As the title states, my intent was to install a period correct early Porsche crest, also referred to as the "orange-bar crest", so the holes are in the hood precisely centered to 1/32nd of an inch and the specifed 80MM from the tip of the crest to the front edge of the hood but it seems the slight curve of the crest won't allow it to sit flush against the hood in the center of the crest?!?

Perhaps the curvature of the 911 hoods (for which this crest was designed) is greater than that of our 914s? or perhaps my reproduction (although high quality) isn't made to spec? If the crest wasn't enameled and plated with the gold colored coating I'd say it could be heated up just enough to flatten it a bit... but I'm certain if I attempted that it would distort the enamel or crack the finish or emblem entirely. Plus I doubt it would fit the Porsche crest hood gasket if it was flattened out also...

Oddly enough the back of this same emblem is autographed by Jörg Bergmeister since I had the emblem on me when I ran into him in the paddock a few months back... Evidently the first time he signed a Porsche crest.

So if anyone has suggestions... perhaps I just got the wrong emblem? or maybe I should just afix it and go? It wouldn't be THAT noticable at a few MM off the hood but I'm all about the details, especially when it's the crest of one of my favorite brands!

See orange bar crest comparison here: http://www.p914.com/p911_badges_crest-orange_red_comp1.htm

Does it come with the rubber backer? Can you put it on tight enough that the rubber takes up the slop?

If you put the face on the floor (with cardboard between the floor and the face) you may be able to flatten it with SLOW constant pressure. The one I had was just pot metal and would bend if you were careful. Not that it mattered, as I did not put it back on the car. If you need to take a lot of bend out, you may be out of luck.

Zach

thats what the rubber is for

Birth Control ?????


Dave

It is God telling you not to install the crest on the 914 as it never had one!!!!


The crest is for the curve of the 911 hood and only half way fits the 914. The gasket will take up a little of the curve but that is it.

Those crests are malleable. I installed a small (356) crest onto the trunk of my 914 with a much more severe curvature and with no rubber underneath. I sat and watched a movie, fondled the crest until it was hand-warm, and then "worried it" into the right arc.

"Worried" means to work metal into the proper curvature both gently and very slowly. It took about 30 minutes. There was a potential downside but it never happened.

I thought that over time and in the weather the cloisonne would chip or come out after bending the crest. In 10 years that hasn't happened, and this car isn't a garage queen. It's a daily driver and in all sorts of southern weather, which in Arkansas means both 100 degree summers and ice storms in the winters.

Good luck

Did you at least buy it popcorn?

Call Al Gore's massage lady - she'll either make it fit or make it wish it did.

I can just see you two together now, watching some xxx movie ....



So - you've named your willie "the crest" & not "Lil' Ron" or something??

Were you "worried" you'd get caught!!??

George - if you look at his avatar pic & the mods to it in his sig, I don't think he's too worried about preserving an original 914 - as his is a fairly modified example, so the hood badge just adds to the effect.

IIRC - the factory did put hood crests on one or both of the 914-8's, & one or more of the 914-6 prototypes &/or production one as used in early promo photos. So his is along those lines as a modded-914.

Maybe he can "worry" in flatter - with a long enough movie & some popcorn?

Hey! Walk away from the keyboard for a little while and look what happens.

Popcorn is always a good idea unless you're repacking CV joints. Those things just shouldn't be fondled... and no. No one caught me!

Ha this is true... from an automotive design perspective the car looks far to faceless for me without a proper emblem or crest on the front end. Plus the local Porsche dealer installed Porsche crests on many of their 914s as soon as they hit the lot from Germany so that's more than justification enough for me for it to fall into the "original" or "period correct" categories, hence the reason I tracked down a nice reproduction orange-bar emblem!

That being said if I had a concours 914-6 with ultra low miles then no, I wouldn't drill holes in the hood or install an emblem. Even in the case of my 914, the previous owner and myself have modified it carefully so that much of it could be taken back to original if desired, or in the case of the emblem, simply welding up the holes!


Wow, that's exactly the information I was looking for! Thanks so much I'll give that a try in the next few days! I'll leave the popcorn will be entirely up to the 914 though...

Just wanted to post that pcar916's recommendation worked, I just set the crest outside in the mid-day sun on a 90'+ degree day and after that it just took 10 minutes of slowly bending it into shape and comparing the curve of the emblem to that of the hood a few times before fastening in place with the gasket lined speednuts. FYI the gold metal was super hot so I used latex gloves to keep from burning myself in the process!

The most challenging part was actually getting the genuine Porsche crest gasket to fit around it (which I was told is always the case) but with the help of some tiny hook tools I was able to bring it out from under the crest and now it looks FANTASTIC! I'll post photos next week if I can remember to do so!

Glad you got this to work! Did'ja snap a shot of it??

Update: Yes I snapped a photo of it the day of install, and it looked perfect, especially with the proper dealer installed spec of 80MM from edge of hood to the bottom of the Porsche crest. UNFORTUNATELY the Porsche orange bar crest popped off only a few weeks later. It turns out the pot metal used for the crests 2 studs is not maleable at all like the crest itself, so while the crest flattened out just fine, the ever so slightly curved end of the studs where they met the crest kept their shape and in turn lost much of the contact/bond with the emblem. I haven't had much time to try and fix it but attempting to use a very strong 2-part epoxy while the studs were still fastened to the hood did not work.

This doesn't surprise me much given that the studs are intentionally soft enough for the gasketed speed nuts to cut into them; so, if I can free the fastened studs from the hood I'll first try to adhere them back to the crest, then attempt to find another orange bar re-pop if possible & try it again only I'll place a strong epoxy adhesive around the studs before fastening, and lastly settle for a modern, non-period correct although nearly as attractive modern red bar crest!

I know of one that had it installed. Looks fine to me.....I put one on my car..

Ooooooooo That photo is a very good example of the 80MM spacing! The incorrect placement aligning the top of the crest with the top of headlights looks bizarre nearly placing it in the middle of the car than at the front, and lower looks equally un-thought out.