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size of original hub caps for 71 superbeetle
71superbeetle - January 18th, 2009 at 05:13 PM

Hi. does anyone know the size of the original hub caps that would be on a 14 inch stock rim for beetle?


barls - January 18th, 2009 at 05:52 PM

supers had 15 inch stock rims not 14s


71superbeetle - January 18th, 2009 at 06:15 PM

my beetle has 14 inch rims which i am changing to stockys and want the hub caps that are not the flat type but the more rounded shape. does the diameter of the caps differ for a 14inch to a 15 inch? or are they held buy lugs?


barls - January 18th, 2009 at 06:25 PM

ok post 69 all bugs went 4 stud. so they were fitted with the flat dish hub cap.
14s are stock most likely they are a set of mangels off a 356. the 15s fit to the rims by just clipping on the notches on it.


71superbeetle - January 18th, 2009 at 07:23 PM

what are mangels? is this another workd for stock?


barls - January 18th, 2009 at 08:07 PM

mangels are the chrome rims off a 356


VWCOOL - January 18th, 2009 at 09:20 PM

... most likely they will be original 15-inch centres cut down and welded into a 14-inch rim. Very common in the 1980s when 15-inch styres were expensive and there are stil many Beetles with 14x6-inch rims on the roads today

Don't fit dome hubcaps to a later model car - it looks like you're stoopid


Joel - January 18th, 2009 at 09:23 PM

x2 they dont look right it fit terribly

dome hubcaps were held on by little clips riveted to the rims where as later flat hubcaps are a press fit onto the rim center

it can be done but takes some panel beating to the hubcap to fit


71superbeetle - January 18th, 2009 at 10:41 PM

well i dont wanna look stoopid, especially since my bug is pink in the first place!!! so im thinking go for the flat hub caps with the stockys and maybe some pretty shiny beaty rings??? is this stoopid? otherwise might just paint the rims white and shiny hub caps...is this stoopider???!!! help me out pleeease, i think i need it!:crazy:


68AutoBug - January 19th, 2009 at 12:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 71superbeetle
Hi. does anyone know the size of the original hub caps that would be on a 14 inch stock rim for beetle?


the standard 1968> hubcaps will fit 14 & 15 inch wheels..

the early hubcaps can be fitted to the later wheels
by sheer accident... lol

one of the locals allways had the early domed hubcaps on late wheels..

You may need to knock them on with a rubber mallet..
German made hubcaps should fit on OK...
but you may have a problem with Brazillian or Mexican hubcaps...

I had two new brazillian hubcaps, that I could get to fit My wheels... and they dented very easily when I tried to knock them on... lol

but the local said He had fitted both German & Brasillian hubcaps to his late wheels... just took some fiddling..

You will find that once the hubcaps are on....
it does take i bit to get them off... lol
actually it takes an aweful lot to pull them off...

cheers

LEE

1968 beetles had black & whicle painted wheels
1971 had silverpainted wheels...


71superbeetle - January 19th, 2009 at 03:16 PM

are beauty rings hard to find? i know, i know, ring george at classsic vee dub!!!


helbus - January 19th, 2009 at 07:00 PM

LOL. You can fit any 15" dress ring. Or 14" if you have 14" wheels. They are available at Autobarn or Supercheap etc. maybe only in a pack of 4. The older ones had chrome that lasted 20 or 30 years. The newer cheap ones can rust within months.

In my opinion it is worth spending the money getting older heavier duty ones rechromed.

Quote:
Originally posted by 71superbeetle
are beauty rings hard to find? i know, i know, ring george at classsic vee dub!!!