1972 911 oil tank and filler

[BOYER73S]

Look what's on my car. Oh!! Yeah!

Where do I get a new one of those gaskets under the filler cap mine is stuffed?

[gumby1953]

There is no doubt that 71-72 was a big few years for the "Comp" 911, mostly all for the good!

I-we Restored a Clone RSR for Lee Man G. and the whole time I thinking why would he want to start with a 72 911 (heck, I even sold it to him) that in my mind was a "Lemon" from the past (I did tell him my thoughts on that)!! Believe me Dudes, in the day the car was not looked at as to one of the "Great Ones" it was the next year that had everybody selling the 72's to get the 73's. I remember we would hear about a friend or customer getting a new 73' and wondering if it was a MFI or CIS car or if it had the really cool Rubber bumpers! Today, you can pass on the "Rubber Bumpers" and get the CIS (not that there's anything wrong with that) off your engine before someone see's what you bought!

This post was for me to understand some of the changes from one time (almost 40 years) to another, involving really cool early 911's

I have a very OG 72 911 S engine, I think I will start looking for a donor tub................you can teach an ol' Dog something new now and again..........Hey Santa please bring me a 1972 911 S to add to the other unfinished 911's in Der Barn!

Big Ears,
Kevin

[Tom F.]

I would not agree that it was "goofy" then or now. Sometime you can not get past stupid. How could someone own one of these cars and not know where to put the gas and oil. I know it happened, but wow.

I am 62 and have 3 '72's.

I don't believe the stories about filling station attendants mixing up the oil and gas fillers. When you remove the oil filler cap, there is a dipstick obstructing the way for the fuel fill nozzle, and there is that big "OIL" decal on the door. My guess is that this story originated from finding gas in the oil caused by the MFI thermostat not working correctly. Some of these MFI cars ran so rich that they flooded the oil tanks with fuel. A friend of mine had his new 73S "make oil," until until he made the dealer put Webers on the car.

[fryardds]

I'm with you guys. The '72 cars are special because of the tank location. I only wish they would have kept in there for the Carrera the following year. This would have made this special model even better still.

[gumby1953]

Sup Withers,

You made the right commitment, now you gotta find your Dads 73' of course keep your 72'!! Reminds me of my first memory of riding in the storage area behind the rear seat of my Moms 59 Vert VW during night time Street Rally's ....a little tight but I was around six.

You don't have to lower the car at all from stock to have the front spoiler work, it works better and better the more you lower the car. You must remember about changing the susp. settings and of course scraping the Darn thing on the ground going up curbs.


gumby1953

[JackOlsen]

The 'gas in the oil door' has to be an old wive's tale. It's just not possible to put anything in there without removing a dipstick. And you have to open the passenger door to access it.

As I understand it, the tank was moved back to its previous location because of side-impact legislation in the U.S. It's the same reason the 1973 models got the reinforcement bars in the doors.

I don't think it moves the balancing point or center of gravity anything like six full inches. Is there some kind of documentation that suggests that? Especially when the engine is running, there is not very much oil in the tank at all. And weight distribution isn't a big deal when the car is sitting in its parking space.

Still, it's my favorite year of 911.

[letsrollbabe]

The 'gas in the oil door' has to be an old wive's tale. It's just not possible to put anything in there without removing a dipstick. And you have to open the passenger door to access it.

As I understand it, the tank was moved back to its previous location because of side-impact legislation in the U.S. It's the same reason the 1973 models got the reinforcement bars in the doors.

I don't think it moves the balancing point or center of gravity anything like six full inches. Is there some kind of documentation that suggests that? Especially when the engine is running, there is not very much oil in the tank at all. And weight distribution isn't a big deal when the car is sitting in its parking space.



Still, it's my favorite year of 911.

Here is a copy of the Ferry Porsche statement from May 72. I scanned it from reprinted articles in a Brooklands Books publication Porsche 911 1965-1975.

You can find the COG statement under the Porsche's impossible dream paragraph.

"This year we placed the oil tank in front of the rear wheels. A simple move that shifted the car's center of gravity six inches toward the middle."

I don't know whether Dr. Ferry was making this statement referring to a car sitting static or moving, but moving 15-20 lb (oil plus tank depending on how much oil in tank when running, with oil @ 7.5 lb per gallon) approx. 30 inches forward in the car, and ahead of the rear wheel would definitely shift the COG a fair amount, which should improve handling at the limit.

[gumby1953]

Hey Raj-Miester,

When I decide to dump some of the real-lic's I will call you second....I already got someone who Dibbed the 1st spot!

Memba, I now need a 72 S (cause they seem to be cooler than I knew!) for my spare 72' S engine!!

Lemon Head,
Kevin

[gumby1953]

I just did a little research concerning the "Porsche Propaganda" in the Best 911 ever ad (and it might have been if the oil door had something differen't to offer). It seems Dr. Porsche's nose is just a touch bigger in the add that followed the one you see!

So, now that you all have convinced me the 72' is now the Best 911 ever (even tho I think the 73' is)......"Why do you think Porsche went back to the rear mounted tank the very next year??" Can't wait to hear this!"

Lemon Head,
Kevin

[37yrold911]

side impact protection made them move the tank back, AFAIK - they did not give up on the holy grail of a better polar moment of inertia and better center of gravity tho, and were able to move the oil tank there much later on!

but the '72 lost the wonderful type 901/911 transmission's road racing shift pattern

and the engine has lower compression

the solution is obvious - hack up a '70 or '71

or put that power train into a '72 shell