VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1929 Steel Wheels Hub Caps

Looking to get Hub Caps for my 1929.

Found 2 options, with and with out script. also polished and unpolished.
all options are Aluminum

Here is what TFS has to offer:RW-395 $795 a Set of 4
They are Polished with Script

Unpolished with Script


Polished NO Script

I understand your anguish. I too looked at replacing my wheel caps. I have the unpolished with script and someone, much to my chagrin, took a pipe wrench to the originals. I have filed and cautiously may I say, the worst of the marks out. Just can't swallow $800 for 4 caps.

The caps with "Chevrolet" in the bow-tie are 1929. The ones without are 1930. So looks like you might not have as many options as you thought.

Thanks...

that means with Script :)

But Polished or Unpolished and hat is NOT the country !!

The caps were originally shiny but not highly polished. They apparently were stamped or mold formed likely from shiny blanks. The surface shine would depend on the condition of the mold. Don't think they were otherwise finished.

Thanks Guys !!

Those caps are imported from an Australian company,and you'll find that IF you do fork out for a set,the hexagon will be slightly smaller than the opening in the proper hub cap wrench.I found out the hard way with a set of 4 caps for my '29 Olds Landau Sedan.
These and other caps are cast from a dressed & repaired original,but there is no allowance made for the aluminium shrinkage rate as the castings cooled down.They should have been cast from a proper sized pattern that would've allowed for the correct shrinkage rate for aluminium.

Thanks CJP !! I have dealt with that company for other cast parts, very nice quality and products, but wonder if they did not account for shrinkage like you said. The caps are pretty thin walled if like the original one i have now.

Everyone hates "shrinkage" don't they? I just realized I can't find a way to add any of those fun emojis that we used to have. Are they gone now?

Click "Use full Editor" when on the reply screen. The emoji box shows up above the reply box. Click it and the menu appears. Click "view more smilies" to see the full list...

Thanks for helping stupid me!

Comes with age Ted,lol.And yeah,those emojis would be great to see back again!

looks like they are all there, plus maybe a few new friends

I have never figured out how to EVEN add them. Will have to check with my 8 year old grand daughter when she is here.

Oh No, not the The Dog will be all over that one!

Hi Guys,
While on the subject of 29 solid wheels.
I am busy cleaning and repainting these wheels and noticed a small notch, nipple, pippi or whatever you call it, close to the joint on the side of the split rims.
Does anyone know the significance of this little notch? Can I assume the notch indicates the outside or outboard of the rim?

The notch you describe,should be on the outer rim of the wheel felloe on the same side as the rim clamps go on.
Somewhere on the split rim for the tyre,there should be a small raised "lump?" that's been stamped from the inside of the tyre rim.This "lump" goes through the notch in the outer wheel felloe and ensures that the tyre rim is correctly aligned so that the tube valve stem and the rim bolt notch on the rim locking mechanism are in the correct position.

Thanks,
Much appreciated.
Chris

Good deal. I have '29 Caps on my '29 Sedan. Thanks. Had to go look to check.

Bob

Does anyone know if the 29 caps have a black background? Which areas should be painted?

The interior part of the bowtie is painted black, but the lettering is left unpainted. Easiest way to achieve it it to paint in the bowtie then use thinner on a rag or a q-tip to remove the paint from the lettering.

All the Best, Chip

I am ordering NEW hub caps and they look like this:



should I go with the Unpolished or polished versions... the above is unpolished, if i go polished the finish will look like this, but imprint will be like above

Since it is your car which cap do you like better?

I would go with the CHE-044 with the name in the bow tie.

I know the consensus is that the 29 covers had black paint in the bow tie, however, I have not seen any old photos from 1929 where they appear to be painted. 1930 photos almost all show paint in the bow tie.
Reference the book "A Pictorial History of Chevrolet 1929-1939" The book has photos from GM Media Archives. Page 29 (and others) shows a 29 sedan with no paint on the covers. Page 48 clearly shows a 1930 sedan with the bow tie black.