What’s under your front bonnet?

[Coyft]

Inspired by the discussion of originality of rear slam panels on the ‘73 RS thread, I thought I’d share pictures of what is supposed to be a totally original first paint car. Hopefully they might help someone who is restoring a car.

[911MRP]

Interesting to see RS example with rippled dimpled shutz like on series TES as used the third series RS examples after homolgaton was complete and cars no longer weighed as proof they had built 500 plus 500 more that complied with the two fia groups 3&4. Numerous other other differences too

First and second series RS up to the nominal 1000 where weight was under intense scrutiny didn’t have any heavy shutz in those places because each chassis was weight-checked independently at Stuttgart town scales and chassis number recorded as complying with 900kg homologation spec target weight. Essentially those being RS homologation evidence had undercoat with little more than overspray from painting the exterior — something that is more obvious in a darker colour examples of the 500 plus 500 homolgation RS as the body colour was a contrast to the undercoat.

Sloppy application of black around top suspension mount — maybe that worker always had more than his fair share of the beer in the works canteen every day as slapdash runny finish to that area is typical of 911 that era.

Shows the font slam with the slots that came in during model year 73. This like the change to rear slam getting raised square is a bit unclear on why different (some say desire but I dint buy that) and not exact single chassis minor date introduced because repair or restoration sometimes used a different version than the original. There is a thread in this part that has narrowed down the timing of this change / phased transition. I seem to recall Dr J latest authenticity book concluded it happened around end of calendar year and from my quick analysis with HughH there isn't a clean cutover date from earlier to later. Perhaps these were phased in with inventory of the earlier version being consumed in parallel but suspect some of the challenge in it is due to the use of later panel when doing accident or rust repair in a panel in a vulnerable extremity. Probably similar for the rear slam.

Has the Webster inflator that in export examples took over from the gas bottle used to inflate spare in earlier RS.

Steve

[Coyft]

Interesting, I guess that makes sense as they wanted to keep them as light as possible. What's the reason for the shutz, it isn't very consistent and is only in the odd place.

[911MRP]

It is clear from internal correspondence like this that Porsche made the decision to stop making the RS in the expensive convoluted way and using special parts as soon as they could. From completion of nominal 1000 ( plus in practice a small contingency) they just made the RS the same way as TES. Special parts run down. Shutz was the standard process for perhaps sound deadening more robust finish gir corrosion and so forth — that why (almost all) third series got shutz. Weight didn’t matter so could drop costly awkward special features. Lost many the special parts too : no oil pump in transmission; no forged crossmember etc etc etc

I’ve seen more shutz on some RS than yours perhaps reflecting it being early in third series. Having said that still lot more shutz than late second series I know well where that has very scant shutz indeed — virtually but not quite completely absent. These nuances throughout the production run to me are interesting. Some due to the hand built nature but certainly clear that strong underlying pattern emerge on differences across the three series. Minsk the third coloured to the earlier ones where homologation spec and assembly method leave noticeable traces even on the Turing’s with the comfortable S interior

It obviously wasn’t in Porsche interest in that 73 when deciding to do a third series to milk the success to call our that their in demand lightweight homologation special was no longer just that; fair to say it morphed to be like a 2.7 series car compared to the very honed spec required for the first series. Arguably devolved to be closer to the 2.7 S that had been expected before the new CEO nads it imperative to homologate due to the imminent FIA rule changes and the humiliation on track of the 911 he’d reportedly witnessed at hands of Ford and BMW When looked through the lens if how homolgation worked it is clear there is a distinction between the first/second series vs (most of) the third RS series. Commercial realities and meant Porsche could after certification now make the third series essentially a production model by policy eliminating the features and unorthox processes that made it a lighter weight homogation limited edition special — did so along with raising prices to make margin. That’s not to say the third series aren’t excellent cars and some late on injured series got things like silumin cases and revised geometry at rear. Just underneath the essence that had been the focus of the unconventional gestation was taken away even though it appeared not too different due to the front and rear spoilers flared echoes and different f/r wheels there are so many things at the core that differ to those first and second series examples used to gain homolgation. Far beyond shutz but it’s presence in all sorts of places is one if the more visible tells particularly when the lids are raised.

Today’s classic market still does not choose to recognise these fundamental differences in most third series and some folks may not know or if they do may not care. For a model that gets so much attention and many millions of words written about how it’s a homologation lightweight special strange that the market actually segments the 911.744 not on basis of being homogation special with the the special features of the 500 plus 500 but instead in on the trim level: Sport vs Touring. Or the relative numbers produced of those with no distinction made for the very features that the development team sweated the detail on in the 500 plus 500. Rather superficial especially when so much is written and should be known — frankly a bit odd when one thinks about it!

In making the comments I’m highlighting factual differences that curiously seem to get overlooked not knocking later RS. I’d say the third series seem immune to such things given there seems little differential in price despite (most of) them never getting a number of the of the features that at core make the RS a lightweight homolgaton special

Steve

[Coyft]

That's all very interesting and makes sense that Porsche would look to productionise the model once they had gained homologation. It would be interesting to weigh a first/second and third series to see what the difference is.

Valuing any RS is quite a subjective process, which series, should be a part of that process, but then you have matching numbers, quality of restoration, originality of parts, unrestored etc., etc., The true value in these lies in their use, they are an absolute joy to drive.

[911MRP]

Agree many value factors. It’s not the just the simple matter of the weight … the essence of the RS in all the homologation details they sweated is a factor I enjoy

I’ve been fortunate to own mine for over 30 years at onetime it was my everyday car and fun hobby car! Some business trips too ideal for a circa 200 mile round trip to an F1 team factory in lanes of motorsport valley where I worked — small world as this RS was once owned by the race team manager. We didn’t overlap at work but in contract through mutual friend.

Steve

[RSTarga]

Steve, I was always under the impression that the RS models had a single battery, yet I see many with the twin setup.
Maybe this was done for homologation only?

[911MRP]

All of the first 1000 (with contingency around 1026) examples that were used as homologation evidence to FiA had only one battery whilst in base form, temporarily during loop to the Stuttgart scales — omitting the second was necessary to hit the aggressive 900kg homogation weight target. One battery and wiring even the puny 36ah I don’t know weight but maybe it saved 10kg?

At conversion after returning from weighing M471 Sport stayed with the single battery but the M472, because it essentially got 911S equipment then had fitted the second in the workshop that did conversion work. There is no explicit mention of the second battery as separate line item on my fahzeig-auftrag (production order) nor explicitly on the related cinversion order sheet. However the first item on the conversion order sheet says “mit M472” so that would bring the second battery as part of getting the S equipment “bundle”. Although the M472 essentially got the S equipment thespec was phrased as “base RS” then in case of an M472 refers to S equipment generically but then listed specific things as exceptions to omit from the S because didn’t apply to RS.

Think third series RS was more straightforward being by that time normal production process and more commonality with series TES got two batteries if a Touring fitted straight away on line like TES ; or just single for M471 Sport .

Steve

[fourteenten]

Wonder if the outlined indent, I reckon it started around chassis number 0960-0970, came at the same time with the rectangular piece of metal left side rear slam panel. Fuction of both?

Regards,
Cees

[911MRP]

Good spot cees . Perhaps it’s there specifically to channel the excess sloppy black paint from the inebriated worker. Joking apart these little changes would’ve required changes to the press tools that make them. Such tooling can be very expensive. Whilst they would need to continue make panels for repair inventory curious timing to do the tweak so soon before unless the tweaked panels were carried over or mandated for safety. Will have been done with a documented rationale and with business case, I suppose ?