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Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:16 pm

I recently bought 4 hubcaps and hoped they were OE parts.

I was told to check by weight.
one weighs 1 lb 2.7 oz
two weighs 1 lb 3.3 oz
one weighs 1 lb 4.0 oz

Is this a good way to check? and how do you tell the difference.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:36 pm

sam_w wrote: I recently bought 4 hubcaps and hoped they were OE parts.

I was told to check by weight.
one weighs 1 lb 2.7 oz
two weighs 1 lb 3.3 oz
one weighs 1 lb 4.0 oz

Is this a good way to check? and how do you tell the difference.

Maybe scrape the dirt out of them before you weigh them. Stock caps were triple plate chrome, and are pretty easy to tell the difference IMO. I could be wrong though.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:43 pm

I grabbed 2 caps, 1 original and 1 aftermarket.
Results:
Original - 18 oz. aka 1 lb., 3 oz.
Repro - 12 oz.

The weight difference is very noticeable when you have both in hand.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:49 pm

Were there any repops that had the square bumps on the edges like originals?

Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:58 pm

My understanding is no but I haven't verified that in any way. I do use that as an indicator when looking for caps at VW swap meets.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:05 pm

Me too. They have always seemed to be good quality if they have the squares. The repops make good targets for sharpening my pistol handling skills.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:47 pm

Don't the OE ones have a nice clean debossed emblem too? The newer repops(at least the ones I've seen) look like they were pressed from old pie pans or something. Pretty crappy and they just look flimsy. Are the German ones from WW repops or OEM?

Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:07 pm

Check out this thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=250877&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I got all excited when I bought supposedly "NOS" hubcaps - only to find that the ones I bought (with the grey undercoading) were OEM repops. I took a beating to find out the difference, but all is good. Even though they were OEM repops, they are far superior to the aftermarket stuff. Original German equipment in great shape are hard to find. Although not truly NOS, I am happy with the OEM repops I have. The are heavy, have the correct stampings, and should last longer than the cheaper reproductions.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:44 pm

67 Florida Deluxe wrote: Check out this thread
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=250877
I see that my weights went down 1 oz. from that thread to this current thread. I am using a different scale now, it is not digital.

The repro I weighed is old, age unknown. The center emblem looks the same, I think overall thickness is just less.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:07 pm

BTW I paid $1.00 each for them at Bugorama.

They are not perfect, but they will clean up great.

They are going to go on the 15" rims I had powder coated for my Thing, that has a 211 part number in the catalog for the 15" wheel option.

I just did not feel like paying close to $200 for a new set.

Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:42 pm

How can I tell if my Kombi came with chrome caps or not? By being a Kombi does that automatically tell me no chrome caps?

Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:05 pm

RobzKombi wrote: How can I tell if my Kombi came with chrome caps or not? By being a Kombi does that automatically tell me no chrome caps?

Is there M181 on your m-code plate? Other than that I would think it left the factory with primer caps.

Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:23 pm

Thanks Crofty, and no M181 on my plate so primer caps it is then. Which by the way is what I was hoping for.

Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:35 pm

crofty wrote: RobzKombi wrote: How can I tell if my Kombi came with chrome caps or not? By being a Kombi does that automatically tell me no chrome caps?

Is there M181 on your m-code plate? Other than that I would think it left the factory with primer caps.

My '59 Kombi/Westy doesnt have M-code 181 and I have the original chrome hubcaps with black VW center logo.

:-k

Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:37 pm

67 Florida Deluxe wrote: crofty wrote: RobzKombi wrote: How can I tell if my Kombi came with chrome caps or not? By being a Kombi does that automatically tell me no chrome caps?

Is there M181 on your m-code plate? Other than that I would think it left the factory with primer caps.

My '59 Kombi/Westy doesnt have M-code 181 and I have the original chrome hubcaps with black VW center logo.

:-k

I guess they could have been dealer installed maybe?

Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:58 pm

RobzKombi wrote: 67 Florida Deluxe wrote: crofty wrote: RobzKombi wrote: How can I tell if my Kombi came with chrome caps or not? By being a Kombi does that automatically tell me no chrome caps?

Is there M181 on your m-code plate? Other than that I would think it left the factory with primer caps.

My '59 Kombi/Westy doesnt have M-code 181 and I have the original chrome hubcaps with black VW center logo.

:-k

I guess they could have been dealer installed maybe?

It was tourist delivery from Westfalia-Werke in Aug of '59. The owner picked it up there and drove around Europe for 2+ months....

Mine says 182 for an M-code, but not 181.