Quick question for a '86 owner?

Maxhouse97 · 05-19-2008, 06:29 PM

Does the back of your rear "Porsche" reflector look like the top one or the bottom one in the picture below:

I am trying to put an older style reflector on my 87, and just read something that could eliminate the need to do some plastic surgery that I am not too thrilled about...

Tim Casey · 05-20-2008, 03:56 PM

I believe it is the top one...Its been a while, script looks correct

janz · 05-20-2008, 06:21 PM

My "86 is like the top one

If you look close you can make it out

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

86 has the BIG letters

Maxhouse97 · 05-21-2008, 06:36 PM

Janz,

Is your car a late 86 by chance? If it is a regular 86, and you have not fabbed that center rear reflector, then you may have solved my problem. The reason I say that is because I want to put the older style reflector with the larger black letters (top in picture) on to my 87 which has the sheetmetal to accept the reflector with the smaller subdued letters like yours. I was going to do some plastic surgery to swap out the mounting brackets, but now I can just buy a 86 reflector (if I can find one).

Can anyone else with a 86 verify this? You don't even have to take you reflector off - if you could just look at you engine bay and tell me how it is attached (with the bolts or via the plastic hooks - the latter of which will have screws on the top under the black plastic cover).

Cheers,

janz · 05-25-2008, 02:59 PM

All I know is that is an "86" and I have not done anything to the reflector but I just bought it a couple months ago. Anyway I went out and opened the engine lid and looked down to see a black rubber strip about 3-4" wide and goes the reflector length of the back deck. When I lift up the rubber strip I see about 5 or 6 plastic type scews/inserts that push down on to what looks to be the body of the reflector. How would I know if its an early or late model "86" ? When I bought it the PO gave an owners manual for US model "86" and another manual for US model "87" he said because some items on car weren't covered in the "86" manual. I found that the lens on the tail lights represent a euro model but not sure what all this means as this is my first Porsche ever, always wanted one but could never find the right one for sale that wasn't at a ridiculous price. This one was a garage find that had been sitting for 3 years and mice had chewed a lot of the wiring but thats all behind now, actually getting to work on some of the mechanical stuff now so its all good and it drives and rides nice. Did I mention when I started it up it blew 3 mice out of the exhaust about 30 ft away and they didn't survive. The smoke coming out the pipe was scary as I stood by with the fire extinguisher. After the initial burn off, a 90 mph run in 3rd gear cleared all the rest out. If you need more info I can take pics of the black pastic screws under the rubber cover.

Maxhouse97 · 05-25-2008, 06:02 PM

Janz,

Thanks for looking. Sounds like you have a hybrid 86-87. I believe there is a sticker somewhere in the driver's side door sill that says what year your car was produced. Other than that, you could look up your vin # if you really wanted to know. Nice story about the mice - too bad you didn't get a picture of that!

Have fun with the car and welcome to the club.

Lil Black Car · 05-25-2008, 11:19 PM

I would have been laughing my ass off seeing mice thrown from the back end. I guess I will make sure that I have a camera handy when I start mine back up when I get back home. I have the big red letters on my reflector.

javadog · 05-26-2008, 03:53 AM

I have a couple from 1986. One's at home and one's at my warehouse. The one at home was built in April 1986 and has the earlier style with the 10 studs, although the reflector is slightly different than the one in your picture. The car at the warehouse was built a little later, if my memory is correct, and If I make it out there today I'll check it.

JR

Maxhouse97 · 05-26-2008, 04:21 AM

Thanks JR - let me know if you have one with black "Porsche" letters and the grey plastic clips on the back (not the nuts and bolts). I just want to know if they exist.

javadog · 05-26-2008, 03:21 PM

I checked the other car. It was a June 1986 production and had the same rear reflector as the other car. I don't think there exists a version that has the earlier style lettering and later style mounting.

JR

Maxhouse97 · 05-29-2008, 06:13 AM

OK thats what I thought - now I have to figure out how to get that sucker on my 87. I have heard that the mounting brackets can be pried off with heat and then re-glued to the other reflector. However, even though I was reluctant to change the sheet metal of my car, it may be easier to just weld on the rear mounting piece of an earlier car. A gentleman from TRE cup said that that is what they have done in the past...

I'll let you know how it goes.