Crayford rhd 914, Genuine car? Options

[pep1]

Hi - JD Classics in the UK have for sale a rhd 914 that they say is a genuine Crayford conversion. Registration number is NRX 538K. The car started life in the US and then was exported to Australia (doesn't say when) where the conversion was done. JD say that it is one of only 9 cars that were converted by Crayford. From the research I have managed to do it sounds like this cannot be true. I have asked for some proof of their claim but they have gone quiet. Could this car however have been converted under licence using genuine Crayford parts or is it more likely to be a conversion just done by some garage in Australia as I understand quite a few cars were converted there in this way.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

NO right hand drive 914 is genuine!

[porschetub]

NO right hand drive 914 is genuine!

Relax George no one said these were genuine but just replys here on if the car is legit as a Crayford conversion which I strongly don't think it is as mentioned the cars would have been direct from Porsche and converted from that point in the UK.
I understand they were pretty well done but I think wonkipop would know better as he has checked them out .
To me they are real special due to numbers converted and a real part of 914 history.

[wonkipop]

NO right hand drive 914 is genuine!

Relax George no one said these were genuine but just replys here on if the car is legit as a Crayford conversion which I strongly don't think it is as mentioned the cars would have been direct from Porsche and converted from that point in the UK.
I understand they were pretty well done but I think wonkipop would know better as he has checked them out .
To me they are real special due to numbers converted and a real part of 914 history.

thanks @porschetub
given you are a kiwi you have perspective on this and understand the post british empire period of our poor old antipodean countries and the legacy of right hand drive bureaucracy.

f'n oath the crayfords were legit.
part of their ambitious (but overoptimistic?) business plans back then was to service the colonies trapped in right hand drive dogma. but it never took off.
it was the only way you were going to get a 914 into australia back in the 70s when the car was new. the distributor abandoned his plans by 1972 and he was definitely contemplating either a small production order of factory converted 914s or looking into "doing a crayfords" himself. he did at least one in his own workshops. i know one of the guys who did that one. he still alive. but mr. hamilton was only interested in doing it with the 6.
when porsche killed off the 6 that was the end of that idea.
sure the factory didn't offer the warranty for crayfords but a select group of uk dealers were supplying the cars brand new to order from a customer and offering the conversion. the dealer was backing it. and if porsche thought it was out of bounds they would have closed the door hard on it. they didn't. if anything it must have been an embarrassment for porsche not to be able to offer a rhd 914 to an original and valued distributor like hamilton. (thanks VW because 100 to 1 thats who kyboshed a rhd 914 - peanut numbers for VW the corporate giant).

as i understand it the aus porsche distributor happily serviced the few cars that were here. i've got a copy of the letter dated 1979 that proves it.

the white crayfords car that was featured in the magazine article and still exists was owned for almost a decade by the VW dealer in orange nsw. i believe he purchased it off the private importer who had returned to australia with it. that particular car has become an urban legend. it still exists and is stashed away in sydney somewhere.

and george may be eating his words when it comes to there never was a right hand drive 914 from the factory. have to see if the museum curator can dig up the story from half a century ago. alan hamilton had all sorts of stuff stashed from his time and his father's time as the australian distributor. he cut a deal with export of porsches before even max hoffman i believe. the first two right hand drive 356s ever made came here to australia. special order for hamiltons to start the whole enterprise.

i understand there are a couple of 914/6 stashed away in NZ @porschetub that have been there a long time too. kiwis. total petrol heads. have my respect. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

my old mate brian who had the green crayfords car and the maybe one and only "factory" rhd 914/6 before he sadly passed away (a little too young too when he went) had photos of the crayfords car that ended up in macau (hongkong). the photos dated from the early 80s.
that one was a wreck even by that time. the customers were out there in the colonies, just wasn't enough of them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

hell i even remember going down to hamiltons to see if i could get carpet stock to make right hand drive carpets for my car. a phone call was made and i believe hamilton directed his spare parts man to see if they could find me raw carpet stock from the factory warehouse in germany. i got the last 7m of the roll left. hamilton himself was quite interested in the 914 as a car and had a bit of a soft spot for them. why he stashed away one of the demonstrators for 20 years? --- and when he let it go it was only to the right person.


and you are right @porschetub - the crayfords conversion is really well done. top shelf. the way they screwed around with the pedal cluster, most people would not understand it. i did. copied it exactly (or as close as our insecting engineer would allow). boy does it make a difference. you can't just plonk 911 right hand drive pedal cluster in. its not quite right if you do.

i'm promised a look at the red 6 again when i can hook up. what i want to do is take a real close look at the pedal cluster in that one. its been almost 20 years since i have seen that car last.