I finished my dad’s stalled 60 year project for him in 2005 and he was able got to enjoy the car for 13 years before he passed away. Dad had a set of Hollywood Flipper hubcaps with the rippled edges on the it when he first started building the car in the late 1950s. I put a set of those cheesy reproduction smoothie single bar hubcaps on it as a placeholder until I could find the real thing. So now the search has begun and I need someone to educate me on the real Hollywood Flipper style hubcaps.
My first question is if anyone can identify these wheels. The front wheels on the car are 5 on 5-1/2 on 15” wheels and I am not sure what they are off of. They are a narrow wheel and I am guessing 4-1/2” wide. He once told me they were off of a VW but I am not sure about that. My second question is if there are any old Hollywood Flipper hubcaps that will fit this style of wheel. The outside diameter of the inner ring is 10-1/2” not counting the three hubcap nubs.
Third question - were all of the Hollywood Flipper style hubcaps for 16” wheels or were they also made for 15” wheels? Final question - were any of the old Hollywood Flipper style hubcaps full hubcaps or were they just the smaller center caps? The only full hubcaps I found searching the Internet are the cheesy reproductions that I have on it now. Looking at the photos of my dad’s car from 1958 and 1960, it looks like he had smaller center caps with a beauty ring.
I'd have to bet that the wheels are early F100 wheels from the mid 50's. I've got a set of 15x6-1/2 F-100 wheels that I was going to use on my Model A before I sold it but think that they are from the mid 70's. No Idea on the caps, I've seen that photo you showed before and that is the only set I remember seeing on a car. Check your PM file.
The ones on your dads car are the original flippers. They were for 16 inch and were run with beauty rings. They could be fit to some 15 inch wheels with some work. I had a pair but sold them to a person in Kentucky. Don
Those are 49/50 Merc wheels. 5 1/2” bolt pattern, 3 outside bumps 50’s F100 wheels look like 40/48 car wheels but in 15” with inside bumps Real Hollywood flippers come in 15” version but you may have to adapt them to get them onto your Merc wheels There is a flipper on eBay right now for 15” wheel
Here is the Flipper for 15” wheel on eBay Original flipper caps are quite expensive now days this one would have to be changed to work on your Merc wheels The did make 15” full cover flippers that don’t look like the cheesy repops I’ll post a pic of some I have when I get out to my shop
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