To me hub caps are the jewel to the outside of a vehicle. Often times I see missing hub caps on cars and wonder how the owner feels knowing that one is missing. Is a missing hub cap something that is put on the back burner or a must to take care of to keep up appearances?
Fortunately its not something that I've ever had to worry about - as I've never had a car that had wheels with hubcaps - but yes - I have to agree that from an aesthetic point of view - missing hubcaps on a car - not only makes it look extremely neglected and uncared for - but detracts from its looks too. However as the function of hubcaps is more than aesthetic and their main purpose is to provide protection for the wheels - in the sense that they provide an additional line of defense against salt and other road chemicals that can cause steel wheels to corrode - as well as protect the wheel nuts and bolts from going rusty - thereby lengthening the lifespan of the wheels - its generally wise to replace any that are missing as quickly as possible - particularly as doing that - will for sure save money in the long term.
I remember our Mustang when I was still in schooling age. My mother would drive me to school and pick me up in the afternoon. One afternoon we came home, my brother noticed a missing hub cap. My mother couldn't say where and how it was lost. When my father came home, he called someone and then he drove the car. When he came back, the missing hub cap was replaced. During those times, hub caps are stolen because they can be resold. Mag wheels are now the trend so the hub caps are gone and that's one less worry for a car owner.
