Re: '33-'36 Hubcaps

Posted by Tim Cole On 2012/1/14 18:31:21

Dear Packardbarry:

This is a great topic for discussion.

I personally have only seen original cars with either the hubcap paint work deleted or the cloisonne and chrome painted over completely in black. I've never seen any of this fancy-schmancy stuff that goes on today. For metal only I'm sure any Packard dealer would give the customer what they wanted via a local body shop to make a sale. That sort of thing goes on today. If a customer wants a painted bumper on a profitable vehicle sale, believe me, that will happen.

I have always felt that some of these accessories are over represented to the point of making cars less attractive.

Painted radiator shells, chrome wire wheels, extra parking lights, extra lights of all sorts, and mirrors were the exception rather than the rule.

One option that was seen often on 9th-11th series cars (especially eights and super eights) was chrome radiator shutters with a chrome shell. I have seen only occasional period pictures of those cars with an original painted radiator shell.

What I do see alot of is cars with this option being changed to a painted shell. Which is too bad because once you take a grinder to a Packard radiator shell I don't think the result can be reversed. So these non-authentic painted radiator shells are like destructoration.

Chrome wire wheels were not a common option and I think they are overused and unattractive. They make most Packard cars look like "pimpmobiles".

But as they say - "whatever turns you on"