can anyone tell me how to determine whether olds fiesta wheel covers are authentic as opposed to repops?
The Oldsmobile originals will have three small "worlds" w/a ring around them like Saturn on them, in between each of the three flippers...they should also be on a "grayed" background, not chromed ...Olds used a "world" as its logo on the hood and trunk of the '56 Olds...beware of knock-offs tho..I've seen some with something that looks like a world logo...but it isn't...and the waffled background are later re-pops... R-
I could be wrong, but I think you are describing the Olds *Starfire* flipper caps.......the *Fiestas* were from 1954-55, I believe and looked very different from the Starfires of 1956........they had an Olds crest in the center of the flipper bar, which had 3 flippers.........concentric rings were painted white on the Fiestas...... Am I right, or all wet? This is just from memory of those days and observing the Olds' in my little town.... Brucie
Brucie...I've always known the "Fiestas" (as described above) as the '56's hubcaps...even when I got my license in 1959...the earlier Olds caps were not very popular in the Midwest...the '56's were even so hot as to be stolen a lot...so...to answer you question...I do not know who is correct on this...anyone else want to chime in??? R-
Hi, Stude Dude.....check this eGay auction to see the 1956 Starfire caps..... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1956...tegoryZ34209QQihZ017QQitemZ270012293609QQrdZ1 And here to see the Fiesta caps of 1954-55: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1953...tegoryZ34209QQihZ015QQitemZ250014302043QQrdZ1 See the difference? The seller of the Fiestas thinks they are '53-43, but I think I am correct in that they are '54-55 Brucie
'53-'55 are Fiestas, '56 is Starfire ... most people have called both caps Fiestas even when the cars/caps were new. 2 easy ways to tell a genuine Olds Starfire cap ... the backside will still be bright on the Olds, always rusted on the aftermarket caps. Also, the Olds retaining clips have very fine teeth running evenly around the entire diameter spaced 3/4" or so, aftermarket caps have a series of 3 clips and a space, 3 clips, space, etc.
ya I agree with stude that the 55's weren't worth stealing the 56 was where it was at. I was just corrected by HAMB experts that fiesta's were 53-55 ( I never knew that) I now prefer the 55's
As I recall the 55 Olds Fiesta hubcaps had 3 thin blades and the Olds worlds circling. The 56 Olds Fiesta hubcaps had the 3 wide blades and the worlds circling. Further, I recall that the after market flipper caps for 56 had the wide blades and a white checkerboard background. What puzzles me is that those aftermarket caps appear on the very rare 1957 Chev El Morocco's (ie., the Patch Collection at **** Clark's Theatre in Branson, MO. has 2 or 3 of them). It seemed unusual to me that the factory installs would look identical to the knockoff aftermarket caps. However, they appear in all the pictures I have seen on this vehicle. Anybody know the story here? Darkman
The aftermarket ones also stick out further in relation to where they mount so they can fit more applications
There are actually 3 different styles of Oldsmobile,"Fiesta"hubcaps used from 53 to 56.The original 53 Fiestas(named for a special edition Olds convertible that year that featured a wrap arond windshield)had the three bars and the center was almost identical to the horn ****on;a plastic half globe in the center covered with a clear plastic bubble.Extremely rare. The second iteration was similar but in the center was a flat Oldsmobile crest.These were repopped and the easiest was to tell them from the originals,aside from a slight depth difference is that the center emblem on the originals is removeable whereas the repops had the emblem stamped as part of the cover.These were used in 54 and 55. The 56 had the huge three bar bolt on spinner and in my opinion was one of the ugliest wheel covers ever made;surp***ed only by the repop version which had that hideous checkerboard background. As I recall,they were difficult to install on Ford and Chevy rims(stock ones)because they didn't have as much offset as the Olds and Caddy rims and the caps hit the centers of the wheels.I remember a friend of mine ruining a set of 53 Cadillac hubcaps by trying to affix a Ford beauty ring to the inside of the Caddy cap to make it fit his 51 Ford.
Fiesta/Starfire ... we called them by either name. The Genuine Olds have the Saturn (Planet) stamped in the center background repops had stars, diamonds, etc. and of course that GAWD-AWFUL Checkerboard in the really ugly cheap ones. Unfortunately that seems to be the only repop that survived. I just picked up a set of '57's, 3-bars with a center bullet ... I ran these Olds Caps on my '50 Chevy in 1959/60 with 6-bars per cap (the individual bars bolt on) I'm old and memory has faded a little over 50 years. These things do not mount like most wheel covers ... there are no grips around the out side diameter to grab the wheel .. I'm seeing some clips shown on a couple sites but cant get a good look ... anybody???
I have no memory of where I bought these wheel covers new but it was in 1956 or '57. What car of the day would have 4 flippers and have no Olds worlds or Saturn between them. Looks like blue something in the center. What would they have been used on?
In 1953 gm built some special cars. Oldsmobile Fiesta, Buick Skylark, Cadillac Eldorado. Started there 1953
Paul, your covers are '55-'56 Dodge Lancer, and are a damn tough wheel cover to find. I've saved them for over 45 years and have 1 good one so far ... they'll fit the Chev & Ford shallow wheels, where the Olds won't.
I have two sets, but most of them need some work, only two are really cherry. They almost always need the flippers re-chromed, they always have some pitting. The centre is divided into 4, and alternates off white and French blue. But yes, *****IN!
Thanks George & Dorf - mystery now solved. My current car has the Olds' and just didn't/doesn't look quite right ... right being what I had on my ride in the '50s. - Dodge Lancer sure looked better than the moons which came on the Merc new. I'm slowly getting used to my current Olds triple spinners but that 'world?' or Saturn emblem between flippers still seems odd or out of place. None of my friends had Chrysler cars and only one other car in town had the same 'dodge' spinners as me. Talking CA valley.
IMO, based on looking at literally hundreds of magazines from the fifties,The '55/'56 lancers were used more on hot rods than customs. They were VERY popular on rods in the late fifties.
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