so far it has boiled down to this...

69 ss coupe, 17x9.5x5.5" for the front to fit 275/40/17. 17x11x6" for the rear to fit 315/35/17.

my only dilema is the fact i dont have my car with me and therefore cant measure.

i have read that 17x10x6 in the rear would guarantee a better fit, but i cant find any tire manufacterers recommend putting 315s on anything smaller than 10.5 or 11s.

please any comments, the more info the better?

i have put together an excel sheet that lists various sizes for 68-72 that have been posted on this board if anyone is interested!

one more thing, if i reduce the rear backspacing from 6" to say 5.5" or 5.75" would that improve the chances of fitting? i dont mind rolling the fender lip.

i might also reduce the front b/s to 5" because i dont want it to rub the sway bar after installing hotchkis 1.25" bar.

i am willing to take the risk and buy the wheels, cause i know i can sell them easily back home if they dont.

I can almost guarantee you will have problems trying to run a 17x9.5 w/5" backspacing and 275 tire on the front. My 69 has 17x9's w/5" backspacing and 275/40/17 tires on the front. Inner fender clearance is very close,,close enough that I had to substitute buttonhead bolts for the large oem hexheads.
A 17x9.5 on the front needs at least 5.25" and 5.5" would be better.
As for running 17x11's,you need to do a search and look up KAA's posts on the subject. Keith has 17x11 ZR-1 wheels on the rear of his 70 SS Elky.

you wanna hear a complete change of philosphy? after writing the post, me and the wife were talking about it on the way to home depot.

conclusion...since the car is not with us (cant take actual measurements), and it still needs a couple of years of work (in and out of shops, painting), we should buy smaller..and cheaper... wheels that we know will fit for sure (cheaper tires too)! and then when all is done, go for something reeeaaaal nice and outrageously wide.

i gave in to the voice of reason! this way, i can 1) get real measuements (after suspension work), 2) not ruin nice wheels while working on the car, and 3) not waste money if the whole thing doesnt fit!

any suggestions for 17x8 or 17x9 combos that are guarateed to fit a 69 ss coupe?....little help.

I'd run 17X8 on the front w/ 245/45R17 and 17X9.5 in da rear w/ 285/40R17. That would still look rear nice and give a pretty nice footprint out back. Backspace front like 4" and rear 4.5".

You mentioned using 17x10's instead of 17x11's.
If you run 10's with 5.5 backspacing,those will fit fine without worry.