I want to remove my rockers, straighten and paint, then re-attach. Does any know where to buy the rivets? What about size and material? Can they be attached with a pop rivet tool?
Thanks,
Jack

They're were some aftermarket plastic rivets but they were junk. Yes you can use 1/8" pop rivets.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_520270-29819-PRRTB...ductId=50092650

McMaster Carr Nylon push rivets and select 'expanding push in"

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-nylon-rivets/=v3dcxw


http://images1.mcmaster.com/Contents/gfx/l...ng?ver=11534435

PERFECT! I was looking for those to re-attach my rocker panel sill cover, and the guy at Lowe's said they didn't have any!

Thanks!

Edit: except...he was right. No store in my area has them...and the smallest quantity I can buy them for on Amazon is 1000...

Perfect! Great information.

Thank you,
Jack

Let me check today, I may have some of the black in stock. I had to buy a bunch for a project, I can add to the hardware section if these are the right ones. I can tell you in about an hour.

Thanks Mark. Good timing. I'm making a list for you anyway.
Jack

Well they are 1/8" I need to check on the car to make sure they fit, but I think they do. Give me a few hours.
-Mark

Our local hardware store has all kinds of rivets, black, white, and aluminum. Pretty common, but they don't have the plastic ones.

I have never seen black rivets at my hardware stores, but I made a choice to use stainless steel screws so I could remove the rockers annually.

I also put a 3/8 inch rubber washer on the bottom, in between the rocker cover and the longitudunal, with a longer stainless steel screw.

The rubber spacer pulls out the bottom enough to let the dirt fall out so it wont get all clogged up around the jack post and start the rusting process all over again.

Rich

Up and on the site. 14 (even though you only need 12). If someone wants to pull off the other hardware I'll put together a "package"

These are $1.50, most of which is the bag, and paying a guy to count them out and put in a bin. Funny how that works, the parts are quite cheap, but to put them into a format to sell it adds up.

Shown installed on my parts car, nit real pretty, but ops check good.

Yes black are hard to find. I had to special order these, and had 1000 min quantity, so I have a few left over.

These are up right now here -
http://shop.914rubber.com/914-Rocker-panel...xtra-914RPR.htm

And yes the screws on the ends are an oddball, but let me know I'll start including. Mine on this car just shear off, so I can't get a good one off.

Riveting the rockers on seems like a bad idea since so much damage is done to the longitudinals from trapped debris.

Thanks. Just ordered a few sets.

This reminded me. I found a bag NOS for my resto and need to send Mark a few to repop!!!

If you have any NOS that you want to get rid of, I will take them. I like collect NOS stuff for my projects.

FYI:
These are the real deal NOS CW rivets.
I might have a few spares if your know the CW hand shake.
Tom

I also have a bag of NOS rivits...I still haven't had the heart to use them.

I'm pretty sure that Porsche still sells the clear plastic ones in the pic in Tom's post #18 above, since they're also used on 911/912/930's which they tend to support better than 914-only parts.

If so, then your local dealer can get them, & PCA members should get a discount there - as well as GPR, Eklers/Automotion/PP, Stoddars, TC's Garage, Sierra Madre Collection, etc. who resell the genuine Porsche parts can also get them & may be able to offer a better price.

70-73 914s originally came with white plastic, then 74 or 75 switched to black plastic.

Plastic rivets were originally specified because you can cut them off with a razor blade to do the rockers inspection & clean-out on 914s & 911/912/930's, & were relatively inexpensive to to replace on reinstall, although many P+A dealers still used metal rivets!

Metal rivets need to be drilled out to remove, which is a royal PITA.

SS or any screws can back out, but are an expedient alternative. I've used SS screws for the belly pans' access panels on our vintage `60 Avion Travel Trailer (similar to Airstream), & they are constantly backing out with the road vibrations.

So I'd suggest a tiny dab of blue Locktite on each screw on the rockers too, even if there is far less vibration there.

Other brands of plastic or nylon rivets would work too, if they're the right size & type, as in the link at Dave's post #4 - & he's know having done that beautiful -6 resto & many others.


Tom
///////

I'll take any extras that you have. Teach me the secret handshake.

Interesting. They should have included the razor blade to cut them off, and ospho for the rust. :-)

White for early cars, huh? So, I guess I need white ones.

Sierra Madre has the white ones:

http://www.sierramadrecollection.com/store...detail&p=59

I have them, but haven't installed them yet...

-Steve

Those are clear.

Are you sure those aren't the ones for the thresholds?
They look like the ones in include with them.
Mark

Are we sure that 70-73 914s had white rivets holding the rocker covers on? And '74 and '75 switched to black? It seems like I took a set off of an early car (that were original) that were black.

The term tends to be over-used, but it "blows my mind" to have a vendor reading a forum that can turn around a request for a new item in 30 minutes and have it available for shipping...

Nicely done.

Thanks for the help everyone. I bought 2 sets from Mark.
I removed my rockers today with no trouble at all. Drilling out the original aluminum rivets was a breeze. The rockers had never been off the car. The great news is that there is absolutely no rust behind the rockers and the longs and jack points are perfect.
The bad news is that I need to shovel all the dirt out of the garage.

You got very lucky. There is almost always some rust right around the jack posts from dirt build up.

I would never rivet anything shut that collects dirt and creates a rust trap. Unless you are a hard core concourse weenie, use screws.

How about those rubber spacers? McMaster Carr has something close but the OD is only 13mm


Thanks

David

Local hardware store.

I found some PVC that has similar OD and ID dimensions that I can just cut to length.

David

Local hardware store, plumbing isle

Buy a rivet gun.... It will change your life.... for the better!

I would argue that the rivets can easily be drilled out, and the screw don't look to good. Just get a 2nd set for next time, throw them in the parts stash.

Helps if I already have it.

I checked my stash and have questions for the experts??

I am not certain what year's get what color??
I think early years should be white, not clear???
I agree my NOS small black rivets are correct for my 1974 including later years.
BTW: I struggled putting them in and have a few broken ones (see photo). I remember making up a small dia. tube and pushing the pin in with a smaller inside dia. rod when installing. Many cuss words were spoken.
Here's my inventory of rivets.......
(19) small NOS Black rivets. (promised a set to 71-Six)
(11) small clear/white rivets. (spares)
(8) large NOS Black rivets from the Porsche dealer. Not sure for what model Porsche?
(6) & (3) small NOS Black rivets. (spares)
See Photo's.
Anyone knowing the CW hand shake will get free ones from Santa Clause & Merry Christmas.
Tom

Were the plastic rivets used on the rocker panels? I have not seen that before. I have seen them used on the thresholds. I did see the 2 different sizes, so maybe, but it seams that these would not be ideal for the rocker panels.

Curious now.

Also I have had the rivets made up for the thresholds I make as it helps to sell them. Yes they are a pain, that's why a include a few extras.

If they are these plastic rivets Porsche was not inexpensive for the thresholds when available. It would be easy to have some of these made up too. If they are correct.

Mike,
If you agree, letme know?
I'll send you one of each size/color for your files as reference material.
Merry Christmas from Santa
Tom

screws sound like the way to go.

It takes about two seconds to drill out a rivet.

Just sayin'

Ya, and when I look at a car that has screws holding the rocker covers, or threshold on, it is an instant signal for me. As these cars become more valuable, I think the little details like this make a difference. Just sayin' . . . .

I will remember to never let you open my door.
Given where I live, I don't buy a car that I cannot see under the rocker covers.

All a matter of what are looking for. Screws tell me the p/o was either not caring about authenticity or didn't care. It tells me to look for other goofy improvements made.
You can get black painted screws, but they to rust. Stainless is really the "best" option in my opinion, unfortunately they stick out.
I really don't care what you do. For $1.50 I'm not going to the Bahamas for Christmas.

Just trying to give options

Ya, you might be right. I just make the owner drill them out so I can look under the rocker covers. It seems like the screws rust, and never fit right - counter sunk doesn't work, and if you use one with a head it's too large. I used to have screws holding mine on. I just got fed up with them. I'm probably just too hung up on originality. :-)

Plastic rivits: http://www.automotion.com/catalogsearch/re...p;x=23&y=13

Yes, I would liek to see what you got just one of each will do.
Thanks,
mark

Mike,
I'll send one of each out in a few days.
Tom

Just finished the rivets and instead of molding them as one piece. made two and inserted the center shaft so it will be easier to install.

Black and clear plastic