Special Hubcap Conti Kit '52 Virginian

[Dixon]

A junk yard claims to have a special hub cap that fits on a Continental Kit on a 1952 Kaiser Virginian.   Attached are pictures of what they have.  It looks like a regular hubcap and has no provisions (cut-outs) to clear the tire carrier, or any way to attach to the metal sidewall cover.

Is this indeed a special hubcap for the Continental Kit?  If not could someone post a picture of a real one?

Thanks

[Gordie]

Without seeing what the front side of this hubcap looks like it is hard to tell what it came from.  '52 Virginians used standard 1951 Kaiser hubcaps and wheel covers.  The sales folder for the Virginian is an artists conception so it is difficult to tell whether the continental spare had a hubcap or wheel cover but either way it would have been the same as the standard issued 1951 caps.  Maybe someone has a nice original and can tell us which was used.

[Fid]

This '52 Virginian was at French Lake Autoparts last time I was there.  The kit looks complete on it.
www.https://frenchlakeautoparts.com/

[Dixon]

Folks;
  I am putting together a 1951 Golden Dragon (with a padded top) and a Continental Kit.  The hubcap on the Continental Kit must have a special cut out to accommodate the tire carrier bracket.  I have plenty of the hubcaps, that you describe, but would have to cut a notch out for it to fit.  In addition, my metal (donut shaped) tire cover does not seem to allow enough clearance to accommodate the hubcap (once the notch is cut out) either.  Maybe I am missing something.  I  thought getting a hubcap off of a Continental Kit would be easier than cutting a notch or figuring out the tire cover and notched hubcap fit together.

[Gordie]

Continental kits all look very similar and it is possible that you have parts from a different make of car.  Check out an original kit on a Kaiser and see if the parts that you have are exactly like the ones on the known correct Kaiser Continental kit.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

If you check your KFOCI HANDBOOK Version 5.0 CD you will find the factory's exploded diagram of the Continental tire kit.  Check in the Table of Contents for the FACTORY PARTS LIST SUPPLEMENTS section on Page 2.  You want the 1952 Kaiser Virginina Supplement.  I have attached a version of the drawing for reference.  The actual 1952 Virginian supplement lists the part numbers and descriptions for the individual item numbers.

If you have Adobe Reader or Acrobat (Reader can be downloaded for free off the Adobe Website) you can open the file noted.

Jack Mueller, Club Historian

[Gordie]

Continental kits were never available for 1951 Kaisers as they did not appear on Kaisers until the 1952 Virginians were announced.  That may be why you are having problems installing one on a 1951 Kaiser although all of the Continental parts from a 1952 Virginian should fit on a 1951.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The Parts and Accessories Price List put out by Kaiser Frazer dated 5/1/52 indicates that P/N 100250 (the complete "Continental" spare wheel mount) was available and factory correct for 1951 and 1952 Virginian series Kaiser automobiles.  The actual Parts & Accessories Bulletin announcing availability as a dealer installed option was #4-B dated 1/22/52.  This makes it a retrofit for the 1951's and ok for 1952 Virginians not equipped at the factory with the item.  The Bulletin indicated that Kaiser-Frazer Sales Corporation had exclusive sales rights to the Kaiser and the Henry J kits from the manufacturer of the product. 

[Gordie]

Newhouse automotive, an accessory supplier, offered a different Continental kit for '51 Kaisers that looked similar but was a completely different kit.  They are illustrated in old auto magazines.  They appeared a year before Kaiser decided to offer one for the 1952 Kaisers.

[Dixon]

Wow, so many Kaiser-types suggesting answers!  Thanks so much. 

Every manual and parts list (from the KFOCI Handbook and the repair manual) simply describe it as a 'special hubcap', but do not describe how it is 'special' or show a detailed picture. 

I am attaching a picture of my Continental Kit, I thought for sure it is a Kaiser product (is it indeed Kaiser?).  The special hubcap must have a cut out to accommodate the black support bracket.  In addition, does anyone know how a hubcap could fit with the inner (rusty) disk?

[Fid]

Here's the ad for the Newhouse Kit which was featured/reprinted in the Spring 1973 issue of the KFOC Quarterly.  Hard to tell but it looks like the Kaiser hubcap on it but again, no way to tell what's "special" about it.

[UNCLEJOHN]

I JUST  BOUGHT / GOT  52  VIRGINIAN   THE  HUBCAP  ON  CONTINENTAL  KIT  IS  JUST  SMALL  ONE  TO  COVER  CENTER  OF  WHEEL ?  ON  CAR  WHEELS  THEY  HAVE  FULL  SIZE  HUBCAPS 

[Gordie]

Wow, so many Kaiser-types suggesting answers!  Thanks so much. 

Every manual and parts list (from the KFOCI Handbook and the repair manual) simply describe it as a 'special hubcap', but do not describe how it is 'special' or show a detailed picture. 

I am attaching a picture of my Continental Kit, I thought for sure it is a Kaiser product (is it indeed Kaiser?).  The special hubcap must have a cut out to accommodate the black support bracket.  In addition, does anyone know how a hubcap could fit with the inner (rusty) disk?
[
Is there any way that the support bracket will fit behind the wheel instead of in front of it?

[Dixon]

Gordie: There is only one way that the kit fits on the car and that is when the support bracket fits in back of the tire.

Uncle John:  How is the small hubcap on the Kit special?  Is it cut to accommodate the support bracket?  That is a beautiful car!!

   I think the problem is that my Kit has an additional inner ring that seems to preclude mounting a hubcap even if it were cut to accommodate the support bracket.

[UNCLEJOHN]

TRY  N  TAKE  A  LOOK  TONITE  AND  GET  YA  BETTER  PIC     JUST  GOT  CAR  AND  " I'M LEARNING " !