Message inside hub caps from prev owner

[FRITZ47]

We pulled the hub caps off my 1940 Ford Convertible yesterday to polish them, and inside of them was a message in black magic marker:

"Last Owner 9-2-07 Andy - Good Car" One of the others said, "Excel Car". His phone number was also marked inside each hubcap.

The previous owner is deceased, but this was his message. Is this common on old cars? I have never run into this before. You can bet I will leave this message, and may add a message of my own!

I have placed detailed wiring information inside odd places in some of my cars, in hopes that it might help a future owner. Remember we don't actually own our cars, we are just caretakers for the next owner(s).

Fritz

[Matt in Alameda]

Wow, what a great idea!.......Matt ion Alameda

[B-O-B]

Good idea on leaving a wiring diagram as long as it correct. The P O on my 34 didn't know or understand 6 volt wiring & had the battery hooked up wrong & the wiring was waaay to light. He was familiar with newer cars. So proud that he had rewired it. I didn't have the heart to tell him there was a difference
Could never figure out way it was hard to start & not run very well. He also had an electric fuel pump on a 97 Stromberg & no regulator. Runs like a well tuned watch now.

[L78CHEVELLE]

I had a college professor back in the late 60's with a new Cadillac. Car had a noise in the rear window area. Dealer finally took off the interior quarter window panel and found a small green glass 7UP bottle with a note. Note said, "Here is your rattle you rich SOB".

[37 Coupe]

Here hopefully is a picture of my 37 Ford coupe hubcap with a SOHIO lube sticker that was placed 5-27-53 with mileage of 13,065 miles placed at wheel bearings service.

[19Fordy]

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I have written a message and tucked in behind the upholstery in 1978 when I redid the interior. Also, I keep a written history of the car and how to start it inside the glove box.
a photo album documenting the car and its history is kept in the trunk.

[Clem Clement]

For my bud's wedding I put popcorn firecrackers in his 51 ford hub caps. Does that count?

[trulyvintage]

Great idea !


Jim

[Clem Clement]

That boy chased his hubcaps everywhere. Plus I put two squealers across his spark plugs. One went off as he started the car and the other about 5 miles later, blowing the two wires loose so he hadda stop and put them back on. Loose corn on the roof makes a funny sound as it rattles down the back of the car. I think his block got some cheese whiz as well.

[woodypecker]

I hid some amunition under the seat of my dads car and he sold it before I recovered it. That was 58 years ago and wondered if it made it to the scrap yard.

[FL&WVMIKE]

Back in the 60s, when I was restoring my "A" Model, I hide my name in several places, behind the upholstery. I did this, in case it was stolen. Only I, would be able to find it.
MIKE

[itsa52]

Never on a car, but on old firearms often something under the but plate.

[TradModelA]

My 35 wire wheel caps have tire change dates written in pencil from the 40s on the back.

[wisbangman]

Not with my car, but I was doing some remodeling on my house, removed a 2x4 stud from a wall. On the 2x4 was written, " Corrin Flatta Nov 15th. 1971 " I know that was the year the house was built. Showed the board to the guy who lives next door, who is 86. He said, " I know Corrin Flatta ! "..... Since that happened I have met with, and showed Corrin Flatta the 2x4. [ small town ] It almost brought tears to his eyes, He is now in his mid eighties. It was neat tracking down the note author, You guys should too!

[woodiewagon46]

Fritz47, I do the same thing. I just replaced the DS vent window gear on my 46 woodie and made a note of the date with a paint pen on the inside of the door. I have marked several things over the past, such as my name inside the doors, etc, and if the car is ever stolen I can direct the authorities to several places to look. It also lets me know if I replaced a part recently.

[joe 1950]

I worked for a local cadillac dealer in the 1970s had a new car that a rattle in the r.f. door took the door panel off only to find a empty jim bean bottle in there, that day our factory rep. was there he took pictures of the bottle in the door and also the build sheet of the car, this was when the uaw was about to go on strike

[FRITZ47]

In 1963 I ordered a bramd new Pontiac station wagon and it had a terrible rolling rattling sound in the left side passenger door. After complaining about this for weeks, my good friend (a mechanic) told me he was getting tired of hearing me complain, so pulled the interior door panel, finding a handful of the small stainless or chrome coat hooks. Evidently it was at the end of the shift and tossed into the door, or they were thrown in there as a joke. in spite of this minor glitch it was one of my favorite cars and with the performance package (4 barrel carb, performance rear axle with positraction and 389 engine) it did very well at the local drag strips on Thursday nights.

Fritz

[Straightpipes]

My unrestored 35 coupe has a name and adress written on the back side of the glove box door. I tracked him down. He owned the car around 1960.

[VeryTangled]

I'm inspired now. Will be writing stuff all over the car from here on!

If I'd'a thought of it I could have marked up almost all the running gear on our car!

-VT/Jeff

[ford38v8]

My '38 was found by it's previous owner in 1963 at the back of a used car lot in Alameda Ca, without an engine. When I bought it in 1990, I removed the door panel to work on the lock, and found a 1938 Alameda Mayoral candidates political card, and a gas company paper credit card with its original clear plastic protector. Pretty cool to be able to trace your car back to new, and still in the same city!