Restoring my first 914

[milhouse914]

Thanks Darren, am quite fond of my 928. Currently using it as daily transport, I have not seen another on the road for about a year !

Please could you let me know what Porsche said about your 914 key. Mine is worn to a nub and can't get one cut from it

James

[Darren C]

No problem James. The chassis number came up with no record held of key code at Porsche. My next task this weekend is to see if I can find any numbers on the locks. I know when I rebuilt the door handles there were no numbers found in there so ignition is next port of call.
Today was an early start at work (typical Friday madness) so I didn’t get to do any 914 stuff until lunch. I picked up some more satin black paint for the engine lid (under grill) which I plan on spraying this weekend and called in at the paintshop to check on the sill progress. They are going to be ready hopefully on Tuesday. I also checked the tracking website for the seals from Rose Passion and fingers crossed I may get them tomorrow.
This evening after food shop I got home and unpacked the remaining parts I had on order from Porsche, before walking over to the garage.
I started cleaning up the trim under the windscreen frame above the sunvisors and down the pillars. There are a few tiny heat cracks in the trim which need sorting out. Again I think I’ll look at them over the weekend when I can push the car outside a bit. It was spitting with rain this evening so not a good idea.
With the sky looking dark I decided to come back into the house and start on the bumpers.
I first used an M8 tap to clean out the mounting hole threads and a small modellers paintbrush to paint through the fog lamp hole onto the rear of the mounting brackets where the spray gun hadn’t quite got in. Apart from that the finish is good. Don’t want any unprotected metal behind there! Should all be dry for assembly in the morning.

[Darren C]

This morning I got up early and fitted the speed nuts to the front valance and sorted out some BZP Acme screws for both valances.
I used my Swedish punch set to make a set of rubber washers for the front screws, just a shade bigger than the captive washers. With all new fixings I fitted the rear valance first.



I’d opted for a stone guard finish on them both (to kinda match the Targa top and Porsche 944 sill style) and had them painted on both sides after they were sand blasted and etch primed. Hopefully they’ll last well.
Next I fitted the front fog lamps and horns. New grommets in the lamp bases, but still waiting for the new Fog lamp glass lenses to arrive so left the bezels & reflectors out for now. With the cables neatly connected and clamped in place I put the battery on and tested the horns. All good.
The car was now ready for the front valance. After all the tin bashing and patience with a coat of primer and stone guard (inside and out) it came up pretty damn good.





All screwed in with rubber washered Acme BZP screws and new speed nuts; all that was left to do was give them a lick of Waxoil with a modellers brush to keep them looking good.
The ends of the valances at the wheel arches were bolted together with stainless M5 bolts, nylocks, 12mm OD penny washers and some new rubber spacer sleeves.

With the waxoil tin still open I poured a bit into a jam jar and with a ¾” brush I set about painting the inside of both doors. This took a couple of hours as I made sure I’d worked it into every corner and crevice. The doors are so good a condition with zero rust that I want to keep them that way. Looking through the top of the door I waxoiled the rear of the inner panel (the one the door card attaches too) and then up and under the top of the door skin behind where the weather strip and mirror fits across the top of the door. I think I pretty much got every internal surface.
After a well earned cuppa I started to assemble the bumpers. I’d left the nuts and washers on the bottom of the old long rubber trims for safe keeping, but in doing so I’d forgotten to clean/replace them. Some of the BZP washers were looking a bit furry so I had a rummage in my shed and found some stainless bar. An hour on my lathe and I’d made 10 new ones to the exact outside diameter and thickness. (These are not a standard size to just match exactly, so making them was a good solution)
All was going well today until I opened the 914rubber “box of doom”. I got out the two uber expensive new bumper top mouldings and decided to fit them first.
To my amazement they were both TOO SHORT.
With the captive stud fitted in the middle of the bumper both ends were about ½” too short????
I tried putting the studs in at one end first and the second bolt was 1/4” out then the middle ½” and the third ¾” and the final one was a whole inch out!



The only thing I could try and do was bolt it in the centre then have a bloomin tug o war stretch it to get the next stud in and a blue in your face white knuckle tug in fear of breaking it to get the last stud in place.
I was not amused at this high value item.
Quickly trying to fit the washers and nuts before it all popped out.
Problem now is that because its so stretched, the two ends after the end studs are curling out and away from the wheel arches and look sh*t.
I’m going to leave in overnight and see if the tension in the rubber eases and settles ( I can live in hope). It’s almost as if after it was moulded it shrunk in all directions?
The rear one was the same as the front but as there is no centre fixing in the bumper I was very worried that I’d tear/snap it when trying to get the 2 studs to locate at either end.
I also noticed the holes for the numberplate lights hadn’t been made so went to pilot drill them, but just thought I’d check the light fitment first. Good job I did as the indents/dimples guides in the new rubber were nowhere near right. Are there 2 types of early bumper numberplate light? The indent fixing guide was far too wide for my lights.



The cut out for the light holder was so wide I only just managed to get holes into the rubber.
Yet again I am very disappointed in these remanufactured parts. Lets hope they stretch over night as my old ones are far too gone to put back on the car.
All in all its been another rollercoaster of a day

[Mr Pharmacist]

I'm sure I read something about those bumper tops on 914 world. I'm sure the advice there was out them in the sun for a bit to warm them up so that they would be easier to stretch! It didn't sound ideal considering the cost!!

[Darren C]

Thanks Stuart, I’ve not seen that article but well believe that you need to do something radical to fit these rubber trims.
After posting last night I took another look and decided that the only way I could get them into shape at the ends would be with a mechanical fixing.
I took the plunge and drilled a small 4mm hole in each bumper end and painted the cut metal to stop it rusting before leaving it overnight to dry.
The problem is that with stretching the trims so much to fit the studs into the metal bumpers, the ends curl out of alignment with the wheel arch ends.



When viewed looking upwards they are miles out and look awful.



With the holes drilled in the bumper I wrestled and forced the end into shape and marked the rear of the rubber. Due to the shape of the metal bumper there was no way that I could get a drill in, so reluctantly I took them off the metal and very carefully pilot drilled the rubber.
After 16 hours bolted stretched on the bumper they still hadn’t got any longer and I had to force them back on.
Wrestling the ends into shape I drove a ¾” stainless steel screw in from the underside.



I did this on all 4 corners using 1” screws in the front as the force was much greater to hold the ends in.
With it now looking better I built up the rest of the bumper parts using all stainless fixings.



Finally I could fit the bumpers to the car.



The numberplate lights were fitted and tested all good, so I moved on to the front.



Not the easiest thing to fit but after another day of agro the result is better than my old perished trims.

[911hillclimber]

11/10 for perseverance!

Hope you are advising your supplier of these defects; it may help others after you if not yourself.

This will be a lovely car when you are done, nice to read about.

[Darren C]

Thanks for the kind words, I hope it'll be a nice thing, not concours, but just a nice example that I can drive & enjoy.
Yes, I emailed Mark at 914rubber some photo’s of the problems over the weekend and he replied today with acknowledgement and suggestions of cutting out the backs of the rubber bumper parts with a sharp knife to make them fit better. I’ve asked him to send some pictures of what bits to cut off them, but he is obviously aware that there is a common fitting issue with the product he’s selling.

Anyway, today was going to be a long day. I left home at 7am for work and have only just got in the door at 11:15pm following a long day at work and straight on to a car club committee meeting.
I knew it was going to be a long one, so made sure I was up at 4:30 am this morning to get at least 2 hours in on the 914 today.
Before sunrise I decided today I’d fit the door handles that I’d cleaned up previously. The drivers side had a partially stripped thread down the blind hole in the Mazak. Probably due to finding a cross threaded hex head bolt in it when I took the car apart instead of a socket allen screw. I ground a spare M6 plug tap square off at the end and re-tapped the hole including about 3mm at the base of the hole that the factory didn’t tap out. It was easy to get to the very bottom of the hole with a ground off plug tap.
Next I got a new socket allen head bolt and cut it down so that it was 3mm longer than standard so that I could make use of the extended thread in the handle. All in all there was about 4mm of damaged thread at the start of the hole 5mm of old thread remaining and my new 3mm which allowed the longer bolt 8mm of good thread. More than enough to hold it firmly.
Next I opened pandora’s box of 914rubber parts and took out the new door handle seals I’d bought.
Hmmm, they were all silicone squidgy like the no good boot lock seal, not at all like the nylon of the original seal. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and cleaned the back of the chrome handle and applied a small amount impact glue to handle and seal (just like factory) and waited for the glue to go touch dry before attaching the seals in the right place.
They promptly fell off????? Eh???? The impact glue on the seal stuck to the glue on the handle but the silicone of the new seal was like some glue rejecting Teflon device and it simply didn’t stick at all. Back to the drawing board……Suffice to say I then wasted half an hour cleaning the glue off the back of the handles.
The only thing that I could find that would hold onto the seal was superglue. Not my first choice; but with 3 tiny blobs, both ends and middle, it held the seals firmly in line.
By this time the sun had risen and the birds were singing. I walked over to the garage and carefully fitted both door handles. A small coating of waterproof grease on the mechanism and they opened with the lightest touch……perfect.
The seals also stayed in place for now (not sure if it's the compression of handle to door or superglue, but time will tell).
Finally I put a blob of waxoil over and around the head of the socket allen head of the bolts to protect them from corrosion before sitting down to breakfast and then leaving for work.

[914 KEV]

Darren, your fitting of the reproduction parts makes very interesting reading!
I have fitted many repro parts from 914 Rubber and other suppliers that other 914 owners have bought and have got me round to help fit them; so I’m aware that some are not of the same quality as the factory used parts and might not fit well!

I’m shocked at the trouble of fitting of the reproduction bumper rubber tops! Not a cheap item! They were never cheap either when they were still available from Porsche.
Can’t believe that the studs don’t line up! The originals have a metal plate inside and all the stud mounts are attached to it.
Rubber might shrink a fraction after moulding, but if there was a one piece metal plate inside the mounting studs will still be in the correct position!

Next I opened pandora’s box of 914rubber parts and took out the new door handle seals I’d bought.
Hmmm, they were all silicone squidgy like the no good boot lock seal, not at all like the nylon of the original seal. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and cleaned the back of the chrome handle and applied a small amount impact glue to handle and seal (just like factory) and waited for the glue to go touch dry before attaching the seals in the right place.

Darren the factory never used glue on these parts, the small part just slides over the stud and slide into place while the larger half-moon shape (factory one has an outside ridge on one side, which points outwards). Before the handle is fully pushed home it is just slid into place and then held by the door handle. All very easy with the factory original part!
I have seen some really poor alternatives to the factory part, one that came from 914 Rubber was just cut out of a flat bit of thin flat rubber! They have improved, but nowhere near the original ones made out of nylon plastic that holds the original shape.

If you still have the originals, clean them up with Jif and polish and re-use!

[Darren C]

Cheers Kev,

I got an email back today from Mark at 914rubber with a series of pictures of what “chunks” to cut out of the back of the rubber bumper tops to aid a better fit.
Basically he suggests cutting out two large triangular webs from each end of the rubber strip so it sits flat at each end. The webs are on the originals (from which I suspect they took a mould) and are there to reinforce the corners and kinda hook onto the metal bumper ends. They were designed that way for a reason.
The fact of the matter is that the 914rubber bumper tops DO NOT have a long metal strip inside to locate the mounting studs. They have local “penny washers” on the ends of the studs moulded inside the rubber. I suspect that they are the fibre glass stud type where the washer is drilled with a series of holes (a bit like an old movie film reel) this is moulded in place and the rubber or fibre glass fill the holes in the washer end which locks it from spinning when you put a nut on it. Here lies the problem, because the studs are not on one long plate the rubber can “shrink” and then the stud spacing shortens. The triangular webs that Mark suggest we cut off, do not hook over the end of the metal bumper as they are supposed to. Instead they fall short which stops the part sitting flush and makes the ends curl out.
The solution is NOT to cut out the web as Mark at 914rubber suggests; the answer is to scrap all the defective bumper tops and make new with a long curved metal insert with the studs fixed in.
Since they are a high value item I’m sure 914rubber had quite a few made at great expense and my ideal solution will not be an easy pill to swallow. As you said to me the other day Kev, there is currently no alternative source for these high value items so we’re a little stuck and will have to make do and mend this defective batch. Mark was well aware of the issues with these parts and I suggested to him that he at least provide the purchaser with a detailed instruction on how to make them fit or better still he trial fits and adjusts each and everyone before they are shipped out. Anyone without some degree of engineering skill is simply not going to be able to fit these parts which in all honesty at the price should simply bolt on like the originals.
As for the 914rubber door handle seals on close inspection they have been injection moulded in a C&C milled die from all I can describe to you is bathroom silicone sealer. No where near as resilient as the originals. Trust me, if I had any originals then I’d be cleaning mine up and replacing. As for the impact glue holding them in place, I only replicated what I found on the back of my old handles.
Hopefully my observations and recommendations to Mark at 914rubber will move things up a gear which if implemented will only benefit the 914 community in future. After all his intentions are well meant and I’m sure these are just early development snags.

Today I got up at dawn and cleaned the rear boot carpet with 1001 carpet cleaner and gave it a good scrub before washing off in the bath. I hung it up to dry and then spent another half hour cleaning the bath which looked pretty disgusting afterwards!
I left for work with the spare wheel in the back to take to my tame specialist metal polishers for a discussion.
Today at lunchtime I took the wheel to get the tyre off and then called in at the polishers. The Fuchs wheels are anodised and ONLY the sails/petals and outer edge of the rim is polished. I am investigating the processes required to replicate the original finish. I’ve found an anodiser that will electro-chemically strip the wheel, then the polishers can do their bit and then back to the anodisers for a fresh anodise clear plating. At the polishers today we discussed the finer details on where the polishing stops and how to achieve that. Watch this space as they say.
Anyway when I got home this evening the genuine seals had arrived from Rose Passion Porsche, so I started off by fitting the rear boot seals. Perfect!
Next I fitted the door check straps and the interior light switches. Following with the US licence plate brackets. I retained these as they stand off the front bumper to mount a plate squarely and flat on the curved & angled bumper. I’ve seen them in the PET so presume they are a genuine Porsche part so didn’t want to discard them.
I then fitted the outer door top weatherstrip ali trims (that hold the fuzzy and rubber seal strip). These need to go in first as with the glass in situ you cant get at the small screws that hold them on.
Finally (as the sill covers should be ready at the painters tomorrow) I waxoiled all of the sill panels on the car and the ends up a little way into the wheel arches, so that everything that sits behind the sill covers is well protected.

[Darren C]

Today I made reasonable progress on the grand assembly.
Firstly I fitted the two rear window channels that go inside the doors, next to the lock mechanism. I had two new rubber end stops that go on the top of the door clamped by the channel and fitted with a tiny screw from the rear which seemed to go on okay. I’d got some uber small stainless screws left over from a previous car restoration that did the trick. Nice and shiny when you open the door and see them! Seems to be the best fitting bit of 914rubber yet.
The next thing to go on was the interior door handles and operating rods. Nice new spring clips on each end and cleaned up handles and rubber hoop guides completed the installation. After a little fiddling around with adjustment the doors opened, closed locked and unlocked nice and smoothly. Nothing like the sand filled mechanisms that I was frightened of snapping off the door handle when trying to open the doors when I bought the car.
After some fun and games taking the door apart the Rubic’s challenge of how to get the door glass out was easily solved and assembly was reverse of removal.
Basically the window mechanism needs winding so its about 4” short of fully lowered window position and fed into the door through the large bottom opening. The mechanism then needs to be sat neatly in the door bottom leaning inwards so that there is free space inside the door by the door skin. (you could cable tie it there if needed). The exterior ali weather strip needs to be fitted (as I did last night) and nothing else (apart from the rear channel/runner, door lock and handle)
The glass slips into the door in literally 2 seconds.
To do this you need to open the door fully so the windscreen pillar is out of your way, hold the door glass above the door (in the correct orientation as it would be if you could simply of lifted it vertically out) Move it slightly forward over where the quarterlight fits then TIP the REAR end down (about 30 degrees) and slide the bottom rear edge of the glass into the slot in the door. When you get to the metal runner that’s clamped on the glass you’ll see its wider than the slot in the door (particularly as the ali trim is fitted) so you feed this in through the bit where the quarterlight and front window runner goes, tipping the glass a little steeper about 45 degrees. Once the whole of the runner is in through the wider quarterlight gap you can then reduce the angle progressively as you feed the glass rearwards into the door until horizontal again (window wound up position) and then it can be lowered down into the door between the door skin and the mechanism that was strategically placed previously.
Simply let the glass sit on the bottom of the door while you raise the winder mechanism into place and bolt it in. All that’s needed then is to lift the glass inside the door onto the runners of the mechanism. If you did as I said firstly and set the mechanism to about 3 to 4 inches wound up before putting it into the door; then the runners and securing bolt for the front arm will be smack bang in the middle of the large opening and you’ll be able to see what your doing while fitting the front securing bolt through the nylon block into the glass metal bracket. Removal is obviously reverse of this. It did take me a little while when I stripped the car down to figure this out but knew there had to be a knack to it on a mass produced car, so hopefully this post will save time and potential damage for others wrestling with their door glass.
So that was today’s progress, right hand door glass in, run out of daylight yet again. Hopefully left door glass for tomorrow.

[Green Ernie]

Bummer. I got a whole set of rubbers coming over from 914 Rubber. I also read that you need to fit the bumpers on a sunny day!!

[Darren C]

Let us know how you get on, you may be lucky and Mark has cut/prefitted the rubber bumper tops before shipping them out. I'm a bit dubious on the sunny day solution, I had mine in my conservatory where they warmed up nicely before fitting but still were too short/inflexible even when at 25C +

[Darren C]

Today was another long day at work, 6am start and 6pm finish so unfortunately I didn’t get a look in on the 914 this morning. This evening I carried on with the door assembly after fitting the rear boot carpet (all of 10 seconds) after its scrub and bubble bath earlier in the week.
The drivers door glass was fitted first this evening, same procedure as last night. I then fitted the two outer 914rubber weather strips followed by the long ali front window runner and quarterlight frame. I loosely fitted the top cap (without quarterlight glass) to set the adjustment bolt at the bottom of the door to ensure it fitted snug into the windscreen pillar seal. With a quick double check of all the bolts and a repeat of the same on the passenger door I was ready to test rolling the windows up and down.
Guess what….just like in Andrews thread the damn things just rolled in against the glass jammed up and came dislocated.
The 914rubber parts are really starting to get my goat. They are an “enjoyment vacuum” during this otherwise pleasurable restoration.
Not one to be defeated I thought maybe it was because the top inner door fuzzy weather strip was not fitted yet? Maybe if that pushes against the glass from the inside then it might stop the outer rubber rolling in? Back into the house to grab my new inner fuzzy seal, opened the bag went to fit and Oh Dear its cut 2” too short!
The outer seals were 3-4” too long which is great because you can trim it to your exact size, the inner ones on the otherhand are only fit for the bin.
I’m getting quite fed up with sounding like a broken record in multiple emails to Mark at 914rubber, but his stuff (in my short experience) is pants. Trouble is I still have half a box of it yet to fit, so my returns parcel is still growing.
Not wanting to even trial fit the too short inner fuzzies for fear of it affecting my chances of a refund, I put them back in the bag.
At least the quarterlight rubber seals I bought were from Porsche Centre so I left the wind up windows (immobilised by 914rubber) and decided to fit the two quarterlight glasses and seals. Again with a little playing around I found that the easiest way to fit them was slide in the vertical part of the rubber down the post but don’t locate the bottom horizontal bit (if you do, the slot closes up and you cant get the glass in).
Next side in the glass down the vertical seal to locate and manipulate the horizontal seal onto the glass while holding it into the vertical slot with a little pressure. Next compress the forward end of the horizontal rubber slightly to “shorten” it and push the whole lot downwards. It should go straight into the door slot with the front end locating nicely. Tuck the front flappy tab under the outer door seal metal channel and then gently push in the thin bit at the rear of the horizontal between door skin and ali post. Perfect!
Put the two top caps on with the two cross head screws and job done.
VERY slowly close the door and check the quarterlight glass against the pillar seal. Having previously set this up with the ali post and glass out, all should be well.
I had a small adjustment to make on the windscreen pillar up and over seal at the very bottom as it was sticking down past the ali trim a few mm which caught on the quarterlight seal, but I’d not clamped it by bending the ali rail closed yet as I was waiting for it to all settle and for the test with the door built up. All reference parts in place now so I’ll let the two doors settle while closed until tomorrow and clamp the pillar seals in then.

[Darren C]

This morning before work I spent an hour playing around with the winder mechanism, window runner channels and glass track alignment. Hindered by the window scraper rubbers I ended up having to wipe the glass with soapy water just to allow me to roll them up and down.
I emailed Mark at 914rubber the other evening about the issue and he is aware of the binding and has a solution. He sells a better seal for the job that I understand is sold as a direct “genuine” part under licence or similar. Mark’s agreed to send me out the better seal in return for me sending the binding weatherstrips back, plus he’s sending out longer inner door seals to replace the ones that I found were too short yesterday.
He can’t be any fairer than that. I’d advise anyone who’s got an issue with the window seal to get in contact with him.
So at lunch today I picked up the two painted sill trims and dropped them off at home for safekeeping before returning back to work.
As I stepped in the door there was a card from Parcel Force with another customs charge. After work this evening before food shop I called in at the Depo and collected the rear “914” script badge (after having to pay a £17 customs on a $40 part!)
Once home I fitted the badge to finish off the rear of the car.
To continue with the door & glass alignment from this morning I needed the rear upright window seal fitting to the roll bar. With a little PH neutral soap and water they slid in nicely from the top and once certain they were in correctly I trimmed a tiny bit off the bottom to the correct length. Another 914rubber part but this time all went well.
I was just about to adjust the rear window runner inside the doors when Nathan from here called by. Suffice to say I spent the next 2 hours walking him through my car collection and talking all things Porsche! Before I knew it, it was 10:30pm and time to call it a day.

[nrc914]

I was just about to adjust the rear window runner inside the doors when Nathan from here called by. Suffice to say I spent the next 2 hours walking him through my car collection and talking all things Porsche! Before I knew it, it was 10:30pm and time to call it a day.

Great to see you this evening Darren and sorry for interupting your good work! I really enjoyed seeing your collection along with the stories to go with them and the 914 is coming along nicely. Glad the little interlude didn't stop your daily update post.