hub caps
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
hub caps
The hub caps on the stock wheels of my 89 coupe have some corrosion and I was looking to replace them. Mid america and ecklers want around $250 for a set! I'm not that wild about the look anyway. So I'm wondering if there aren't some other hub cap (center covers) options out there. Seems like I've seen my wheels with the lug nuts exposed with some kind of cover or cap over the wheel hub. Any ideas or pics?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,339
Likes: 2
From: port charlotte fl
Yours is a small project.I did a set of four wheels! Ecklers sells a kit but it's cheaper to go to the home depot.water soluble paint stripper.1500 wet/dry paper.you can buy a set of polishing buffs that fit in an electric drill and some buffing compound.Ask the guys there,they are usually pretty helpful.And yes you can do the whole wheel with the cans but if you can fetch them back with your efforts at buffing and polishing i would pay a shop to spray them.They shouldn't charge much for that.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
Thanks, Staugur. I'll give the hub caps a try this weekend. Anyone have any info on alternative hub caps for my 89. Once again, something that would expose the lug nuts but cover the wheel hub.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,691
Likes: 71
From: Phoenix Arizona
No, not to my knowledge. Be carefull with the emblems, you really need to remove them first. If you don't want to do with the polish route (You have to do the whole wheel), just use the stripper without a scuff pad or any abrasive (believe it or not, you'll see the scuff marks of a scotch brite pad through the new clear), and recoat with clear. The problem with that is, if the alluminum has been exposed to the elements (flaked off for a while), it will dis-color there, and you'll see the spots through the clear, but will probably look 100% (okay maybe 90%) better. You might find someone in your area that will refinish the wheels. Most people just say the hell with it and get different wheels.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,339
Likes: 2
From: port charlotte fl
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 3
From: Maine
I hate hubcap wheels more than anything. I've lost so many hub caps over the years and the flippin center caps on my daily driver hub caps keep disappearing. I'm so sick of scouring ebay and parts databases for replacements. Center caps on hub caps, what a stupid idea! Now you have 2 projectiles on each wheel that go flying off and cost you $70 for each to replace. I should buy one piece wheels but don't want to spend the money on a 10 year old car.
The corvette which is not my daily driver has never lost a center cap. I really like the alloy wheels and center cap design on the C4 corvette. The cheapest way to get nice OEM wheels is to purchase a used set on ebay or from a forum member in reasonable condition for around $300. Then if your a perfectionist send them out to a place like Wheels America to redo the finish at about $110-$150 per wheel. Then you have a nice new set of OEM wheels for well under $1000.
The corvette which is not my daily driver has never lost a center cap. I really like the alloy wheels and center cap design on the C4 corvette. The cheapest way to get nice OEM wheels is to purchase a used set on ebay or from a forum member in reasonable condition for around $300. Then if your a perfectionist send them out to a place like Wheels America to redo the finish at about $110-$150 per wheel. Then you have a nice new set of OEM wheels for well under $1000.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
The center caps that expose the lug nuts and cover the hub on 89 oem wheels are not center caps at all. Turns out that what I saw were 1990 oem wheels (per the Corvette Black Book). Oh Well, looks like I'm in for some more polishing. I've been Zainoing my car for the last 3 days. 
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Somers New York
http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t...reandafter.jpg
I stripped the clearcoat off the center caps using lacquer thinner...seemed to work well (after removing the emplems!) Then I made a fixture out of plywood to spin the cap in my battery (Don't use electric unless you have a death wish) powered drill while keeping the cap semi submerged water. I started with 600 wet dri on a small block of wood, then using progressivly finer grits finished with 2000. I think next I'm gonna make a fixture to spin the wheels...(I am so frugal!) BTW: I have not clearcoated the caps...(yet) not sure if I will.
I stripped the clearcoat off the center caps using lacquer thinner...seemed to work well (after removing the emplems!) Then I made a fixture out of plywood to spin the cap in my battery (Don't use electric unless you have a death wish) powered drill while keeping the cap semi submerged water. I started with 600 wet dri on a small block of wood, then using progressivly finer grits finished with 2000. I think next I'm gonna make a fixture to spin the wheels...(I am so frugal!) BTW: I have not clearcoated the caps...(yet) not sure if I will.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,834
Likes: 2
From: Doylestown PA
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Somers New York
Thanks for the compliment...since my last post, I found out that if you let the center cap soak in the lacquar thinner the clear coat just peels off. I filled a large lid from a cookie can with about 1/2 inch of the thinner, and just let it soak. There is some residual left, so I'm gonna try some aluminum cleaner/polish on one of them. I'll let you know how it works out.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Somers New York
There's 2 spring "nuts" holding the emblem on. Just carefull pry around (pry closer to center of pin is better) After that I just tapped on the pins and the emblem pops out. The emblem is glued, so you may have to pry under it too..be careful don't damage the finish on the cap. I got another set of center caps on Ebay. I noticed that the finish is not smooth, but has lines from the macheneing..so take that into consideration. You may only need to remove the clear coat. Just let it soak in the thinner for 45 minutes...then the thinner just peels off.
