Just had a crazy idea - I have some shipping stretch wrap big enough to cover the entire hubcap - would make it smoother and protect it from dirt, mud and snow and be clear enough to see through. hummmm...
the '95 and up metros have hubcaps that are quite "domed" if you know what i mean.
on cars with the skinny 155/80/13 tires like mine, the hubcap protrudes noticibly further into the airflow than the tire sidewall, with the result that any car driven regularly at higher speeds (especially with winter salt & grit) gets the finish sandblasted off the exposed portion of the hubcaps! over the years, of course.
they were like that on firefly #1. i repainted them when i got the car.
i have an idea for making smooth wheel covers this summer. black. maybe use an old set of hubcaps as a base, then attach a flat plastic disc.
i don't think we need to worry much about brake cooling unless you live in a mountainous area, or stop repeatedly from high speed. truly efficient drivers barely use their brakes enough to get them warm, let alone hot.
Yeah mine had the domes ones and I made the mistake of power washing them from about 3 feet away - as soon as the water spray hit them the paint came off - another one got scratched pretty bad when I backed up along a curb and sank into a storm drain dip - the curb was half way up the tire. I have 145/80R12 tires on my 94Geo!
I actually saw a normal (or so I assumed) person with these the other day. I doubt brake fade would be that much of an issue. Always a good time to practice engine braking, uses 0 gas too,
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