Paperweights/belt buckle faces as Dino wheel center caps

Well, it is happening again. Another supplier is passing off paperweights/belt buckle faces as Dino wheel center caps.

http://www.dinoparts.de/EN/ferrari-246-gt-gts/suspension/wheels-tyres-more/spare-centre-dino-badge.html

I thought that a while ago someone (in a galaxy far, far, far away?) was working on reproducing proper Dino wheel center caps with the correct typeface colors (BLUE, not black) with the proper metallic edging around the letters, proper diameter, proper top surface curve, and with a plastic (?) not metallic base, etc.

Now, DinoParts is listing these incorrect paperweights as Dino wheel center ("centre") caps. Don't buy these if you are looking for something that approaches the original. In addition, each paperweight weighs about a ton and 1/2 each.

 

DinoParts has generally no sence of authenticity, you always have to be careful..

 

That's true, no doubt.

 

Is Superformance better in that respect?

 

yes, but just a little bit and they don`t display original parts and deliver something different (apart from one incidence with the Dino GT script which they fixed on their webpage....

http://www.superformance.co.uk/a-246/badges.htm

 

That someone would be me and when they are done they will be as perfect as can be with no compromise. At present normal life is taking over so it will be several months before anything concrete is done. The goal is to have them done by next spring.

 

Good news! No, GREAT NEWS!!

Sign me up for 8.

 

Will they also fit the 5 spoke Cromodora 14"X7.5" 308 wheels? I need a set of 4 as I just bought a set of these to play with on my Dino. I'd also appreciate any advice who has the best current parts. They should snap into the center vs being double-sticked, correct?

 

This would be annother version.
The original one for the Cromodora Dino wheels are glued on the center of the stainless steel cap (2nd from the left on picture).
The one you would need snaps into the center hole of the 5 star Cromodoras and was on the early 308 GT4 Dinos.
As mentioned before, later in black letters, earlier in blue (2nd from the right on my picture).
I use them on my 5 star 308 Cromodoras too.

 

An eBay listing for one NOS Dino wheel cap just ended, but included a couple 'washers' that appeared to be the same diameter as the cap...washers??

 

Matthias,

what's your thoughts on these? http://beverlyhillsmotorsport.com/catalog/personal_accessories/car-parts/sort_price_high/prod_ferrari-dino-wheel-cap-set/var_fdwcs0932

Freeman

 

Greetings Freeman,
If I may, here's what they look like. I ran them on my Dino for a couple of years. The caps fit fine and looked good. They are plastic; if you get a set, check to see if the mounting tabs are reasonably flexible. Mine were not, and I broke a couple of them off on my first attempt. Handle the caps gently and, if you have to remove them, pull the wheel and very gently tap them from the backside.
Hope this helps,
Coop
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Coop,

Looks great! Any fitment issues? I think its the one wheel other than the original Cromodora and Campy that just look right!

Freeman

 

In your photo, to the left and just above the white circle (presumably the back of a center cap), there is what looks like the polished stainless steel back of one of the incorrect paperweight wheel caps that I bought a few years ago. Am I correct, or is it something else?

Also, please look at the three different versions of much more original center caps for Cromodora wheels in my photos. Note that the tail of the "o," the edging around the blue script, the depth and sharpness of the script and edging, and the shape of the "D" is different in each example. (The light when I took the photo made these all look slightly lemon yellow in color). There apparently were more variations in these than I had originally thought.

Mark
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Thanks, Freeman. I had no fitment issues on my car. I agree on The Look.
As you probably know, Nico (Dino Club Germany) has a set of these wheels on his beautiful Giallo Dino and Fred (2GT) is running a set of the same on one of his lovely Dinos. I've taken the liberty of attaching pics posted or taken by these owners.
Coop

('sorry Mark, we've drifted off course a bit...but our intentions are good!)
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Coop, I also think that they look great....

Which model year do the wheels come from? Size(s)? Which caps will fit correctly?

Regards, Alberto

 

Hi Alberto,
Mine (still have 'em...in boxes with the 'Dino' caps) are from a '79 GTS. 14x7.5. Someone had previously stripped & polished them; probably not the best idea, but I liked the bling. The caps (like mine) with the "Dino" script can be found here, as mentioned by Freeman:
http://beverlyhillsmotorsport.com/ca.../var_fdwcs0932
Of course, the standard 308 'Cavallino Rampante' caps are available from most of the usual suspects.
Cheers,
Coop

 

Jeez, what a surprise that a thread on FHCAT could drift all over!

Anyway,

1. Anybody know the history of the 3 different "correct" Cromodora wheel caps are?

2. Which script style was the first?

and finally,

3. Which script style (of these options) would be correct to put on Campy wheel, if one were so inclined?

Mark

 

Mark, this topic is one of the most difficult...
these wheel caps are hardly original with most of the Dinos
I`m not 100% sure, so it`s better to say anything
regards Matthias

 

Matthias,

Come to the dark side!!!

Freeman

 

You are right, the cap on the left side is the stainless steel back of the wrong heavy cap (left on my picture).
In my opinion the earlier original cap for the Cromodora wheels was the one with the blue letters. They had from factory on the problem that the glue is removing the yellow color from the back and some look ugly while the silver from the stainless steel shines through( middle o my picture).The version with the black letters were on the later Dinos and had as an improvement the back white coated which was more resistand against the glue (right on my picture):



For the Cromodoras on the 308GT4 (6,4x14, 246 Design) the caps with the snap in clips for the small center hole were used. The same history with the letters, most of the caps I saw were with black letters. Very rare and hard to find are caps with blue letters which fit on the GT4 Dino Design Cromodoras or the later GTB/GTS 5 Star wheels in 7,5 x 14.
The badges from the Beverly Hills Motorsport are repros which are better than nothing but not as good as the original ones.


Sorry for poor picture quality, I can make a better one on Friday.
Regards
Nicolai

 

Thanks Nicolai!

 

While I like the wheels that Freeman and Coop are fans of (but I like the Gotti wheels that John Corbani used even better), in this thread I was hoping to try to resolve the apparent confusion regarding the correct wheel caps for the 246GT and GTS Dinos.

So . . ., of my 3 "original" Cromodora wheel caps for the 246 Dino (not the GT4 Dino), which one most likely is the first version, or the most original (again for the 246 Dino, not the GT4 Dino)? I am asking because even amongst these 3, you can spot variations, as I have noted.

Anecdotally, I have been told that the black script caps were used on GT4 Dinos only, and not the 246 Dinos.

Mark

 

I bought my car in 1982. Only one original Dino cap was left, the others were gone. So I bought a new set in Italy (69000 Lires in 1982). The cap on the left is the original.
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that looks really good to me too
I always thought one of my sets was original too
see picture
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