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Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:10 am

Does anyone know where to get a decent quality set of commercial hubcaps somewhere other than Wolfsburg West?

Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:43 am

good luck.

I would recomend buying good used ones, at swap meets or from the classifieds, etc. except good ones are near impossible to find. I have been hunting for years, and I have only been able to come up with four light grey hubcaps. I kicked myself for not picking up a pair that I saw at OCTO last summer. they were a bit on the expensive side, and I didn't have a bus that needed them at the time. now I have two buses that need them.

dove grey caps are easier to find.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:15 am

Thanks.

Someone did reply to me via PM regarding a european source for heavy guage bare metal repros that he claims are quality. The picture looks good. I would paint them. I'm going to look into those and see what's up.

I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:28 am

Keep us posted on what you find out. Was just thinking of getting a set or 2 from ww, what's wrong with them? What was the application for L345 vs dove grey?

Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:07 am

stephenmullens wrote: Thanks.

Someone did reply to me via PM regarding a european source for heavy guage bare metal repros that he claims are quality. The picture looks good. I would paint them. I'm going to look into those and see what's up.

I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.

Why not just pick up a set of original beat up chromies, scuff them and paint them?
--Dan

Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:21 am

Lind wrote: I would recomend buying good used ones, at swap meets or from the classifieds, etc.

That is basically what I have been doing. The negative side of that is that if you buy them one by one from different sources, as is usually the case, you end up with a very uneven set in terms of discoloration.

Cris

Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:23 am

volksaddict wrote: Keep us posted on what you find out. Was just thinking of getting a set or 2 from ww, what's wrong with them? What was the application for L345 vs dove grey?

Dove grey was for Dove blue buses, the rest had the light grey.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:45 am

stephenmullens wrote: Thanks.

Someone did reply to me via PM regarding a european source for heavy guage bare metal repros that he claims are quality. The picture looks good. I would paint them. I'm going to look into those and see what's up.

I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.

I have the German bare metal heavy OE hub caps in stock. Don't advetise them because they are expensive. I will post some pics tomorrow of them if I can remember that far

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:09 am

I recently bought a set of gray repros from BFY. WW was out of stock. The BFY ones look fine to me.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:20 am

stephenmullens wrote: I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.
people don't like to sell painted caps that much. I know I have only ever sold one set of painted caps, and that was because the guy bought a couple commercial model buses from me and I knew how hard of a time he would have finding the hubcaps.

the repro ones that I have seen have too crisp of a stamping of the VW.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:32 am

stephenmullens wrote: Thanks.

I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.

You gotta DIG at shows! I've found both light and dove grey caps at shows over the last few years.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:41 am

Major Woody wrote: I recently bought a set of gray repros from BFY. WW was out of stock. The BFY ones look fine to me. The BFY caps are WW manufactured items, as are about 75% of the repro items sold by BFY.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:47 am

My container van had 4 light gray hubcaps when I got it.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:32 am

Isn't it true that very early working class buses had chrome hubcaps? If so, when did they switch over? I've been running light grey hubcaps on my firetruck red September of '57 kombi, thinking this is correct...

crofty wrote: volksaddict wrote: Keep us posted on what you find out. Was just thinking of getting a set or 2 from ww, what's wrong with them? What was the application for L345 vs dove grey?

Dove grey was for Dove blue buses, the rest had the light grey.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:37 am

KevinMc wrote: Isn't it true that very early working class buses had chrome hubcaps? If so, when did they switch over? I've been running light grey hubcaps on my firetruck red September of '57 kombi, thinking this is correct...
progressive refinements insicates that all '58 and earlier buses would have chrome caps, but I have seen several original '58 commercial buses that had painted caps that I suspect were original to the buses.

I am fairly confident that a '57 would have chrome caps. you can see this in period photos and official VW press photos.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:44 am

KevinMc wrote: Isn't it true that very early working class buses had chrome hubcaps? If so, when did they switch over? I've been running light grey hubcaps on my firetruck red September of '57 kombi, thinking this is correct...

crofty wrote: volksaddict wrote: Keep us posted on what you find out. Was just thinking of getting a set or 2 from ww, what's wrong with them? What was the application for L345 vs dove grey?

Dove grey was for Dove blue buses, the rest had the light grey.

That's true and I left off the dove blue with dove blue caps deal as well as I was generalizing.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:17 pm

That's a bummer since I'm a fan of the primer caps. Now I understand that my two buses should have fancy chrome caps. I think I'll run primer ones anyway, but at least I know; thanks for helping clear that up.

Lind wrote: KevinMc wrote: Isn't it true that very early working class buses had chrome hubcaps? If so, when did they switch over? I've been running light grey hubcaps on my firetruck red September of '57 kombi, thinking this is correct...
progressive refinements insicates that all '58 and earlier buses would have chrome caps, but I have seen several original '58 commercial buses that had painted caps that I suspect were original to the buses.

I am fairly confident that a '57 would have chrome caps. you can see this in period photos and official VW press photos.

Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:49 pm

crofty wrote: stephenmullens wrote: Thanks.

I have never seen a nice original set for sale anywhere. Or even a beat down set for that matter.

You gotta DIG at shows! I've found both light and dove grey caps at shows over the last few years.

Okay then I'll start digging!!

Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:51 pm

Major Woody wrote: I recently bought a set of gray repros from BFY. WW was out of stock. The BFY ones look fine to me.

Who/what is BFY?

Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:02 pm

stephenmullens wrote: Major Woody wrote: I recently bought a set of gray repros from BFY. WW was out of stock. The BFY ones look fine to me.

Who/what is BFY?

You serious?

http://www.bfyobsoleteparts.com/home.php