I don't think the presses were ever even in the Porsche factory. Weren't all the bodies in white delivered from Karmann?

Right and I'm assuming the molds were owned by Porsche. So I guess I mean Porsche will never sub out the remake of the 914 and I doubt they will authorize someone else to do it on their behalf.

Best bet it to get as rust free a car as possible and have one of the great guys on our board set it up for more great years ahead.

Anyone have a picture of a replacement 914 body ? or know of one used for repair ? It seems to me that while they were still available none of our cars were worth enough to justify such effort. Maybe in Germany on a new car in that era but certainly not here. Or very, very rarely here.
My brother worked for MB, his whole career in parts distribution.
They threw away Gullwing parts ( doors,bumpers,glass.....) by the dumpster full.
Now they have the Classiche Centers and can provide those parts.
But , those cars sell for $500,000 to 1,000,000
A simple 1932 Ford roadster body in steel, a perfect duplicate of the original is $10,000 +, no old or original tooling. I have one.
A 914 body is like the space shuttle by comparison.
It will never be reproduced. Especially by the company that wasn't too thrilled with the equation in the first go round.
We're on our own to find the good ones and repair the ones we can afford.

Mark - it was only 118,992 total 914 production, per the 914info link here (at top). So even at 500 k stampings (vs. 1+ mm) that leaves another 380k of "life" in them.

Yes they were at the Karmann plant, and yes the VW-Porsche partnership was bought out in 1974, so Porsche would own all tooling, parts & everything thereafter. I have no idea if they were destroyed or still exist. Porsche still builds P-cars there (again).

As you know Mark, I have been supporting the vendors & members on here!

BTW all, I got my set of repro early aluminum thresholds & carpet strips from Mark yesterday, and their freaking gorgeous!

So if the other member yello914 has stopped making them, then Mark's your guy!
(mikey914 on here).
....shameless plug....

Andy, Andy, Andy..... you're calling BS with BS & heresay, which I won't justify with further discussion.

As for the others.....FYI -

This below is an excerpt from the March 2010 PCNA Retail Parts List (they were physically cut-n-pasted from the PCNA list), and included in my April 2010 email to the Porsche Dealer Parts Mgr. inquiring about an body-in-white as an option to repairing my own 73 914-2.0. I was directed to him by a PCNA Regional Service Manager whom came out to my place & checked out some things on my 914 with me. The discussion about the last sale of one was over the phone, so no text to convince Andy.

What I found interesting & curious was that there were so many part nos. for "body-in-white", which I presume are for the slightly different bodies from early through late 914s & /4 vs. /6, and which are now NLA in all cases, but I really liked the one listed for $0.03!

<snipped>
A. Complete New Body Options:

91450100310 BODY IN WHITE 6863.75
91450100311 BODY IN WHITE 7463.21
91450100410 BODY IN WHITE 6121.21
91450100411 BODY IN WHITE 9771.56
91450100412 BODY IN WHITE 8334.91

B. Complete New Body Options:

91450191510 BODY IN WHITE 11005.83
91450191511 BODY IN WHITE 10670.27
91450191610 BODY IN WHITE 10511.18
91450191611 BODY IN WHITE 13482.05

91450177913 BODY IN WHITE 0.03
<end snip>

Since they are NLA - that was why I started this "Gee I wish..." topic when I saw the Mustang body - really not expecting to be slammed by our illustrious 914 gurus for some wistful thinking!

Cheers!
Tom
Only been around my 73 914-2.0 for 37 years
///////

Sometimes it is difficult to tell the diff between a slam and a nudge in text.

BTDT.

It is a fun fantasy, especially the $0.03 one.

Then order one and let us know what you get. What are you waiting for? $8k is a steal!


Like i said before, they have always listed the 914 body in white. It's been on that list ever since i can remember.
That does not mean they are available. Try to buy one, be my guest.

When i was looking into this 12 years ago, the answer was i got was clear.
Sorry, they are NLA.

Yeah, the parts mgr. & I had a good laugh on the phone over that one! I told him I'll take a dozen....

Let's see - taking this one by one...

I already stated that - yes $8k was a good deal, & that I tried to order one in April 2010 - issue closed!

.... and I already stated several times that as of last Spring 2010 I found that they were NLA. Subject finished!

Perhaps the guy you had check 12 years ago was either too lazy to look beyond CA, USA or PCNA stocked distribution centers; or maybe he couldn't check worldwide or PCNA due to data base access limitations in `98-00 "...when you first got into 914s"?

...or maybe the PCNA/Porsche database last April 2010 was in error when the parts manager looked up the last body-in-white sale from `08?

.... either way, they're NLA now and a moot point!

So just let it rest bud!

.... that is, unless someone has an unused NOS one squirreled away & forgotten in a body shop, parts house, warehouse, garage, barn or shed somewhere that isn't in anyone's "system"!

PS - if they were indeed NLA 12 years ago or more, then I don't have to have that: "Dang - just missed it!" feeling of the last one sold just the year before I dug my 914 out of the garage in `09 to start working on it!

Must be talking about your 911 huh? I'll trade you my Benz straight up for it

I think replacement panels are good enough on unibody cars...drop-on bodies for american body-on-frame cars make more sense.