1968 Yenko Questions

[Schonyenko2]

The thought to be logic was that you could leave the dealership, go to the strip, go through tech, and not have to remove the trim rings.ie: race ready off the showroom floor.

[sixtiesmuscle]

I've got promo pictures of one of the bronze '68s in Florida with trim rings.

[tom406]

14x7's weren't offered until '69 on any Pontiac. Those appear to be 14x6's and per Paul Zazarine's GTO resto guide, '68 spec Rally II's should be code JA (p/n 9787279) for disc brake apps and code JC (p/n 9789329) for drum brake applications. I wouldn't be surprised if Yenko offered them sans trim rings that year, for the reasons outlined by the other posters.

TOM

[camarojoe]

[ QUOTE ]
14x7's weren't offered until '69 on any Pontiac. Those appear to be 14x6's and per Paul Zazarine's GTO resto guide, '68 spec Rally II's should be code JA (p/n 9787279) for disc brake apps and code JC (p/n 9789329) for drum brake applications. I wouldn't be surprised if Yenko offered them sans trim rings that year, for the reasons outlined by the other posters.

TOM

[/ QUOTE ]

Well that sounds legit then... 14x6's are what they would have had to be if 14x7's didn't come out til 69. I always wondered why he chose the Poncho wheels instead of something from Chevy or the aftermarket... you can bet there was a good story behind that choice.

[68l30]

Remember Don had to change wheels for a reason,he's to frugal for anything else .....I'm betting it was for more than just for looks. Does the 14x6 Pontiac wheel have a different offset than the Chevrolet 14x6 steel wheel or rally ? Maybe he went with the Pontiac for the wide-track...

Steve

[camarojoe]

That's a possibility, another thought was that the rally II wheels gave a "mag wheel" look to the car without spending the extra $ for aftermarket aluminum wheels. in 68, Chevy didn't really have a styled steel wheel available other than the rally wheel or fake mag hubcap, so the rally II Pontiac wheel was about the only decent looking factory wheel he could buy cheap to add some flair to the cars. Knowing Don, he probably had a Pontiac connection too, and got 'em for near nothing.

[JoeC]

When Don decided to use that wheel, it may not have been a Pontiac only wheel.
Early ’68 option booklet showed it as a Chevy option with a bow-tie center cap but Chevy must have canceled it.

Don may have selected it in late 67 or early 68 not knowing that it was to become known as a Pontiac only wheel in later years.
Just my opinion
Attached a picture from a Chevy promo booklet

[Schonyenko2]

My reply was deuce related. That's what the dealer told me when I asked him why it didn't have trim rings.