New clock fitted - but how to realign trim?

[Tizzy]

So the next thing that had been bugging me was the infamous digital clock, which of course has never worked since I got the car. I just got a nice refurb one courtesy of 944 Spares.com and fitted it today - bit of a faff, as I was replacing the glovebox lock at the same time, but we got there in the end. The dash trim strip, like most 944’s I’ve seen, never aligned that well in terms of being flush with the adjacent heater control panel, but now despite making sure the clock and hazards switch are correctly seated, it sits even prouder! Short of the unsightly solution I have previously seen where someone had just placed a flat headed screw in the gap to bring both sides flush (!) has anyone found a better way to do this or is it something I’m just going to have to live with and not be OCD about? I did think of superglue and some form of clamp, but it probably wouldn’t work and also means I’d not be able to remove the trim strip again in the future.

Many thanks as always

Chris

 

[scam75]

The locating lug is probably snapped off, very common. A new trim piece from OPC is not overly expensive, give them a call.

Stuart

 

[Waylander]

You might need to retract the not to expensive............

 

[scam75]

Really? Was about £30 last time I checked! However after finding out a rear brake cover plate is now £122 I am not overly surprised!

Stuart

 

[IanK]

I would agree that the lug has snapped off. When I did mine the break was so clean that it didnt look as though anything was broken. That was back in 2015 and it cost £33 then.

Ian

 

[Waylander]

If all you need is a locating pin then remake it

melt some black Lego bricks in Acetone to give you some ABS plastic putty and just reform the pin

when the Acetone dries out in a couple of days the molecular structure of the ABS returns to how it was before you melted them, rock hard, if you have ever trod on a Lego brick you will know how hard are they are

 

[Tizzy]

Thanks all, very helpful. It must be the locating pin that’s broken off, as you say so cleanly that it can’t be seen. Only thing is that I didn’t want to disturb the heater controls cover, as that’s seated just fine, and the less messing around with rather brittle 30 year old plastics the better really.

 

[Waylander]

Most new ones are 25 years old, been sitting in the Porsche stock since they stopped making them in 1996

 

[IanK]

Thanks all, very helpful. It must be the locating pin that’s broken off, as you say so cleanly that it can’t be seen. Only thing is that I didn’t want to disturb the heater controls cover, as that’s seated just fine, and the less messing around with rather brittle 30 year old plastics the better really.

Very wise. My heater panel has a hairline crack from when I changed that trim piece. I just glued a very thin piece of plastic on the back and you would only spot it if you knew the crack was there.

I have to say I was fairly annoyed when it happened though.

Ian

 

[Waylander]

the long trim for the clock /glove box lock

945 552 435 00 1DB @ £46.50 Inc

the trim surround for the heater controls

944 653 203 00 1DB @ £28.58 Inc VAT

prices correct