1961 - 1968 Lincoln Continental Hubcaps

[bd94s10]

So I was talking with my buddy Tony recently and it prompted me to do a video related to 1961-1968 (isn) Lincoln Continental hubcaps. Please take a moment to watch the video and let me now if I got anything wrong.

Also, Pat Teahan sent me a message after he watched the video and mentioned his '64 has the deeper backs on the hub caps (not sure what to call them). Does anyone know when Lincoln decided to change the hub caps since they were apparently flying off and people were complaining? Just curious as my interest is piqued.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph20YpUFdak

Thanks in advance for the discussion.

Jason B. aka The Lincoln Addict

[Dan Szwarc]

We just call them "outer-grippers" and "inner-grippers" The inner are a later design (service parts).

Read my post about 66 an 67 wheel cover differences (the outside part):
https://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/ ... rs#p231727

[LithiumCobalt]

Jason, if you mean the revised “inner gripper” wheel covers, I think they were made somewhere in the 67-69 timeframe as service parts. I think I’ve even seen ‘66 version with inner grippers (likely made available after production.

[bd94s10]

Thanks Dan and Nick. So Pat Teahan sent me a video and his '64 caps have the large "inner-grippers." Is it possible Lincoln made some of those as well to satisfy 64/65 customers? Just curious as my buddy Tony said he has a few with the redesigned "inner-grippers" and wondering if they are super rare. Just curious is all.

[LithiumCobalt]

I’ve never seen any that early, but doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Kind of hard to duplicate that kind of manufacturing so seems to be legitimate.

[TonyC]

I have; two months ago I came across an E-Bay listing for one of those redesigned '64/5 covers. I couldn't believe what I was looking at, so I snatched the pictures the seller posted (attaching them below). That cover was fully polished out, even the black in the ring, something Jason pointed out in his video.

My conjecture, which is about as logical a conclusion as anything, is that the refit versions of these covers were made near the end of the decade as service-replacement parts, at the time when radials were taking the industry by storm and gradually replacing bias-plies. I'm thinking that the older the series, the fewer radial versions were made; by about '68 or so radial tires were being offered as optional-extra offerings, and cars fitted with those tires and the standard-design dish cover were fitted with the radial versions of those covers (the alternate turbine-design cover intro'd in '68 must have been exclusively designed as a radial cover, whether the car was fitted with radials or not). So, the radial version of the last subseries of dishes was available initially from the factory (though still in the minority), whereas older years were offered as later-on-down-the-road service replacements.

I can say that I've seen radial versions of all series of covers from '64 thru '69, either in pictures or in the real world. I now have a complete set of '67—9 covers plus a spare on the wall for Frankenstein; although my old trick of stretching out the teeth of the bias versions did work well, I decided that I didn't want to have to go through that tedious work, plus having to eagle-eye tire techs during the balancing phase, every time I got a new set of tires.

---Tony

[frasern]

My theory, is that they, and thicker rims, were offered as an over the counter radial tire update package, through L/M dealerships, but that's just a theory.
In the early '80s, I worked at a Firestone shop, and we were told radial tires needed thicker rims. Most customers, of course, declined this upgrade, feeling we were just trying to upsell them.
I recently bought a '68 parts car with 2 inner grip '67,68 caps. Interestingly, they have a sticker inside with C6VA 1130A, and the Ford oval, however they clearly have the "67 type star. And I have a "66 inner grip with the same # ink stamped inside.
Edit, in '68 all Mark IIIs had radials, and they were optional for others, So likely all "68 rims will be thicker. I plan on measuring that when I have the tires off my '68s rims.

[TonyC]

Well, not all, unless they sneaked them in with a price hike (optional extra) above the stripped MSRP. Radials did not become standard on Mark IIIs until 1970, the first American car to make that move.

---Tony

[action]

.... '68 all Mark IIIs had radials, and they were optional for others, So likely all "68 rims will be thicker. I plan on measuring that when I have the tires off my '68s rims.

Mark III was the first US production vehicle to come equipped with radial tires.

Action

[tomo]

The 1970 brochure is the first time that radial tires are mentioned for the Mark III. They are not mentioned for the Continental.

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/N ... al-18.html

[frasern]

Brain fart! Yes '71 they were standard, optional in '70 my memory has failed me again.