[98 SNAKE EATER]

So I gave my T/A a little wash before putting her back in storage and used a leaf blower to dry her off

When I got down to the wheels, the plastic lug nut caps blew off and went flying (DOH!!)

Now I'm missing one

Are these available separate?

[unruhjonny]

do you mean the black plastic inserts?

1970-1972 cars used a chromed nut that had a black plastic insert;
I have observed that the original black plastic inserts will shrink over time and be incline to fall out.
I found a set of what I believe to be later service replacement GM lugs (taken off a car that no one in their right mind would have bought repop parts for) that looked like the originals, but were actually an enclosed lug nut, with some sort of plastic/epoxy in the top to simulate the appearance of the black cap.

The black plastic inserts are not available, but the entire lugs are (I believe) authentically reproduced.
if you wanted you could get creative and make something to replace missing black plastic inserts too...

... on the other hand, you may be speaking of the 1973+ lug nuts which were a steel lug nut with an aluminum full sized cap;
I always hated those lugs because after several uses the cap cover would distort and become a nuisance, or just fall off.
My '09 Cobalt came with a (metric threaded) version of the 1973+ lugs, and I almost immediately found a set of 1990's Pontiac lugs which used the black threaded on lug cover.

['ol Pinion head]

Uhhhh no, have put a lot of legwork in documenting the following. Going back 35 years, pulling original lug nuts & measuring the width of original tall cap style lug nuts that had their stainless caps knocked off.

Black plastic center Rally II lug nuts were factory installed on '67-70 model Pontiacs. The same exact design black center lug nuts were sold in SpeedShops with black centers or red centers in packages of 5 & 20 in the late 60's & early 70's. Enter the red center version... A few 7/16" rh thread black center lugnuts may have made it onto very early '71 production models, but not the extreme early Pontiac plant built Judge that I prev owned or quite a few early 71 Fremont builds that I pulled original lug nuts off of over 3 decades ago. Numerous sets of black center "rally II" lug nuts were owner & dealer installed on '71 & 72 Pontiacs as tire jockeys of the time destroyed the thin stainless caps with impact wrenches. At the time, the black center lug nuts were not extremely expensive at the dealer. As repro black rally II lugnuts have been avail for the last 35 years, a TON of '71 & 72 Pontiacs have had them installed.

"Tall cap" stainless steel capped lugnuts were used on '71 & 72 Pontiac A, F, & G models with factory installed rally II's. The exact same part number lug nuts were used on '70 Chevelle SS wheels & on '71 15x7 Chevelle SS (Z28) wheels. Even on the common 14x6 styled wheels used on '71-72 Novas & Heavy Chevys. Short cap stainless steel capped lug nuts first were installed on '73 models & used up through '81. Everything I've ever ran across GM car wise for '82 (non Corvette) had metric thread wheel studs. Within months of the short cap version being rolled out, the tall cap versions were discontinued by GM parts distribution.

[unruhjonny]

sorry for the error in my prior post regaurding cutoff on black centre lugs - that was a big brain fart on my part.

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

... The same exact design black center lug nuts were sold in SpeedShops with black centers or red centers in packages of 5 & 20 in the late 60's & early 70's. Enter the red center version... ...

Wow - I always wondered where they came from!

Have you come across the black centre caps where the black centre was a blob of some sort on a fully machined lug?

[98 SNAKE EATER]

This is what I'm talkin bout

[Norwood]

I’ve had the same issue with repops from in-line tube. You can call and bitch but they won’t care. I glued them in with super glue. I’ve never had an original come apart like this.

[burd]

I go to their open house, car show, and they have a big booth set up at few swaps, they never have most parts there, no one ever cares to help you, I call them in-line Boob, I just figure their Olds guys lol

[Brewster]

GM parts period used or nos whatever in my syse there can be only one

[Norwood]

Originally Posted by Brewster

GM parts period used or nos whatever in my syse there can be only one

Right you are !

[unruhjonny]

Two things that some might have not thought of:
1) slightly oversized lug holes on fifty year old wheels
2) aftermarket studs which are slightly longer than the stubby OE units

Either or both of these can push out the plastic centres from these lugs.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Brewster

GM parts period used or nos whatever in my syse there can be only one

Thankfully still have a set & half of replated original black center rally II lug nuts. With original black inserts in original black center rally II lug nuts, can't remember many inserts that fell out. Have examined gobs of well used originals that the plastic inserts were distorted. Always assumed that was from heat. May be just how they were originallymanufactured. Have not had any of the recent repro's from Inline. Earlier repro's, was not happy w them.

[Aus78Formula]

Originally Posted by burd

I call them in-line Boob, I just figure their Olds guys lol

But fairly specific Olds guys, 67-72 or whatever is their thing. Anything else is a case of it kinda fits, neither correctly or accurately. They still only list 79 TA as having the 403, no 77-78 or 350. But you use what you can until an alternative comes up.

[hiyabradHO]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Uhhhh no, have put a lot of legwork in documenting the following. Going back 35 years, pulling original lug nuts & measuring the width of original tall cap style lug nuts that had their stainless caps knocked off.

"Tall cap" stainless steel capped lugnuts were used on '71 & 72 Pontiac A, F, & G models with factory installed rally II's. The exact same part number lug nuts were used on '70 Chevelle SS wheels & on '71 15x7 Chevelle SS (Z28) wheels. Even on the common 14x6 styled wheels used on '71-72 Novas & Heavy Chevys. Short cap stainless steel capped lug nuts first were installed on '73 models & used up through '81. Within months of the short cap version being rolled out, the tall cap versions were discontinued by GM parts distribution.

Do you have pics of the correct Tall Capped lug nuts? Any ideas on where to buy NOS or quality repo’s? Thank you.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by 98 SNAKE EATER

So I gave my T/A a little wash before putting her back in storage and used a leaf blower to dry her off

When I got down to the wheels, the plastic lug nut caps blew off and went flying (DOH!!)

Now I'm missing one

Are these available separate?

Those lug nuts were brand new from inline tube . I installed them right before I sold the car.

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

Those lug nuts were brand new from inline tube . I installed them right before I sold the car.

Good to know

I'll just order up a set of 5 and make sure I glue all of them

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by hiyabradHO

Do you have pics of the correct Tall Capped lug nuts? Any ideas on where to buy NOS or quality repo’s? Thank you.

Brad, good to hear from you. Can most likely forget NOS, have only seen two complete NOS sets in boxes offered up in the last 25 years. Last set, 3 years ago on eBay... you don't want to know the insane price...

Mid to late 90's there was actually a business entity that was having the correct tall stainless cap lug nuts reproduced, this man's target was the Camaro/Chevelle/Nova market. I made an inquiry & one had to establish a whls business acct, no retail orders were being taken. I spoke with a mainly Chevrolet restoration parts business owner who i was doing quite a bit of trade with. He was bringing in a lot of reproduction Chevrolet parts at whls through multiple downlines at the time. Needless to say, did not have any luck. ended up doing an end around to aquire two sets. Today, I could use 3 more sets but would buy more. Have 5 or 6 dozen used originals. Out of that, maybe can put a set of 20 together. while not flawless perfect I'll probably end up using them on my blue car & in Concours judging take a point deduction. Personally feel at that level of detail & judging, everyone's restored car should take a point hit for their incorrect reproduction versions... they're wrong.

Will throw this out... Would be really nice if the Krytas could pursue having this style of lug nut properly reproduced. Realize whose repro Pontiac parts biz sponsors this BB, but I don't have much faith in the Ames crew, on their own, bringing anything to the market for '71 & 72's. In the late 90's, Ames seemed to be oblivious to carrying this correct reproduction lugnut. Later in the mid 00's, spoke w my long time friend Quint (who worked for Steve Ames for several years), if any possibity these could be available? By then the correct lug nuts were no longer being reproduced. Through research on original cars, do know Buick did not use this style of lugnut on its wheels, but am not sure if any Olds Cutlass or 442's did. That said, Chevy & Pontiac use is a BIG market.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by hiyabradHO

Do you have pics of the correct Tall Capped lug nuts? ...

I could be mistaken, so I'll expect someone more knowledgeable to speak up, but I believe these are the taller style.
(obviously not NOS)

['ol Pinion head]

No.....

73+

['ol Pinion head]

Brad, will see if have your # on my phone

[Formulabruce]

In the later 70's our dealership stocked a GM tall style one piece nut, and customers who had the black ended caps in pieces, always upgraded when we put on new tires.
On daily drivers with winter use, they didn't do well. Neither did the stainless cap nuts.