Wheel Covers

[Guest]

Hi,
According to Automotive mileposts, the 1960 T-bird has 4 Ford Hub Caps as standard. Among the optional equipment there are A) Sun Ray Full Wheel Covers and B)Sun Ray Full Wheel Covers with Appliqué.

I would be happy if anyone could post pictures of the standard Ford Hub Caps and of the Sun Ray Full Wheel Covers with Appliqué.

To all Squarebird enthusiasts - Happy New Year.

[SandyBoy]

RE: Wheel Covers

Thanks, Eric & a Happy New Year to you as well!

By the way, I am a very big fan of your Volvo C70 Coupe from your homeland! I almost sold my Lincoln Mark VIII & bought one, but the fit was a little tight for me, so I didn't. They are exceptionally rare over here. They were very poor sellers, as Volvo never advertised or pushed them. They were just "out there" ~ They arrived for 1997 and 2002 was the last year. Do they still make them & sell them in Sweeden??
Intheir final year here in the USA dealers could only pre-sold order them. None for inventory! If a buyer wanted to see one, he had to order & buy it....THEN he got to see it! Dealers sold 488 for 2002 nationwide! Strangely, from 1997 to 2001 they were 100% identical ! For 2002 they got a new grille !! Why ? The '02 is the only one I can tell the year of, and at 488 - I'll never see one

[Alexander]

RE: Wheel Covers

The Sun Ray full wheel cover is the standard full cover compared to the standard hubcap that just covers the center portion of the wheel. Though the hubcap was standard, but very very few 1958-60 Thunderbirds left the factory with just the standard hubcaps.

The Sun Ray appliqué is a plastic and chromed pot metal piece that attaches to the center of the Sun Ray full wheel cover. It has the Ford cat in the center and has red, white and blue rays in the surrounding three sections. They reproduce these appliqués, so they are often found on Squarebirds today. They were however a rare option when the cars were made. I will try to post a picture of these later, as these are the wheels on my 1959 Hardtop.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Wheel Covers

Sandy,

Glad to hear that you like Volvo. Nowadays it’s a Ford company. I don’t own a Volvo by my self, so I am not so familiar with the newest models, but on the US Volvo site there is a 2003 C 70 convertible, http://new.volvocars.com/models/intg...?model=C70conv
The UK site have the C 70 Coupé, http://www.volvocars.co.uk/
My local Swedish dealer show the model program on his site and there is a C 70 Coupé among the models, http://www.rebil.se/pv/pv-nya.asp Therefore I think they still make them and sell them in Sweden, and in the UK.

[Guest]

RE: Wheel Covers

Thanks. Is these appliqués something I can attach to the existing Sun Ray full wheel cover? I’m look forward to see a picture of these appliqués.

[Rockin Kev]

RE: Wheel Covers

Eric

The (Sunburst) red/white/blue badge can be attached to the factory Sunray cover. It has three drill holes on the back of the crome circle so you can mount the badge. I have just got a set of repros from www.concoursparts.com

I know you had four different types of outside mirrors but only the standard hub cap and the sunray cap. The badge was an option for the sunray cap. You will see this option on my T-Bird at the power meet in July.
Kevin.

[Alexander]

RE: Wheel Covers

Sun Ray Wheel Cover for 1959 and 1960:

http://www.squarebirds.org/images/59-60wheel_cover.gif

Sun Ray Wheel Cover with appliqué for 1959 and 1960:

http://www.squarebirds.org/images/Sun-Ray-Wheel-Cover_closeup.gif

Screws attach the appliqué from the inside of the Sun Ray wheel cover. Three holes need to be drilled into the cover to get the appliqué to attach. Most Thunderbird vendors sell the set of four reproduction appliqués for about $200.

I prefer to attach the appliqué from the outside. I have slightly modified the appliqué and wheel cover to do this. The added advantage is that the wheel covers absolutely will not rotate on the wheel or fall off. I will try to publish the method of doing this on the website by the weekend.

I had professional Thunderbird endurance testers, Thelma and Louise, test my Sun Ray attachment method on my 1959 Thunderbird. I am happy to report that... Well, I am not really happy to report the condition of the car, ...but the wheel covers did stay on.

http://www.squarebirds.org/images/thelma_and_louise_squarebird.jpg

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Wheel Covers

Hi,

Thanks for your advice to attaching the wheel covers with McGuard wheel locks. In the short time I have owned the T-Bird the front left wheel cover came off one time. Fortunately I found the cover. The cover caused some dents on the paint on the fender . I noticed on the technical page that there is some special with the front left cover, wonder why? BTW, what part number do the wheel locks have that you use. Was the special McGard bolts (for the threaded lug nuts) enclosed with the locks or do they have own part numbers?

Thanks.

I like the picture of the wheel cover test :7

[Guest]

RE: Wheel Covers

Kevin,

Yes, I look forward to see you and your T-Bird at Power Big Meet.

[Alexander]

RE: Wheel Covers

Because of the twisting of the car, most of the braking is done with the front left wheel, as most of the acceleration is done with right rear wheel. The left wheel cover is the one that most commonly turns and falls off because of the forces placed on it. You will notice that when the left front wheel cover falls off, it happens during braking.

I don't have the part number for the McGard center cap locks. The correct part to get is for the 1/2-20 inch size wheel stud and 13/16 inch hex wrench. These locks use a lug nut that has a threaded center. The wheel cover is held secure against theft or road shocks via a bolt through a hole in the wheel. I see nearly all the car services here in New York use these locks. It should not be difficult to get.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Wheel Covers

Thanks for the excellent explanation why the front left wheel cover will fell off. Now I’m going to see if I could find some Sun Ray appliqués for the covers.

[Rockin Kev]

RE:Volvo

Sandy
I see you like the Volvo well just out of interest my Father in Law is a big Volvo Fan and has owned a drove them for over twenty five years. Since Rachel and myself have been together he has played around with my Classics and now has decided he wants his own classic car. So i tried to talk him into another T-Bird but this didnot work but he is going to buy a 1969 164 Volvo early model with crome bumbers. Ok its not a Bird but he likes but as for modern transport i do like his V90 (960 series) its big fast and very comfortable.
Kevin.

[GTE427]

The Sun Ray appliqué is a plastic and chromed pot metal piece that attaches to the center of the Sun Ray full wheel cover. It has the Ford cat in the center and has red, white and blue rays in the surrounding three sections.

The cat used on this applique, does anyone know the history or symbolic reference for this cat that was used by Ford on the Thunderbird wheelcover?

[tarps3]

The cat used on this applique, does anyone know the history or symbolic reference for this cat that was used by Ford on the Thunderbird wheelcover?

I've wondered that too.
I always thought it was a lion or some other beast.

It was on the floor mats of my '64 Galaxie too.

[Alan H. Tast, AIA]

Ford emblem

It's not a cat or a lion - it's a griffin, which can be seen in a lot of English symbology. When the Ford crest was designed by L. David Ash in 1949 for the '50 Ford, a little research was done into the heraldry of the Ford family, which traced its roots to England or Scotland. The original emblem used on the '50 Ford was constantly updated and stylized through the '50s and '60s.

Those into this topic can better describe the meaning of each of the components, such as the upward-pointing chevron, the round balls inside the chevron, the red/white/blue background and the gold griffins.

OK you Brits, time to contribute what you know.