Beauty is a Lack of Warts Options

[Van B]

Looks great @bbrock but I was talking about a flush fit in the OEM location, no body work required.

Seems our producers aren’t following this thread though…

[Literati914]

personally, I've evolved over the years to liking the warts now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)


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[wonkipop]

Looks great @bbrock but I was talking about a flush fit in the OEM location, no body work required.

Seems our producers aren’t following this thread though…

can a 924 front flush wart fit into the hole in the 914 guard.
don't see any US spec 924s down here to compare wart size to know.
but is that a possibility to simply fit a 924 unit.

down here the 924 had the side indicator unit mounted behind front wheel arch in guard.
haven't seen a 924 for ages here. almost rarer than a 914, so few are there left around.

[Van B]

I just looked them up. Hard to tell without measuring or throwing down the cash to see. But you are right on with the design cue. That would be perfect for a 914. US OE looks but a more streamlined appearance from oblique angles.

[Root_Werks]

Prefer the look with them removed, but wouldn't remove side markers from any 914 of significant originality. I removed them on my six conversion, but the whole 914 had already been messed with.

Also understand being able to see the marker from the side, but the front lenses seem to pop out enough they are easy to see at dusk/night from the side, even from a blind spot you can see the. Side markers, while required, seemed a bit redundant.

[bbrock]

Prefer the look with them removed, but wouldn't remove side markers from any 914 of significant originality. I removed them on my six conversion, but the whole 914 had already been messed with.

Also understand being able to see the marker from the side, but the front lenses seem to pop out enough they are easy to see at dusk/night from the side, even from a blind spot you can see the. Side markers, while required, seemed a bit redundant.

I'm of like mind. Seems clear the Porsche design team preferred the cars without them and the markers were a regulatory afterthought. Still, removing them was a hard decision since I wanted to keep my car original. It is the only "non reversible" alteration I made. I was resolved to keep the markers until I stripped off some old 70s era bodywork of swiss cheesing panels full of holes and laying on Bondo a half inch thick. The rot that left behind around the side marker holes made the decision for me. Much easier to patch with fresh sheet metal than to patch and then carefully redrill holes to add something ugly to the sides.

For me, it is an either/or thing. While changing to a low profile marker would improve the look, it still breaks the beautiful curve that is revealed with their absence. My decision to install stealth markers was purely a safety decision. After contemplating the side illumination of the front signals, I decided they were probably adequate, but side visibility is definitely improved with side markers. In the land of dark mountain roads and Montana-sized trucks, my little toy car needs all the help it can get. I really like the combo of the euro signals with LED bulbs and the stealth amber side markers. It makes for a good daytime running light combo increasing visibility from front and sides while keeping the headlights down. Sure, the illusion of originality is blown when those makers light up, and I don't like the disco bling look of them, but much prefer it to being side swiped.

[wonkipop]

Prefer the look with them removed, but wouldn't remove side markers from any 914 of significant originality. I removed them on my six conversion, but the whole 914 had already been messed with.

Also understand being able to see the marker from the side, but the front lenses seem to pop out enough they are easy to see at dusk/night from the side, even from a blind spot you can see the. Side markers, while required, seemed a bit redundant.

I'm of like mind. Seems clear the Porsche design team preferred the cars without them and the markers were a regulatory afterthought. Still, removing them was a hard decision since I wanted to keep my car original. It is the only "non reversible" alteration I made. I was resolved to keep the markers until I stripped off some old 70s era bodywork of swiss cheesing panels full of holes and laying on Bondo a half inch thick. The rot that left behind around the side marker holes made the decision for me. Much easier to patch with fresh sheet metal than to patch and then carefully redrill holes to add something ugly to the sides.

For me, it is an either/or thing. While changing to a low profile marker would improve the look, it still breaks the beautiful curve that is revealed with their absence. My decision to install stealth markers was purely a safety decision. After contemplating the side illumination of the front signals, I decided they were probably adequate, but side visibility is definitely improved with side markers. In the land of dark mountain roads and Montana-sized trucks, my little toy car needs all the help it can get. I really like the combo of the euro signals with LED bulbs and the stealth amber side markers. It makes for a good daytime running light combo increasing visibility from front and sides while keeping the headlights down. Sure, the illusion of originality is blown when those makers light up, and I don't like the disco bling look of them, but much prefer it to being side swiped.

yes - interesting thing about the USA side markers is that they are also passive reflectors.

i do like your stealth side markers. very very neat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

my old type 3 squareback i owned back in the 80s was a german manufacture import.
they sold both aus assembled type3s down here and german manufactured fully imported. the german ones were neat as they had little parking lights incorporated into the belt line chrome on the sides of the car. this was a split lens light with a red rear section and a white front section. when you parked the car on the side of the road at night in low vis situations you could flick the indicator switch up or down with the ignition off and the light would come on just on that side of the car to help make it visible.

i can't remember anymore if this was also how the original side marker USA lights worked as i rewired my 914 thirty years ago to get it to conform enough to aus standards.
do the side markers also come on just on one side with USA lights if you have ignition off and indicator stalk up or down?

[Rick986]

Would Teddy Roosevelt still be Teddy without the signature mustache? Would the Chrysler Building still be the same without its art-deco top? Of course not. Then why remove the signature elements of U.S.A.-imported 914s? The warts are part and parcel to the 914 story and testify to their 1970s heritage when safety regulations were in flux and on-the fly adaptions to meet them were being made by the auto manufacturers. I am not a fan of the 75-76 big rubber bumpers, but if I owned one of those model years I would not remove them- its part of the story. I own a '74 with rear tits, another safety adaptation some people don't like, but I will not remove them, as it makes the '74 unique and readily identifiable.

Ansbacher

In full agreement. They're only "original" once.

[Morph914]

I would never remove my warts. I don’t disagree that it looks cleaner with out them, but it is part of the cars funky personality.

[bkrantz]

Prefer the look with them removed, but wouldn't remove side markers from any 914 of significant originality. I removed them on my six conversion, but the whole 914 had already been messed with.

Also understand being able to see the marker from the side, but the front lenses seem to pop out enough they are easy to see at dusk/night from the side, even from a blind spot you can see the. Side markers, while required, seemed a bit redundant.

Since almost every panel on my car was either straightened, patched, or replaced, I did not feel resistant to shave the warts. I probably would not do that on an "all original" car. But I still would think that the warts are ugly.

[wonkipop]

@bkrantz - yep your car looks great without them.
not like its a customization, just reduced it back to its pure european form. very nice. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)


in defence of warts. i think there is a kind of happy german functionalism to the way they did them thats dead on with the spirit of the era. at least with the narrow body cars.

however............they got into strife with the 914/6s with the flared guards from the factory. those warts ended up in a really bad spot visually? i'd be removing those if i had one. they just don't look happy.

[SKL1]

Whatever floats your boat but I removed them on both of mine and have euro lenses and lights F & R thanks to Spoke. Just prefer the euro look even though I know they're not original to the USA. Not planning on entering a national PCA concours anytime soon. Did enough of that in the '70's and '80's and I've run out of Q-tips...

[gereed75]

I also have always thought the compromize solution would be a low profile lens. The 924 light is an intriguing possibility.

Any 924 owners willing to take a few measurements?

[Shivers]

This might be possible, went out a pulled a tape and it will cover everything. Large center hole on body would need to be enlarged to 2".

[mlindner]

Agree, I like the clean look, no warts.

[Root_Werks]

Was trying to find a picture of a flared 914 with side markers. They are slightly lower and more forward I think?

Anybody have a picture?

[SKL1]

I've got a picture of Peter Gregg's 916 my BIL took at Daytona many years ago somewhere... yes, they are slightly lower and more forward because of the fender flares.
I think that car is now in GA, so George should be able to provide a newer picture...

[wonkipop]

[bkrantz]

Ouch--that looks worse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

[wonkipop]

@bkrantz - no its not a good look at all is it.