Porsche not supporting their older vehicles

[Tobra]

A post in another thread over at the Club got me thinking. Porsche has a long and distinguished heritage, but they have apparently lost interest in it. As I understand it, they once had a policy that they would make parts available for their vehicles, pretty much as long as they kept going.

There are a lot of folks out there, you are one of them if you are reading this little missive, who love finely made old cars, particularly from Suttgart. (I am sort of like that, but I have a 914 instead) Maybe through meassage boards such as this, perhaps through the PCA, or POC, it would be possible to influence their actions. I am going to write Porsche a letter on my letterhead, perhaps tell them I was considering a Cayman(if the Honda ever dies, which is looking unlikely)for the next company car, but... They may do nothing, but they just might respond. Anyone already written them and been spurned? Anyone thing it might work?

[legion]

What parts, specifically, have they discontinued?

[Z-man]

I take my 15+ year old 944S2 to an independant shop that deals exclusively with Porsches. These guys know the older cars much more than the mehcanics at Porsche dealerships.

But if I had a 986/987 or 996/997, I'd most likely take it to a dealership, due to the warranty.

-Z.

[HardDrive]

It is unrealistic to think that Porsche could continue to support vehicles out beyond 15-20 years. Why should they? Can you get parts for a 1986 Chevy at the dealer? Probably not.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by HardDrive
It is unrealistic to think that Porsche could continue to support vehicles out beyond 15-20 years. Why should they? Can you get parts for a 1986 Chevy at the dealer? Probably not.

I don't know about Chevrolet, but not long ago, I was able to order a new dash electronics control board with a multi pins hookup for a 1977 Dodge pickup through the local MOPAR dealership...
Legion? How about finding a set of new door pockets for a 1969 911? Actually, over on the S registry board, you can find many posts where guys are looking for NLA bits & pieces...

[id10t]

Lets face it, you *can't* get anything for a 356 from Porsche... thank god for NLA and others vendors...

[Jims5543]

Mazda supports its old RX-7's. They aven have a division called Mazdaspeed where, if you race and prove it, you can get big discounts on parts for your car.

This is the reason my 911 will not be tracked and I track my RX-7.

[widebody911]

From what I've seen, even Boxster owners can be assed-out at times when it comes to dealer support.

A while back, I was able to get a windshield seal for my '77 at the stealer. I needed it ASAP, and paid dearly for it.

[Tobra]

I realize all companies are profit driven. Porsche has been somewhat different than most until recently, but a Toureg/Cayenne? VW dumped the old AC stuff years ago at US dealers. Thousands of dollars for a "Hemi" radiator for a Chrysler B body is one thing. The guy at the dealer parts counter laughed when I asked about body seals, then promptly began kissing my ass when I spit out a part number that came up. If they don't think there is a demand, if a few hundred people complain about it when they can't get a windshield frame seal or a pair of potmetal HE's, you guys are corporate asshats, forget the Cayman, hello NSX, or Skyline or Jaguar or...

[Dixie]

I don't know about Chevrolet, but not long ago, I was able to order a new dash electronics control board with a multi pins hookup for a 1977 Dodge pickup through the local MOPAR dealership...

Probably more luck than anything. In 1996 I could not get a red door panel for a '94 Corvette. It was NLA.

I'm actually quite surprised at what can be aquired from Porsche. After a long wait I *finally* got those brand new G50 spring plates I've wanted. These things were NLA for about a year. Apparently Porsche finally got around top making some (or getting their provider to make some.) I got the last two in the U.S.A. But fear not, there are over 900 others in Germany.

[pwd72s]

Good point above about knowing the part number. Mopar again...I wanted a windage tray in my A block 360 during it's rebuild. Local dealer said NLA...I called Mopar Performance, they gave the part number. My old truck has a windage tray. I have the Porsche PET disc...now to figure out how to use it should the need arrive.

[Dennis Kalma]

I have been buying parts from Porsche for my restoration projects since 1984, and there is a marked difference in availability and pricing since Wendel Wunderkind took over....and not for the better.

The local dealer is very good and tries to help, but I notice a number of small things like NLA parts, or need to buy in quantity for small parts (like I have 24 of the special bolts for the front wheel bearing retainers) and then pricing that is borderline obscene.

I guess my view is that I expect Porsche to at a minimum cover their cost for old parts, and I certainly expect delays for shipping on specialty items, but Porsche ought to be DIFFERENT than Chevy..

Porsche owners have a higher percentage of marque fanatics than probably any other brand, wiht a higher percentage of people doing "stuff" to their cars than probably any other brand....so why don't they support the legacy, even if they don't make much money on it?

That group of fanatics (like me) are the source of the mystique and brand loyalty....IMNSHO

I think we, as a list (maybe get the Rennlist guys engaged as well) ought to lobby them to do all the simple stuff, like make manuals easily available (even the updates), keep PET up to date (they seem to be doing that), make technical information available to registered users for cars more than 10 years old. How about a classic parts pricing deal or remarketing to aftermarket parts if they can't source it themselves....how about running a freakin' bulletin board like this will their guys on it to provide input....no insult Wayne, you are great, but there is stuff that only the wizards at Porsche know...

Maybe we can engage one of the lobby group guys who push the NRA or Kyoto to help (any on the list....like l*wyers?), they seem to have success pushing basically antisocial activity to intelligent people....gotta be some smarts or sliminess there we can use?

Dennis

[Tobra]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Good point above about knowing the part number. Mopar again...I wanted a windage tray in my A block 360 during it's rebuild. Local dealer said NLA...I called Mopar Performance, they gave the part number. My old truck has a windage tray. I have the Porsche PET disc...now to figure out how to use it should the need arrive.

It is very detailed and straightforward, simple to use.

Originally posted by Dennis Kalma
I have been buying parts from Porsche for my restoration projects since 1984, and there is a marked difference in availability and pricing since Wendel Wunderkind took over....and not for the better.

...Snip
...That group of fanatics (like me) are the source of the mystique and brand loyalty....IMNSHO

I think we, as a list (maybe get the Rennlist guys engaged as well) ought to lobby them to do all the simple stuff, like make manuals easily available (even the updates), keep PET up to date (they seem to be doing that), make technical information available to registered users for cars more than 10 years old. How about a classic parts pricing deal or remarketing to aftermarket parts if they can't source it themselves....how about running a freakin' bulletin board like this will their guys on it to provide input....no insult Wayne, you are great, but there is stuff that only the wizards at Porsche know...

Maybe we can engage one of the lobby group guys who push the NRA or Kyoto to help (any on the list....like l*wyers?), they seem to have success pushing basically antisocial activity to intelligent people....gotta be some smarts or sliminess there we can use?

Dennis

An excellent idea Dennis, sort of what I was trying to precipitate, someone else proposing a group effort so I can obtain a windshield frame seal for my car (You have to say this like Mark Hamill in Corvette Summer for the proper effect). I imagine this would do well as a grass roots internet deal, perhaps meet at the vintage auto races at Laguna Seca, Sears Point etc, and set up a sandwich board in the Porsche parking area. You can bet your ass they don't want a bunch of pissed off, brie eating, brandy sniftering guys who tend to have several cars b[I]i[I]tching about finding parts.

Question is, do you say a big "F" you to them and just show up, see if they call security on us and make us park somewhere else; though I suppose the Porsche tent area I went to was the PCA, not Porsche, and they would probably loan you a megaphone so they could hear you in the paddock.

I guess I should be glad I don't have a thing for Italian cars

[Moneyguy1]

Porsche has never been, nor is it in the business now of making folks with older models happy. Their objective is to sell the latest iterations at the higheat possible price, gouge the owners for repair and maintenance and move on. That is the way the automobile business works. The problems come into play when there are prts so specific that they cannot be readily duplicated. Certain hardware can fall into that category. Then you do like members of the NHRA do. You modify the original design to accept available parts.

[epbrown]

Heck, the truth is that Porsche hasn't changed a bit. Those old 911 parts were still available because they were still current - Porsche was using them in models until the late 80s, some until the mid-90s. The writing was on the wall with the release of the 986 10 years ago. It's crazy to expect Porsche to care about the used car market, when they and their dealers make their money on new car sales and servicing more recent models.

[techweenie]

My expereince has often been just the opposite. the dealer parts guys are enthusiastic, and the parts can be had -- like the seat belt mounts for the '72/73 911. Porsche not too long ago ran a stamping of 356 noses. They still make runs of Fuchs...

I can't think of any other car company that makes the effort Porsche does to support owners of their marque.

[id10t]

techweenie - got more info on the 356 nose panels? There are a few on 356 talk looking for them...

[techweenie]

I remember seeing the ad for the 356 nose panel in Panorama.

Online, I could only find this:

http://*************/shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=100&cat=Exterior+Body+Panels

No mention of the full nose panel, but several other parts still available from the factory -- some at breathtaking prices like the hood for $3517(!!!)