1947 Rover 14 P2 - Hubcaps

[DaveHRov14P2]

Hello again, Could anyone confirm if the attached picture is correct for the badge on the centre of the hubcaps, i.e. plain brass Rover badge, without black infill in the ROVER, or the ship, and black background / surround with plain brass bezel. I can see variants here and there on the internet and would like to make sure they are correct. If it exists a picture of the original design would be good. Thank you

[47p2]

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[DaveHRov14P2]

Thanks very much

[SHyslop]

I am hoping to add a fourth picture to the three included with this message. The first is of an "original" badge in that it is (most probably) original to the car and unrestored, so it looks the way they go over the past 80 years.

The third is of a badge that should be something like what they were like when they were new. It is on a car very similar to the one on page 80 of Eric Dymock's Rover book and the previous owner had tried to make it as right as he could, well documented, so I would hope it is pretty close to as they were.

A look at James Taylor's "Rovers of the 30s" book will show a Rover publicity picture of a 1947 16 on page 169 with the black paint on the badges somewhat visible.

The second photo is from The Autocar of 1945 and shows a Rover advert picture which, I think, does show that the centre was black.

Unfortunately, the parts book just shows a rather unclear drawing but 07647 is the one part number shown, 1939-47, although it continued on beyond the P2 range.

However, I have a third set on another car and they have been extremely nicely painted by someone. Do they look good - yes. Are they correct - no. The car is not on my home ground this minute but when I have a chance to go and see it I will take a photo and add it.

badge 2.jpg (64.29 KiB) Viewed 162 times

[DaveHRov14P2]

Thank you very much, that's really helpfull. the ones on my vehicle are similar to the third picture but the bezel as also been painted black, which I don't think looks as good. As you will see I have now managed to attach, with the help of a forum member, the picture from Eric Dymock's book.

One further question, I notice on some wheels, a gold radial coach line on the wheels displaced from the hub cap by about 35mm. Do you know or think this was original to match the waist gold coach line?

Thanks again.

[SHyslop]

A problem with things of the past is that, even if we were there, memory is not infallible. Documents and films of the time are really the only accurate information. I have been trying to attach a scan I have made of a P3 advert, (it keeps showing ok on the computer then upside down on the site, even when the right way round - must be the scan!) and I think it shows the badge slightly decently in colour - albeit a drawing. It may not show up well at low resolution but I can send you a higher resolution scan if you want.

Story for amusement and context.
I was at a show some years ago. In my yoof I had a lot of 30s Austins and knew 7s and 10s pretty well. In the field there is a 1933 7 with 1937/38 Ruby wheels. Originals 3.50x19, Ruby 4.50x17. Originals black centre, Ruby (late) large chrome centre. Easy to spot.

The two lads who had the car turned up and I ask them if the car goes well on the later wider smaller diameter tyres. They tell me that some years before they rescued the car from a barn and they restored it just as it was and everything on it was completely original, never been touched.

Nothing was going to convince them that the wheels were not original to the car. They were original to it as found but it would have had at least 75 years of use before that. That is why it can be difficult, if photos or detailed drawings or new unused unworn parts aren't available, to be absolutely rock solidly certain as to how something was when it was new. Something found in the 70s could have had hands like my father's on it in the 50s. Everything apart, "improvements" made, maybe even whole assemblies changed with almost no evidence that someone had been there before. Every spring washer put back, the screw heads in the right place. That's the problem when someone tries to restore what they have with no reference to other models or data.

To try and partly answer your further question:
Talking of my father reminds me, he told a story of an old chap with shaky hands who worked at the garage where he was apprenticed. The old chap, he said, would have the wheel rims to reline and apparently, he put the wheel on something like a balancer, horizontally, and spun it. He had a long thin brush and (the story went) when the brush touched the spinning wheel his hand was rock steady and that was how he repainted the line on the wheel, in the one go.

Better cars of the 30s could have this but whether it survived into the post war era, I'm not sure. Off the top of my head I am not recalling any on easy clean wheels but I am perfectly prepared to be proved wrong on that one.

When you say the black doesn't look good, I would agree that that could be the case if it is gloss black. The black I think it should be is a satin black and that is what I would use, but that's just an opinion. I think it should be a similar black to the dashboard panel. Black is one of the most difficult colours to match or look "factory", there are so many different types. RAL9005 is my shade of choice, usually.