Wheel Cap Question Options

[Cal]

I'm slowly piecing together a matching set of excellent caps for my Fuchs.....two of the original caps were dinged. I've purchased several caps recently and noticed that one of them has a slightly different sized outer lip. Is this an early or late model cap....what year did the change take place?

[Tom_T]

I'd never noticed that change before Jeff ...
"Veeery interesting!" as Arte Johnson would say in his German accent on Laugh-In. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It's an obvious cost cutting measure, but would be hard to pin point, since Porsche did start cutting costs on the 914s in earnest during the 73 & 74 MYs> - such as:

> chrome window cranks & interior door handles to all black plastic, color matched to body color on painted steel bumpers to all textured black painted (72>73);

> appearance & performance groups options included in 2.0 base price, to extra cost (during late 73);

> aluminum to black plastic thresholds, silver dot with L & R turn signal indicators at Tach to black dot with just 1 TSI, leather covered steering wheeels Y shift boots to vinyl leatherette, metal to plastic 914 & 1.7/1.8/2.0 emblems, etc. (73>74);

> plastic 914 & 1.8/2.0 emblems to decals, sewn seat insert folds to heat seamed & with thinner vinyl, etc. 74>75>;

> & later replacement parts were also subject to cost saving steps by Porsche & their OEMs 76>..

Also - AFAIK, otherwise for the cone shape, height, diameter, & insert ring diameter have all been held constant. However, there may have also been some change to the thickness of the metal used for their stampings, since it seemed to many that they became much more easy to ding up around 73 or 74 MY, or perhaps with the replacement ones being sold around that time.

I don't know for sure if it's a thinner gauge, but that would be another thing that some sleuths on here could check as well.

If you have any way to backtrack when yours were sold new originally from labels & p/n's, packaging, then you may be able to solve this mystery for us all. Maybe others can chime in with their originals as well.

I'll try to dig out the NOS set I got a while back to check on them, but I don't have an original sale new date, unless it's printed on the labels.

Also, maybe Steve who runs p914.com has some insight on this change? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

So you've now opened yet another 914 mystery to sleuth out! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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