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1970 Neun vierzehn
10 years ago it was time to either properly restore/refresh/rejuvenate my '70/4 that I've owned since 1975 or just let it continue to deteriorate and succumb to the ravages of time, road salt and rust. Midwest winters and a foolish drive along Daytona Beach early in my ownership did no favors for unprotected sheet metal.
During the "redo", I advised the shop to preserve as much metal and paint as possible in the effort to maintain as much originality as possible. Except in the roll bar area and some part of the front trunk, everything else had to be stripped, repaired and repainted. The interior needed nothing except a new dash pad, as everything else was in excellent shape. Engine components were all kept after cleaning and "re-freshening" as needed.

The question now is, the broken, cracked and hanging on solely out of habit rain tray can now be replaced by a far superior item from Mark thumb3d.gif I am certain that after receiving and installing the new rain tray, the engine compartment will finally be without reproach, but will it? confused24.gif At a strictly judged concours (say regional PCA) will a broken, barely hanging on OEM rain tray be better, or worse, than a new repro part?

The sheet metal redo was a no brainer in order to save the car, but even though I am getting a new rain tray, I'm having second thoughts as to actually installing it.
Anyone have any thoughts, opinions or feedback to share?

The accompanying pics show the extent of the rust damage that had to be addressed to save the car, the rain tray replacement is not a fix that is crucial except with regards to OEM.
Tom_T
Hey Paul,

While I cannot specifically speak to your Zone's CdE Rules, I think that most of the US/Can Zones rules are similar to ours in Zone 8, & we would probably gig you for a broken & hanging rain tray. I've been judging at 3-5+ Z8 CdEs per year since 2010, & know a bunch of even more experienced judges to train & guide us, so I know how we handle it, as well as knowing several Parade entrants/winners & judges to know what they say about how Parade works. So the following comes from my PCA CdE experience.

We would NOT gig you for an aftermarket one like Mark's/914Rubber for 2 reasons -

#1 we do NOT judge originality anymore (there are simply way too many models & variants out there to have volunteer judges knowledgeable in them all),

#2 the pat isn't even available in either early or late form from Porsche anymore, but it is a critical component for all 914s (-6 excepted, since the stock airbox won't fit under it & it needs more cooling airflow).

While Parade does judge originality on Porsches which are 75% or more original in that specific Preservation Classes/Divs (& somewhat in the Resto Classes/Divs) - IIRC - even PCA Parade recognizes that repro parts are necessary for almost all classics now, but an all original 914 with a perfect raintray may score better - but only if the judges know the difference, &/or another owner were to submit a challenge (& the point(s) deduction in question would need to make a difference in overall score to change places anyway).

You can get their specific Parade rules on the PCA website's documents section in a pdf doc.

So my advice is to go ahead & install Mark's new repro early raintray.

You can then continue the hunt for an unobtanium NOS original, but I've seen zero in the past 7 years of parts hunting for my 73's resto!

FYI - I just posted a pic of my factory original's metal mounting tab close-up so folks can see how they were riveted on by the factory (or technically by their OEM supplier). So you & others can see how they were attached to the plastic pan.

BTW - even without a drive on Daytona Beach (nor Pismo Beach out here), & without Ohio salty roads - my 73 2L which I've owned also since 75 (2nd owner) needs some of the same rust repairs as yours. The longs & floor pans are solid & rustfree, but I do have it below the L & R sails like yours, below the windscreen washer bottle, cowl, F trunk gasket gutter, etc. on a supposedly "dry" SoCal car, & the bubbling topside issues had started in 75/76 - prompting my 1st repaint/color change to the 75 914 Copper! Once stripped of paint, I'm sure more will show up too. They're just bait for the tin worm wherever they'd resided!! dry.gif

Hopefully this helps you!

Cheer! beerchug.gif
Tom
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1970 Neun vierzehn
Tom,
Excellent points all around. I cannot find issue with any of your well defined remarks. A new, Mark/914 Rubber, early rain tray install it will be.

Thanks for the insight and advice.

Old rain tray......too broken to stay on, but too nice to discard?

Paul
Mikey914
Hold onto it in a parts shrine. They ain't making any more originals, so why discard it.
Tom_T
agree.gif

.... Yes Paul, absolutely retain it & all hardware, so at the least you have OEM/factory references for the types of materials & finishes, attachment methods, etc. for future needs.

beerchug.gif
Tom
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Pat Garvey
QUOTE(1970 Neun vierzehn @ Aug 12 2016, 08:36 PM) *

Tom,
Excellent points all around. I cannot find issue with any of your well defined remarks. A new, Mark/914 Rubber, early rain tray install it will be.

Thanks for the insight and advice.

Old rain tray......too broken to stay on, but too nice to discard?

Paul

I've put five of those in the trash. Broken is broken. Trash is trash. Dump it.
Tom_T
QUOTE(Pat Garvey @ Nov 29 2016, 06:24 PM) *

QUOTE(1970 Neun vierzehn @ Aug 12 2016, 08:36 PM) *

Tom,
Excellent points all around. I cannot find issue with any of your well defined remarks. A new, Mark/914 Rubber, early rain tray install it will be.

Thanks for the insight and advice.

Old rain tray......too broken to stay on, but too nice to discard?

Paul

I've put five of those in the trash. Broken is broken. Trash is trash. Dump it.


Pat,

I just meant for Paul to hang onto the original parts on the car as reference pieces (so long as he has room), in case he needs to see how it all goes together, remake some parts, & have the OE finish for comparison (e.g.: at a PCA Parade Concours where there might be a challenge).

I didn't mean to keep it to use it. As you said: broken is broken! biggrin.gif

Cheers! beerchug.gif
Tom
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