Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history?

[Brian E.]

What are these? Does anyone recognize them? Can anyone provide some insight or history about these?


Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4




As you can see there are 2 different types of boxes, both types of box have the same part number(s). These center caps appear to be NOS (new old stock) because they are very clean and not tarnished as they would be if they were ever installed on a vehicle even if only for a short time. It appears that these center caps have been boxed for the past 53 years.



There is one reference, 15 year ago, to these center caps on the NCRS Forum but not much was learned about them then: https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...aps+white+bluehttps://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-history.html

[Harry S.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Brian, there are four threads in the archives.... here is one...https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...hlight=3908161

If you go to ebay there are some 3908161 for sale with some details

[Brian E.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

None of the threads in the archives that I've found are of the same and unique center cap and there are none on eBay of the same and unique center cap either. Unless I'm simply missing something...

[Leif A.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Brian,
I looked at the parts for sale on eBay. They have the identical numbers on the inside as your picture #2. Is it possible that the ones you have were hand painted? Maybe they started life all red, and the owner painted them him/herself. This could, also, explain why the white and blue colors are flip-flopped on two of them. Just a thought.

[Joe L.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

What are these? Does anyone recognize them? Can anyone provide some insight or history about these?


Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4




As you can see there are 2 different types of boxes, both types of box have the same part number(s). These center caps appear to be NOS (new old stock) because they are very clean and not tarnished as they would be if they were ever installed on a vehicle even if only for a short time. It appears that these center caps have been boxed for the past 53 years.



There is one reference, 15 year ago, to these center caps on the NCRS Forum but not much was learned about them then: https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...aps+white+bluehttps://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-history.html

Brian------


All I can tell you about these is the following:

1) This is the correct part number for the 1967 Corvette aluminum wheel center ornament;

2) This is a part number that was released in late 1966 for the 1967 model year;

3) The label on this box is a very old label and not a style used for many years. These may date back to about the time these were released;

4) The part number of this part would not necessarily change because of the difference in the painted segments. That's because the functionality of the part did not change in any way. On the other hand, for a trim part with styling implications, it would not have been out of the question that a part number change would occur. The part number embossed on the back would definitely not have changed due to the differently painted segments even if the finished part number did change. In other words, the number on the back is the part number for both the casting and the finished part. If the part number for the finished ornament had changed between the differently painted versions, the finished part number would likely only have been found on the box for the SERVICE part. Of course, the part number obviously did not change in this case.

Now, a few of my own thoughts:

1) The colored segments of the ornaments do not appear to me to be hand-painted. I tend to think they were made this way but it's possible a very clever and artistic person could have modified them (see below);

2) It's possible that these were some sort of prototype part that found their way into SERVICE part boxes;

3) The knock-off wheel nuts (spinners) used on 1963-66 Corvettes did have similar 3 different color segments. It's possible that, early on, the idea was to duplicate this on the bolt-on wheel ornaments. Perhaps this was changed, before or after the ornaments got into PRODUCTION. It could even be that early 1967 cars got the style ornaments you show. Of course, it's also possible that some very clever and talented individual may have perfectly re-painted these in order to mimic the knock-off wheel style color segments. Here's what could point to that: the knock-off wheel nuts (spinners) had different part numbers due to the thread difference from side-to-side. The 3 colored segments also were painted differently from side-to-side to keep their rotational sequence the same (some dispute that this was done). So, someone might have wanted the 67 ornaments to be the same. That would explain why you have the two different patterns. However, the 67 ornaments only had one part number. So, how would you have a set with each box having the same part number but differently painted segment order? The only way GM could have done this would have been to either sell the 4 ornaments as a SET with a set part number or have different finished part numbers for the differently painted versions. In your case, we know they did neither.

[Brian E.]

[Brian E.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Brian------

Joe, please see my response(s) below in red.

All I can tell you about these is the following:

1) This is the correct part number for the 1967 Corvette aluminum wheel center ornament; agreed

2) This is a part number that was released in late 1966 for the 1967 model year; agreed

3) The label on this box is a very old label and not a style used for many years. These may date back to about the time these were released; did you by any chance ever work with GM parts back in the day to know the particulars about this style of label?

4) The part number of this part would not necessarily change because of the difference in the painted segments. understood That's because the functionality of the part did not change in any way. On the other hand, for a trim part with styling implications, it would not have been out of the question that a part number change would occur. understood The part number embossed on the back would definitely not have changed due to the differently painted segments even if the finished part number did change. In other words, the number on the back is the part number for both the casting and the finished part. If the part number for the finished ornament had changed between the differently painted versions, the finished part number would likely only have been found on the box understood for the SERVICE part. Of course, the part number obviously did not change in this case.

Now, a few of my own thoughts:

1) The colored segments of the ornaments do not appear to me to be hand-painted. I tend to think they were made this way but it's possible a very clever and artistic person could have modified them (see below); Joe, if you look above at my recently uploaded picture you'll see a magnified photo with a red arrow showing a thin area in the white segment revealing the metal beneath. I know that I am not a clever artistic person but I know that I could not have affected such a thin area. If anything, in an attempt to paint this area I would have laid this piece down on a very flat / level surface and poured white paint into the segment. Obviously, I've never tried to do this, but my point is that if anybody else tried to paint these segments they may have thought to do the very same thing. But I don't know how evenly this painting method would have looked once the paint dried, and can't imagine it looking as evenly as these do. Additionally, using the method described above would not have resulted in an area of such thin paint. Painting with any kind of brush would have covered this area (red arrow) much more thoroughly.

2) It's possible that these were some sort of prototype part that found their way into SERVICE part boxes; agreed that this is a possibility

3) The knock-off wheel nuts (spinners) used on 1963-66 Corvettes did have similar 3 different color segments. It's possible that, early on, the idea was to duplicate this on the bolt-on wheel ornaments (I had this thought too). Perhaps this was changed, before or after the ornaments got into PRODUCTION. It could even be that early 1967 cars got the style ornaments you show (I too had this thought but nobody has confirmed this, which makes me think this probably didn't happen). Of course, it's also possible that some very clever and talented individual may have perfectly re-painted these in order to mimic the knock-off wheel style color segments. Here's what could point to that: the knock-off wheel nuts (spinners) had different part numbers due to the thread difference from side-to-side. The 3 colored segments also were painted differently from side-to-side to keep their rotational sequence the same (some dispute that this was done, so I have heard about this dispute). So, someone might have wanted the 67 ornaments to be the same. That would explain why you have the two different patterns (yep, I undestand this plausible explanation). However, the 67 ornaments only had one part number. So, how would you have a set with each box having the same part number but differently painted segment order? The only way GM could have done this would have been to either sell the 4 ornaments as a SET with a set part number or have different finished part numbers for the differently painted versions. In your case, we know they did neither.

Joe, please see my notes above in red, and thank you for your input, possible explanations, and contribution. Appreciate it.

[Joe L.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Joe, please see my notes above in red, and thank you for your input, possible explanations, and contribution. Appreciate it.

Brian------


I have never worked in the automotive industry outside of a stint as a gas station attendant/mechanics helper at a gas station when I was in high school. However, I have been collecting GM parts for Corvettes (about 39,000 to date) for over 40 years. I've also studied those parts and their packaging.

Based upon the enlarged photo, I have little doubt that these were painted at their source. In fact, that was my initial reaction when I viewed the original photos you posted.

[Brian E.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Leif, I was looking for you in Frisco. Couldn't find you. Wanted to say hi to you.

Leif, I too was thinking the same thing you mentioned above, but the paint lines/edges looked so clean and sharp that I didn't think it was possible for someone outside of HC to do such a nice job.

I knew I'd be in Frisco, and after a class on paint put on by Tom Ames (NCRS body & paint director) at the Texas Regionals, I asked Tom Ames to take a look at the paint applied to the center caps to see what he noticed...

Understandably, since Tom wasn't there when the paint was applied, he couldn't say words/phrases like, "Yep, this is definitely original paint." Or, "Yep, this paint is definitely _____." Any professional, when asked for his professional opinion, typically uses words like "typical application process", "typical _____", "atypical _____", etc.

All Tom could say was that the paint looked typical for how the paint would have been applied to the center cap, without any evidence of bleeding up the edges. My interpretation of Tom's on-the-spot assessment was that the paint looked as if it were applied at the HC facility.

[Leif A.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Thanks for the follow-up Brian. You have, what seems to be, a truly unique find. Especially, considering the RWB paint on two and, then, RBW paint on the other two.
I saw Tom at Frisco when I was visiting with some other participants over by Michael Johnson's outstanding '63 SWC. Tom just painted Chris Elwood's '67 convertible. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up.

[Brian E.]

Re: Bolt on center caps? What are these? Can anyone provide some insight or history

Leif, since I didn't know what you looked like I asked some people at the show if they knew you. They told me your description and I looked for guys that fit your description but never found you. Since then, I've seen a photo of you on the CF and you look like the description I was given. I'll be able to spot you next time.

In actuality, we were probably in close proximity to one another without knowing it. There were so many people there that I know from the forums and from C2 hunting that I've never met face to face. I had talked with Jim Gessner on the phone many times and never recognized him until we nearly bumped into one another. Shook Jim's hand and talked with him briefly. Had several encounters like this.

Fun show. Excited for next year's event.