Settled - Side Valences are affixed with plastic button head rivets, 'Rocker panel' rivets Options

[JeffBowlsby]

We know of two docmented original 914s, both have side valances attached with plastic buttonhead rivets, not aluminum rivets.

Black rivets for cars with black valances
Clear rivets for the 1974 LE cars with the yellow or orange valances

PET also only lists the plastic button head rivets.

All the photos of 914s with aluminum rivets are not original, are commonly available and have been replaced at some point.

Thanks to George Hussey, Steve Gaglione (2nd owner of very orignal Sahara Beige) and Alberto Favilla (original owner) and to Rich Daunhauer (914Werke) for their knowledge.

[rgalla9146]

Late cars with black plastic thresholds had black plastic expanding rivets.
The same black rivets were used on black rocker covers.
Early cars with aluminum thresholds had off-white plastic expanding rivets.
All early cars had the same off-white plastic expanding rivet on the black rockers.
Clear plastic expanding rivets were never original on a 914 .....but they may have
been supplied later by Porsche as a repair part.
Aluminum rivets were never original on a 914
Back in the old days original rocker rivets could be removed and re-installed if done
with care.
If the rivet was not brittle the center pin can be pushed through and retreived
from below. The rivet could then be lifted out of the panel and later re-installed.
If this method was used on the rivets near the inner door seal the pin of the rivet
would be lost inside the longitudinal.
Way in the past I retrieved many from parts cars and reused them.
No correct replacements for early cars were available in those days.
LE rockers ?