I have purchased several sets of hub caps off the internet. The 30's-60's are getting more expensive than new custom full sized rims. Cameras lie. Caps that look real good in a picture cannot show the fine scratches and dents that come with age (I'm referring to chrome plated stainless steel). Buy a cap in person or buy new is my new motto. Now I have a choice with the second rate caps I have: do I sell them and try to recoup some of my money or do I strip them of their chrome finish and send them off to a stainless polisher? (high end caps from long ago were chromed stainless and can be stripped with muriatic acid)
I didn't know they were chromed over stainless. I have several older hubcaps from Fords, Chevy's even '57 Caddy. Always thought they were just polished stainless. When I opened this thread I expected a leason on loosing hubcaps in pot holes. I miss that game.
Boy, I've been there too. Driving down the road in my 34 roadster and getting passed by my own hubcap
Way back when we first moved to Florida I drove a 1987 Chevy regular topped van. While taking my wife home from a doctor visit the right rear tire blew and the full hubcap rolled across the highway and disappeared. Son and I went back later and found it on the other side in the weeds 100' or more away. It wasn't even dented or scratched. I remember many vacations passing places with hubcaps for sale. They'd have a fence row or barn wall full of them. I believe some of those old hubcaps had more metal than new cars do!
Haha, i thought so to. I still do lose one occasionally, and have to the 'walk of shame' back down the road to find it. My greatest fear is it coming off and going under a tram, i reckon it would slice it right in half!! So far so go, the main offender is the kerbside, so usually it ends up roadside or in a car park.
I remember as a Boy Scout, riding in the asst scoutmaster's Chevy II going on a campout. He was losted of course and made a big U turn near the shopping center. Another asst scoutmaster, following him in his 66 0r 67 Coronet followed suit on the U turn. I looked back just in time to see his right front cap fire off the front wheel and go spinning into the weeds! Haha!!!!!!! (Wondering if that Chevy II was a 4 cyl or a 6??????? Hmm!!)
