On my recently acquired '81 westy, I didn't like the creaking
sounds of the hubcaps and chrome rings, which weren't in all that
nice of condition to begin with, so I pried them off and did
the following, which may interest some of you with "hubcap woes:"

The wheel underneath is basically a silvery aluminum or brushed
chrome-like color, so I took some chrome-colored spray
paint (simply because I had it, and also because I wasn't sure
this was available in a non-spray) and sprayed it out in little
bits onto a paper plate.  Then, I used a cheapie small foam pain
brush to very lightly coat the wheels.  It all very well matched
the existing color, and they now look like "nearly" new.  Next,
I took some black paint and a small kid-artist's paint brush,
and did the lugs, also very lightly.   The whole thing looks
really quite nice, and I've gotten a lot of compliments.  I think
the key was putting this stuff on very thin - so it didn't look
gooped and artificial.  

How long this will all last, I have no idea, but I thought it
was worth a try to spiff up the wheels WITHOUT the clatter of
the usual hubcaps and/or chrome beauty rings.

/Martha Rubin
nrubin@s1.csuhayward.edu
'79 bug 'vert, '81 westy,
previously owned:  '78 rabbit, '61 1500 (notchback)