TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri May 02, 2008 5:01 pm

I am really out of my element in here guys, Im a bus guy. I have come across something though and the answer might be found here. If not a send off in the right direction would be appreciated.

First off, I can not get a pic right now. I can get one tomorrow if it is needed.

I recently bought a bus that had two bus rims a '66 beetle rim and a beetle smoothie on it. I was looking around tonight to find rims that I could store vehicles on and decided to check the date on the rims first. I scratched the 3 layers of paint away from the one smoothie on my project bus and it appears to read 4/49. I sprayed aircraft stripper on it to get all the paint off and it still appeared to say 4/49. Now what is puzzling me is that I figured a rim from '49 would be a 16". The fact that the tire on it is a 7.75-15 and the fact that it measures from outside of rim to outside of rim (since it has a tire on it) aprx. 16 1/2" which is the same as a bus 15" makes me think its a 15" for sure.

School me, shouldn't a rim from '49 be a 16"?

Sat May 03, 2008 1:46 pm

Well, yes, a VW wheel from 1949 could only be a 16".
If yours is 15", the 4/49 numbers must mean something else.

Sat May 03, 2008 4:07 pm

The 4/49 is stamped like every other date stamp I am used to. Here are the pics. Also a pic of another stamping I found on the rim. i have yet to see a VW stamp yet mostly due to lack of looking. Did other vehicles back in the day use this wide 5 pattern?

Sat May 03, 2008 6:39 pm

Could a 16" center be re-hooped in a 15" rim?

Sun May 04, 2008 1:04 am

one percenter wrote: The 4/49 is stamped like every other date stamp I am used to. Here are the pics. Also a pic of another stamping I found on the rim. i have yet to see a VW stamp yet mostly due to lack of looking. Did other vehicles back in the day use this wide 5 pattern?

Yes other vehicles had this 5 pattern, porsche, opel en some east germand cars also !
I have here one 16" x3 wheel for opel ! and one 16" x 3.25 for wheel opel, both dated 6/49
That wheel you are showing is not a VW wheel because a VW 49 wheel should be 16"
I have to ask a friend , but I think a 1950 IFA had 15" 5 pattern wheels !

Guido

Thu May 08, 2008 4:47 pm

Thanks for the help.

Anybody got one pf these and need a wheel?