Does anyone have a better picture of these wheelcovers?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Yeah, those pictured would have been the stock hubcap put on those cars if you didn't have wire wheels or sport wheels. If you can find a backwoods salvage yard they probably have a whole pile of them, and they probably won't be more than $10 or $15/ea/

[bowtieguy]

even more precise...there's a place here locally called "hub cap heaven." i'm sure every major metropolis has a place or a guy that has or can get them cheap.

[theholycow]

I remember roadside stands selling huge varieties of salvaged hubcaps used to be common in cities. Haven't seen one in forever but I don't go near cities often either.

I guess the next time I'm at the junkyard I should ask if they have a pile of them somewhere.

[VX_Arky]

Just curious, since I'm still learning lots, but what kind of difference can a flat "pizza pan" style hubcap make in fuel efficiency compared to a traditional spoked wheel or hubcab?

[theholycow]

In my googling, it seems like people see anywhere from 0 to 6% with common modern FWD-offset wheels, and more with old school deep dish RWD-offset wheels. Guess what's on my Buick...

The front wheels from this truck are currently my Buick's rear wheels:


...and the original wheels are currently my front wheels:


They've got to be pretty wasteful, but they're also ugly. The original wheels wouldn't be ugly if they were in good condition but they're a bit beat-up, and the combination of two different wheels is bound to be ugly even if they're both nice (let alone mine).

Since Saturday I've been thinking more seriously about wheelcovers because I saw lots of wheels with like-new tires at the junkyard that would fit...for $25 I can get a wheel + tire and bolt it on myself and never have to deal with used tires (meeting someone from Craigslist, buying, then waiting and paying for mounting) or the cost (and shopping and waiting) of new tires.

The trouble with that plan is that they're potentially even more ugly than my current wheels, a shiny black steelie + a silver S10 steelie + a rusty Buick Series 57 on the same car might be so awful even I wouldn't be able to deal with it.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by theholycow

All day I've been thinking of pizza pans but I just don't like the practical application of them, with choosing between ugly, insecure, difficult.

I was making it more difficult than it needs to be. This is a piece of cake.

Today I bought 4 16" silver non-perforated pizza pans for $3/each at Walmart. It was kinda tough to get 4 perfect ones...from their pile of about a dozen I got 2 perfect ones, one with slight scuffs, and one with a slightly dented edge and slight scuffs.

I have a set of regular cheapo push-on wheelcovers that someone abandoned outside AutoZone because they were old and ugly. The pans fit like a glove on the wheelcovers, like they were made for each other.

All I need is a good way to adhere the metal pans to the plastic. My thoughts are hot melt glue, 100% silicone caulk, or screws/bolts (but I don't want it to look like that). Any other ideas?

I'll clear coat the hell out of the pans, everybody who has used that style says they rust very quickly.

Naked wheel:


With wheelcover:


Pizza pan (the one with the slightly dented edge) on wheelcover:

[GasSavers_Erik]

It looks nice- a good match to your chrome trim!

I'd probably use a single 1/4 inch carriage bolt (smooth rounded head facing outward) through the dead center of the pan and hubcap (use a very large washer behind the plastic). I'd also use silicone caulk as a glue just to keep the pan from wobbling/shaking. I wouldn't trust the silicone caulk by itself to hold the pan onto the plastic wheelcover.

[theholycow]

Great idea. I previously had considered some sort of pan-head bolt (such as a carriage bolt) in the center, but then I forgot about it when I decided to just attach to the wheelcovers...but it makes sense for that job too!

[Jay2TheRescue]

I recommend JB Weld. Those pans will never come off.

[theholycow]

I'm almost ready to attach them. I've given them 2+ coats of adhesion promoter, 3+ coats of satin clearcoat, and 2+ coats of reflective clearcoat.


If they seem to work out ok, I'll probably want to stick some Buick logos on them. Maybe something like the one in the bottom left of this picture:


...or maybe I can find 4 of something I like the next time I'm at the junkyard.