Customs 3.5 Million dollars worth of stolen hubcaps circa 1956...Listen to this

Amazing insight to the growing hubcap stealing epidemic in greater Los Angeles circa 1956

https://pastdaily.com/2021/05/01/golden-hubcaps-1956-pop-chronicles/

 

Not surprising at all. Was very common in the Central Valley-lake pipes and fake appletons too. We all loved 56 Buick caps!! there was not a Buick in town that kept hubcaps for long.-same with Olds fiestas and Dodge Lancer caps.

 

Which of these 4 guys pictured are HAMBers now?

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

 

My 57 chevy belair was originally a LA area car . Inside the hubcaps , the original owner wrote in pencil his full name and date. That is way cool. Maybe that was why he wrote his name inside the hub caps . I never could figure out why.
Vic

 

I'd be willing to bet these were the most stolen caps!

 

Well the second one from the left knows your hands go in back on a proper "cuff-n-stuff", so I figure him for a Hamber

 

About 1960 I remember a few guys left our small town one night(Chowchilla Ca) and made a run to Watsonville and Hollister and came back with maybe 20-25 sets of hubcaps or more, lakepipes and fake Appletons. They never got caught either.

 

I'd be willing to bet the same!

 

They still do this in Los Angeles. Except your car will be left on cinder blocks. It’s still traditional!

 

57 caddy was real popular in my area

 

I think the guy all the way on the right is my Dad

 

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Our high school auto shop that I was a student in from 1962 to 65 and then taught from 1978 to 91 had an electric engraver (vibrating needle) that most of us engraved our name, and home phone number inside our hubcaps with. Cops even called one of the guys and told him that they had his hubcaps. By the time I started teaching no one wanted a hubcap.

 

Things evolve, from hub caps to,

when I was in high school it was Boom Boom stereo systems and A/M Wheels that got taken like berries from a bush.

now they just take the whole dang car ​

 

Usually the same guys had a siphon hose in the trunk as well! At least that is the story the local hubcap thieves tell me. At least 2 of them grew up to be police officers!

 

Curious as to why none of the boys was hearing a heavy jacket. You always put your jacket on the ground so that the hub cap would not make a lot of noise or be damaged

 

Sheeesh....and I got sassed here for calling wheelcovers hubcaps.

 

Same here when I was growing up. Car stereos were the hot ticket. A lot of guys I knew back then had car stereos that were worth more than the cars they were in.

 

I hear now the H Honda logos are being stolen to become belt buckles.......it just never stops!

 

Those Chevy Rally wheel caps and trim rings were popular items in Milwaukee during the 70's. One guy I knew would catalog the locations of vehicles with complete sets. Then there was the multitude of cars where the rings and caps were gone!

 

Lancer caps were also a hot item. Two guys I graduated with got nailed for stealing and selling hubcaps in 61. They didn't get jail but did get probation and couldn't go out of state for our senior skip trip

 

$3.5 mil worth of hubcaps??? Did they even produce that many in 1956 lol

 

Nothing has changed over the years-- the caps/lug covers were stolen off my 2004 truck--- Rat bastards-- and I know why, about $175 to replace them and no aftermarket available

 

Thing is when you find a set to buy they are probably yours!!!!! Lippy

 

Listening to that reminds me of this movie.

 

I ain't tellin'.....
Never squeal on hamber hoodlums....

 

Easy fit to the problem.

 

Was just going to post this. They made a movie about these guys. haha

 

Well at least you can repurpose hubcaps...