I'm looking for some opinions and experiences to help me decide what to do with my car. For those who have not seen it as it is at present I've attached a recent shot. The problem is that the Pro-9 body kit currently fitted has not been fitted particularly well, the major problem being that the side skirts have been stuck on with Stikaflex. This makes some basic maintenance jobs on the oil thermostat and some oil pipes downright impossible without having the side skirts removed and re-fitted. The other aggravation from my viewpoint is that the design of the sideskirts makes it very difficult to apply any kind of stone chip protection and, as current owners will already know, the sideskirts of any turbo bodied car seem to attract stones like flies!!!

My dilemma is whether to just get the existing body kit fitted better (if that's possible) or get another body kit that fits better. I'm leaning towards the fibreglass kit produced by van Zweeden in Holland which copies the style of the original 964 Turbo although even their sideskirts are single piece rather than the seperate sill and sharkfin. Am I right in thinking the turbo has the seperate shark fin like the narrow bodied cars?? Has anyone any experience of the van Zweeden fibreglass products in terms of their quality of fit and finish??

If anybody has any opinions as to whether I should revert the car to a more traditional "look" or keep the existing "Strosek-style" kit I would be interested to hear.

If anyone has any negative opinions about the van Zweeden products and would prefer not to voice them on a general forum please feel free to e-mail me at davew@computamedic.co.uk.

Thanks

Regards


Dave

 

As you mention, the aftermarket side skirts can interfer with access to the oil system on the right side of the car and the A/C system on the left side of the car. The factory side skirt is held on with a plastic tab and matching receiver in the chassis itself which makes it easy to remove. The factory cars, both N/A and Turbo have two pieces, and some aftermarket fiberglass pieces have two pieces. I would guess, due to the scoops yours need to be a one piece design for appearance sake. You should be able to figure out some type of blind mounting tab solution to better hold the rockers on.

 

I like the look of your car and wouldnt change it. Is there any way to make a cut out plug or something in the skirt thats removable to get to the oil plug? Seems a body shop could do something fairly easly for an access point.

 

Dave,..
You asked, so I will give you my opinion. I prefer to remain true to the original specification through out... A little tweak here or there is fine, but actually changing the bodywork to try to look different or more racy, sorry not for me. You have such a "Classic Sports Car", why transform it into something that it’s not. It’s a "Porsche 911/964", which says it all. I would invest in better wheels for example, a "BBS" or "FALKE", I would individualize my Porsche in a recognized way, and would stay away from add-on kits. I had my "Days of Tuning" with a Mazda MX5/ "Tuned Ricey", but I could never do the same transformation to a "REAL GT"... And, of course I have not with my 911/964 that I now own. Heritage, pedigree aside, it was for the "Authenticity" that I searched and paid for. I would never buy a, "Soft Tuned Porsche", I would be afraid to, I would not trust the source. And again Dave, please no offence is intended, I just give my opinion on how I see the World of Automobiles. Thank God not everyone thinks like me, what a boring world this would be if we all owned GPWhite Cabriolets with Cobalt Blue interiors!!..
Dave, I would try to go backwards to find her/his original image. What a beautiful colour, work around that instead of add-on plastics...
I’m sure you will make yourself happy in the end and that’s the most important issue here...
Good luck,
Marc.

PS. I love the work you’ve done to the fenders, spot on!.. Stay on that theme and follow it through to the Factory "Turbo Look"...That’s what I would do... "Thanks for asking"…

 

I've seen the car several times - and I would vote for getting the current body kit properly fitted. It's lovely looking car.

 

Dave - yours is one of the most stunning and unique 964's I've seen.

Wouldn't life be boring if all cars were the same, true to the heritage or not?

Like the other's I'd try to fashion an access panel or some other way of attaching the lower panels to allow for easier access.

Marc

 

Well - Thanks guys. With such a (almost) unanimous response I'm inclined to go along with your thoughts and investigate the possibilities of getting the existing body kit fitted better. I'm sure a decent body shop can, with a little bit of ingenuity, come up with something a little more practical.

Just a note to Marc A - the car came with the body kit as shown in the photo, there was no prospect of "going back to standard" since the car now has turbo arches and the original bumpers and sills wouldn't fit - even if I had them. Two of my "must have" criteria when I was looking for the car were (1) turbo body and (2) yellow. I enjoy the "uniqueness" of the car and the responses I've gotten here only go to show that others enjoy that aspect of it too. I am now convinced that going back to "standard" - even if "standard" means 964 Turbo - is likely to be a retrograde step. I just need to perfect what I have to a point where I am happy with it.

Thanks for your responses again.

Regards

Dave

 

I love that car. Everytime I see the pics of your car, I go green with envy and seriously consider that kit for myself. When my car gets to the point of needing a respray (daily driver, it's coming sooner or later) I'm going to try to find that kit.

Honestly, find a way to keep what you've got. It is stunning.

 

Honestly, I'm not that big a fan of most body mods on these cars.

But, I make an exception in your case. I really do like the way it looks!

 

I am one of those old-school, stock type of guys too, but this car looks so awesome I would keep the current styling hands down.

 

Hey Dave, now I understand how your Porsche came about. Your prerequisites would immediately limit the market’s availability. If I were in the same shoes as you I would be obliged to follow through with what I invested in already. As a LHD model, where did you actually purchase your car? I ask because when I was searching in Germany, more and more had chosen the "Tuner Kit" options instead of the "Original Profiles". Sort of a, sign-of-the-times... The "young dig this" and the "old dig that"... I was not committed to follow the trends of another, so I chose the "old dig that" road. Over the years my car is now rated "Concours Etat de Condition" by an Evaluation de Rapport D’Expertise. I like you am committed to follow the trends of my vision, like you I had my prerequisites which led me to my 911/964, but still together we spell "Porsche". Don’t get me wrong I dig your 911/964, but with age I’ve become eccentric... Hope to meet you and your Porsche one day... If in Cannes, please let me know... I ‘ll show you where the Tuners hang out... And buy you a pint at one of the English sailor's pubs near the, Old Port of Cannes...
Thanks, Marc.

 

Marc,

It was originally a Grand Prix White German car, registered in Bruchsal. It was imported into the UK in January 1998 and had the turbo arch conversion and body kit installed 2003. I bought it in January 2004. There's lots more information on the web site if you've got a spare hour!! The link is under my sig below.

Regards

Dave

 

Dave, it amazes me sometimes the history of our cars... The roads taken before we actually get the car keys are worthy of a best seller... Forget your body work; write a book instead, it worked for Stephen King with, "From a Buick8"...(BTW.. Just had last night’s Chinese leftovers...) I will check out your site tomorrow, and I appreciate your efforts before I even click to it... Do me the Honour Sir, reciprocate in a voyage to my cardomaine ride page, gives you an idea of how I drive... Going to watch Euronews to see who’s killing who. "And you and I thought we had problems"...
Have a good evening, and thanks for the fun, I look forward to your news and photographs,
Marc.

 

Dave,
I had the same problem. So I fitted Ali clinch nuts in the holes in the sills where the plastic clips go in.
Then I drilled the skirts to take large c/sink cap head screws. Might not be to everyones liking, but sure solved the 'easy on', 'easy off', problem. My skirts (rocker covers) were in pretty poor shape, so I had little to lose.

 

Hi Dave, I've said it before (to myself that is) and I'll say it again. It's a downright sexy beast you have there I would try to find a way to make your set-up more user friendly, surely there must be a way for a good craftsman to make some kind of durable fixation system.