URO license plate light quality and best vendor to purchase from? Options

[doug_b_928]

It would appear that the early license plate light (914 631 601 00) is NLA. To purchase new it looks like URO is the only option. I did a search and found one negative view of the quality of these lights, but no positive comments either. Can anyone comment on their quality?

Also, Pelican, Stoddard, and Sierra Madre have them, with the latter having a slightly better price at the moment. Is there any preference for dealing with one of these vendors? I've bought from Pelican before, but not the others.

[mepstein]

I thought 914rubber had them.

[Tom_T]

URO in general across all car makers & models parts which they make are known for poor quality & QC problems. Some parts may be bad eggs, while others good - but the consensus seems to be lesser quality than OEM. Do a google search for URO to see wider comments on more cars.

If 914Rubber makes their own, then theirs are probably better than URO, but I have no experience, since I got mine from Porsche some time ago for my resto.

Pelican, Stoddard & SMC are all good vendors, so for like-kind items, pick the best price. However, ever since Performance Products/Automation was sold to Eklers - they have nobody there who knows diddly-squat about Porsches - let alone 914s, so I don't bother with them anymore since they even know how to resolve an incorrect part shipped, for the correct one (3x tired).

While any vendor can make a mistake - if one can't or won't correct their error in a reasonable time, then it's not worth the headaches.

You might try calling any of the following known 914 & Porsche Parts Stashers:
Rich Bontempi at HPH (High Performance House) in Redwood City CA,
George Hussey at Auto Atlanta,
Craig at CAMP914 in OR,
Brad Mayeur at 914LTD in IL,
AASE Sales in OH,

- to see if any of them have any original ones in their respective stashes, but expect to pay top dollar for NLA items.

Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

[doug_b_928]

Thanks very much guys for all of the excellent advice. I did a search on 914 rubber using the part number and nothing came up. I'll report back with how this turns out.

[ConeDodger]

Thanks very much guys for all of the excellent advice. I did a search on 914 rubber using the part number and nothing came up. I'll report back with how this turns out.

Much quicker to just call. They may not be using the Porsche part number.

[mepstein]

Thanks very much guys for all of the excellent advice. I did a search on 914 rubber using the part number and nothing came up. I'll report back with how this turns out.

Much quicker to just call. They may not be using the Porsche part number.

He has the housing listed. Search lisence on his site. I don’t know if he has the other parts like Rob said, just call

[gms]

Thanks very much guys for all of the excellent advice. I did a search on 914 rubber using the part number and nothing came up. I'll report back with how this turns out.

Much quicker to just call. They may not be using the Porsche part number.

He has the housing listed. Search lisence on his site. I don’t know if he has the other parts like Rob said, just call

Searching License might yield a better result
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[mepstein]

Thanks very much guys for all of the excellent advice. I did a search on 914 rubber using the part number and nothing came up. I'll report back with how this turns out.

Much quicker to just call. They may not be using the Porsche part number.

He has the housing listed. Search lisence on his site. I don’t know if he has the other parts like Rob said, just call

Searching License might yield a better result
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

That too

[1adam12]

I'm in the market as well for an early rear licence plate light. I'm only missing one so finding an NLA OEM version would be a score. I've looked at all of the companies that you've listed but only URO offered the complete light assembly for early model.

[burton73]

Is early 74 back?

Bob B

[raynekat]

On TheSamba, there are a couple of used ones (Hella) for around $40 ea and a set of NOS (like new) Hella for $200.

I've purchased a set of the URO, and they look fine to me as far as quality goes.
I've haven't finished the car yet so have yet to "turn them on."
Unless you have a concours car, you'll probably be OK with them.
Consider where they reside as well....you'll never see them and if they function, then you're good to go.

[gothspeed]

On TheSamba, there are a couple of used ones (Hella) for around $40 ea and a set of NOS (like new) Hella for $200.

I've purchased a set of the URO, and they look fine to me as far as quality goes.
I've haven't finished the car yet so have yet to "turn them on."
Unless you have a concours car, you'll probably be OK with them.
Consider where they reside as well....you'll never see them and if they function, then you're good to go.

+1... unless one is going concours, these aftermarkets versions should be fine if they hook up the same and light up ok (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Mikey914]

Hey guys,
I did make the boot, and the lenses and had sold them as a "repair kit". I think Hoyland may have been the one to soak the old metal in apple cider vinegar to clean up the old metal.

I'd be willing to give you the kit for the cost of the postage than make you buy URO.

Just PM me should be about $3 reg mail for most.

[doug_b_928]

That's a very generous offer Mark. URO lights are already on their way. I'll let you all know how they look when they arrive. Mark, will PM you about some other stuff I'm going to need.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Had to interject here: We have over 500 perfect ones in stock that we had made before URO did them, I am sure that if URO had known they would not have duplicated them. b91463160100 They are 35.00 each for club members.

[Mikey914]

Honestly George,
Do you really think they would have not made them?

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

I really think that they would not of Mark, they try hard not to step on toes. I think that if you send them the list of parts you make they would steer clear of duplicating your parts..... too small a market and too many other parts that need to be made.

Honestly George,
Do you really think they would have not made them?

[Mikey914]

Do you recall them actually posting on my GB thread? Not buying it. In fact I would not be surprised they don't start making many of the things you do after they have a larger market share. It's only a matter of time and they have shown their true colors.

You can play scorpion / frog, but I'll stay out of that.

[mepstein]

A rep from one of the largest part distibutors in the US told me that uro specifically remakes parts already on the market. They just use china manufacturing to have them made cheaper. They use reproductions to model their parts, a copy of a copy, so thats why parts are often i'll fitting and cheap.

Mark - If you send them a list of what you make, they will duplicate every part. That is their business model.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

There are certainly many parts out there that make one suffer when installing. We have even suffered at our own hand, when in desperation had to make some parts from silicone molds to have something to install, for example on Chip Ganassi's 914-6 that we put back together, and many other restorations where used was just not available

At least China has made many more parts available for these older cars that we have never had before. Just have to watch what you are buying. Years ago when the parts were plentiful, there was basically only one or two brands, both made in Germany, that one could trust to be top quality. We actually listed parts in our 914 catalog just by part number not by brand. THESE days, it is important to list the part by brand so you know what you are buying.

We are actually happy that URO has taken it upon themselves to make so many parts for so many different cars, and I am sure that the older Cayenne owners are ecstatic at the cheap prices of the parts