When did they use Red lug nuts on a first gen Firebirds?

'69

Yet according to the Ames Catalog...

They sell red centered lug nuts only for 1967....

I think that is wrong. I purchased some red ones based on the statement and looking into it more, I believe the 67's came with black nuts.

Interesting Ames list's red for 67. I'm sure a simple phone call to them and they could explain it. But I'm pretty sure 67 was black.

1967 was the only year they had red lug nuts, and even then, there is speculation that not all Rally II's got the red ones. One theory was that you received the red lug nuts when you had chose the red line tires. There are many factory photos and pre-production photos showing red lug nuts on the 1967 Rally II's, but the factory photos are usually not a good source for accuracy. I even have a factory pic of a 1967 Pontiac Rally II wheel with silver capped lug nuts!

But regardless, 1967 was the only year the red lug nuts were available.

I've seen dozens of examples in books and magazines of later cars, from GTO's to Birds, wearing red lug nuts, but those are styling preferences by their owners, like using red PMD centercaps on a pre-1970 Pontiac, or painting the Firebird fender scripts red.

To clarify, Ames shows BOTH red and black nuts for 67. So they also seem to acknowledge that both colors may have been offered for that year.

For 68 and 69, they list ONLY black. No red.

GM parts catalog only lists 1 part #(9789086) rally II lug nut used on all models 67-70
Let you guys fight over it was black or red.

Thanks for your help everone! I have a 68 vert cloned to a Air Ram 2 Auto Solar red so the red would look good but not wright.

Yes, only black from 67-70, but my comment was that in 1967 Pontiac did appear to offer a red center lug nut for the Rally II. There's just no definite decision as to when and where they were used.

There have been some all original, low mileage, completely unmolested 67 GTO's featured in magazines with red lug nuts, while other examples have been black. Ames Perf was one of the ones that reported the use of red lug nuts on 1967 Pontiacs, based on their research, and then the GTO resto guides reported the same.

My theory was that if a 67 Pontiac was ordered with Rally II's (which were the new wheel for 1967), it received black lug nuts. But if redlines were chosen instead of blackwall or white pinstripe tires, they used red lug nuts.

Just a theory....

For me - it's simple.

Red lug nuts to match the red exterior.