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Posted by: kupcar Aug 16 2015, 06:56 AM

I'm getting ready to mount my rocker panels and I was wondering what is the proper fastening hardware to do the job. I can't seem to find any pictures. Is it a simple phillips machine screw from the top with a washer and nut from below? What about the bottom? Thanks.

Posted by: The Cabinetmaker Aug 16 2015, 07:09 AM

They were riveted on the top. There are plenty of cars that have sheet metal screws. There are new rivets available. I prefer screw's. They can easily be removed for a yearly cleaning behind.
The bottom uses an m6 screw like those in the engine tin. I use a standard m6 x 10 hex head bolt on bottom.

Posted by: r_towle Aug 16 2015, 07:28 AM

Black rivets are the OEM fastener.
I use stainless screws up top and at the bottom I put a 3/8 inch rubber spacer between the cover and the longitudinal to allow debris to fall out instead of getting packed in there.

Posted by: Shadowfax Aug 16 2015, 07:30 AM

I have an extra set of pop rivets from 914rubber. Yours for the price of shipping if you want to go that route. PM me if interested.

Posted by: RobW Aug 16 2015, 07:34 AM

Great idea!

Posted by: rgalla9146 Aug 16 2015, 08:55 AM

Pictures of actual original hardware for reference.
On early cars with aluminum threshold covers the fasteners were natural color nylon
"rivets" with a center pin that fixed them in place. Not reusable.
But.... some fanatics have "harvested" originals from the outer rows by pushing out the center pin and then extracting the rivet.
Later cars with black plastic thresholds got black plastic rivets


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Posted by: Tom_T Aug 16 2015, 12:02 PM

Partly true....

Black rivets came in with the black plastic sill plates in 74 MY & were 74-76, before then they were white plastic rivets on the aluminum sill plates/rocker tops.

(11/912/930 of the era also used them & the later version went to clear-ich plastic rivets, which Porsche & other suppliers still sell.

The bottom used the "cheesehead" slotted screws, & IIRC it's in the size Curt mentioned.

PS - I forgot the black rubber spacer & other washers, but rgalla has them pictured above (cheeshead screw is the one on top right btw).

You can find the size & type of most fasteners in the 914 parts manuals, & if you don't have one you can download a pdf one from the Porsche website, under Classic section's Documents (for the latest version), & at Jeff Bowlsby's tech & factory docs sections for a bit earlier ones.

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/

Great references to have on hand for these types of things!

Once you have the OE fitment item(s), then you can decide on the mods like those suggested above, or stick as close to original if you're into originality corectness.


Tom
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Posted by: kupcar Aug 17 2015, 09:03 PM

Fellas, Thanks for all the help. This board and it's members have been more than helpful in my restoration. Shadowfax, Thanks for the offer on the rivets. I think for the moment I will source some stainless screws. I have a feeling I'm going to have to remove and reinstall these things a few times.

Posted by: Cuda911 Aug 17 2015, 09:43 PM

I recommend ditching the cheeseheads for hex heads, so that you can get a socket onto them. The cheesey's can get extremely difficult to get loose.

Posted by: euro911 Aug 18 2015, 01:04 AM

The PO of my car installed aftermarket fiberglass rockers panels with aluminum rivets. I lost the passenger side rocker in a rain storm, but acquired another set. After inspecting the longs and repainting the replacement panels, also installed them with SS self-drilling screws top-side.

Because the OEM steel set, the first glass set and the replacement glass set all had different mounting hole locations, there are now three sets of holes in the sills.

I thought it would be better to use the existing holes in the replacement rocker panels rather than trying to match up to the existing sill holes and ending up with more visible holes in the rocker panels.

Does this make sense

Posted by: 914Next Aug 18 2015, 04:40 AM

rgalla9146,

The topic of rivets seems to have been discussed a lot but just for the record, I'm not sure I've ever heard a definitive word on what stock fasteners were. My '73 rockers have never been removed and have the black thresholds with metal rivets...not plastic.

Posted by: JawjaPorsche Aug 18 2015, 05:59 AM

I agree about sheet metal screws. You can remove your rockers more often if you need to inspect. Also, I had to get ALL the screws started, top and bottom before tightening. You can't do that with rivets.

I used stainless steel screws from Home Depot.

Here are the rubber spacers.

http://www.914centralshop.com/Porsche-914-Rocker-Panel-Spacer-p/914part-rubbersill.htm


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Posted by: era vulgaris Dec 9 2015, 09:36 AM

What size screw are you guys using?
I'd like to replace my rivets with screws for ease of cleaning.