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An interesting observation on 1953 Hub Caps

Started by Dan LeBlanc, January 22, 2015, 03:13:44 PM

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Dan LeBlanc

Since buying the 53, I've been perusing online auctions and classifieds looking for stuff for the 53.  The last two hubcaps have gone missing prior to my ownership.  Almost every hub cap I see out there for the 53 is the full wheel cover.  Mine, on the other hand, came with the "dog dish" hubcaps and the original owner sprung for trim rings.  I haven't seen any for sale.  Not that I'm looking to buy right now unless a set came on at the sale of the century price as I have a long way to go before getting there.

Were these so uncommon that few survived?  Did the ones that were sold new end up getting ditched for some upgrade out of the JC Whitney Catalog?

Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Quentin Hall

Very few in decent condition seem to be out there. Mc Veys or   Ed Cholakian may have some. By the time you restore a set you would buy half a dozen really nice stainless caps. The full disc cover is one of the most beautiful caps ever. I know what I, would do. I have got a set of factory option fake wire hubcaps. Still need to find some hub locators that hold them on. But I prefer the full disk.
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz

Dan LeBlanc

I want to stay true to the build sheet on this one.  Centre caps, trim rings, and cobalt blue rims are the order of the day.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Dan, for years, all the dog dish caps were good for was to take the emblems out and then throw them in the trash. No one wanted them, and most of them were dented up so that there was no way you could restore them. I did this to about 18 caps.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Dan LeBlanc

I'm sure at the time when that was going on, nobody was thinking about the potential need for these in 2015.  Today there isn't much we can do about it.

I'm sure I'll find a set in the years it will take me to do the car over anyway.

I picked up a radio for parts last week for $19. Mine has missing buttons so two radios will make one complete one.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Alan Harris CLC#1513

I always liked the 41-53 small caps. At one time, reproduction ones were available.

I am sure that you will find some nice ones if you try.

Tito Sobrinho

I like them too!
They are rare due to the fact that the factory and or the dealers "pushed" for the more expensive wheel discs.

My convertible has them...My car is black with red leather interior, red wheels and the small hub caps surrounded by the beauty rings. Nice sight to see!
Tito S.

1949 CCP 6267X  (First Series)

Thanks to Frank Hershey for its design and thanks to Harry Barr, Ed Cole, John Gordon and Byron Ellis for its engine.

Dan LeBlanc

I'll be scouring fall Hershey for them this fall if all else fails.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Cadcliff

Cliff Graubard
CLC #1430

1955 Cadillac Broadmoor Wagon x3
1956 Cadillac Broadmoor Wagon- One of two
1955 Eldorado- bronze
1961 Cadillac Biarritz-bucket seats
1964 CDV- Silver/Red Every option
1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
1940 and 1941 60S
1961 Cadillac Convertible
1965 Cadillac Convertible

Dan LeBlanc

My car at one point had two on it.  They disappeared sometime before I got it.

Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Jay Friedman

I have 4 I'd like to sell and will send you a PM.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Dan LeBlanc

#11
Thank you again, Jay for a more than fair transaction.  I look forward to opening the box with the caps in it.

Hopefully finding the trim rings will be just as easy.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Dan LeBlanc

SCORE!!!  Today is my lucky day. Got trim rings too 😄
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Jeff Maltby 4194

#13
Here's a few pictures of me in 54 with fathers new 53 sedan with factory wire hubcaps.
Jeffo 49er chapter

CLC 1985
Honda Gold Wing GL1500

MAX GRETENCORD

At Hershey last week a nice set of 4 was priced at $500.  My 53 came with the small hub caps which are very nice also.  At the GN I found a very nice set of wire caps and therefore am sporting the wires and the small caps are in storage to swap back and forth as needed.  Thanks Dan for your help on the documentation of these caps
1953 CADILLAC 6219 SEDAN
1963 STUDEBAKER GT HAWK

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Dan, yesterday, I found a decent one that has a few ripples on the raised portion around the emblem which is gone. Let me know if you would like it as a spare.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Dan LeBlanc

Thanks Barry.  I've ended up with two sets already - the second set I had to buy just to get the correct trim rings as the seller did not want to separate.  As it turns out, they also had an original set of near NOS emblems on them.

Consequently, I have a new set of surplus reproduction emblems and one set of small hub caps for sale.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

veesixteen

What I like about the full covers for 1953 is the way that Cadillac was able to make convex emblems to fit on the equally convex steel hub center. I assume the "dog-dish" covers that were used for many years did not have these convex Cadillac emblems.
Yann Saunders, CLC #12588
Compiler and former keeper of "The Cadillac Database"
aka "MrCadillac", aka "Veesixteen"

veesixteen

Missed out these caps  ...
Yann Saunders, CLC #12588
Compiler and former keeper of "The Cadillac Database"
aka "MrCadillac", aka "Veesixteen"

bullet bob

Quote from: veesixteen on October 16, 2015, 08:13:40 AM
Missed out these caps  ...
Those are the caps on my '53 CDV. But the valve stem holes don't align with the valve stems. Saving my pennies for aftermarket wire rims.
Honda Goldwing 1800  "I don't need no stinkin' map, I've still got gas"