was humanly possible.

"The Deuce," Ernie Breech and his "Whiz Kids" saw to that.

 

For the life of me, I have never understood why Apple Green wheels were ever popular as a "custom" look. They look awful on most cars with most body colors.

 

Hmm...well I could say the same thing about whitewall tires on trucks, wide or otherwise.

One rarely saw them back then, and now...to me...they look out of place.

In fact, most Fords (and most other vehicles except the high dollar cars) sold new from day one through the 1940's didn't have whitewall tires installed, even though they were optional.

Ppl today also aren't aware the width of w/w tires changed dramatically in the 1950's which began with 5" wide whites, and ended with 2 1/2" - 3" wide whites.

Putting 5" fat wide whites on anything newer than 1953 just isn't correct.

JMO: I'm an opinionated, grumpy old phart, and a stickler for originality. I prefer things to be the way Henry, or The Deuce made them.

 

I would'a never in my Life have figured that out!

 

The wheel color for '53-'54 F-100's was the body color. On '55-'56 F-100's wheels were snowshoe white the same as the grille color. F-250 and up trucks all wheels were painted black.

There was no white wall option on '53-'56 trucks.

My 2 cents for the red rims? As a kid and a teenager, for us guys, if you couldn't afford mags or chrome reverses, you took the hubcaps off and you painted your rims red or black. It looked cool. Only the rich boys could afford mags.

 

Going back to the WWII era - most Hotrods before and after were black cause most Fords were black and most Hotrods were Fords.
An easy and cheap way to Spiff-up (Thats a technical term from that era.) a Hotrod was to paint the wheels a different color, Red was a Fast color.
I always associated the Apple Green color with Toe Dancers.

 

Wanna post that on the HAMB?!