Clarifications for door striker issue (72) please

[Greg D.]

The passenger door on my 72 started bouncing back at me when closing it. The "middle" bushing in the striker was completely shot and by breaking up was preventing closure... I was going to buy replacement until.... I couldn't find any for a 72, and then saw threads here stating they don't exist for LWBs... only sub-par repros one could buy and modify, or a 993 model needing replating.... I am a little confused now...

- So, as of Nov 2014, there is still no rebuild kit (just the middle bushing) for LWB longhood strikers, correct ? I cannot use a 65 kit, or VW, and dremel it or something ?

- Are the objections to the cheap (whole unit) replacements (stoddard, SMC, $40-50) about the look/color or actual functionality ? I want a door that closes and stays closed, but don't care if the striker is black or gold, as long as it's not purple ;-)

- Bonus Q: Looking at my driver side, it was worse! the middle bushing was completely gone, yet that door closes perfectly, and pings perfectly (if a little loud).. ??? So I decided to remove the disintegrating bushing from the passenger door, and now the door closes perfectly too !!!

So what is my exposure here? Is it just a sound deadening thing ? Will having no bushing at all in the middle (again the top one is perfect) destroy something else in the mechanism, or am I OK until someone reproduces those ?

[edit] I checked my 912 (good bushing) and it sounds more like a "clunk" when you close the door. The 911 (missing bushing) more like a "ping". Seems like a sound deadening bushing then...I'm inclined to leave it as is.

[SpawnyWhippet]

+1. Same issue on my 72

[Greg D.]

I wasn't expecting this to stump the board collective. Maybe I should have posted in the general forum for more foot traffic ?

[304065]

Tom will chime in I expect.

[Jim Breazeale]

I'm not Tom but I will chime in.
First, there are no parts to replace on your strikers. The "early" pre 68 striker comes apart easily and the nylon pieces can be easily replaced. Not so with your strikers. The, currently available, striker from Porsche is one that has been superseded to a 993 striker. The 993 striker is identical in form and function as the 72 version. The only difference is that the 993 ones are black instead of yellow zink. Those strikers will function and keep the door closed even when the lower piece of nylon is deteriorated, in most cases. The top piece of nylon is the important one and usually does not deteriorate like the bottom piece. The bottom piece is there to keep the door from rattling. I do not advocate driving your car with a less than perfect striker plate but it is done every day by hundreds of 911 owners. I have no experience with the "cheap replacement" sold by Stoddard and many other companies that buy them from Stoddard.
Just think.......................when your door is closed properly and safely, it doesn't matter that the striker is black...............you can't see it anyway.

Regards

Jim

[NTW]

Just to add a little more... The 993 has a different shaped outer plate, which can be machined to look like a early plate but still functions 100% without alteration. The aftermarket ones look OK but function poorly, do not waste your money.

[Greg D.]

Cool, thanks ! So the repros are crap, 993 parts will work if I'm not a concours guy (or I can machine it and plate it), and if my door is absolutely not rattling without them, the heck with the middle nylon piece then !!! The day it starts rattling I will upgrade to 993 - hopefully by then someone will repro the part correctly....

[ESully]

I bought the aftermarket from Pelican, and after 3 years it is still holding up well.

[Gumby]

I bought mine from Stoddard and they are identical to my 40 year old ones , except for being fresh yellow cad plated

[CarmelSkip]

I believe that some Karmen Ghias use the same part, you can find them on VW forums like The Samba