Hub Cap options

[johnny4ever]

I just purchased my first 80 series and the plastic hubcaps are all fairly paint rubbed. What have others done to dress these up?
Easiest way I am sure is to just paint them but I was just curious if anyone had gone super creative with it.

John

 

[Beowulf]

... I was just curious if anyone had gone super creative with it.

Yep, I just took them off. Pretty creative, huh?

-B-

 

[johnny4ever]

Yep, I just took them off. Pretty creative, huh?

-B-

Cool,
Post up the pics. I would love to see what various cruiser peeps have done to their wheels.

John

 

[dlhavens]

I painted mine and they look great. Use a quality paint stripper, like BIX (from Home Depot), and then prime and paint them with touch up paint. Don't even mess with sanding the old paint off, unless you like a tedious job. Let the stripper sit on them until the old paint blisters up, and then use a nylon dish scrubby to rub all the old paint off. It may take a second stripper application and a tooth brush to get in the cracks, but all the paint should come off. Then use a good solvent to remove all the stripper. I brought a pre-stripped wheel cap into Auto Zone and searched the shelves until I found Dupli-Color "silver birch" which lookes good with my 40th anniverssary rims. (40th anniverssary rims are two-tone, rather than all silver) I hope that helps you decide what to do with them

 

[tech_dog]

I bought new ones. The all silver ones are pretty cheap. Mine had the black centers, which had fairly punitive pricing... but at least they were findable.

 

[NorCalDoug]

Search the archives for center caps and paint.

They're off on mine and repainted on the wife's. They look good from 10 feet away...and that's good enough for them seeing how small they are...

 

[Hayes]

I repainted mine. Well, three of the four, anyway. Spent way too much time on them and can't find the ambition to refinish the fourth one.
My 80 is my daily transportation, and I appreciate a little bling here and there. Speaking of hubcaps and bling, I kind of want to get a fifth hubcap for my bumper-mounted spare.
Anyone got a hubcap they want to sell me?

My writeup.

Photos:

Hayes

 

[johnny4ever]

Now thats what I'm talking about. Very nicely done.

 

[mmw68]

John,

Lee and I are having a hub cap painting party.. come on over!!

 

[johnny4ever]

John,

Lee and I are having a hub cap painting party.. come on over!!

WHEN???
I am there!!

Seriously. Lets do this.

John

 

[Bear80]

Now this is my kinda' thread. ;p

I like to be "unique" in what little areas that I can with my cars, BUT I'll go ahead and share this with others.

Since you have a CE with the dark painted inlays this my be to you liking.

I cannot tell you how may times I've re-painted my center caps, and mostly due to the paint finish rubbing off. The order of the pictures is pretty much the progression so far. First I liked the idea of having the center area gray to match the inlay of the CE/40th wheels. However, out of the very numerous brands and types of silver paint I've used either the silver finish rubs off or does not match the shiny machined finish of the wheels (which as the last picture shows is most noticeable at night).

The second picture is what I liked best, but the finish will not last. I used Chrome paint which matched the wheel's finish perfect. HOWEVER, I wanted to spray clear lacquer over the Chrome paint to further match the wheel's looks. THIS WILL NOT WORK! Of all the Chrome paint I've tried they ALL will instantly turn a dark gray when a clear lacquer is applied. Then if you leave the Chrome paint as is, it will simply rub off and eventually turn a dull gray.

I still have some ideas to improve the look and "uniqueness" of my caps but those I will keep to my self untill they are done. For now (3rd pic) they are painted with a Dupli Color Import Dark Gray and a Krylon Sliver, which for now has yet to rub off or dull.

 

[Bear80]

That night shot.

 

[jditom]

ebay, $60 for 4!

 

[ericj02]

I painted mine black, and they look good with the stock wheels.