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1959 Fleetwood hubcap

Started by rex, May 11, 2017, 11:27:44 AM

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rex

Dear Members,

Two days ago I had a blowout on the interstate while cruising along in my cherished '59 Fleetwood.  In the process, I lost one of the precious hubcaps along the packed interstate.  I looked as well as I could but due to traffic, it was a lost cause.  I am wondering if anyone of you has a spare '59 Fleetwood hubcap he or she would be willing to sell?  My car is a very nice, mostly all original car, and I would like to keep her that way.  Fortunately, the car sustained no damage in the blow out, nor did I, so I am thankful.

Any help would be appreciated.

Rex Crews  #18304
Rex Crews #18304

Carl Fielding

Hi Rex. Are the Fleetwood h'caps different from other '59s ? Also , for safety data , please provide us with incident details. What make tire ? Radial or bias ? Cause : road hazard ? Inflation pressure ? Tire age ? Other ? Also , what speed ? Front or rear ? How did it handle and what did you do to maintain control ? A friend of mine succeeded in smoking himself to death several years ago. His son gave me three Cadillac hubcaps which he thought were '59. If all '59 'caps are the same , I could try to dig them up. I had thought about taking them to a G.N. and trading them for a beer.  - Carl

P.S. : From the above incident detail analysis , are the remaining tires suspect ?

rex

Dear Carl,

Thanks for your note.  The '59 Fleetwood has the same spinner type hubcaps as the Eldorado, so they are different from the standard hubcaps on the other models.  I am unsure the cause of the blowout, but the tires were about ten years old--radial whitewalls.  I think I may have had them over-inflated on a hot day in S.C. and that contributed to the problem.  I was making about a 500 mile round trip and should have considered the age of the tires. 

If you can help me, let me know!

Regards,

Rex
Rex Crews #18304

rex

Carl,

I should add that I could feel the belt separation when it began and was able to slow down, so I did not lose control.  It was the left front.  I was trying to limp along to a good spot to get off the highway when it blew.  I think the age and inflation pressure were the problems.

Rex
Rex Crews #18304

Carl Fielding

#4
Whew !! Good thing you could feel incipient failure with time to react ! Age ? Sure could be. OVER inflation ? Were you exceeding max load pressure cold ? Separation at highway speeds is more likely to be provoked by under inflation. Choose your next tires carefully. What size do '59 Fleetwoods use ? Since you enjoy taking trips in your Cadillac , avoid show only tires. There is a brand of tires which rhymes with a game of chance played with a deck of cards and money. These should be regarded as show tires. At that you will likely spending a fair amount of time trying to keep the whitewalls white. This has been a problem for some time , so perhaps the problem has been corrected. Little incentive to correct product deficiencies if one has a monopoly , however. I don't pay much attention to whitewalls , but I do concede that your car is better off with them. That being said , is it true that Diamondback will put any width whitewall on a radial of your choice ? I HIGHLY recommend using 50 psi light truck radials on huge heavy old cars which are actually driven. There are some of these tires which have very "Retro" tread patterns , and shoulders. With a 50 psi rating , you could pump them to , say 65 or 70 for show , and that would eliminate radial bulge. (Actually at 50 there would not be much).  Your recent incident should alert you to safety imperatives. Select your next tires carefully. The lives of loved ones (yours and others) , could depend on your choice. You may call me evenings PDT at 408-621-8261 if talking tire trivia , or Cadillac suits your mood.   - Carl

Dan LeBlanc

A radial tire, while cosmetically fine on the exterior will be well deteriorated on the inside beyond 5-6 years regardless of mileage.

A P235/75/R15XL should be all the tire you need. XL (Extra Load) is important due to the heavy weight of these cars. XL tires is the happy medium between a regular p-rated tire and an LT tire.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

35-709

Driving a valuable car that you are obviously very fond of (or any car) on 10 year old radial tires is a dangerous "incident" waiting to happen --- soon.
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

rex

Thank you all for the communication.  If anyone can help me with a hubcap, I would be most appreciative.  The hubcap that I lost had come off several times in recent months despite our best efforts to reshape the grips.  I regret I did not see or hear it come off.

Rex Crews #18304

Carl Fielding

Might be a good idea to increase exposure. Post on  forums.aaca.org  asking for anyone's suggestions for hubcap vendors who might have one. Also , contact everyone in the directory who has a '59 F'wood. You will find one sooner or later. Just try to get your search up to "critical mass". Good luck , Rex. Just regard this as an adventurous treasure hunt , and enjoy it ! You might even make a friend or two along the way ! I would trade a hubcap for a friend any day !   - Carl

P. Manoogian

This wheel covers are super expensive. Look at EBay....3000 a set. It may be worth it to file an insurance claim.
1961 Eldorado - Shell Pearl/Mauve
1962 Corvette 327 - 250 HP Automatic Triple Black
1963 Impala SS Convertible - 283 Automatic Black Red Gut White Top
1965 Impala SS Coupe  - 502 Turbo 400 - Crocus Yellow
1974 Corvette L84 4spd Coupe - White / Black Leather

David King (kz78hy)

#10
This one is not perfect, but could get you by until a better one comes along.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272669370331?ul_noapp=true 

Note that this wheel cover is in Caracas, Venezuela

McVey's has the center medallion. 

David
David King
CLC 22014  (life)
1958 Eldorado Brougham 615
1959 Eldorado Brougham 56- sold
1960 Eldorado Brougham 83- sold
1998 Deville d'Elegance
1955 Eldorado #277
1964 Studebaker Commander
2012 Volt
CLCMRC benefactor 197

Director and Founder, Eldorado Brougham Chapter
Past President, Motor City Region

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