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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Bilstein question - Black rears
Posted by: Gint Jan 10 2013, 07:18 PM
Hey, something I've been meaning to ask for a while. I've had some black rear Bils for ... a long time now. Did they ever make a HD rear? I'd heard they only make sports now.
I was going to PM Eric, but thought I'd throw it out on the forum.
Posted by: 914Sixer Jan 10 2013, 08:36 PM
I have never seen any black Bilstein's in the 25+ years. Green on the early, yellow since the 90's.
Posted by: 914Eric Jan 10 2013, 09:01 PM
I have never seen any black Bilstein's in the 25+ years. Green on the early, yellow since the 90's.
Soooo...Then if I want the original on my refurbish...I need to find some NOS Green ones? Damn...that's not going to be easy I bet.
Posted by: Tom_T Jan 10 2013, 09:56 PM
Gint,
Back in `80-83 when I did my rolling resto & refurb, I put 4 Koni Reds all around - the other premium choice was Bilstein HD or Sport, but the Konis were considered better handling & longer lasting, as well as a bit more costly. I still think Koni's today are better for street & aggressive street driving, but can't speak for AX/track.
I was never unhappy with the Koni's in the +/- 20k I put on my 914 before it got whacked & put up in the garage.
I can probably dig out an old Performance Products catalog from back then & shoot you some pix if you need them (PM me if so). But you'd just weep at the prices from back then! 
PS - Bil's were still green then, Boges were the black ones & they offered no HD nor Sport.
Cheers! 
Tom
///////
Posted by: Gint Jan 10 2013, 09:59 PM
pic
Posted by: Tom_T Jan 11 2013, 10:30 AM
Interesting...
I wonder if they made the black for the OEM/OES market where the car makers didn't want bright green under there, and then offered them in black to general suppliers for replacement? 
I don't recall when their current yellow & blue scheme came in, but the colors - whether Koni red, Bil's green or yellow/blue - is essentially a marketing thing to promote their products, as is the current craze of bright brake calipers. Otherwise everything under there would be black! 
Posted by: Johny Blackstain Jan 11 2013, 10:47 AM
green ones are very easy to replicate... get new yellow ones, mask the stickers on it if you like & spray paint w/ John Deere green spraypaint- avail @ any John Deere dealer. 
Posted by: tod914 Jan 11 2013, 11:11 AM
When I did the shocks on my 75 back around 2002, the Bilsteins that were put in were black. I don't recall if they were HD or Sport. I believe they just started painting them that color around that time, which ever ones they were. What bump stop are you using on them Gint?
Posted by: 914Eric Jan 11 2013, 11:24 AM
green ones are very easy to replicate... get new yellow ones, mask the stickers on it if you like & spray paint w/ John Deere green spraypaint- avail @ any John Deere dealer.
Thanks for the tip. I guess that might end up being the best I can hope for.
Posted by: Gint Jan 12 2013, 01:43 AM
When I did the shocks on my 75 back around 2002, the Bilsteins that were put in were black. I don't recall if they were HD or Sport. I believe they just started painting them that color around that time, which ever ones they were. What bump stop are you using on them Gint?
Posted by: Justin Fischer Jan 12 2013, 05:57 AM
Mine are black as well. I remember being surprised at the color. I'll see if I can dig up the receipt for them it was probably 2002 or 2003. I believe they were HD's...
Posted by: Gint Jan 12 2013, 11:30 AM
That's about the same time frame that I got this set. The part number is the same as the rear 914 sports. They're just black instead of yellow.
Posted by: tod914 Jan 12 2013, 12:43 PM
I recall contacting Bilstein to see why they were not yellow at the time. I'm leaning towards Sport shocks that we ordered for it. My receipt didn't specify HD or Sport. Curious to see what Justin comes up with.
Posted by: Gint Jan 12 2013, 12:59 PM
I've been thinking about this... I got them around 2005 or 06. I remember Mark (the guy I traded with to get these) saying something to the effect they were purchased in 2001 or 02.
Posted by: Justin Fischer Jan 19 2013, 12:21 PM
Ok, I found the receipt. I bought them on 8/20/2002 from PP. Part number B-333-051-31
Posted by: Gint Jan 19 2013, 10:35 PM
Thanks Justin. I believe that's pretty close to the same period that Mark said he'd bought this set.
Posted by: Rocky Jan 21 2013, 11:19 PM
Ditto on the black ones for the rear bought in 03 from GPR.
Posted by: Tom_T Jan 22 2013, 08:55 AM
Gint,
Back in `80-83 when I did my rolling resto & refurb, I put 4 Koni Reds all around - the other premium choice was Bilstein HD or Sport, but the Konis were considered better handling & longer lasting, as well as a bit more costly. I still think Koni's today are better for street & aggressive street driving, but can't speak for AX/track.
I was never unhappy with the Koni's in the +/- 20k I put on my 914 before it got whacked & put up in the garage.
I can probably dig out an old Performance Products catalog from back then & shoot you some pix if you need them (PM me if so). But you'd just weep at the prices from back then!
PS - Bil's were still green then, Boges were the black ones & they offered no HD nor Sport.
Cheers!
Tom
///////
It sounds like the Bils changed to black sometime between the early 1980's as I noted above, and these early 2000's the others have noted above.
Any idea when Bilstein made the change between 1983 - 2000?
Posted by: tod914 Jan 22 2013, 10:54 AM
You mean Boge Tom? From gray to black some time in the 80s? I'm pretty sure I got one of the first sets of the black painted Bilsteins around 02. All the inquiries I made nobody could answer why they were balck, including Bilstein. lol
Posted by: Tom_T Jan 22 2013, 03:14 PM
You mean Boge Tom? From gray to black some time in the 80s? I'm pretty sure I got one of the first sets of the black painted Bilsteins around 02. All the inquiries I made nobody could answer why they were balck, including Bilstein. lol
No Tod, I did mean Bils not Boges....
The Bilsteins back in the 70s-80s were green, then went to black between 83-2000-ish somewhere, and now are the yellow/blue scheme changing sometime after 03-ish based on the above purchases.
I was just taking the original question back a bit in history too - wondering when they went from green to black, cuz I last looked at the green Bils in 1980-83 when I decided on the red Konis for my 73 2L.
Posted by: tod914 Jan 22 2013, 03:29 PM
Ok Tom. I know when I went to order those sport shocks, they should of been yellow . This is why I questioned Bilstein and their USA distributor. All of the resellers at that point told me they had yellow sports in stock, and they should of been yellow not black. Left me wondering what if fact was that was put on my car. I'm curious if the sports remained yellow and HDs were put on.
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