Low-quality repro parts produced for 914s Options

[JeffBowlsby]

914'ers revolt! Time to take a stand for integrity! Refuse to buy on price alone.

How much more do we need to tolerate? Our cars demand the respect of using only high-quality parts. If you want Porsche to keep supporting the 914 into the future, buy only OEM when available. Finding the best sources and deals is one thing but using low-quality parts because they are cheap is not what 914s are about.

Hats off to the repro guys producing only high-quality and only where OEM is not available so as not to compete.

Resist the urge to buy junk parts and they will go away.

[TheCabinetmaker]

Bravo, Jeff!

[worn]

914'ers revolt! Time to take a stand for integrity! Refuse to buy on price alone.

How much more do we need to tolerate? Our cars demand the respect of using only high-quality parts. If you want Porsche to keep supporting the 914 into the future, buy only OEM when available. Finding the best sources and deals is one thing but using low-quality parts because they are cheap is not what 914s are about.

Hats off to the repro guys producing only high-quality and only where OEM is not available so as not to compete.

Resist the urge to buy junk parts and they will go away.

Thanks Jeff!

[914Sixer]

I am very tired of the CRAP being sold. I have been trying to find a OEM radio face plate for a Blaupunkt. Factory dash metal is .84mm. Seems who ever is making them does NOT care about using the correct size material. None of the big three suppliers got it correct. I have had to send everyone of them back. Going to ACE Hardware and buy correct thickness metal and cut my own.

[Optimusglen]

Telling 914 guys not to be cheap?

Gooooooooood luck!

[Unobtanium-inc]

Everything is price driven these days, in most cases. Especially for shops, they will many times chose the cheapest part, i.e. the best markup, not caring about a year from now, how it will perform or look.
But you're on the right track, try and educate the owners to not accept crap, or order crap because it's cheaper. 356 and 911 guys have mostly come around to rejecting crap, though there are still price driven guys there too.
Always support vendors striving for better, if we don't support them, they will go back to whatever they did before they spent their nights and weekends trying to make a better mousetrap.

[Carl La Fong]

Telling 914 guys not to be cheap?

Gooooooooood luck!

Kinda like telling people to not shop at Wallmart.

[North Coast Jim]

Bravo Jeff. My sentiments exactly. Some distributors, will sell a part just to have it in their catalog offerings. No expense made as to the parts quality or fit for use. Throttle cables and heater flap cables are my pet peve. Most are poor quality off shore produced parts.

[AvalonFal]

Is there a list somewhere, or maybe start one, of what and where these junk parts are? It would seem that the best way to get most to "revolt" is to name names (and parts). I'm usually not sure of a "new" part quality until I receive it, but knowing in advance what part and where not to buy from would help.


Paul

[mepstein]

One problem is what is junk to some is ok for others. I'm not putting anyone down. People just have different standards and uses for their cars.

Another forum had a thread describing one well known vendors shifter linkage as junk. The owner and his mechanic didn't know how to properly set up the system so they blamed it on the part, not their lack of knowledge.

I recently read through a bumper thread. One person describes the stainless steel bumpers as ill fitting and wrong in color while another calls them beautiful and well worth the money.

[rhodyguy]

One man's ceiling is another man's floor.

[Mark Henry]

One problem is what is junk to some is ok for others. I'm not putting anyone down. People just have different standards and uses for their cars.

Another forum had a thread describing one well known vendors shifter linkage as junk. The owner and his mechanic didn't know how to properly set up the system so they blamed it on the part, not their lack of knowledge.

I recently read through a bumper thread. One person describes the stainless steel bumpers as ill fitting and wrong in color while another calls them beautiful and well worth the money.

The bumpers I was trying to do the GB with were a great price and look real good installed, all the curves and lines were perfect, but the samples were a hair low when mounted, all the fronts had the topper holes in the wrong places, the grill big holes had to be trimmed out (very hard to cut) plus the grill screw holes were off and one set and one rear had unacceptable finish blems, looked like overpolishing/grinding.
Even though the blems weren't noticeable when installed and the holes could be corrected it was still NFG to be selling as quality parts. Also it took 8+ hours to fit a pair of bumpers, times that by say 40 sets and I was looking at 320 to 400 hours work for at best $150 profit/set. There was also some questions raised that just didn't smell right to me, my spidey senses were tingling.

In the end I took it up the bum for $5K and countless hours of my time, but I rather get boned on some coin than sell crap parts and go through that shit storm. Shame really as the finished and installed product looks outstanding, only real concours perverts would be able to spot that they weren't OE.
I like making a profit as much as the next guy, but not at the cost of my rep and integrity.

[Unobtanium-inc]

One problem is what is junk to some is ok for others. I'm not putting anyone down. People just have different standards and uses for their cars.

Another forum had a thread describing one well known vendors shifter linkage as junk. The owner and his mechanic didn't know how to properly set up the system so they blamed it on the part, not their lack of knowledge.

I recently read through a bumper thread. One person describes the stainless steel bumpers as ill fitting and wrong in color while another calls them beautiful and well worth the money.

The bumpers I was trying to do the GB with were a great price and look real good installed, all the curves and lines were perfect, but the samples were a hair low when mounted, all the fronts had the topper holes in the wrong places, the grill holes had to be trimmed out (very hard to cut) and one set and one rear had unacceptable finish blems, looked like overpolishing/grinding.
Even though the blems weren't noticeable when installed and the holes could be corrected it was still NFG to be selling as quality parts. Also it took 8+ hours to fit a pair of bumpers, times that by say 40 sets and I was looking at 320 to 400 hours work for at best $150 profit/set. There was also some questions raised that just didn't smell right to me, my spidey senses were tingling.

In the end I took it up the bum for $5K and countless hours of my time, but I rather get boned on some coin than sell crap parts and go through that shit storm. Shame really as the finished and installed product looks outstanding, only real concours perverts would be able to spot that they weren't OE.
I like making a profit as much as the next guy, but not at the cost of my rep and integrity.

That's actually the biggest complaint I hear about repro parts, they look right but don't fit right. So it takes hours upon hours to get them to look right. Meaning you either have to spend time yourself, or pay someone else, neither is fun. That's why I encourage people to restore OEM parts when possible. If a bumper came on your car, it might be hell to restore it, but it will fit when you're done.

[mb911]

Likely a crossroad here.. For a long time porsche didn't support the 914 very well. Enter the 914rubber dash from all reports I have heard they are very nice.. I personally like to support the vendors on here. I buy from PMB, Auto Atlanta, 914 rubber and the likes. I expect that some parts will need adjustments and its part of the deal with a niche like ours. It's a fine line for sure.

[914werke]

That's why I encourage people to restore (or buy restored) OEM parts when possible.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Chi-town]

There are good vendors making "less than great" parts simply because they are in a hurry.

R&D is everything. Product release for a 40 year old car should not be a race!

Don't just fit it in one car and say it's good. Try as many as possible with as many different installers as possible to ensure proper fitment. (The community will be happy to help!)

Test it with other corresponding parts. Does it touch another part you make or Porsche makes? Test it with both!

Don't change a material/design just because you think it's better. Ask a few experts in the field to take a look at the prototype or first article and give some feedback.

Do long term testing! Sure it fits now and looks great but what about 6 months of sitting in the CA/AZ/NV/NM sun or MN/IL/MA cold?

Yes I understand that all this takes time and money but in the long run it will result in improved products, less warranty expense, and better brand value for you company.

[76-914]

I am very tired of the CRAP being sold. I have been trying to find a OEM radio face plate for a Blaupunkt. Factory dash metal is .84mm. Seems who ever is making them does NOT care about using the correct size material. None of the big three suppliers got it correct. I have had to send everyone of them back. Going to ACE Hardware and buy correct thickness metal and cut my own.

@914Sixer Jeff, do you need early or late? I've got a couple of late and one early that I cut myself but it isn't metric. Either to you for the cost of shipping. If you want an early OEM try @Chi-town or Bruce Stone. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[JamesM]

We need a parts wall of shame so people know what to avoid (and possibly offer alternatives)

Let me start with:

Turn Signal Switches (from all vendors I have tried including the "German" Meyle) tried a few different brands and they all seem to suck in different ways. Most just outright dont fit or dont work due to poor manufacturing tolerances and then the ones you can get to work sometimes break in very short order. My best luck I have had has been the white box part carried by my local bug shop.

Ignition switches - same deal with poor tolerances and not fitting.

If anyone knows of a reliable aftermarket source for these I would love to hear it.

[Sprout]

There are definitely differences in parts quality and vendors. I ordered an Empi interior light from Pelican for about $10, and the connectors stuck straight out, instead of being bent flat. Instead of sending it back, I tried bending them myself, and promptly broke one. I found a genuine Hella one on Stoddard for $30, and it's WAY better quality, and the connections were properly bent. Very happy with it!

[Ed_Turbo]

That's why I encourage people to restore (or buy restored) OEM parts when possible.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Thanks for someone to have the courage to speak up. This is why my project is taking long to finish. Finding descent original parts is hard to find.

From my experience the repro market is a hit or miss. Repro parts look fake to me so for the most part I try to stay away.

I talk to my car friends about this all the time. People want to own a classic air cooled 911 (for example) but are too cheap or don’t want to spend the money for original parts.




-Ed