[CareyDean]

I've got a red with red 66 convert. and found a set of original wire spinner caps, they've got blue centers, was blue the only color available? would really prefer to replace them with red or black,
tried searching for pics, but I also want factory correct.

[Ivy66GT]

The fake wires had blue centers on the '66 Mustang. The spinners on the standard looking wheel covers had a black center. I have a set of each somewhere in a box. Seems maybe the big block cars had red centers but I would have to check into that.

[Ivy66GT]

Looking further it seems some of the Galaxies had red centers in '66 on different hub caps but I don't think Mustang had red until '67.

I found someone saying that the spinners were outlawed as a safety hazard after Jan 1, 1966. Does anyone know if that is actually true? If so, I have 2 sets of original, pre-1/1/66 '66 spinner caps (one fake wire, one not) except both of my cars were made AFTER 1/1/66. Ain't swap meets wonderful?

[Ivy66GT]

Seems there is some truth to the ban on spinners but it wasn't for '66. The initial Federal Vehicle Safety law that took effect on 1/1/1968 required things like head rests and shoulder harnesses. It also included Standard Requirement #211 - Wheel Nuts and Hubcaps which several sources indicate banned spinner hub caps. This would explain why the later fake wire wheel covers had a red insert, smooth center hub without the spinners. I wonder how much of this spinner hysteria had to do with the chariot race scene from the 1959 movie, Ben Hur, where Charlton Heston's evil opponent used the spinners on his chariot to try and de-spoke Ben Hur's chariot wheels?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbQvpJsTvxU

Apparently some bureaucrat has had a change of heart since the same list of Standard Requirements is still generally in force today EXCEPT that #211 now says [Reserved] which is typically how the wording reads when a law has been repealed. #210 was and still is Seat Belt Anchorages and #212 was and still is Windshield Mounting and Retention but #211 is no longer with us.

Blue = evil spinners

Red = Ralph Nader safety hubcaps

Long live those blue (or black) spinners!

[66Sprint200]

Originally Posted by Ivy66GT

Seems there is some truth to the ban on spinners but it wasn't for '66. The initial Federal Vehicle Safety law that took effect on 1/1/1968 required things like head rests and shoulder harnesses. It also included Standard Requirement #211 - Wheel Nuts and Hubcaps which several sources indicate banned spinner hub caps. This would explain why the later fake wire wheel covers had a red insert, smooth center hub without the spinners. I wonder how much of this spinner hysteria had to do with the chariot race scene from the 1959 movie, Ben Hur, where Charlton Heston's evil opponent used the spinners on his chariot to try and de-spoke Ben Hur's chariot wheels?
Blue = evil spinners

Red = Ralph Nader safety hubcaps

Long live those blue (or black) spinners!

I thought they would have banned the knock-offs after what happened in the James Bond flick "Goldfinger", which involved a 1964.5 Mustang convertible having its side shredded by the knock-offs on James Bond's Aston Martin DB5.


In 1964.5 & 1965 the wire wheel caps had red, white, and blue centers, and they had small, wide (looking at side profile) spinners. In 1966, they got the wire wheel caps that are on my car, wire wheel caps, with a blue center depicting the ford crest, and a low wide spinner. Then in 1967, they basically cut the ears off of the knock-off and gave it the red center from the 65/66 styled steel wheel. Instead of being the ford crest, it got FORD MUSTANG around the edge and a picture of the galloping mustang in the center. I have attached pictures to show what I mean.

[Ivy66GT]

James Bond surely had seen Ben Hur. That Mustang even had the non-lethal version of spinners on the standard looking hub caps. http://www.ponysite.de/goldfinger.htm

By '67 the new law had already been passed but had not yet taken effect so Ford knew what was coming for the next year. No doubt that was what prompted the change to eliminate the ears on the '67 versions. I believe the body of the '66 and '67 wire hubcaps are the same and have no part number markings that I can find. The numbers are on/in the back side of the center insert.

[Sue Ann]

Yep. They were outlawed as far as producing them. The ones already made were (and are) legal to use. I have a set. They were replaced with with spinners that didn't extend quit so far.