On my recently acquired '81 westy, I didn't like the creaking sounds of the hubcaps and chrome rings, which weren't in all that nice of condition to begin with, so I pried them off and did the following, which may interest some of you with "hubcap woes:" The wheel underneath is basically a silvery aluminum or brushed chrome-like color, so I took some chrome-colored spray paint (simply because I had it, and also because I wasn't sure this was available in a non-spray) and sprayed it out in little bits onto a paper plate. Then, I used a cheapie small foam pain brush to very lightly coat the wheels. It all very well matched the existing color, and they now look like "nearly" new. Next, I took some black paint and a small kid-artist's paint brush, and did the lugs, also very lightly. The whole thing looks really quite nice, and I've gotten a lot of compliments. I think the key was putting this stuff on very thin - so it didn't look gooped and artificial. How long this will all last, I have no idea, but I thought it was worth a try to spiff up the wheels WITHOUT the clatter of the usual hubcaps and/or chrome beauty rings.
/Martha Rubin nrubin@s1.csuhayward.edu '79 bug 'vert, '81 westy, previously owned: '78 rabbit, '61 1500 (notchback)
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