Another hot rod

70SATMan:

I took a look at the lightweight door panels just now.

I cannot say that they are over padded; in fact, there is no padding whatsoever.

However, the usual foam donut surrounding the access hole for the window crank is present. The foam is fresh and supple on the NOS RH side panel. However, it is much deteriorated on the used LH side panel, but is clearly in evidence.

Note that both door panels are made with holes to provide for mounting to the doors with sheet metal screws.

Also, both doors have ready-cut access holes for the window crank handles.

Here are some detail pics of the NOS RH side panel showing the foam donut and the screw holes.

Michael,

This post includes some detail images of the LH side lightweight door panel.

Look closely and you can see the deteriorated foam donut in the access hole for the window crank.

Again, there is no padding elswhere in the panel. It is just typical Porsche grained leatherette glued and stapled to a press board card.

Thanks for the inquiry as well as the kind words; I think we share an enthusiasm for period parts - ditto for Mark.

If anyone would like additional detail on any aspect of this project, please just ask.

Tom

I suspect that the reason the repro panels are "overpadded" is so that the plastic clips dont show through the vinyl covers. As Tom pointed out, the originals are held on with screws, which wouldnt be acceptable for the average "Joe Street-Car"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flunder

Michael,

This post includes some detail images of the LH side lightweight door panel.

Again, there is no padding elswhere in the panel. Is is just typical Porsche grained leatherette glued and stapled to a press board card.

Thanks for the inquiry as well as the kind words; I think we share an enthusiasm for period parts - ditto for Mark.

Tom

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Thanks for sharing those details! Means a lot, to me at least, that you are willing to go to the trouble for those of us that have never had the pleasure to dissect some of these rare cars/parts.:cool:

As discussed previously, the used balsa lid was sent out to a specialist shop experienced in working with old factory grp bodywork.

The original blutorange/signal yellow paint was stripped, top and bottom.

At the same time, the left and right rear corners of the lid needed some work where the tips had worn down a bit over the years as a result of having been stood on its end while in storage.

Here you can see the lid back on the car. Considering the lid is 35+ years old and survived a shunt that wrote off a car, the fit and alignment are not too bad.

The image shows that the holes drilled on the leading edge to mount the GHE rubber locks were located towards the outside edges. I think these look better when lined up with the outside ends of the cowl vent so we will fill and re-locate them accordingly.

The shop cautions that these lids do not provide a suitable surface for perfect results once painted.

The second image shows the dash re-finished in satin black.

Why Minilite?

Even though the april 71 Competition Spare Parts manual lists the Fuchs 9x15 wheels part nbr 911.361.020.03 [Edit: amazingly, that is not the number for a Fuchs 9"x15" as we will discuss later in this thread] as being available, it seems that the factory had difficulty in actually providing any Fuchs nines during the 1970 and 1971 seasons for use on the 2,3L ST. I suppose this situation stemmed from production problems at Fuchs. As a result of this production snafu, the nine inch Fuchs did not seem actually to get into circulation until the 1972 season.

As Minilite had already been a wheel of choice for several seasons, as from about 1968 onwards, and was used by most teams competing with sports cars in the endurance racing events, it was only natural that the factory Race Department reached out to them for 9x15 rolling stock for use on the 2,3L ST. Although supplied on factory prepared 2,3L cars, the race department never assigned a part number to the Minilite magnesium 9x15 wheel.

Having been caught flat footed, it became the Race Department's standard fitment for a 2,3L ST to include magnesium Minilites size 9x15 for the rear while up front, the Fuchs 7x15 as originally fitted to the rear of the 911R ("7R") was specified.

The Fuchs 7R was used on the front in conjunction with a 27mm spacer to obtain the homologated front track and to fill out the front flares.

901.361.012.05 Rim 7" x 15
901.352.413.01 Distance washer 27mm

Here is an image of Chiquita, one of the better Gr4 2,3L cars of the day, showing the Fuchs 7R wheels up front and Minilite magnesium 9x15 aft. The racing fraternity, never a group known for being overly respectful, dubbed it the Banana Boat. To my eye, the Banana Boat is the ideal for the 2,3L ST look.

Nines for the Tart

A pair of original Minilite 9x15 mags was sourced for the hot rod and I thought the Board would like to get a close look.

These interesting old mags came from a fellow enthusiast in Germany who had been saving them "under the bed" for many years for a restoration of an original 2,3L car.

Note that while one Minilite has two undrilled bosses cast on on the rim for flange mounting a valve stem its mate's flange is smooth.

Those are the original and somewhat unusual valve stems as supplied when new by Minilite, indicating that this old pair of wheels saw little use.

It is interesting to note that all of the ST period 9x15 magnesium Minilites were drilled for use with standard Porsche steel lug nuts rather than the thick washers and special lug nuts seen on some later examples cast up for use on Porsche.

The four casting plugs seen faintly on the surface of the hub centers are characteristic of the 5x130 magnesium 9x15 Minilite used on Porsche 911 prepared to Special GT Group 4 specs during the '70 and '71 seasons.

Minilite did not cast their trademark, name or logo in these early wheels. However, the inherently distinctive Minilite design was recognized throughout the world of motorsport.

Another point of interest is that these nines have "small hole" hub centers, just as seen in this evocative image of Chiquita.

In addition to Chiquita, many of the other well known 911S 2,3L coupes prepared to Special GT Group 4 specs show one common trait: Fuchs 7R front and Minilite 9x15 rear.

This combination gives the "big 'n little look" reminiscent of the hot rods you drew during study hall. That is most likely the reason for my attraction to this set-up!

Here are some of the many examples:

Kremer

Sonauto

24H 1970 nbr 37 - Hugh do you know this car?

Hart Ski

Oldenkott Tobacco & Pipes

Larousse TdF

Any discussion of the Porsche Race Department's use of Minilite nine inch rear wheels cannot be complete without mentioning the Larousse car built to compete in the 1970 Tour de France.

The Larousse tdf was non-conforming to Special GT Group 4 but rather was an ultra lightweight 911 built for the Sports Prototype class to compete for the overall TdF win.

The Race Department built the Larousse TdF with Minilite magnesium wheels on the rear and Fuchs 7R up front.

Here is my favorite image of the Larousse TdF.

Nines in Detail

The subsequent period images show detail of the Minilite nines on:

Larousse TdF
Kremer 2,3L Spl GT Gr4
Oldenkott 2,3L Spl GT Gr4

Observations in respect of the detail images are as follow:

-the Larousse example appears to be of the large hole hub center variation - perhaps selected for lightest possible weight

-the Oldenkott example is a small hole hub center variation - perhaps for greater strength - it was a customer car!

-the Kremer example appears to have a flange mounted valve stem on the rim

-you can just make out the traces of the casting plugs in the hub centers of the Larousse and Oldenkott examples

-all lug nuts appear to be oem steel variety

Final image shows the nines for the Olive Tart: small hole hub center, drilled for steel lug nuts, hub center casting plugs in evidence.

If you can add some pics/research on this topic, please chime in.

Race Dept Footnote

The Minilite saga presents an interesting foot note to Porsche Race Department history. The race engineers, with the brilliant but domineering Ferdinand Piech holding sway, very rarely sourced non factory spec components, prefering instead to hold true to the concept of pur sang thoroughbreds.

But necessity being the better part of invention, even the brilliant Piech and the engineering colossus that he headed were reduced to calling on a little wheel foundry in Britain to send some wheels to sell his customers. They made his uncle's thorougbred sports cars look like hot rods!

Tom this is becoming one of the best threads ever!

Thanks for continuing to share your journey with us.

Cheers

Cam

Hi Tom

"24H 1970 nbr 37 - Hugh do you know this car?"

It is actually from 1971: it is the Pierre Mauroy / Jean-Claude Lagniez entry in GT+2.0 class. It was a DNF due to gearbox. Here is a color pic but it does not show the wheel detail

I have also attached another pic of the Sonauto car for Chasseuil and Baron at the 1970 Tour de Corse (89 AY 92) that shows that wheel in more detail plus a closeup

I have also attached a photo of a car that I believe is ex werks "special" ST 911 030 0949 pictured at Magny Cours in May 1971 while owned by Louis Meznarie and one of Bonomelli at the 1971 tour de france. both of these (and many others) ran the 4 minilites combination.