Juncheng Vehicle Co. Replicating Icons, Thought-provoking, interesting, but a 914 copy will only ever be a copy… Options

[JeffBowlsby]

Stumbled on this video.

A number of iconic classic cars are getting reproduced - the 240Z, early Mustangs, VW Bus, and Broncos - possibly including the Porsche 964 and MB 300SLs as mentioned in the video. Wonder if Porsche has contacted them yet? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

But what if a steel top 916 or a modernized 914 design was available for the fun of it? They only need two examples to activate their copy machine. Maybe they should contact RD. Word is they have had quality control issues, but the video suggests that the more vehicles that they make the better they get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBBZrjwqWZc

Will we ever live to see the day when there are more 916s on the road than were originally manufactured?

[JamesM]

Been keeping an eye on this and had considered reaching out just to get an idea on price point. I can get them two tubs no problem, I have trashed way more than that in my life.



For the DIYer on a budget it might not be the route to go, but for anyone paying to have a 914 restored I believe it may wind up being a HUGE saving. To get a tub back to as near perfect as possible is generally well into 5 figures just for the labor, plus the add of the tub to start with, and any donor sheet metal needed. when all is said and done you still have a repaired, non galvanized tub.


A new fully galvanized tub that hasnt had panels beat on and grafted for less money sounds like an all around win to me.

Watching the Bigtime guys build an AE86 on one of their tubs the level of quality control so far seems no worse than pretty much any aftermarket 914 part out there at the moment and totally livable.

[JeffBowlsby]

The video indicates prices, and apparently some of their assembled vehicles are already here on US soil.

[914Sixer]

There are videos of builders using these bodies to build replicas. General conclusion is they are CRAP. Bolt holes not in right place, wavy body panels, head light buckets messed up and the list goes on. Short version, AFTERMARKET SUCKS.

[gereed75]

The builders using these who are serious about quality seem to be very negative. Those just slapping together a car seem to be less critical.

I’m curious to hear what tha guys from Restoration Designs think.

[mepstein]

I’m not holding my breath.
What’s interesting to me is most 914 guys will jump on a rusty car selling for $3-5k, spend years of their own time and thousands in metal, tools and materials when they could buy a very solid car for $15-25k, sell off the parts for $5-10k and have a solid, painted chassis to start their build. Years and thousands of dollars ahead. No difficulty importing a chassis and trying to have it legal to register. But it’s rarely done.

[Montreal914]

Thank you for sharing!

I am glad he did explain what was the hype on this hatchback Toyota, still I am not getting it…

Was the 964 considered a high demand 911? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Seems to me they should have selected the 993 in the late models or the long hood. Singer does use the 964 as foundation but I doubt they would start with a body built in China.

Stupid question: There’s a lot more to build a car than just the tub. There must be quite a few parts that are hard to find to complete these replicas? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

@mepstein As we all know, it’s about the journey… but mostly ignorance (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[mepstein]

Thank you for sharing!

I am glad he did explain what was the hype on this hatchback Toyota, still I am not getting it…

Was the 964 considered a high demand 911? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Seems to me they should have selected the 993 in the late models or the long hood. Singer does use the 964 as foundation but I doubt they would start with a body built in China.

Stupid question: There’s a lot more to build a car than just the tub. There must be quite a few parts that are hard to find to complete these replicas? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

@mepstein As we all know, it’s about the journey… but mostly ignorance (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

I have two tubs (67 912, 71 914) near the end of their rustoration. So I can be as ignorant as the next guy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Usually, you want to find a good donor, like a crash damaged car, and transfer over parts. Buying everything piece by piece is very expensive. I’m currently doing a project for a customer where we are trying to buy everything we can, new from Porsche or a Porsche supplier. Crazy, crazy expensive.

[wonkipop]

yeah, chinese body shells. what could go wrong. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

watch this vid. i came across it a while back. these guys stateside got hold of one of the toyota AE86 shells and went to work building a "new" car from the ground up.
eyeopening as to what is wrong with these things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uoCadOum-A&t=46s


some things they mentioned.
you can't just buy one. min order =5.
and then..........well watch the video ---- as per @914Sixer comment.

[wonkipop]

i forget to add that down here in aus this body shell, even if it were reasonably good would be a complete legal impossibility with road authorities.

no VIN number. so it would have to go through kit car or individual project car process.
which is just about an impossibility these days (current ADR regs apply, not regs of the era of manufacture, with only limited concessions). the registration engineers would go through this with a fine tooth comb if you tried. the welds alone would see it fail. .......and its a criminal offence to transfer a VIN across so....... the body shell is the one "spare part" you cannot replace in australia. you can repair it but you cannot replace it.
the shell is the legal car so to speak. the rest of it are expendables.

so its all a no no down here from the get go.

[mepstein]

Skimmed the video.
Chassis dimensions were off. In some places pretty large variations.
Welding was crap
Holes drilled in wrong places or not drilled at all.
Chassis in white - still a fantasy.

[Chris914n6]

964 is what Singer and a few others use as a base. I don't know how common all the other important parts are, as that gen has the lowest production numbers cuz of a recession.

Qualifies as a kit car here so won't be a Porsche, or other, VIN and Title.

Tempting as that gen was my favorite 'classic' 911, but it's still 18k + ALOT for a driver. Maybe it takes the market pressure off 'real' 964s for the average folks?

They sold 200+ Broncos to a builder so they must have gotten that one right.

[JeffBowlsby]

It occurs to me that these repop chassis are not built to the original manufacturers standards. Structural integrity of a monocoque tub is 100% dependent on not only workmanship but also the exact same materials and assembly i.e.welds. If not proven identical then original chassis performance and crash testing is meaningless. How well does each component mounted to these chassis align and fit? If off, then that creates serious problems. I hope they would fully assemble several chassis with all items mounted to verify every condition before rushing these to market. Crash testing compared to original cars would be a big + in my book. Maybe their view is that they are selling parts, not cars that transport people. OTOH, for hobbyists, maybe they should just make the parts and sell them as RTA kits for DIY assembly.

[infraredcalvin]

They sold 200+ Broncos to a builder so they must have gotten that one right.

Just got back from Velocity Invitational in Sonoma, there was a restomod group that took repop bronco tubs and made into an electrick bronco, the tubs were obviously repops with simple bends and low quality, but they were asking 250K… my buddy said, “ well at least they didnt cut up a real bronco for an elect conversion…”

Maybe they used these china tubs???

[ConeDodger]

Thank you for sharing!

I am glad he did explain what was the hype on this hatchback Toyota, still I am not getting

@mepstein As we all know, it’s about the journey… but mostly ignorance (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

You don’t know Mt. Akina?

[Front yard mechanic]

We make a 914 fo you long time

[JeffBowlsby]

Now that they have molds of complete cars, wouldn’t it be cool to order one in all aluminum, or even just the exposed body panels?

[rick 918-S]

This is a panel that was shipped to me from Columbia. Rob had the owner contact me due to the severity of the impact. I will report on the fitment but the overall shape seems fine. The panel is full of heavy grinder marks denoting a hand formed panel.

I was contacted by a guy out of state about a car he just purchased then was rear ended. I did some research for the guy and eventually took on the repair. This panel arrived yesterday.

[JamesM]

some things they mentioned.
you can't just buy one. min order =5.

5x 10k a pop is still less than some people have put into their cars for rust repair and body work to get an as close to perfect tub as possible.


Getting 5 for that price seems like a bargain, especially if they are galvanized.

and yeah, they most likely will be far from perfect, but then you have to start somewhere. You ever look at an early production 914 tub? Improvements were made over time.

Moving some holes, clearings some areas etc it a LOT easier, less time coinsuming and less expensive then "full" rust repair on a tub. I put the full in quotes because even the best job still has blind areas hiding rust that you cant get to, and being non galvanized start rusting the moment you do anyways.


Id rather not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif) on a thing but would prefer to get it where we want it to be. thik of the possibilities. Few pople track or even autocross air cooled porsches anymore (at least around here) because they have become to precious. to their owners. Being able to get a body in white for 10k whenever you want might very well change that equation, and I would love to see that.


The fake86 seems to be doing just fine, sure looks decent driving down the road.
https://youtu.be/HW60xJydmF8?si=xJQRvVz47FVFMORt

[73-914]

There are videos of builders using these bodies to build replicas. General conclusion is they are CRAP. Bolt holes not in right place, wavy body panels, head light buckets messed up and the list goes on. Shrot version, AFTERMARKET SUCKS.

Typical "Made in China" CRAP (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sheeplove.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)