1920s spare tire covers

[Linus Tremaine]

Is there anyone who has had a good reproduction spare tire cover made for a 1920s car? Something with advertising or text or at least the car brand stitched in? Id like to have something made for my car but I dont even know where to start. It has to be as close to period as I can get. 

 

Maybe someone here has had good luck with a project like this....

[edinmass]

Tire and wheel size? You usually don't see metal covers till 1929.......and seldom at that. 1925 - 1930 canvas covers matching the top SOMETIMES look good......or just ok. Depends on body style, and white wall vs black wall. 21 & 21 inch covers are almost impossible...........after that, 19 down to 17 you only need time and money.......

[Linus Tremaine]

Ed,

this will be for the car that I dont own yet, but something like 33x4.5  I plan to run blackwall tires. 

 

A fabric cover with a slogan or an image or just the name of the car. 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by Linus Tremaine (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Neat stuff...........probably have a sign painter who works by hand paint one..........unfortunately not too many guys left that don't use the vinyl letter machines.

[Walt G]

Ed has stated that perfectly well, and it is the truth. Rare to find a talented artist that can not only letter well but also paint an image.  There are ways of getting the lettering correct in scale and style - drawn on paper first to full scale , then the pencil lines after the drawing is done are pierced by a sharp point of a needle. that is then taped in place on the object you need the lettering on and pounced with a cloth bag that has powder in it. Once the paper stencil( if you can call it that) is removed you see the lettering in the fine dots of the powder then someone with a steady hand , a stick to rest their arm on for a brace would hand paint in the lettering and or image. I have seen this done 50 years ago by a friend who was an artist that learned to do that in Pre WWII era.   (who also taught me how to re enamel emblems at the time then fire in a kiln)

Slow process, lots of time and patience and skill. 🧐 I did it several times but haven't in decades, lots of eye strain , and neck and shoulder pain afterwards. Really a completely lost art, that you have to see done in person to really grasp how to do it. lots of practice as well and the correct paint and brushes. Someone who pin stripes cars by hand /eye and doesn't use a roller/machine may be able to do that. Lots of tire covers on rear mounted spare tires in the 1920s saw some great artwork for advertising or sending a message.

Walt

[George Rohrbach]

Ernie Loga does great ones for Studebakers. Embroidered patch, he can do color that you wish. Sort of like the radiator emblem.

(715) 832-7302

Here is the one that he did for my 1922 Studebaker Light Six Touring

Edited June 29, 2020 by George Rohrbach (see edit history)

[Flivverking]

45 years ago as a young teenager ,myself a friend and his talented ,crafty dad and mom made a number of novelty tire covers to fit Model T and A Fords .

We used the silk screen process and it worked very well..The silk screen process is well discribed on the net in 2020.The sizing and sewing up of a tire cover and making it snap,elastic or string tie was more challenging in the end.

 

Very fun ,and we boys sold them at local meets and club events , being up and coming Model A'rs at 13-14.

 

 I recall a few logos of

"This car climbed Mount Washingon 1930-Twice!"

"This car is equiped with Four Wheel Brakes"

And stole from a 1965" My Mother the Car" epesiode.

"STOP ON A DIME BRAKES

-STOPS ON A DIME ,EVERY TIME"

See your dealer"

 

It was tricky getting the connections for the right coated canvas. Black,Tan and White 

I think it was aquired from a boat yard marina supply outlet.

 

 

[George Rohrbach]

News from Loga:

They can custom make for 1920's soft spare tire covers   for any size tire. They also have access to a number of car logos that can get embroidered. They have also made them with just an embroidered name of the car type, if they don’t have the logo.

 

[TG57Roadmaster]

From the 1930 Clifton Mfg. Co. Catalog No. 16...

 

 

See if the AACA Library & Research Center has any other jobber catalog like this.

 

TG

[ch1929]

I have has this one for a long time.

 

[ar1]

I know this is a little late.. but years ago, i found some original tire cover designs from a manufacturer, so i had them framed... these are original hand painted..

[Walt G]

Better late then never, thank you for sharing these.

[sagefinds]

On 7/1/2020 at 6:17 AM, ch1929 said:

I have has this one for a long time.

 

Bel Air Motor Co selling Chryslers and Plymouths,that's a twist,kinda like Dodge City (Ks) being in Ford county.

[1937hd45]

THANK YOU ALL! I started a similar thread on tire covers but it never gained the interest and great catalog info as this one. Bob