Date:         Tue, 14 Aug 2007 19:21:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Phony wheels (or better known as hubcaps)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

  About a month ago I lost one of my OEM "wire wheel" hubcaps after a visit
to the tire store..So, I went on line to The Samba and began looking for a
replacement.  Fairly amusing what value some people place on their parts...I
did get one offer of a free one, but I have not collected that one yet.  I
'priced' some off the Samba for almost $50 for one!  Nope, not for me...
  I prefer steel wheels.  I do lots of off-highway driving and have been
known to haunt some Baja backroads, and I do bend wheels.  Steel ones, you
can bash straight (enough) with a big rock if you must, but not so alloys,
so I wanted steel..(BTW,two of my five steel rims DO have dents in them,
from the Previous Owner)
  So,  I hated having just three wheel covers and one kinda funky black
wheel..And I didn't wanta buy a $50 used plastic "wire wheel" cover to
replace my lost one..so I went to BiMart..our local NW USA answer to Costco.
Found a whole selection of nice ones for $12-$18 a set of four..  I got some
that look like 5-spoke Porsche alloy wheels..They actually are much better
than the OEM ones, easy to clean and you can actually reach the tire
valve...
  And at $3 each, I guess I like em better than the "real" phony wire
wheels..

  Don Hanson