914 driving lights, Installing OEM type driving lights to a 1974 914 Options

[worn]

The brown wires will always have continuity with the body and engine. If not, they are either not brown or have been broken off from ground. Multimeter.

[Jezibel]

I can offer you this.



@Jezibel

That would be dandy! Do you have a set of two? Or just the one?

[Jezibel]

I can offer you this.



@Jezibel

That would be dandy! Do you have a set of two? Or just the one?

PS: After even further investigations, it seems that the 'supplier' of my fog lamps, despite stating that they would come with the 'correct' bulbs, failed to include them. I now think that the JAHN BA20s F2 bulb DOES fit but I just didn't buy the right size 'equivalent' bulb at my local store. O'Riley Auto took the "BA20s F2" spec and handed me a bulb with the same V & W rating but with a smaller bulb base. Groan. Fortunately, I now have some JAHN BA20s F2 bulbs on the way from a different supplier, so we shall see if they fit these sockets as they are supposed to.

After examining all the on-line articles I can scout out on the subject of 914 fog lamps, I found none of them contained ALL the needed and necessary information about the lamps and ALL of the installation tips necessary to successfully 'retro-install' a set on a car that didn't come with them. Too many of the existing articles assume a level of familiarity with the lights many of us don't have and slip over what they may consider 'obvious' points to consider, but that to an 'amateur' may need careful explanation and background info.

What I've learned thus far by the 'sniff-out-and-ferret' method is that
1) Porsche 914 fogs/driving lamps came in two types, the Tungsten bulb type and the Quartz Halogen type. 2) the Tungsten bulb type had just the one bulb socket size, specified to take the JAHN BA20s F2 type bulb (which is not the same as the modern, same V & W rating equivalent). 2) The older JAHN BA20s F2 bulbs are not easy to find these days, although a few specialist sellers carry limited quantities of them (I managed to find several, which meets my current need, no pun intended). 3) Quartz Halogen type lights are better for obvious reasons (55 watts instead of 35 is one), so assuming all other things are equal, the Quartz Halogen 914 fog/driving lamps are preferable for retro-installation to the Tungsten type.

All that said, I'm happy enough with the old Tungsten type bulbs, since I rare ever need extra-bright auxiliary lighting. Sooooo...once my REAL BA20s F2 bulbs arrive, and once the spare bulb holders I need arrive also, I can finish up this rather frustrating 'trial-and-error' exercise I've undertaken. [Spare Tungsten type bulb socket holders are also hard to source out, although again, a few specialist suppliers may still offer them; I found a couple, fortunately.]

Final thoughts: It would be GREAT if some enlightened soul would take it upon himself to write up a truly comprehensive tech article on this subject, including all the trivial details that too many take for granted, and publish it somewhere (like 914World or The Samba, or Pelican Parts) so that those of us who are about to struggle through this 'retro-installation' ordeal will have ALL the info they need in one single place! [But I'm a forlorn idealist who also wishes we had peace and wide-spread intelligence in our world, LoL! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[Jezibel]

PS: I'm thinking of writing a book titled 'Porsche 914 for Complete Dummies' (or, alternately, 'Everything You Wanted to Know About 914s But Were Afraid to Ask', speaking as one the 'dummies' the book would provide aid & comfort to, LoL! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[burton73]

I do not see that great at night. I had PMB Performance set me up on my 6
“Let there be light”

Bob B

[Jezibel]

I do not see that great at night. I had PMB Performance set me up on my 6
“Let there be light”

Bob B

Yup! That'll put the 'Sun' in 'shine.' I'd consider a similar arrangement ('frog eyes') but I don't want to break up the smooth, existing body config. Some of the 'genuine' rally car 914s had an array of four of them, in addition to stock disappearing headlamps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[914werke]

Final thoughts: It would be GREAT if some enlightened soul would take it upon himself to write up a truly comprehensive tech article on this subject, including all the trivial details that too many take for granted, and publish it somewhere (like 914World or The Samba, or Pelican Parts) so that those of us who are about to struggle through this 'retro-installation' ordeal will have ALL the info they need in one single place! [But I'm a forlorn idealist who also wishes we had peace and wide-spread intelligence in our world, LoL! [/font][/size](IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) given youve now gone WAY down this rabbit hole...why dont you ?

[burton73]

I do not see that great at night. I had PMB Performance set me up on my 6
“Let there be light”

Bob B

Yup! That'll put the 'Sun' in 'shine.' I'd consider a similar arrangement ('frog eyes') but I don't want to break up the smooth, existing body config. Some of the 'genuine' rally car 914s had an array of four of them, in addition to stock disappearing headlamps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

That shot was not with the FROGS. Just the headlights and the fog, both sets changed over to LEDs

Bob B

[Jezibel]

Final thoughts: It would be GREAT if some enlightened soul would take it upon himself to write up a truly comprehensive tech article on this subject, including all the trivial details that too many take for granted, and publish it somewhere (like 914World or The Samba, or Pelican Parts) so that those of us who are about to struggle through this 'retro-installation' ordeal will have ALL the info they need in one single place! [But I'm a forlorn idealist who also wishes we had peace and wide-spread intelligence in our world, LoL! [/font][/size](IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) given youve now gone WAY down this rabbit hole...why dont you ?

Hiya, Rich! Boy, that's certainly the right expression (rabbit hole) and now that I'm almost through with this ordeal, it's probably more like a beating a dead donkey (pun intended)...but I'm famous for beating up dead things, so why not?

Finally got the lights connected and the front spoiler skirt attached, so final step is attaching the verdammt bumper, with all the fun associated with getting the lights to line up properly through the respective grills.

The original spec lights use the Hella Typ 635 standard bulb (same as the JAHN BA20s F2) and are 35 watts, so quite modest in terms of lights output as compared to the quartz Halogen counterparts, but since my car is an 'occasional' use only car and not a regular highway driver, I am content with the 35 watters.

Still, all things considered, I used to think working on Fiats was a challenge...then I began tinkering with 914s and quickly 're-eddicated' myself on that outlook. The 914 is right up there in the front rank of contenders for 'hard -to-get-to' components that need replacing or work. Fortunately, I have small hands so I can manage. What really makes things difficult is the fact that I get only half a garage within which to work on 'Jerzibel' and at my age ("Madame Chairman" insists on her half for use of her Toy Camry), going through all the contortions required to get everything done (and with no AC in the sweltering summer-time garage), so I definitely earned the right to wear my 'Porsche 914 Masochist' hat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sheeplove.gif)

With regard to the fog lamps, installation, every single aspect was a wearisome chore, since even such a small step as figuring which side was 'up' on the final bezel-securing clip (that holds the fog light housing in place) involved tedious trial-and-error manipulations. QED: the need for a 'Compleat (sic) Dummies Guide to...etc.'

Speaking of writing up a 'tech procedure' for all this, it's a tempting idea (that would doubtless spare a lot of 914 owners who were born left-handed, and with two left hands) endless grief intuiting all the steps I've blindly gone through. I may still take this project on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) , since I have natural, intrinsic 'teaching' tendencies, but right now, I'm so happy to just be DONE with this entire process that I'm not in a mood to be so magnanimous. We'll see. One thing for certain, retro-installing dual horns and fogs has been a learning curve, every step of the way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)