I'm looking for some information on the correct emblems that should be on my '71 /4. Currently it only have the "914" rear emblem, but should it also have the "1.7" emblem? Also, what color should it be? I know there are black and gold (mine is gold currently).

I'm not a full CW, but I hope to be one some day.

While I'm on the topic, anyone know where I can get information on what the car came with? I don't have a lot of information to go off of, so it may be difficult. But if someone has a resource for what was "standard" on a '71 I could start with that.

Thanks all!

You need to shell out $100.00+ to Porche Cars North America for a "COA" (certificate of authenticity) to get most of the info you need. Rear emblems are metal (gold, silver & rare black) & plastic (black). Early cars like your 71 are either going to be silver or gold, not black & not black plastic. As for the 1.7 I defer to someone with more knowledge than myself... Pat?

Troy,
To begin, let me ask if your car has the appearance group (chrome bumpers, fog lights, vinyl roll bar cover, leather s/w)?
As to the rear emblem, the only '71/4 that I can recall had only the 914 insignia on the back and the badge was silver(the car was Irish green). I remember the car because I competed against it in autocross back in 1976/77. Thirty years ago we were not paying much attention to originality, so I don't know if the silver metal emblem was correct for MY 1971.
If you can post some pictures of your car, I'm sure the CW nazis can criticize it and pick it apart Seriously, we'll be able to offer some helpful information as to what should be on/with your car as it was originally manufactured.

Paul

My car does have the appearance package. Now whether this was on the car from the factory or not is up for debate.

This car has been gone through in the past, so I am not sure what has been added. Also you will notice that things are missing as well (side markers, side mirror, etc). Unfortunately I only have pictures of the outside available here at work. But hopefully it will create a starting point. I will add pictures of the interior later. Also, this car will be going through a complete teardown next fall (I want to it for at least a little while) because as you can see it is a bit rough and does have a few "minor" rust issues I need to deal with.

OK....blast away!!!

One more....

Troy,
It looks pretty good in the pictures.

First, the color black (code L041) would be approriate to a MY 1971. To find out if the color is the original color, check the chassis/color tag in the front door jamb, on the drivers' side.
As previously stated, you can get a Porsche CoA to determine the primary equipment and color configuration for your 914. That will also provide an engine # so that you will be able to tell if you have the original engine in the car.
The Pedrini alloys on the car were optional in 1971, so they are correct for your MY.
The chrome bumper on the front is a 1974 piece as evidenced by the black "guards' or "tits" on them.
Assuming that your car is a USA-spec model, yes, the front fenders should have side marker lights on them if you want to be authentic.


BTW, have you registered your VIN and color (L041)/Black on the 914 Info page so that the moderators can add you to our 914 owners list?

Paul

The front bumper could also be a 73. I don't think the rear bumper is a 71 & has been replaced as well. My mistake. Muffler can't be stock w/ that tailpipe. Metal strips, 2, seem to be missing from the ends of the top of the targa bar. Looks clean

Here is an original '71, however no appearance group. Notice rear bumper is the later style (early "square" indent was '70 only) and no 1.7. Gold is correct for the "914" badge.

914/4 from 1970 through 1972 had only a gold 914 between the taillights. The North American cars also had gold PORSCHE letters on the engine grille.

Is that absolute, positive, certain, infallible, indisputable and irrefutable?
I suppose the existence of "silver" badged MY '71s could be attributable to R&R collision damage similar to the replacement of early "square" rear bumpers with the later design.

Paul

I too have seen many (if not all) 71 914's with "silver" script.

If all 70-72 models were equipped with gold script, and those thereafter with black script, where did the silver script come from?
Pat

Interesting. B. Johnson does not mention silver in his book. Says gold '70-'72. Then black anodized aluminum in '73 (now we have the 1.7 and 2.0 in aluminum since there were two engines), black plastic in '74-'75 and vinyl in '76.
While the letters on the engine grill changed to silver, I don't recall seeing silver on the rear panel. Although I have seen worn black anodized that looks silver.

Brett's book has a number of errors in it. Plus, he didn't take into consideration mid and multi-mid year changes in the early 914's.

It's a good basic source, but this forum is better!
Pat

I forgot about the 76 stickers. Should go on a GT clone sans fog light for lighter weight...

I checked an '82 Stoddard catalog and PET. Neither mention anything but gold and black for the "914" badge.

Great topic. I am currently working on an emblem section for my website. What I have found to date is as follows (and I am only talking about US 914 & 914/6s here...)

1970-1972 model years had only the gold anodized aluminum "914" emblem and grille letters. Although I have seen two of these early models with a silver (almost chrome-like) anodized finish, closer inspection revealed that they were likely replacements (both had aftermarket speed nuts securing them).

1973 model year 914s had at least two variants of the 914 emblem:
*"black" anodized aluminum (which was a light purple tint when held at certain angles and more gray-black at other angles)
*black painted aluminum (semi-gloss, very semi)

Also, the 1973 models had an engine size emblem (1.7 or 2.0) in the corresponding colors/materials.

Early 1974 2.0L models had either the black-painted aluminum or black plastic "914" & "2.0" emblems

Mid 1974-1975 2.0L models had black plastic emblems, as did all 1974-1975 1.8L models

1976 had the black decals (the switch to the decal may have actually occurred near the end of the 1975 model year... still checking that).

1973-1974 engine grille letters were all shiny silver-chrome anodized aluminum.
1975-1976 engine grille letters were shiny silver-chrome plastic.

914-6 was gold anodized aluminum.

Anyway, that is my current understanding. If anyone has better information (and I'm sure this crowd does), please let me know (preferably before I add all this to my site).

I wonder if the gold would wear down to the metal over time?? I have never seen a badge that looked like gold giving way to silver. I just ordered gold badging(hood letters missing anyway) based on Dr. Johnson's book and info from this forum. My car currently has silver(aluminum) but I am going with gold. Hope its correct.

Ted K

I have seen/owned black painted aluminum 914 badges. However, I tend to think they were painted by their owners (when the black anodizing fades to gray as it does), not the factory.

No doubt that the six came with gold all around. Ted K did right.

The factory black-painted aluminum badge on the 1973 models has no anodizing (the the back of the badge is not painted, and it is bare aluminum).

In my original Porsche 914 parts book, it lists chrome Porsche letters for MY 73 AND 74. I am assuming the "gold-colored" are for previous years.

The "914" badge is listed as black for MY 73 and 74, and "gold insignia" is listed with a part #, and "insignia" (only), (I'm guessing silver) is listed with a different part #.

The above information and my own recollection lead me to believe that silver 914 emblems were on an earlier model year 914.

As a footnote, all the above parts were spec'd as "USA".


Paul

...so I guess the real questions are:

Does anyone out there currently have a MY 70-72 914 with a silver "914" rear emblem?
If so, are you reasonably sure that it is the original factory emblem?
If so, is the anodizing a shiny silver-chrome or a more subdued silver (similar to brushed aluminum)?

I have in my hands 2 914-6 emblems. One gold, one silver. The silver one was on my six (#0137) I bought back in '91. The car had never been restored up to that time. Never repainted until I did so 12 years ago. It is canary yellow built in Jan '70. I thought it strange that the emblem was silver and always believed that they were gold. When I removed it, I examined it for any trace of gold. There is none. The backside and edges are silver. The knurled bars that tie the numbers together are also silver. The part number is; 914.559.114.10 It is in like new condition. The gold one I purchased about 12 years ago. It has no part number, but they are identical in size, design and weight. Could it have been dipped and stripped of the gold? Will never know.
I have kept the silver one off the car because it is a curiosity and use the gold one believing that they are supposed to be gold. Don't ask for pictures as I do not have a DC.
So, I too am curious to see if there are any more silver emblem stories out there.

Don

Don,

Just for clarification, is the silver /6 emblem anodized or polished? Is the color chrome-like? Were/are the grille letters also silver? Just wondering...

Not all 74s' had plastic. My LE goes against the grain in that it had/has the black painted metal badges, both 914 & 2.0. I used to tear off badges on every Porsche I found in the junk yard (collecting) & remember the silver ones as brushed aluminum. I also remember lots of plastic ones breaking in half & hanging, smilie like, on the back of a Teener. Used to have quite a collection. Threw almost all away 20yrs ago .

As best I can tell, it is neither anodized or polished. It has the same texture which seems more brushed than polished. Like the gold one, it is not mirror like. Yes it is chrome-like. The grille letters are gold.

Don

That is interesting about your LE emblems. Your recollection of the silver emblem seems to match what I have seen. Here is a pic of 914 emblems I have removed from 1973 models. You can see the difference in finish between the "chrome-like" grille letters and the "silver" 914 emblem. The lighting in this pic makes the painted emblem on the bottom look more glossy than it really is; it is almost flat black.

Bottom one is like mine. It has been long rumored that all LE's came w/ plastic & I know from personal experience this is not correct. I honestly think they just grabbed whatever was available & ploped it on @ the factory. On a different note, not all LE's came w/ lug caps either.

The one you've pictured above the painted one is very easy to replicate: gun blue. Go to a gun shop, go through the liquid gun blues they have, bring some home & soak it. Gun shops now carry blue for aluminum. Great way to refresh an old one.

Did you drill your car to add the rear crest?

Maybe it is the pic, but to my eyes the top two "914's" are black anodized. Different from each other due to wear or anodizing variation, but not silver.

You are correct! The back of the top two badges reveal that they are both black-anodized but have faded to different degrees.

Yes, back in 76, when I was 13. It's orange striped, not red. I wanted one on the hood, Pop said no (thank God!). Showed him a 916 in one of my books & he liked the little one on the back idea. It's another flattened, 356 hood handle crest. Aparantly Orange is NLA.

I was just wondering if it was drilled or adhesive. While I like to know how things originally came from the factory, I am by no means a CW.

So, beside Don with the /6, nobody has a 70-72 US 914 with a (believed to be factory) silver emblem? I guess that helps answer the early silver emblem question!

I have never seen silver '914' badges. I have seen the black ones fade through that purple tone to something like silver however.

My opinions expressed earlier in this thread are in line with davep. No silver, only faded black anodized.

I have yet to see a silver.

Ferg

on my 73', metal and i have no reason to believe they are non-orig. you know this car jim . if they were anodised/painted, someone certainly went to a vast amount of work to remove the color from the pebbled surface seperating the numbers and letters. the debate continues...

k

OK then, how do you account for both Pat and myself remembering early silver-badged 914s AND the Porsche parts book referencing them (#914.559.114.10 Insignia USA). BTW, #914.559.113.10 is "gold-colored" and #914.559.287.10 is black (MY 73) and #914.559.287.11 is black (also) (MY 74).?


Paul

Does the book list the 114.10 as "silver"? Now let's figure out when the silver ones were affixed to US cars? And is "early" 1973 MY?

Jim,
The parts book does not refer to color for #914.559.114.10. The other part#s are referenced for color as either "gold-colored" or "black".
I can't speak for Pat's specific recollections, but I recall an Irish green 71/4 with silver emblems constantly beating my times in autocross back in '76 and '77.

Paul