Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I've seen a lot of very poor repro hubcaps over the last 25 years. Most are easy to spot. My question is were there quality reproduction hubcaps available in the early 70's or were restorers still able to find originals? I wasn't involved in the hobby during that time so not familiar with the quality back then. Any oldtimers out there remember? :confused:

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

If I remember correctly from the mid seventies there was one manufacturer of a stainless hubcap without a lip around the outer edge that was pretty good, but you paid extra for it. It was probably A&L parts. Most people opted for the cheaper chrome junk with a lip that soon rusted.

Charlie Stephens

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

A&L currently offers excellent repros of all years. I recently bought some nice '29s.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I have the A&L hubcaps made it the 70s ---are they old enough to be "original" now?

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I think Ford supplied the caps with the "edge" after 1931 as replacements. However doesn't one of the "How to restore your model A" books show a production car with the "edge" hubcaps?

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

In the 60s original hubcaps were impossible to find
the only place was JC Whitney
I tried every Ford dealer and junkyard,I only found one at a junkyard
All you could buy were Fool or Bool plated steel caps
that was one item I really searched for
as for the ones with the rim on the edge there are quite a few original pictures showing early 30s having them ,and there is at least one owner on fordbarn that has an low mileage original early 30 with original SS rimmed caps on it

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I still have some of the J.C. Whitney stainless steel hub caps that were sold in the 70s with the ring around the outer edge. Stainless steel is pretty much forever so the quality is good. the chromed steel hubcaps didn't last very long. The ringed hubcaps have in recent years been looked down on because the ring was considered incorrect. The ringed caps would lose points in national judgeing but shouldn't matter on a driver car. I prefer the hubcaps without the steel inner liner. If the steel lined caps get bent you can't straighten them. As for fit I bend the tabs in a V shape with pliers. If the tabs are correctly bent the caps will snap on like modern hubcaps and fit tightly. Many have problems with the caps fitting loosely when the tabs are bent over inside the wheel. There is a special tool that is sold for bending the tabs for a snap on and off fit but it can fairly easily be done with pliers.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Years ago I bought a car that had been restored and shown in fine point around the first part of the 70's. I requisitioned the original valve stems and dust covers along with the hubcaps for my entry into curent the fine point ring. I did happen to have a set of today's A&L caps but without hessitation the fellow restoring my truck grabbed the old ones when I brought them out. I can't believe they would be originals that's why I'm trying to determine if "Excellent" quality repro ones were available then. Perhaps they were 70's A&L caps. Were his hubcaps back then as good or the same as today's?

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

http://abarnyard.com/temp/plating/hubcaps-30.jpg

I believe the A&L caps had plain steel liners which should be evident. Original caps had zinc or cadmium plated liners. Additionally, original caps were stamped near the center circle on the back by the manufacturer.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I have a new set of 30/31 that came from the late "Paul" along with a set of the shocks he built. Paul also did cowl bands.
Wick

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Original caps were stamped near the center circle on the back by the Manufacture??And on some of the tabs...??? Not on the early one piece caps only the liner ones???right

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Well they are not matching hub caps. Due to the way the "D" is.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

the one not stamped was done on a Monday! l.o.l.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Interesting variety of Ford scripts. The center one with the high F is similar to brass era Ford T's. Perhaps A Ford caps were made by a number of manufacturers as on T's? I have probably 6 or 7 1913 - '16 original T caps all with different scripts.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

In the 70's there were still plenty of caps with "Fool/Bool" script floating around. They made junk back in the day too. Some things never change.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

I don't really know but I would guess that the company that made them wasn't licenced to use the "Ford" script.
I had a set of "Bool" caps on my '27 T wire wheels in the late 70's and they were rusty and old looking even back then. No telling how new or old they were.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

John S is correct-el cheapo non licenced junk. From a distance Fool or Bool resembled the Ford script.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

No one has mentioned it yet but a major supplier of 1930-31 hub caps in the 1970's and into the 1980's was a firm named Skytop Products, in New Jersey as I recall, who manufactured a limited line of Model A parts including hub caps. Their hub caps were well made, were stainless steel and did not have a liner. They did have the raised lip around the edge and the owner of the firm claimed he copied an original. They were priced right, nice appearance and did not rust. The firm was liquidated when the owner and his family perished in a tragic fire that burned their home. They were sold by most of the major dealers of the era.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Anyone remember 'Antique Auto and Parts by Pete' in Chicago.
He sold '30-'31 Cowl Bands $39.00, Complete Shock Kits with everything $189.00 Post Paid and '30-'31 Stainless Hub Caps for $5.99.
I still have some of the caps which are nice, I haven't really compared them to the Judging Standards. Wish I had bought more from him.

Re: Quality of repro hubcaps from the 70's
 

Was Skytop the manufacterer of the repro chrome bumpers in the 1970's? The ones I bought back about 1973 supposedly had a "lifetime" guarantee on the chrome plating. Of course today they have gotten quite rusty. Wish I had saved my original bumpers and had them rechromed.