Cheaper would be to cast the bottom part in aluminum and then machine to finish. Much less machine time and material cost. The 3D printer could make the patterns for the sand casting.
AMC Volcano Center Cap vs Chrysler Road Wheel Center Cap
- Thread starter 330dTA
- Start date
Plating, yes... Machining from billet? No. That's an expensive way to manufacture. 3D printing is a slow process too.
Even though the end is smaller on the repop AMC, I wonder if doing a cap over the mock axle stub would be good alternative. Increase the size to change the proportion of the end. It wouldn't be "correct", but it could be a reasonable looking part that only the really knowledgeable would know the difference.
So many of the repop stuff is not the same as the OEM pieces. Some are... But a lot aren't, so this might be excepted.
Full disclaimer.... I have 7" Road wheels (incorrect) and aftermarket trim rings (also incorrect) on my car. I'd probably score a set of AMC repops, peel the AMC applique off and paint that part black if I needed them.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
So...
A cheap rough casting from aluminum, CNC finished, then triple chrome plate. I could see India turning out the castings for cheap...
Shouldn't be more than 400 Rupees...
Aluminum casting is pretty cheap to do. Simple sand casting and aluminum melts at a low enough temperature that it can be a backyard operation for casting.
Getting the splines right might be tough and I think that could easily be a plated plastic part. Doing the bottom in aluminum rather than the cheap "pot metal" the orginals were made in might be a step up, but the inside surface wouldn't be as nice.
I'm still thinking that a plated cast plastic piece is the way to get a cosmetically correct part. Very simple silicone mold like what @Zymurgy uses for tail lights. Yea, I know, it's not the same etc... and for the guy that's willing to spend the NOS money, it's not the answer. But for the guy that just wants some decent looking centers without breaking the bank, it might be a good alternative.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
But then you lose all the incentive to searching for the almost impossible and therefore never experience the excitement of the big score.
I'm still all tingly remembering finding a NOS late cone and cap set of four for 150 bucks.
I'm still all tingly remembering finding a NOS late cone and cap set of four for 150 bucks.
That is part of the hobby that has been lost to the ages. Or fixing what's there (my favorite).
triple red
Member
One NOS road wheel center cap is available in Germany. The asking price is 40 Euros. (Not mine)
Mopar Road Wheel Center Cap NOS
Mopar Road Wheel Center Cap NOS
twostick
Senior Member
If you are going to tool up to die cast these for a reasonable cost, you would use ABS or similar plastic and electroplate them in copper and then chrome. The tooling is probably similar cost but the unit production price drops to pennies. Plastic resin and the process to make it injectable is much cheaper than aluminum.
If that AMC unit is 2 peice, I'd do a cap that looks like a road wheel that fits and call it a day.
Kevin
If that AMC unit is 2 peice, I'd do a cap that looks like a road wheel that fits and call it a day.
Kevin
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Then you'll have two sides having a vicious battle. Early or late...
The AMC cap is one piece as has been stated a couple times now and its dimensions are so far off from that of a road wheel, you can spot it from 20 feet away that it is not the correct cap compared to the original Chrysler one.
You and I and a handful of others Steve. Many guys haven't been around the wheels long enough.
I've been able to pick up trim rings on the cheap because guys have no clue. They're starting to.
twostick
Senior Member
I know it's not correct. I missed the part about the AMC repop being 1 peice. I don't own anything that correctness matters on, at least to me. If I had a nice set of road wheels with mangled centers and my only choice was shiny AMC centers, AMC it is.
Kevin
I don't know... It's 5/16" smaller at the diameter and if you made the "spline" cap proportional, you'd have to be pretty sharp to catch it from 20 feet.
As long as you had the same caps on the same side, it might not be noticeable unless you were looking for it.
Years ago, I watched a car drive by me every Sunday at the drag strip when his eliminator was called and I sat on my trailer. Saw the car on the street... even went to high school with the owner. It took me a whole summer before I figured out that the stripe on one side was yellow and the other side was green. I'm pretty observant too... And I've always said that you really just need two pairs of wheelcovers if you can't find a set... One pair for each side. Been there, done that a couple times. No one noticed!
68PK21 440.6bbl
Old Man with a Hat
Geeeezzz Louise, I'm so glad I've been content with steel wheels and 'Poverty' caps most all of my life.
I did have a Nova once with Rally Wheels and no missing center caps or rings <yawn>
I did have a Nova once with Rally Wheels and no missing center caps or rings <yawn>
Keep us informed, great job....
Chris Casciato
New Member
Chris Casciato
New Member
Thank you for posting this. Can you please give the diameter of the base on these?There is a guy on the HAMB that is reproducing the Astro/Howard style chrome slot wheels and that I'm going to use on my kustom forward look 26 Dodge roadster and was thinking about using that style of center cap.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
That I gotta see.
Chris Casciato
New Member
I'll post some pics. It's in the beginning stages but so far the cowl section is widened 11 inches and I know some of you might cringe at this but I narrowed a 62 chrysler dash in the glove box area about 11 inces as welland that is tacked in place. Also going with a grille shape similar to a 1960 Chrysler, 62 Imperial headlights canted to match the grille and four 62 Plymouth tailights (2 per side canted to match the headlights. Also 64-65 Imperial inner door handles
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Sounds like a tribute to the Kar Kraft Era.
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