5th 48 spoke road wheel have center cap installed while in the trunk?

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stove
Posts: 440
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:13 pm

5th 48 spoke road wheel have center cap installed while in the trunk?

Post by stove »

Did the Kelsey Hayes optioned cars come with 5 center caps, or just 4? Am I correct that there would not have been a spare tire textile "cover"
used in closed cars 48 spoke, or otherwise?
1963 HT, Corinthian White / Pearl Beige
1966 Convertible, Sauterne Gold / Parchment leather/Ivy Gold (428 A/C)
1967 Tudor Landau, Raven Black / Black (428)
1970 Five Window Landau Brougham, Ginger Met. Poly / Ginger Hopsack
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Alan H. Tast
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Location: Omaha, NE

Re: 5th 48 spoke road wheel have center cap installed while in the trunk?

Post by Alan H. Tast »

1. No center cap on spare in trunk. Think about it from the standpoint of a product designer or an owner back in the day - why would you have a wheel cover on a spare wheel and add the complication of removing it when you have a flat tire? A look in period photos such as the road test published in Motor Trend for the '62 Sports Roadster shows no cap on the wheel in the trunk.

2. Covers for spare tires/wheels were not provided until the 1964 model year, and that was just for convertibles. The wheel for '64-'66 was placed in the bottom floor of the trunk for convertibles, versus on the shelf below the rear window for closed cars, and using the cover helped protect whatever was placed in the trunk from coming in contact with the wheel/tire.

I have found reference in a soft trim parts catalog for 1960 listing a spare wheel cover, but it was never advertised in sales literature as a dealer- or factory-available option. 1961-1963 catalogs did not carry the part number forward.
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
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stove
Posts: 440
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:13 pm

Re: 5th 48 spoke road wheel have center cap installed while in the trunk?

Post by stove »

Thanks!
1963 HT, Corinthian White / Pearl Beige
1966 Convertible, Sauterne Gold / Parchment leather/Ivy Gold (428 A/C)
1967 Tudor Landau, Raven Black / Black (428)
1970 Five Window Landau Brougham, Ginger Met. Poly / Ginger Hopsack
Robert E. Jackman
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:28 pm

Re: 5th 48 spoke road wheel have center cap installed while in the trunk?

Post by Robert E. Jackman »

My 63 SR only came with 4 caps but I found another one at a swap meet and installed it on my spare because it looks better to me... It's easy enough to pop off if I should have a need to. At my age the bigger problem is lifting the spare out of the trunk because of it's weight and it being located in the center.
Bob Jackman
VTCI # 4942
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