I know - this is rediculous - feel free to flame...

[Scott S]

Last night I stood with drill in hand fighting both the urge to drill and not to drill holes in my passenger door to mount a bwm 2002 licence plate light to illuminate the number "gumballs". I have gone to great lengths to create a cross between the 916 and the 914-6 GT, trying do so with a bit of a lean toward the CW crowd. I sure didn't have any problems going at the thing with a jigsaw when I flared it, or cutting the hole on the hood for the GT gas fill...
So what do you think? Three 1/8" holes - in a rust free, early door?
Remember - The car has just recently been done in the full 1970's Martini stripes/logos...

I swear - I am usually a very decisive person...

Scott S

[Paul_Heery]

Scott -

I must have read and re-read your post at least 25 times trying to build an image of what you are trying to accomplish in my mind's eye. But, sorry, I still don't get it.

Could you try to explain it to me like I'm the six-year-old that my wife accuses me of being? Or, could you act it out with hand puppets?

Thanks

[Scott S]

Hi Paul -
Many of the factory GT's iluminated the passenger side door gumball (the white circle where the number is located). After some closer investigation, the license plate lights from a BMW 2002 seem to be a near exact match to what was used on the GT's. I have tried to mix the look of the 916 and the 914-6GT with a bit of a 935 mixed in. I run the bumpers and black tail light panel/badges from the 916 and the flares, hood, engine lid and interior from the GT. The car is striped exacly like the Martini 935 and has had a 5 bolt conversion using 7 and 8" fuchs.
My dilemma is whether or not to drill holes in the passenger side door to mount the above mentioned light. I am fighting with the decision. The truly rediculous part is that (as I stated above) I had no problem cutting the fenders for the flares or cutting the hole in the hood for the GT gas fill.

Basically, I am a freak show that cant make up my mind!

[Paul_Heery]

Ahhh...you mean like this:

[Scott S]

Yep!

[norustscott]

Scott,

I take it that the light was used to illuminate the number for the pit crew and officials to read during 24 hour races?

Have you checked to see if it is bright enough.

Did the Martini cars race 24 hour events?

My take. Go ahead. I think it would cool. There are lots of rust free doors availible.

Measure twice, no make that four times and drill once.

Have at it.

[TimW]

Ah, I think we all get it now.

Go for it! Excellence is in the details. Plus a good body guy can make those holes disappear if need be.

But here is a solution that would be the best of both worlds…

Modify the light so it has it’s own battery power source and internal magnetic reed on/off switch. Use double sided tape to adhere it too the door. On the other side of the door metal, inside the door shell, mount an electro-magnet connected to the light power source that would otherwise be connected to the light.

Now, when you turn on your lights the electro-magnet will energize, flipping the reed switch to close the circuit, and illuminate the light. Just remember to replace the batteries when they wear out.

…or just drill the holes.

[rallyman]

Actually Scott I'd just like to see some pix of the car.......I am somewhat of a Martini fan.....the cars, not the drinks......

[DDS]

How a hybrid 916 and GT with illuminated gumballs could be made to appeal to country and western fans really had me going. I thought I understood the lingo. Please bring on the hand puppets.

Sounds cool. Would love to see a pic too!

[Scott S]

It took me a minute to get the "country and western" reference - I haven't had a true belly laugh like that in a while!!!! Outstanding!
We have our local concour next month and I will take some pics (with the other "CW" crowd)

Good God - my eyes are tearing like I've been watching "old yeller"... holy cr&p was that funny!!!

Scott S

[Speedo959]

Ok this is sort of on the subject, but how about those lights up front. I have been thinking lately about adding something like this to my car. I am talking about the huge running lights.

[David McLaughlin]

Scott,
Just measure twice then close your eyes. I am doing that same operation plus I'll add one to the trunk lid when I finally get around to buying the fiberglass. I have heen a 911R clone that had the lights on the doors plus all those pics of the Sonauto Lemans car and think it looks cool. Only "those in the know" will like it, all others will think your nuts. Oh, the owner if the 911 was trying to tell everyone haw har it was to source these lights. When I told him they were just '02 license plate lights, he didn't believe me.

I too would love to see pics of the Martini colored 914.

Here's the plans for my conversion:
Steel GT flares
'glass lids and bumpers with matching valance/ rockers.
front oil cooler
3.0L carbed motor
GT engine lid
painted on gumballs with lights
modern cage, belts, and race seats
two LARGE yellow fog lights in the stock location and two matching driving lights inboard of the fogs.

I saw an orange 914 at Hershey that had a two tone front bumper scheme, right side black, left side yellow; it actually looked prett cool.

go 4 it!

[David McLaughlin]

here's the Sonauto car from the back. Notice the placement of the lights on the doors and rear decklid. The only thing I'll do differently is to place the door lights ahead of the gumballs for better weather resistance. I don't like the idea of a lense facing the front and possable rain.

[914986]

I wouldn't do it Scott, but that's just my .02. It's your car though, do whatever makes you smile.

I met Mike Hagen through the old 914 Club, at one of the Renegade Festivals, and had the chance to go over as much detail on the #40 Sonauto as possible with the time available. It's a really cool part of the 914 legacy. Here's this famous car with all of the 70's vintage hot Porsche race hardware, but under all of that is the same body of a 914.

An interesting point to note about #40 is that the flairs are lapped, not but welded. If you think about it though, why would anyone go through the trouble for a race car? I don't know if that was completely GT'd at the Porsche Werks or if Sunauto did the GT package.

On another note, you'd think that after a couple of times, Speed would've looked in the trunk!!

[Scott S]

Hi all -
A quick update on this whole thing. After further checking I am 100% positive that the BMW 2002 license plate lights are EXACTLY what were used on the Sonauto LeMans car. There is a blown up view of them on the 914-6 GT web page - even the number stampings on the housings are exact. I was going to put the light on the front side of the number facing rearword. I noticed that 99% of the cars had them facing foreword. I called the local Police and sure enough, it is illegal (at least in Colorado) to have rearward facing white lights "regardless of what the Honda kids think". I had a half dozen or so listers tell me they planned on doing this same thing to their cars - make sure you all check your local laws.

By the way, the combination of the Martini stripes, French import/tourist plates, yellow H4's, and the door lights is pretty neat at dusk...

I will get some pics up soon.
-Scott S