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I like many have a ebay watch list and a in order of what's a must, a need and a like.
went to treat myself to a 'like' item and figured I'd try and shop around.
Literally half the price! Or am I missing something.
I see this sort of thing on Amazon, exactly the same products but some are double or more the price!
The cheaper one looks identical to me.....As long as it threads in ok and the O ring is good, I guess you can't go wrong. Quite fancy it myself lol
I assume the STI logo won't be upside down when the cap is nipped down to a sensible seal tightness.....
I wonder if some of them have a matched thread so the logo is always the right way up....given a bit of either way etc.
Last edited by Hawkeye D; May 6, 2020 at 09:14 AM.
And it’s so often the case it’s not genuine, yet almost every eBay car part advert says it is “genuine” when it’s knock off.
I’ve been trying to get some decent VW centre caps for some time. And christ, unless I go direct to TPS (VAG parts) it’s impossible to get good quality ones elsewhere. Obvious knock offs are ones that say “made in Germany” and the seller is based in China!
Problem is the cheapest ones are priced at under £10 for a set, fine you get what you pay for...but some UK sellers will try and sell the very same knock-offs for £40 or more
To be frank I don’t care if they aren’t original/genuine VW. All I want them to sell is a set of caps that don’t corrode, pit or tarnish in winter from the salt chucked over the road.
It’s obvious most are no good as it’s just polished bare aluminium (I‘m lucky to manage one winter from these before they lose their lustre. Original VW ones have a clear-coat resin/lacquer to protect it which do last longer, but eventually water gets behind the lacquer and they get white-worm.
I've bought the first one you have listed Robsy but I am not convinced it is genuine.
The threads have a few slightly rough edges to them and that is why I have not fitted it.
It appears to me it is a Chinese copy (including the box), I don't know. I don't remember the Prodrive one I used to have (sold with my last FSTi) having any rough edges. Someone that has a genuine STi one can perhaps compare.
When I purchased my "REAL" one in March 2012 they cost ¥14,400 (£110.77 at March 2012 exchange rate) (excluding shipping) with additional import costs of £38.00.
Most of those being sold on the bay are cheap alloy cast items, where as the original is machined from solid and has a smooth finish all over.
The "STI" will have sharp edges where its been machined into the block.
Weighs in at 74 grams complete with O-ring.
Last edited by Don Clark; May 6, 2020 at 04:43 PM.
So I took a punt and bought the £37 before anyone replied and if it's fake it's good.
The Sti looks pressed in and very smooth.
The grooves you twist are smooth except the lip in the middle of the half moon area.
The threads are clean, and no sharper then the half moon area.
The rubber o ring feels rubber and good quality.
The box, logo, paperwork and packaging all look and feel like Subaru packaging and I can't see any thing to scream fake.
It's 100g with o ring which is a lot over Don's 72 which is putting doubt in my mind.
Magnesium is extremely light: it is 75% lighter than steel, 50% lighter than titanium, and 33% lighter than aluminium. It has the highest known damping capacity of any structural metal, capable of withstanding 10x more than aluminium, titanium, or steel.
74 grams compared to 105 grams == 30% lighter so allowing for O-ring about right.
Price mark up. Jesus!
