1985 911 Front Valance Panel Replacement

[omgitrobby]

Hello everyone,
We are pretty new to doing any bodywork on our 911 so I don't really know where to begin. There are two included pics, the second one being our car. What do I need to get the setup from the first picture onto our car. We have found trusted shops to do the work but they recommended we order the parts ourselves to ensure we had what we wanted. I can head out to a Porsche salvage yard to get anything that is hard to order online but I want to know what I need ahead of time.

Thanks for the help!




This is what we want our valance/bumper to look like.



This is what our current set up is.

[impactbumper]

Looks like you just need to sort a lower valance.

[Arne2]

You'll need a valance, left and right fillers, and upper and lower gaskets for the two fillers. (You may have upper gaskets on your current spoiler.) And since I see a rear spoiler on your car, you need a chin spoiler as well.

[omgitrobby]

Originally Posted by Arne2

You'll need a valance, left and right fillers, and upper and lower gaskets for the two fillers. (You may have upper gaskets on your current spoiler.) And since I see a rear spoiler on your car, you need a chin spoiler as well.

I can check myself when I have more time but do you know if these are all available on Pelican Parts?

[javadog]

Pelican can get anything sold by Porsche.

You may also need a couple brackets, if the original brackets on the sides of the car are no longer there. Hard for us to guess, since we can't see how the current valance was mounted. We're also assuming the fog lights are the correct ones and haven't been modified.

JR

[fitchesbass]

You need basically the two pieces you've pointed to with the arrows. I might suggest Pelican classifieds or you might be able to find a something off a car on eBay.

The small end piece you need screws onto the rubber black accordion piece, and is then anchored to the top and bottom by Uclips.

The front valence generally requires removal of the middle section (the front bumper itself with the amber signals) to get access to the front valence mounting points. It will take some learning - but if you are OK with a wrench shouldn't take more than a Saturday afternoon to swap the parts. The foglights should swap into the front valence without issue - our you could purchase a front valence without the foglight cutouts (generally pre-84 I believe front valences I believe)

Here's a quick diagram

[javadog]

It's not necessary to remove the front bumper to change a valance. The valance attaches at 4 points (two in the trunk, one on each side to brackets below the headlight buckets in the fenders) as well as the sheet metal screws into the extension piece aft of the bellows. Removing the bumper doesn't help.

JR

[group911@aol.co]

You'll also need the fog lights as it appears your RUF valance is using earlier lights.
Post an ad in classifieds for a complete 84 to 89 front valance and chin spoiler if you are keeping the tail.

[SCadaddle]

Google search: Porsche 911 clubsport valance

I think you'll find one being reproduced at a very reasonable cost. Fog lights may be something you can live without?

[omgitrobby]

Thanks for all of the help guys! With this info I should be able to figure it all out. Thanks again!

[Arne2]

I thought the Ruf spoiler used the Carrera fog lights. Those don't look like SC fogs to me.

[omgitrobby]

Originally Posted by Arne2

I thought the Ruf spoiler used the Carrera fog lights. Those don't look like SC fogs to me.

It's an '85 so it has the Carrera fog lights?

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by omgitrobby

It's an '85 so it has the Carrera fog lights?

It would have originally, but without a closer picture it's hard to say for sure, 30 years after the fact.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by omgitrobby

This is what we want our valance/bumper to look like.



This is what our current set up is.

I would keep the cool (and cooling) bumper.

Why go back to stock unless you can't stand the way it looks ?

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by pmax

I would keep the cool (and cooling) bumper.

Why go back to stock unless you can't stand the way it looks ?

I can certainly understand the OP wanting to go back to stock. To me personally, those Ruf-style valance/spoilers look heavy and unattractive. Just my opinion, of course.

[fitchesbass]

Originally Posted by javadog

It's not necessary to remove the front bumper to change a valance. The valance attaches at 4 points (two in the trunk, one on each side to brackets below the headlight buckets in the fenders) as well as the sheet metal screws into the extension piece aft of the bellows. Removing the bumper doesn't help.

JR

Probably possible - As I recall the passenger side bolt for the front valence is a pain in the butt to get at with the bumper on.

Good luck OP

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by omgitrobby

It's an '85 so it has the Carrera fog lights?

Those look like Carrera fogs to me with their unique fluting in the glass.

[omgitrobby]

Originally Posted by pmax

I would keep the cool (and cooling) bumper.

Why go back to stock unless you can't stand the way it looks ?

It's too low to the ground so it scrapes if you go down our driveway with any more weight than one persons worth in the car. We ended up cracking a part of it too trying to get up the rounded type curbs into a drive way.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by omgitrobby

It's too low to the ground so it scrapes if you go down our driveway with any more weight than one persons worth in the car. We ended up cracking a part of it too trying to get up the rounded type curbs into a drive way.

Mine looks as low as yours.
It doesn't scrape unless the driveway's steep or I'm going over it too fast.

[darrin]

since the OP has a rear spoiler, he should be installing the front spoiler below the new front valence to balance out the aerodynamics -- I fear that he'll run into similar front clearance issues once he does so. I personally prefer the spoiler-less (no front or back) on my targa . . .

I also concur that my front foglight are minimally useful to me. The OP might want to consider going with a light-less front valence -- looks like a front valence from a '74-83 911 would work.