WHAT GOES AROUND
One of the identifiable trends at this year's Nationals was "less is more," particularly when it came to wheels. We often speculate on what drives new trends. Is it economics, what shows up in magazines or car shows, or simply a result of what's readily available?
It may be the backlash to convention, or it just might be that street rodders are always looking for something different; we can only hope. Whatever the reason for new trends, there was ample evidence simple wheel treatments were in vogue. Take a look at the following examples.
In some cases, the wheels on a car can actually overwhelm some of the other elements. Clean and simple, chrome wheels, baby moons, and wide whites are a hard combination to beat on a something as nicely done as this '32 Ford five-window. | 
A little creativity will go a long way to make a car different from the rest, as this combo proves. A chrome wheel with a painted center wears a Chevy "disc brake" hubcap that has had a spinner with an eyeball attached. | 
Speaking of simple, why not forget the hub caps altogether and run chrome lug nuts and trim rings on painted wheels? This '37 Chevy still runs six lug wheels, which probably means the running gear is original. |
One of the old standbys of street rodding, Moon discs add a no-nonsense look to just about any car. Some snap on like conventional hubcaps, they can be screwed on or held in place with Dzus fasteners. | 
Here's an example of some unique aftermarket hubcaps. Of course, spending too much time polishing these will have people talking. | 
A unique truck deserves an equally unique wheel treatment. In this case that means homemade aluminum discs with button head screws around the edge. |
It's the little details that often make a big difference between one car and another. The knock off and chrome lug nuts are very cool, but look closely and you'll see the extra holes in this multi-pattern wheel were filled with metal plugs found at a hardware store. | 
Sometimes keeping things simple is a matter of economics, and sometimes it just fits the character of the car. In any case an OEM-style steel wheel, a bullet-style hub cover, and chrome lug nuts meet both needs. | 
A once common accessory, we saw a number of the old Cal Custom style "spider caps" that covered the lug nuts and center hub. |
At one time it was common to run the same type of hubcaps on a rod as the engine that was under the hood. Do you think this T has an Olds under the hood? | 
If you want to run small hubcaps on your rod, take a look at some of the examples used in the '50s and '60s for something different. | 
A classic aftermarket hubcap is the full moon. What's really cool about these is when magazine editors, like our own Brian Brennan, photograph them, you can see their reflection. |