Hubcap Identification & Removal/Replacement

[Hoogah]

Just wondering about the mix of hubcaps I have on my Canadian built, Australian assembled phaeton. Everything from the running boards up is dated June 1928 (on the firewall). The previous owner jacked the car up and rolled a complete running USA-import '28-29 chassis (a rodder's cast-off) under it, mainly to take advantage of the updated brake system and a stronger engine.

So, the four 28-29 (US) wheels on the ground have hubcaps with a flatter profile and the Ford script with a "short" F (top row in photo). The spare (Canadian) wheel that came with the car was of the E28 (AR) type, and has a hubcap with a more dome shaped profile and the Ford script has a long flowing F that extends over the other letters (bottom row in photo).

Do these hubcaps accurately represent differences between Canadan and US hubcaps produced in 28-29, or the design change that occurred over the 1928 - 29 period?

Or are they all perhaps after-market repros made with varying degrees of authenticity?

I'm in the process of painting a later spare wheel to match the four on the road, and will have to remove the hubcap from the old spare and install it on the new spare. Is the removal/replacement process just a matter of bending each of the little tabs accessed from the back of the wheel? Are there any tricks I should know about?

[d.j. moordigian]

It sure would help if you cleaned them up some. Also, clearer, larger photos.
What I see of the 4 photos is #1, I think is a repop. Number #4 (if the photo in
#3 is the mate), looks like the rarest of the 28-29 hub caps.

[Gary Karr]

I say that the caps you have with the short top on the "F" are repops. How about the earlier cap? Is it simply a Ford script with nothing else?

[Hoogah]

Originally Posted by d.j. moordigian

It sure would help if you cleaned them up some. Also, clearer, larger photos.
What I see of the 4 photos is #1, I think is a repop. Number #4 (if the photo in
#3 is the mate), looks like the rarest of the 28-29 hub caps.

In post #1, the top row shows two views of the same cap, and ditto for the bottom row.

Sorry about the photos. I won't get back to the car until the weekend to rectify the "clean them up" situation but here are some better versions of the same photos, in the same order as they appear in the compilation photo in Post #1 - i.e. Top row left (1) to right (2), bottom row left (3) to right (4).

Photos 1 & 2 are of the same US 28-29 cap. Photos 3 & 4 are of the original Canadian E28 cap.

[160B]

RG&JS page 22-3, 4, 5 revised 2011

HUBCAPS
The early 1928 hub cap was used through June 1928. The
caps were marked "Ford" (script), "Made in U.S.A.",
with a manufacturer's trademark ("R" "w" a star or
plain) beneath the "S" in U.S.A. The shapes (silhouettes)
of the preceding hub caps varied. June through August
1928 hub caps, similar in shape, had a Ford script with
no "Made in U.S.A." marking.

From September 1928 through 1929, hub caps had Ford
script only and a different profile. Prior to April 1929, all
hub caps were bright nickel plated. Thereafter, nickel and
chrome plated hub caps were used through the end of 1929.
There were many silhouette shapes of 1928-29 hub caps.
Judge the quality of plating and/or buffing as well as the
condition and overall shape. All 1928-29 hub caps were
plated steel.

The 1930-31 hub caps were stainless steel or stainless
clad. They are distinguished by a continuously smooth
outer edge surface (with no lip or crimping marks at
the edge) and a recessed center circle that was convex
with a Ford script. One manufacturer, Noblitt-Sparks,
made Ford script centers which were nearly flat rather
than domed. Hub caps in early 1930 were stainless steel
with no reinforcement liner. These hub caps had twenty
attachment tabs that were part of the hub cap shell. In
March 1930, a partial steel liner was added, but the
outward appearance was unchanged. The stainless steel
made a rounded blunt edge where the hub cap contacted
the hub.

The third type, introduced in late 1930, had a full metal
liner with ten attachment tabs. The stainless steel skin was
thin and made a very sharp bend where it contacted the
hub. In 1930-31, there were slight variations in the center
recess and Ford script as molds were replaced due to use
(approximately every 10,000 stampings). In 1931 some
hub caps were produced with chrome plated brass shells.
These were for service only and are not acceptable for
judging. All hub caps, including the spare, must match.
Check all hub caps for tightness against the wheel.












Hubcaps numbered from left to right
Hubcap 1 - Ford Script and lettering on hub cap used
from the beginning of production through
June 1928. Trademarks in the lowest
portion varied, but should match

Hubcap 2 - Ford Script on hub cap used from June
1928 through August 1928


Hubcap 3 - Typical Ford Script on hub cap used from
September 1928 through 1929 and 1930
commercial vehicles with 21" wheels.
Note: there was a large variety of scripts.

Hubcap 4 - Ford Script on early and
mid 1930 hub cap
Hubcap 5 - Ford Script on late 1930 to end of
production hub cap with "E" trademark
stamped inside
Hubcap 6 -Ford Script on late 1930 to end of
production hub cap with "NS" trademark
stamped inside
Hubcap 7 -Ford Script on late 1930 to end of production
hub cap with "R" trademark stamped inside

[d.j. moordigian]

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I still think the first cap is a repop. The second cap, third photo, looks like the
interim cap. I think Gary needs to look at the new photo,...I'm sure he's seen one
in person..

[Gary Karr]

Thanks for posting more pictures. The US caps are definitely reproductions. The Ford script interim cap is definitely a Canadian cap. It is hard to see but there is a star centered below the Ford script, making it a Canadian cap. I have one of these here. The US interim caps did not have the star below the script. The interim caps are actually a very rare item. I have only found a couple of them in all of my years of swap meet scrounging. They are both on the June '28 Phaeton of my late friend Dave Lopes.

[Hoogah]

So there is! Thanks, Gary!!

Just as well I left all that dirt and rust on there to get stuck in the corners or it would have gone un-noticed!

I wish I'd known this when I bought the car, as I reckon I could have snagged the other four that stayed put, on the original rolling chassis that was wheeled out from under this car and re-assigned!

I'm content that I know what I've got now, thanks to all for your expertise and willingness to help!

The only unanswered (boring) question I have is re the removal and replacement process - is it just a matter of unbending the little tabs to remove and re-bending to replace?

[Tudortomnz]

The 1st one is a repro ; second one with large script looks the AR wheel hubcap. It probably has no star as Canadian.
Be careful bending the tabs as they break off easily. I prise mine off & bang them back on & try not to touch the tabs.