Forever working on my rebuild specs....and waiting for it to cool down a little in AZ.

I have noticed in several various photos of 914's that I see on occasion that people have removed or do not have any of that vinyl on the sides of the targa "roll bar". I assume that this has been removed for a couple of reasons:

1. Personal preference
2. The fight against rust (my rebuild project has some under there)
3. It didn't come with it originally (???)

Anyways, if you were rebuilding a 914, would you put it back on or just leave the body color paint there? I plan on having the vinyl piece across the top however.

Thanks,

boxsterfan

i like/dislike depending on the color of the car. it looks good on black, orange and yellow. imho.

I say "keep the vinyl" It was original except the LE's and 916's as far as I know, and I think it looks good.

it was optional. I like it for some colors.

If the rockers and valences get painted body color, then don't do it. If the rockers and valences are black sail trim looks good.


THis is just my opinion.

I think people take the vinyl off to fix rust and don't put it back on because the cost of the rust fix and paint is cheaper than rust fix, paint, new chrome if needed and vinyl.

Another variation is paint, no vinyl, but keep the chrome. That's how my AX car has it.

IMO - the vinyl looks good. I've seen early cars w/o the sail panel trim, but I'm not totally sure if that was stock or just "fixed".

No sail vinyl is very stock on the early cars ('70-71 for sure, maybe '72 also). I bought a new '70 and remember it well. The standard car came with body color sail panels, bumpers and roll bar trim. If you ordered the extra cost "appearance group" you got chrome bumpers, bright trim on rear of roll bar, vinyl and trim on sail panels, plus fog lights. My totally original "standard" model '71 is shown below (It is for sale, shameless plug).

It wasn't original on all cars. There were many 914/4s without the "appearance group" package that included the side vinyl.

Personally, I really don't like the vinyl, and it may come off my car when it's painted next.

For the most part, I prefer the vinyl. But as seanery has stated, I like it for some cars if the other pieces are painted body color as well.

Rick

My thought is that if you are keeping the TARGA stock (i.e., not painting it the body color), keep the vinyl. If yoiu are going with a body-colored top, paint the sail panels to match...

take it off and leave it off, i'm not a fan of it.

If you decide to leave it off, maybe leave the lower horizontal sail pannel trim piece off too. I kind of like the vinal. Personal preference.

I'm just the opposite. I think the vinyl looks good if the rockers are body color, but breaks the car up TOO MUCH if the rockers are black. I didn't really like the vinyl until I saw Rich's car below. I think it looks great with the vinyl and body-color on the rockers/valences.

i like the look but not the vinyl. when i redo my car (a /6 - all /6's came with the 'Apperance Group') i will pull the vinyl to repair the rollover damage to the top panel, and then paint the parts in a light-texture wrinkle-finish, or SEM trim - something like that. vinyl was a cool concept but it is a maintenance nightmare.

Rich's car is just bad-ass. it's the rule-breaker in my book.

Is that Rick's car? Who is Rick? I just know I've had his car as a desktop on one of my computers for about a year.

Yellow without the vinyl and chrome strips painted body color. The top has been smoothed and painted body color also. The car came this way and I have grown to like it. I might change the rollbar chrome strips to black??
One option that I have seen on 914s is a vinyl piece on the front windshield posts,and across the top of the windshield frame, I had a pic of one but it's gone.
CCLINTOPSVILLE

i believe this would be Rich Johnson.
my car's yellow too, not nearly as nice, not nearly as running. definitely not bad-ass.
yet. someday ...

I personally don't like the vinyl. I'm looking to buy a 914 and was only looking at those that didn't have it. But from what I read here, can you take the vinyl off and paint the sail panels the body color?

Although, I have to admit the yellow looks good with the vinyl.

Joan A

AFAIK, under the vinyl -is- body color.

Maine, huh ? you gonna come down and join us in VT for the East Coast Ramble ? it's not too late to sign up, but almost - get on it if you're interested !

Wow, that opens up a whole bunch of possibilities for cars. Thanks.

What is a Ramble? When/where is it? Does one have to have a 914 to participate? Don't have one yet, but am looking.

Joan A

PS. I'm new to all this, how does one put part of another message in the red box as a quote?

there are somewhere between 2 and 3 914-oriented gatherings held in the US each year, approximately regionally. the Mid US Ramble "MUSR" is affiliated with PCA's 914 Special Interest Group and there's a link to the thread on this site.
The 'granddaddy' of Rambles is the East Coast Ramble and it doesn't have a website this year. but it's in Manchester VT September 5-7 at the Palmer House - at last count, 26 people in approximately half as many cars have signed up -- my wife and i will be there, although in the 911 and not the 914.6 which has been 'resting' for -- oh -- 23 years or so...

contact event chair Ralf Hartmann at mailto:info@myhelpnet.com for further details - and do it soon if you're coming - space will be at a premium. many/most of the participants are known from the RennList 914 group. absolutely not competitive - it's just a get-together in which we party, ie about how fast and rust-free our cars are, and go drive for a while, interspersed with eating and drinking too much...

in case you were counting - the 3rd event is the West Coast Wramble which evidently gathers sufficient momentum only in even-numbered years. the 0th event was in Santa Maria, CA in 2000, hosted by John Larson's West Coast Garage, and i promoted the 2002 West Coast Wramble in Reno NV.

but there are loosely organized get-togethers held during the driving months (no need to explain this concept to you, i guess - the SoCal guys don't always understand...) at various places in the NorthEast; hope to see you at one soon.

and no - you don't have to own a 914 - or any Porsche - to participate in these events - they are for 914 enthusiasts, and many attendees are between 914's - some many even between running Porsches ...

to quote a response, you click the 'QUOTE" button in the message you wish to respond to - that message text is copied into a second window below the text-entry window - where it can be edited, for instance to delete extraneous portions of a message to retain only enough context to make the response understandable without having to find some past reference in another message.

Like this

You could go w/ vinyl on one side & no vinyl on the other. Thats the look I have going. The vinyl was starting to peel so I decided to yank it. The factory did paint under the vinyl, mine has a big letter "L" in pencil, under the vinyl on the drivers side. What is the German word fo left?

left= links

right = rechts or recht (I don't remember)

I'll have to pass on the Ramble this year. As for driving season, I'm madly trying to find a summer person who is willing to rent me their garage for the winter, in case I get a 914 this year.

I'll have to play around with the quote. When I go to the message I want to quote, the button isn't visible. Later. My ISP has cut me off for the 8th time tonight.

Joan A

No vinyl for me either: Gary's -6 project.

Rocker covers and valences will be black. Still +/- on the targa bar chrome... Planning to either go chromless and have rubber around the windshield or keep the windshield chrome and targa bar "chrome".

On a personal note: I think we're really finally close after being "a month or two" away for the last year. Since the pictures above, Steve's assembled the Don Haney-modified 914 trailing arms, Dash and door panels are at the reupholsters; I broke down and bought a carrera fan housing after not being able to fine one used (expensive suckers), and the engine is complete. Going with a triad west muffler. I think all the pieces-parts are there and it's a matter of assembly. Whew.

gary, going to invite the local boys over for a peak? who shot your car? i like the rubber gasket thought. that was one of my original postings. lots of " generic ones, for a honda or what not". all i wanted was a specific part #.

kevin
"podunk/summit view, wa"

Kevin, are you still looking? If so contact "philinjax" (Phil Sparta). I got some from him which I never got around to installing on my gray six. Sold 20 feet with the car. Come to think of it, I don't think the buyer is going to use it as he removed windshield and installed new clips to solve the loose trim problem. Let me know and I will put you in touch with him.

Kevin,

I'd love to - she's in Pennsylvania . I dropped her off on our way to my new job here in summer 2000.... Hope to show one of local get togethers soon with the care though...

I like the look but not the vinyl- mine is painted black.
That vinyl is way too heavy for me.

Paul

painted vinyl instead of actual vinyl's got to be good for at least a second a lap!

Another reason for no vinyl...

Screaming down the highway... both temp and speed about 105. The passenger side vinyl started to come loose. It had been attached with 3M Trim Adhesive.

That slapping noise will certainly wake you up from being hypnotized by the road!

-Rusty