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?

I'd never noticed that change before Jeff ...
"Veeery interesting!" as Arte Johnson would say in his German accent on Laugh-In.

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?

So you've now opened yet another 914 mystery to sleuth out!

Cheers!
Tom
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PS - They may have also changed their OEM supplier subcontractor at the timing of the change, &/or the original or new OEM had to get new tooling due to wear, & did the change at the same time.

As defensive measures for those easily bunged-up factory caps, you & everyone should probably always remove & replace them yourself from the wheels for any work or tire replacements, & maybe also get a set of the aftermarket billet aluminum repros for DD/weekend driving use, since they're more sturdy.


Tom
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The NOS set I have for sale now in the classifieds are the wider lip. Labels on the boxes show June '89 production, purchased in January '92. Hope this helps pin it down some.

Its a late cap.
One detail that didn't get raised in Arne's Classified sale is that the caps are still available FS from the dealer. And yes they no longer come in the nice individual boxes but simple plastic bags. As the OP has recognized these newer caps have a thinner lip or flange. One reason that might be less desirable is because the wider that flange the more scars incurred from installation & removal over the yrs can be covered.
Other than that detail, material & quality of the newer caps seems about equal.

Yes, there is new tooling, the problem with these remains the same. Galvanic corrosion. Different material will corrode over time. They are nice and if they were cheap I's say pop them in, but not so much even the new ones.

And for the cut off it's definitely 74 or earlier.