There's a full moon out. Growing up I remember a few cars in particular with full Moons that influenced me. I've never put full Moons on a car yet, but I have an appreciation for the real ones. No snap ons please. One, of course, was the Superbell coupe. The deep dish Moons were a bit different than the common shallow version, and made the curvy car even more so. The coupe was obviously influenced by real salt flats cars, so the caps belonged on this car. And a few other local cars I remember with full Moons as well: a shaved and decked '50 Chevy fastback belonged to a member of my Dad's car club. It was painted pink primer, and sat with a hot rod rake (no skirts). A cool car I can still picture 45 years later. And another full Mooned shoe-boxy car I remember from the 80's is a '50 Ford sedan with black paint and flames, also with a hot rod stance. From the Des Moines area it might have had some Lee Pratt connection, but I can't confirm. In a sea of custom '50 Fords, this one was much more performance influenced. Anyone else have full Moon memories?
I agree, the snap on ones just don't look right. I built an OT model car recently with them but I can't post it. They look really right on the right car, and a cheap cop out on the wrong car, especially if they are the snap on ones. My grandpa had a 47 Chevy fleetline daily driver in the 90s with Moons, it was pretty cool lookin. It was a fixture around Des Moines for a while, as he sold it to Don Hanlin and he drove it daily as well.
My custom. These are the Speedway reproduction disks. I also run them on an OT truck. There is a "Learning curve" - this is one of my failures. Fortunately, I found it before I tossed a disk at 75 MPH. The washer was installed sharp edge down. I now install the washer with the radius (stamped edge) down (see picture below). AND a rubber washer to cushion the movements. NOTE: The washer radius (stamped edge) is toward the disk. The rubber washer allows the disk to walk as the rim deforms in a turn. Longer valve stems were installed and a hole was cut in the disk for the stem to stick out. I am much too lazy to remove the disks for every tire pressure check. Russ
Mrs's Freeman .... And every time I go into the garage, I used button head fasteners through a tapped hole in the rim, flat nut, Moon disc then lock nut. The hole in the rim doesn't get wore out and the screws or discs don't come loose.
These are genuine Moon Deep Dish. They have a small flat Flange. That is a perfect place for a screw. We use a small stainless steel button head screw. They stay on over 200mph more than a few times. With the Speedway and others out there being "Dead-Soft" Aluminum, I wonder if you couldn't use a "Bead Roller" to form a small flat mounting flange ??
Like most hubcaps back in those early days, rounding corners for any reason, the hubcap(s) sometimes had the tendency to come off and start the "rolling in the deep" process. (not a good sign.) My brother and I would whole heartedly agree on the above statement. A lowered rake style big Oldsmobile Sedan specifically for teenage shenanigans in Long Beach, CA needed something to bring it all together. The choice of screw-in, Moon Discs took first place after exchanging flipper hubcaps, small chrome center hubcaps and even full size hubcaps, between several of my brother’s teenage friends. The screw on discs make just about any car look much better without anything else in the mix. Hello, In anticipation of the yellow 51 Oldsmobile Sedan becoming my first hot rod/mild custom/cruiser, I took care of it like it was mine. My ulterior motive was spurred on by my brother telling me to do this cleaning action, use this wax for the paint, use this for the chrome, etc. He was older, the boss and had a cool car. So, if I wanted to go somewhere, I had to do those commands. When he got the first set of Moon Screw-in Discs, he drilled the holes and I installed them. Then later, when he got new tires, I did the installation by myself, but somehow lost several screws and used what I found in the “screw” drawer. They went in and worked fine…until, we got a phone call telling me to bring the other spare tire from the backyard garage for his Oldsmobile Sedan. The screws I lost were flat tipped. The screws I found and used were pointy ends. So, they worked themselves into the tire and started a slow leak. I definitely learned a lesson here. But, continued to be the maintenance kid for all of the hot rods that came over to our house. Moon Discs were just the necessary item to make the Oldsmobile Sedan look cool and racy at the same time. I suppose if someone made a wind tunnel test, Moon Discs would provide some faster flow of air whizzing by, as the car accelerated. Jnaki Then, after our Willys Coupe accident, we were in a state of limbo. Our close friend in Los Angeles called us to offer a Ford sedan for us. I drove up there to do a test drive. It was a 56 Ford Two Door Sedan that had just come off of racing at Bonneville and was being retired. It was a Flathead motor, 3 speed LaSalle and of course, Moon screw in discs. Similar in looks, but the one that got away... It was great looking, was able to accelerate well and it came with nice Moon Discs. As a close friend, he knew that we needed something to ease the recovery and memory. He knew we had the 58 Impala, but knew we still wanted to be a part of the whole hot rod/drag racing scene or go in a new direction. Our friend knew we needed a new project and thought this two door, 1956 Ford Sedan would be a starting point. We could see ourselves driving this cool looking sedan on the salt. In a drive around that part of L.A. it had the power and the mellow sound of a race car, but was comfortable on the street. 1956 Ford Sedan in 1961. Friday Art… Since it was street legal, cruising up the driveway at the two teenage gathering spots, drive-in restaurant, parking lots in Bixby Knolls would have been just classic. We almost bought it to add to our current hot rods. But, we were a "sell one, buy one" type of family and couldn’t part with the 1958 Impala or 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. Although, our mom would have kept the 58 Impala for her own car. My brother was done with that portion of his life. Note: We tried putting on a different friend’s Moon Discs on the Impala. But, it just did not have the effect or styling look. YRMV
My full moon memory is from Sept of 1959. I was seven years old and just started grade two. I came home from school to find my 18 year old brother and a friend pushing an old car into our back yard. I asked, "What's that?" "A 1932 Ford 5 window coupe". "Why does it have steps on the fender?" "Come here, I'll show you", and he opened the rumble seat so I could climb in. "What are you gonna do with this?" "We're going to build a hot rod." "What's a hot rod?" "I have to go to work Tiger, but I have something in my car for you". He reached into his 52 Pontiac and handed me the April 1959 Rod and Custom. Pointing at the cover, he said "That one's a hot rod and that one's a custom. Have a look." I studied that little book for hours. That cover coupe had polished moons and that image is seared into my head.
Nothing better to say Hot Rod, even if it is technically a sports car. These were "screw-on" and I never lost one...
No personal experience but many many years ago a buddy mail ordered a set of the snap on ones and lost one of them off the car the first day or two after he put them on. What was left of it after it got run over on the road wasn't in very good shape though. I remember that he turned around and ordered another one and then ran them as long as I was around him.
Here are photos I took back in 1974 of Larry Foss' Model A Tudor. This was way before nostalgic hot rods came back into fashion.
Ahh yes, that brings back a few memories. Last time I saw it was about 20 years ago when it had red scallops on the front sheet metal.
I always liked those 57 Pontiacs, I never owned one though. Growing up in the city of Pittsburgh there were all kinds of nice cars. A neighbor had a lipstick red 57 Bonneville with a continental kit. We used to sit on the big bumper while waiting to bat up playing wiffle ball. Behind it was an all black 59 Eldorado.
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