NOS 1991 hubcaps

I have 3 1991 NOS center caps in silver

New in GM wrappers. $250 each

Interesting. I have never seen them packed in plastic like this before.

I have owned about a dozen NOS 1988-90 hubcaps, but they all came in boxes. They were rather loose in the box, I might add. Not good for protecting the finish of the caps.

I had some NOS 1991 caps that came packed in a plastic bag from a parts depot, but they were packed like a bulk

shipment.

Tom

All the NOS 88-90 caps I've ever had came in boxes as well. Though at the same time, all the 1991 caps I've ever had were in plastic like these.

I might add that shipping is included, and I can also bring them with me to the nationals in South Bend in July.

When I bought some new center caps for my DeVille (the most expensive variant cloisonne style for the 15" 40 slot chrome plated alloys available from 93-95) they came in these plastic wrapped packages, not boxes. Would appear that GM changed the packaging on center caps around 1991. Likely is far less costly, and reduced the packaging bulk (thereby using less bin space in the warehouse) but does not protect the finish quite as well while in storage.

Chrome plated side moldings and tail lamp trim rings also came this way, rather than in boxes, FWIW. Looks like that adhesive wrap stuff came on a roll. Just cut of what was needed and sandwich the part between two layers.

KDirk

You should remove the bag before installing them on the car, otherwise everyone would know they were replacements.

GM was always making changes. I have purchased these hubcaps and I am pretty sure some of the first I purchased did come in boxes (like the 1988-1990 did) but all came in bags near the end of availabity.

Here is an example of cost reduction. It does not look like much but it was apparantly enough for GM to change the design.

These are 1991 Reatta 16" hubcaps....... the one on the left has the "fancy" wire spring, the right cap has the cost reduced spring. The picture might indicate there is a difference in color but that is just lighting.

Seems like they were harder to find a few years ago. Last year there were several 1991 caps for sale at the inside parts tables.

Tom

I am new here, I have a 1991 Reatta Convertible and need 4 center caps, the ones on the car are faded, scratched, chipped, etc... and was wondering do the center caps for 15" rims fit the 16" rims?

I guess some where plastic and some where aluminum? Also, whom can refinish my rims?

1991 caps are unique only to that year and wheel style. 88-90 design is much larger and is aluminum "skinned" so would not match the 91 painted caps even if they fit (which they don't).

Your best bet, provided the caps you have are not broken or deeply gouged or scratched is to have them refinished by a body shop or wheel refinisher service. These can be sanded and repainted to like new conditoon.

Barney, per another posting here, does offer reproduction caps as well. If you buy replacements, do not discard the old ones. These could be sold or traded to another 91 owner to refinish. Even if the original paint is shot, these caps have some value for restoration. I may even be interested in them if you decide to buy replacements.

KDirk

This confusion happens alot....... people new to Reattas do not realize there are different wheels for the first three years ('88-'90) and in 1991 the wheel design changed and the size went from 15" to 16". The hub cap also changed. The cap for the 15" rim is plastic but has an aluminum overlay and is about 1 1/2 larger than the 1990 cap which is painted (to match the rim) plastic. For what it is worth, most 1991 wheels and caps were painted silver, the rim has a machined outer edge and black painted in the impression in the rim. There was a white wheel option in 1991, they were available only on white cars and the extra cost was $100.

There are usually place in your area that refinishes alloy wheels. Ask any body shop where they send alloy rims for refinishing. In large cities there may be several places. I has a set of 1991 wheels refinished by a place in San Antonio and they also painted the hub caps at the same time. The cost was slightly over $100 per wheel. The overall job was good but they painted the black fake rivet holes when they did the rim. I thought about somehow removing the paint but decided it was safer just to touch up the holes with black paint. They also did not repaint the black groove between the silver paint and the machined rim. After several attempts to duplicate the factory look, I used black paint in a syringe and layed a stripe of black paint in the groove, still looks great. I can give more details to anyone that need to repaint the groove.

Like the post at the start of this, I have a few NOS 1991 hub caps but the rarity has pushed the asking price to the point of embarrassment. I started looking for a substitute several year ago and found at that time the Riviera hub cap (for the same wheel design) was still available but had a different center emblem. By removing the Riviera emblem and installing a Reatta emblem, the hub cap was identical and used those until the supply of Riviera hub caps dried up. I now use another GM hub cap for the "clone". Before you ask, I am reluctant to tell the world what hub cap to use as it cost me the purchase price of several new GM caps to find the perfect one. So I have $$$ in finding the perfect match for size, fit, and color match.

Making the clone is not as simple as converting the Riviera hub cap. The only one that fits the need does not have a removable emblem, it is molded into the cap.

I machine out the center to the proper size to fit the Reatta emblem and bond it in place. I have the cost of a new GM cap, the Reatta emblem, and time in the clone and at $95 each cannot be distinguished from an original unless you flip them over.

The attached photo is a test......... one is NOS original and the other is a "clone"

I also attached a photo of the '91 cap beside the cap for the 15" wheel for size comparison.

A used 1991 center cap with paint damage just sold on Ebay for $54 plus shipping

Perhaps some more 1991 hubcaps will soon appear on Ebay, soon.

Tom

Perhaps some more 1991 hubcaps will soon appear on Ebay, soon.

Tom

I have a feeling some Used 91 ctn caps will show up on ebay soon.

Ahem! All my center caps are Fancy Spring, that is except the one that replaced one that fell off the car... thats Repro made by that Barney guy.