Ugly F'in US spec Bumpers!!
11-07-2001, 11:50 AM
#18
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The only thing I can figure is a previous owner caught a parking block or something. My car is a euro and thus, I have the euro bumpers... but my euro fascia has been replaced with the US spec one. Does anyone know where I can find a euro?
Firestarter
Firestarter
11-07-2001, 02:14 PM
#20
Burning Brakes
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Hey Firestarter, toss up some pics of your car. We're dying to see it.
A fellow Rennlister turned me on to www.eurocarparts.com. UK based so all their stuff is Euro-spec, they speak English, they have secure on-line ordering, and ship to the US no problem. I ordered a couple things from them last week and will post a recommendation when I receive them.
Bryan
A fellow Rennlister turned me on to www.eurocarparts.com. UK based so all their stuff is Euro-spec, they speak English, they have secure on-line ordering, and ship to the US no problem. I ordered a couple things from them last week and will post a recommendation when I receive them.
Bryan
11-07-2001, 02:52 PM
#21
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Michael,
The car is an 85.5 na.
Bryan,
I will try to post some pics soon. I worked a copy of every picture GRM ever took of the car into the deal. I hope to get some nice framed posters for my garage someday ;~)
Firestarter
The car is an 85.5 na.
Bryan,
I will try to post some pics soon. I worked a copy of every picture GRM ever took of the car into the deal. I hope to get some nice framed posters for my garage someday ;~)
Firestarter
11-07-2001, 03:30 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
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Firestarter, I just found some pics of a Euro 944 on the GRM website:
http://www.grmotorsports.com/proj944.html
Is this your car? It looks pretty sweet. It does appear to have a US-spec front spoiler on it.
This also explains a long standing mystery for me - what GRM stands for. Grass Roots Motorsports!
Bryan
http://www.grmotorsports.com/proj944.html
Is this your car? It looks pretty sweet. It does appear to have a US-spec front spoiler on it.
This also explains a long standing mystery for me - what GRM stands for. Grass Roots Motorsports!
Bryan
11-07-2001, 04:18 PM
#23
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TK please post a pic of your 944 with the Fiberwerks nose. I've been considering that one and need to know about quality, fit/finish, etc.
Pete 85.5 NA
Pete 85.5 NA
11-07-2001, 04:43 PM
#24
Drifting
Have to disagree with you on the strength of the factory rear bumper - I got rear ended, twice, by an 18-wheeler! -And I was sitting at the light... He threw me up into the intersection, then hit me again as I was trying to accelerate away from him!
My repair estimates were $1700.
Their insurance paid me $900. I took the money and didn't fix anything as their wasn't anything to fix, save several little dents (from the hook of the bungee tied around his bumper) in the rear sheetmetal above the bumper...
My repair estimates were $1700.
Their insurance paid me $900. I took the money and didn't fix anything as their wasn't anything to fix, save several little dents (from the hook of the bungee tied around his bumper) in the rear sheetmetal above the bumper...
11-07-2001, 05:13 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
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Yeah, see if you had a Euro rear bumper, then your car would have been smashed to bits. The Euro rear bumper itself is fiberglass, and it's held to the body with rigid metal brackets. There's no give, no shock absorbing characteristics, and lots of material that likes to dent and break.
About the most I would expect from a Euro bumper is if someone parked less than 10 feet behind me and their parking brake let go and they slowly rolled into me. It might be just able to cope with that.
I understand the risks and will smile through the tears if I get bumped into at 10mph and it shatters my bumper and bends the body as the rigid brackets deform and ends up costing a fortune to fix. It's my choice to drive a Euro version, I'll put up with all the headaches, I'm responsible for it, and I'll deal with the consequences of my choices. Just sayin' is all.
The best of both worlds might be to mount Euro bumpers with the US bumper shocks. That is, if they are the same length. I can measure my Euro brackets quite easily since the bumpers are off my car right now for detailing.
Bryan
About the most I would expect from a Euro bumper is if someone parked less than 10 feet behind me and their parking brake let go and they slowly rolled into me. It might be just able to cope with that.
I understand the risks and will smile through the tears if I get bumped into at 10mph and it shatters my bumper and bends the body as the rigid brackets deform and ends up costing a fortune to fix. It's my choice to drive a Euro version, I'll put up with all the headaches, I'm responsible for it, and I'll deal with the consequences of my choices. Just sayin' is all.
The best of both worlds might be to mount Euro bumpers with the US bumper shocks. That is, if they are the same length. I can measure my Euro brackets quite easily since the bumpers are off my car right now for detailing.
Bryan
11-08-2001, 04:10 AM
#27
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I know some of you don't like the euro because it is less safe, but I didn't buy my 944 because it could withstand a collision at 23 degrees at 36.242 miles an hour. I bought it to run the hell out of. I hit some gravel the other day trying to avoid a car pulling out. It put me into the guard rail. Didn't hit the bumper, just the RF fender. I would rather have the great looking gemballa and have to buy a new one rather than having to look at an eye sore everytime I go to get in my car! You could serve lunch on an american spec bumper. Here is what a proper bumper should look like on a 944. 
By the way Mike,you know how I feel about the Gemballa.
By the way Mike,you know how I feel about the Gemballa.
11-08-2001, 09:32 AM
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Bryan,
That is in fact my car.
Edited to add that I just placed a few pictures up on the Pelican boards under this post http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...ML/005290.html
Firestarter
That is in fact my car.
Edited to add that I just placed a few pictures up on the Pelican boards under this post http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...ML/005290.html
Firestarter
11-08-2001, 11:18 AM
#29
Firestarter,
Not to deminish the fact that your car is very cool, but I am curious as to how you arrived at the fact that the car is actually Euro. The rear bumper is not correct nor is the front end, and the side markers are misplaced. In addition, in communicating with JG prior to the sale of the car to you, he indicated that he was not confident that the car was actually Euro and could not ascertain its past as it had no documented history when he bought the car. Another lister, Craig Seko, also had a conversation with JG and came to the conclusion that the car is not Euro.
I think I remember you posting that you had used a VIN decoder, what criteria lead to the conclusion that the car is indeed Euro?
Again, I am not trying to be a dick, I am just curious.
Not to deminish the fact that your car is very cool, but I am curious as to how you arrived at the fact that the car is actually Euro. The rear bumper is not correct nor is the front end, and the side markers are misplaced. In addition, in communicating with JG prior to the sale of the car to you, he indicated that he was not confident that the car was actually Euro and could not ascertain its past as it had no documented history when he bought the car. Another lister, Craig Seko, also had a conversation with JG and came to the conclusion that the car is not Euro.
I think I remember you posting that you had used a VIN decoder, what criteria lead to the conclusion that the car is indeed Euro?
Again, I am not trying to be a dick, I am just curious.
11-08-2001, 12:15 PM
#30
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Manning,
As you know, each and every vehicle manufactured is built to its intended destinations specifications. The country of destination is indicated in the VIN code. This is common knowledge and is not specific to Porsches.
When decoding the VIN using this site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3322/spec.htm it clearly states that VINs starting with WP0ZZZ were not built for North America. I am not certain as to its accuracy but a small check with other owners' on this and Pelican Parts Boards did verify the VIN decoding page listed above. Specifically, the US folks that I have asked have a VIN that starts WP0AA0 and most of the folks in europe have a VIN that starts WP0ZZZ.
It has also been brought to my attention that it is common that when cars are imported to the US, that they have their bumpers updated. That would explain the rear bumper not being euro, or perhaps the car has been involved in a minor accident in the past and euro bumpers/fascias proved too expensive to pursue.
Furthermore indicating the questionable origin of the vehicle is the european gauge cluster. Each of my warning lights reads in german and the speedometer is not original to any year 944 (reads MPH only, no KM).
Lastly, the Carfax shows no report of the vehicle until it showed up in FL with an odometer reading of 63,056 in January of 1993. While a carfax report can often be far from accurate, I have yet to see one where a car never existed until a certain date. I do have a digital copy of the carfax if you would like to inspect it.
Any information that you would like about my car I will be glad to provide. I couldn't care less if the car was or was not of european origin. The simple fact is that I am confident that it is. Now, when it comes to the bumpers... when they look better and the front fascia needs to be replaced anyway... why not go with the better looking european counterparts.
Firestarter
As you know, each and every vehicle manufactured is built to its intended destinations specifications. The country of destination is indicated in the VIN code. This is common knowledge and is not specific to Porsches.
When decoding the VIN using this site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3322/spec.htm it clearly states that VINs starting with WP0ZZZ were not built for North America. I am not certain as to its accuracy but a small check with other owners' on this and Pelican Parts Boards did verify the VIN decoding page listed above. Specifically, the US folks that I have asked have a VIN that starts WP0AA0 and most of the folks in europe have a VIN that starts WP0ZZZ.
It has also been brought to my attention that it is common that when cars are imported to the US, that they have their bumpers updated. That would explain the rear bumper not being euro, or perhaps the car has been involved in a minor accident in the past and euro bumpers/fascias proved too expensive to pursue.
Furthermore indicating the questionable origin of the vehicle is the european gauge cluster. Each of my warning lights reads in german and the speedometer is not original to any year 944 (reads MPH only, no KM).
Lastly, the Carfax shows no report of the vehicle until it showed up in FL with an odometer reading of 63,056 in January of 1993. While a carfax report can often be far from accurate, I have yet to see one where a car never existed until a certain date. I do have a digital copy of the carfax if you would like to inspect it.
Any information that you would like about my car I will be glad to provide. I couldn't care less if the car was or was not of european origin. The simple fact is that I am confident that it is. Now, when it comes to the bumpers... when they look better and the front fascia needs to be replaced anyway... why not go with the better looking european counterparts.
Firestarter