from 94-97, the gauges were the same. Certain cars had more space between the screws securing the face to the meter, why... I dont know. As far as the depth, they should be the same... the metal cylinder around the meter will slide on the coil... is that whats in the way??

I have a similar problem in my 94... certain times it'll read the amount of gas left, other times it drops well below the "E" and will eventually return to the proper position. Also, when I fill the tank, it dosent quite reach the "F"... it'll read anywhere from 3/4 - 7/8 a tank... and I KNOW the tank is full because the filler tube will even be full (hehe, I kinda go overboard sometimes). I, too, am wondering about this problem.