what the heck does this black sprial thing do in the door jamb? The driver side one (pictured) is almost flush with the door jamb, while the passenger side is pushed up in the hole behind it...which one is installed correctly and what do they do?

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The one in the picture is installed correctly. They are air vents that provide air flow to that section of the car.

that piece holds in a little filter

you don't need them

pull them and ship them to me for proper disposal

well the passenger side is shoved up in there so i'll have to fish it out, the one pictured doesnt want to fit easily, so I didnt want to screw something up, guess i'll have to try a bit harder now...

thanks

They hold a filter that, if you live in a wet climate, retains water and rusts the hell out of a hard to get at place.

Flux drive.. dont touch it...

Yup. I can relate.

orange, great color!!!!

while you are at it tuck the sail chrome trim piece under the door seal where it belongs...

I think the designers put those vents in to equalize the cabin pressure when closing a door with the windows up and the top on. It makes closing the door easier. My early car has no black plastic inserts; I think those are for decoration.

My $.02

HEY, dont tell me what to do with my chrome trim, i'll rip it all out if i want and epoxy it to the hood and trunk

actually, i didnt even see it had slipped out until you mentioned it.

about the orange...i had a ravenna green (see avatar) and never really liked it, although it was original just wasnt for me...now the orange is a different story

They are vents for when you close the door.

Early cars did not come with them, IIRC.

its sort of funny to think about how many problems 914 owners have with seals not "sealing" correctly, that they actually put a vent there to ease pressure when you close the door...because my 914 is THAT sealed!!:)