P01 vs P02

[Tim G.]

Re: P01 vs P02

The PO2's can really grow on you. My first car with this option was a 69 I bought from the original owner in 1989. He didn't order them, but they came on his car. He refused to pay for them, and the dealer left them on and credited him for the cost. He ended up liking them. When I bought the car, I really didn't care for them, but fell in love with them, also.

[Jeffrey A.]

Re: P01 vs P02

I believe its argent silver at the top of the cast fin area up to the center cap, (I call it the cone area).

Its definitely not bare cast. GM wanted some protection there. They learned from the Olds N93 and Riviera M9 RPO wheel covers that bare cast is not favorable. At least that's what I'm interrupting from the NOS PO2 I have.

There's a technique to getting the black and silver on right. If done wrong it stands out.

In the pics of one of my NOS PO2s you can see the definition line between the black and sliver.

Anyone know who manufactured these caps for GM... KH?

Many thanks for the detailed photos. Now I know more details again. After stripping the paint, I thought I would paint the cone area silver, as it didn't look very nice. What is the best technique for painting like this?

It is almost impossible to tapping cleanly between the fins, as the surface is not exactly flat due to the casting. Any good tips?

Thanks!

[David M.]

Re: P01 vs P02

Agreed I'd really like to see how the OEM did it. Who ever the OEM was?
I'm sure they had some type of template to set in over silver then sprayed the black. Looks like it was in that order.

I never strip the paint. Just clean it well with dawn and brake cleaner, not lacquer thinner. Unless the paints totally stripped. Then thinners OK. Thinner will lift/crinkle the OEM paint making it difficult to repaint IMO.

I use 0000 steel wool to clean the chrome. Scrub in between the fins with dawn water and a brush, both sides. Then wax the chrome so the paint wont get into the small imperfections. Then spray the black. Immediately wipe the black off the chrome with lacquer thinner and a t-shirt.

Then brush in the argent with a thin artist brush. It takes practice. You can touch up either color to fix screw ups once it dries.
Its a royal PITA. But the reward is good. I also know how to remove the blisters/burrs on the fins before paint.

The stainless is a whole 'nother art. That took me a while to master but I am a metal guy. I can get it to luster like chrome...probably over done for judging. I can mimic the factory finish with different stainless finishing techniques.

Ive tried to bring back really beat up caps with some success. Certain dents and curb rash will never be fixable. Ive even tried to cut the stainless ring off the galvanized backer ring and tig it back on. That was somewhat successful. It provided easy access to work the dents out. I did that just to see if it could be done. The tig didn't like the galvanizing so the welding was tedious. Burn through was a challenge too.

It can take 3-6 hours just to clean buff and paint one cap. Double that to work the stainless if its dented or rashed.

People don't realize just how fragile the stainless rims are. These caps gently go on by hand. Zero hammering required. Garage monkeys were the worst...still are.

[Paul B.]

Re: P01 vs P02

BTW P02 were available in 1973

...it appears GM was thinking about them being an option in '74 too as the watercolor sales brochure shows them on a '74.

[David M.]

Re: P01 vs P02

Looks like the 74 big car covers were in fact available on the Caprice.
The cap on the white car, top picture, with the bow tie center is the first time Ive seen one like this. Not sure if the bow tie center is OEM?
The silver Caprice lower pic has the cross flag flat center I'm familiar with.

[Jeffrey A.]

Re: P01 vs P02

Agreed I'd really like to see how the OEM did it. Who ever the OEM was?
I'm sure they had some type of template to set in over silver then sprayed the black. Looks like it was in that order.

I never strip the paint. Just clean it well with dawn and brake cleaner, not lacquer thinner. Unless the paints totally stripped. Then thinners OK. Thinner will lift/crinkle the OEM paint making it difficult to repaint IMO.

I use 0000 steel wool to clean the chrome. Scrub in between the fins with dawn water and a brush, both sides. Then wax the chrome so the paint wont get into the small imperfections. Then spray the black. Immediately wipe the black off the chrome with lacquer thinner and a t-shirt.

Then brush in the argent with a thin artist brush. It takes practice. You can touch up either color to fix screw ups once it dries.
Its a royal PITA. But the reward is good. I also know how to remove the blisters/burrs on the fins before paint.

The stainless is a whole 'nother art. That took me a while to master but I am a metal guy. I can get it to luster like chrome...probably over done for judging. I can mimic the factory finish with different stainless finishing techniques.

Ive tried to bring back really beat up caps with some success. Certain dents and curb rash will never be fixable. Ive even tried to cut the stainless ring off the galvanized backer ring and tig it back on. That was somewhat successful. It provided easy access to work the dents out. I did that just to see if it could be done. The tig didn't like the galvanizing so the welding was tedious. Burn through was a challenge too.

It can take 3-6 hours just to clean buff and paint one cap. Double that to work the stainless if its dented or rashed.

People don't realize just how fragile the stainless rims are. These caps gently go on by hand. Zero hammering required. Garage monkeys were the worst...still are.

Thank you very much! Valuable tips.


I'll probably give the brush a try.

In my first attempt I first sprayed on the concave area with argent silver first, then cleaned the fins with thinner. I was thinking the inner area were without black on the sides, but it is not right. After that I realized it was impossible to tapping. I will spray it black on the sides again and color it with a brush and argent silver between on the concave area.

IMG_2297.jpg

[David M.]

Re: P01 vs P02

Thank you very much! Valuable tips.


I'll probably give the brush a try.

In my first attempt I first sprayed on the concave area with argent silver first, then cleaned the fins with thinner. I was thinking the inner area were without black on the sides, but it is not right. After that I realized it was impossible to tapping. I will spray it black on the sides again and color it with a brush and argent silver between on the concave area.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]122280[/ATTACH]

You are almost there.
The cone shape shouldn't stand out like that. It because the black is missing on the sides of the fins in the cone area.

You need to do one of two things. Either brush in the black on the sides of the fins or spray the black again and brush in the silver.(easier).

I made the same mistake early on when I started restoring these.

In the pictures below, the left cover still needs to be corrected. The right cover is NOS.

Your cast fins look like they are in great shape.

[Jeffrey A.]

Re: P01 vs P02

Small Update:

Yes it is very time consuming job to mask. It was my first try I had maybe 2 hours.

IMG_3970.jpg
IMG_3974.jpg

I had additional problems with painting afterwards, I used primer, but you can see this after removing the tape. I also had a problem with the adhesion, the paint was chipping away, something I've never had before and I've already painted a lot on the Corvette. I'm not sure if it was the moisture, the smooth polished surface or the primer. I cleaned with acetone and silicone remover before painting as usual.
IMG_4022.jpg
Now everything has to be stripped and masked again, a major setback.



Small improvement on the fins, I only need to paint them with a brush argent silver between the fins.
IMG_4011.jpg