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[C1] Poverty caps

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Old 02-11-2019, 06:34 PM
  #21  
DZAUTO
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Originally Posted by claf
I DO have the small hub caps on my "standard" wheels on my current '62 Corvette, been there for three years now without falling off..
That SHOULD NOT be an issue, because these very same wheels were used on early Chevys, beginning in 55 (ie, 150, 210 pass cars). These cars were standard equipped with dogdish caps rather than full wheel covers. And they stayed quite securely on the standard 15x5 wheels.
Old 02-11-2019, 10:40 PM
  #22  
Rumblegutz
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Originally Posted by claf
I DO have the small hub caps on my "standard" wheels on my current '62 Corvette, been there for three years now without falling off..
My mistake. The standard wheel centers from the early 50s thru the end of '64 model year had the 3 bumps to retain hub caps (dog dish caps). My mouth got ahead of my brain. I'll edit my previous post if possible.
Old 02-12-2019, 12:15 PM
  #23  
tomy62
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Originally Posted by Rumblegutz
RPO 276 was an no cost option for the model years 1958 thru 1962. It was a $15,10 charge for the 1957 model year.

If you are saying a new car buyer had the choice of the full wheel disc or the poverty (also known as dog dish) caps with the wide wheel option RPO 276 that is incorrect.


The Corvette wide wheel did not have the 4 retention bumps on the outer part of the hoop which are what kept the full wheel disc on. Without these bumps the full wheel discs pop off with the first corner, pot hole or simply passing over a curb leaving a parking lot. Simply because wheels flex.


It is thought that Chevy did not have a 5.5 inch hoop in use at the time so Kelsey Hayes used a Ford 5.5 inch hoop with a Chevy spyder (center) that would accommodate rivet attachment to the hoop (rim). Or this combination necessitated rivet attachment. These centers were from a base Chevrolet that came with the 3 center bumps to retain the base equipment hub cap. They were named hub caps because they covered the hub and not the whole face of the wheel. The common wide spread use of the name hub cap in reference to a full wheel disc is technically a misnomer stemming from those unacquainted with accurate nomenclature. But language is a living thing and such thinks are susceptible to evolution. Some of it from mis-use. If one looks back to the very early days of the automobile one can see where the term hub cap came from and that that's all they did in the beginning.
Rumble, what you are saying is what I was trying to say. Although I did not know the Ford background. I learned something today!



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