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.

I am getting the CHE-044 just debating on t unpolished or polished... scanning my copy of "A Pictorial History of Chevrolet 1929-1939"

I notice in the photos shown the unpolished have rough casting look at the hex flats? Not fussy about that look. The polished look more like the original is this respect. I would probably go for the polished myself due to this.

I am 99.5% confident that the original hub caps were polished. With other shiny parts gleaming in the sun, matte finished hub caps would look like $#!^ so to speak.

I agree. Going with the polished hub caps is a no brainer.

I saw a local Craigs list ad for a rear axle and it had those hubcaps on it. Not in the greatest shape. For some reason this thread is being sent to my private Email and I have checked all preference settings and it should not be happening. I do agree with the above that the polished would look best and probably easiest to maintain.

Does Gary Wallace sell the 1929 hubcaps for the disc wheels?

His web site list them but you would have to call to see if they are in stock.

1929 Hub Cap With Chevrolet in Bow Tie (for disc. wheels) (Polished) UC 150.00ea
probably same supplier as the others... he may have some used ones as well, have to call

Try the Usual Suspects
*Gary Wallace at Early Chevrolet Parts (314) 293-1991 Missouri
*Lonny Ekstrand at Stanleys Parts (817) 478-7265 Texas
*Bruce Bugay at bwbugay@aol.com (Posts on here as chevy b) Virginia

These three all deal with NOS, NORS, USED parts n pieces and who I turn to when looking for something i can not find on eBay, and they all have been very helpful. Actually been out to Bruce's Place and met with him, very nice guy randomly posts on here as well and sells on eBay a lot, just does NOT list everything he has.

can someone validate the thread diameter and thread per inch for the 1929 hub cap and mating thread.

unfortunately my thread gauge will not FIT in the area to measure it. looks to be approx 2-3/8" diameter. my thread gauge is the L-type worked great till now and it is too big @!

gonna have to order another thread pitch gauge (smaller compact style)

any easy way to chase the threads inside the cap to clean them up any ??

2 3/8-16. Don't think I've ever seen a tap that big but who knows.

Any good machine shop should be able to do it with the thread cutter. You have to be SUPER careful chucking them up, because they are really soft. Use the four-jaw chuck, some protective tape, and a dial indicator.

All the Best, Chip

thanks guys !! these are the repros i got

they are cast and a LOT thicker and heavier then the stamped aluminum ones i have.

here are some pictures of the original caps I have as well the hub on the car they screw onto.

Here are some of the Repro Hub Caps

well decided to clean up the chewed up threads on the hubs, as well as chase the threads on my new repro hub caps. problem is they are 2-3/8-16 threads, which is non-standard as well as being a big thread. after talking to a few machine shops around and figuring would have to go lathe, i found a tap and a die on ebay the tap said it was used but in great shape, the die was listed as new. they arrived and when i opened them up they both looked  new never used !! got them from 2 different sellers funny thing they both were in California  got them for a good price considering they usually run about $200-250 each !! that is my price through work.

got them in last nigh and cleaned/chased the threads on the hubs

oh yeah in order to chase the hubs, i did not have a large enough wrench 3.75" across flats to get on the die, so i got it started by hand. then had to use my strap wrench to spin and thread it on. that worked great. i backed it off and ran one more time to ensure clean threads. now it goes on and off completely by hand !!  man what a difference !!!

try to tackle the hub caps this weekend...  

I now own a tap and die that big :)

took and chased the threads on the repro hubcaps tonight. that tap cuts that aluminum like BUTTER !!
was very easy and simple to do. i secured the tap in my bench vise, then get teh cap started on the tap and used my strap wrench and threaded wach one on till it bottomed out. then back it off.

now they screw on very easily and smoothly on the hubs i cleaned up last night !!