Reference: Tool Rolls & Contents

[mfitton]

between what production dates would a car have the 73.5 tool kit?

I believe January 1, 1973 til end of '73 production.

[911MRP]

Not sure what “the 73.5 toolkit” referred to is but I know of December 72 carburettor T cars and November production MFI that got the red handle reversible, tie bag kits. Those kits precede January 1973 production.

I think I understand the intent of question and not having a go at the poster. Just trying to be clear given the nature of this thread. Don’t believe the toolkits were different for that North American CIS market variation dubbed 73.5 than contemporaries with MFI carburettors on other markets.

The point I’m making being in this thread that aims to unravel toolkit change chronology as best we can given the real world factors is that it can be quite misleading to label this toolkit configuration “the 73.5” just because a particular North American variant with CIS often dubbed 73.5 happened to usually have them too.

Not disagreeing if referring to NA market CIS car model it maybe was the toolkit typically seen in that market specific model’s production from Jan 73. But to be clear that is certainly not the car production date the toolkits with red reversible screwdrivers were first seen. Different things!

Just saying is rather vague in the context of a German manufacturer serving multiple international markets to think of it in that way. The toolkits were certainly available earlier than Jan 73 production so that particular phrasing and the answer can confuse a forum that aspires to be international.

We wouldn’t want people to draw the wrong inference from a (maybe USA centric?) phrasing of question and answer that might not correctly reflect when the variation of toolkit first used in the 911.

I don’t know exactly when the toolkits with tie wrap and red reversible screwdriver first used but it was found in cars produced in calendar 1972. I have previously provided documentary evidence in black and white from when late calendar 1972 cars were new that ( for example the Carrera RS vin 0061) had that distinctive reversible screwdriver tool kit and it is documented in usual places that car would’ve been produced in November of 72. Not a guess the reversible screwdriver is noted in the commentary written in the day.

41A8D72E-F950-4DE4-A33E-E684733740BF.jpg

I’m not a fan of term 73.5 because I don’t believe that terminology was used by factory back in the day to describe what they offered for sale so it another one of those invented terminologies that at time can confuse matters in vague usage.

If the difference is November 72 vs January 73 then I’d say it is important to be less vague — let’s be accurate and clear on what the question and January 73 answer means. For me important that any vagueness doesn’t get picked up as January 73 production date in model year 73 being the first the red handle reversible tool kits were used.

Steve

[windhover]

Yes, incorrect of me to use the term.

I guess the more specific way to ask my question,

Would a RS only come with the toolkit that had the reversible screwdriver? Would very early cars say 11/72 production have come with the 2 screwdriver version of the toolkit? from what you describe on the 006x Carrera RS, I think that implies all RS cars would come with the reversible screwdriver toolkit.

[911MRP]

As said I don’t know exactly production date when that kit first seen but it was certainly earlier than cars built January 73. Of that I’m sure since car being referred to in the snippet is RS vin 0061 built November 72.

While 911 were not assembled in vin sequence with the start RS series being vin 0011 it was the evidently case — at least from roughly the fiftieth example built. There are many real world factors that might’ve caused differences in an a relatively unimportant accessory set being put on a specific car but it seems safe to say the 72 built
RS got that reversible screwdriver version of kit. At the other end I understand the impact bumper necessitated the inclusion of the different multiple interchangeable set with a long screwdriver to clear the bumper. A long screwdriver P xxx was also introduced on the dealer tool catalogs I think for this purpose, but this thread doesn’t focus on impact bumper cars or P-tools.

The authors in image above were writing about RS
0061 when new. My 72 build RS has the same kit.

There was a tear out card on the maintenance book for first owner to acknowledge receipt of various items including toolkit, lackstift. My papers still have it and the items listed including the lackstift — many homages make it easy to forget Grand Prix white was reserved for RS in model 73 so would have not been the mainstream touch up that year.

I had noticed you sometimes ask about RS so that’s why I jumped in because despite saying 73.5 I thought you maybe wanted the factual answer in regard to that / non USA models.

I don’t know what 73.5 really means exactly as not afaik an official term but pretty sure the RS despite it being introduced early October as a limited edition for markets that specifically excluded the USA it isn’t what people
mean when they bandy that 73.5 term. Not sure what is attraction if these and other informal terms over being precise?

My intervention applies to other models — I certainly know 72 built model 73 cars that have the same toolkit so it is not an RS kit specifically . Image with comments on reversible present in RS 0061 when new certainly helps date production well before January 73. As said 0061 is an 11 / 72 build.

Not sure what counts as “very early RS”? We know from little factory tech specs booklet 319 RS chassis were built before end of calendar 72 so maybe that is one datapoint that the factory themselves shared as a milestone worthy of recording within the first 500 series for whatever reason. By virtue of being that calendar year they are early?

I don’t have evidence before November build so wouldn’t assert all as some RS / TES cars after the summer changeover might still have got the prior two screwdriver version as they phased inventory out plus all kinds of pragmatic reasons an older toolkit version might’ve found its way into some model 73 911 cars. Drivers manuals are hardly the most reliable source of authenticity but despite some things that are questionable on the books tool section’s artistically arranged shot of model year 73 it does show the reversible type screwdriver — not a reprint my car’s original glovebox book. My original English language RS blue supplement doesn’t show a toolkit because as stated kit wasn’t any different to MY 73 TES.

Important to correct (with evidence) what I think is misleading information when I see it posted on ESR as it tends to stick and then become accepted as correct. I piped up because I don’t believe January 1st 73 production cars holds-up as first date the kit with the distinctive reversible screwdrivers first seen. Several months prior was the case in my observations as supported the in period comment about an RS that in November 1972 was about the 50th built.

56F6ECF8-85B3-4B96-B3EC-EA81355380A5.jpg

Hope this helps

Steve

[LiveFromNY]

As said I don’t know exactly production date when that kit first seen but it was certainly earlier than cars built January 73. Of that I’m sure since car being referred to in the snippet is RS vin 0061 built November 72.

While 911 were not assembled in vin sequence with the start RS series being vin 0011 it was the evidently case — at least from roughly the fiftieth example built. There are many real world factors that might’ve caused differences in an a relatively unimportant accessory set being put on a specific car but it seems safe to say the 72 built
RS got that reversible screwdriver version of kit. At the other end I understand the impact bumper necessitated the inclusion of the different multiple interchangeable set with a long screwdriver to clear the bumper. A long screwdriver P xxx was also introduced on the dealer tool catalogs I think for this purpose, but this thread doesn’t focus on impact bumper cars or P-tools.

The authors in image above were writing about RS
0061 when new. My 72 build RS has the same kit.

There was a tear out card on the maintenance book for first owner to acknowledge receipt of various items including toolkit, lackstift. My papers still have it and the items listed including the lackstift — many homages make it easy to forget Grand Prix white was reserved for RS in model 73 so would have not been the mainstream touch up that year.

I had noticed you sometimes ask about RS so that’s why I jumped in because despite saying 73.5 I thought you maybe wanted the factual answer in regard to that / non USA models.

I don’t know what 73.5 really means exactly as not afaik an official term but pretty sure the RS despite it being introduced early October as a limited edition for markets that specifically excluded the USA it isn’t what people
mean when they bandy that 73.5 term. Not sure what is attraction if these and other informal terms over being precise?

My intervention applies to other models — I certainly know 72 built model 73 cars that have the same toolkit so it is not an RS kit specifically . Image with comments on reversible present in RS 0061 when new certainly helps date production well before January 73. As said 0061 is an 11 / 72 build.

Not sure what counts as “very early RS”? We know from little factory tech specs booklet 319 RS chassis were built before end of calendar 72 so maybe that is one datapoint that the factory themselves shared as a milestone worthy of recording within the first 500 series for whatever reason. By virtue of being that calendar year they are early?

I don’t have evidence before November build so wouldn’t assert all as some RS / TES cars after the summer changeover might still have got the prior two screwdriver version as they phased inventory out plus all kinds of pragmatic reasons an older toolkit version might’ve found its way into some model 73 911 cars. Drivers manuals are hardly the most reliable source of authenticity but despite some things that are questionable on the books tool section’s artistically arranged shot of model year 73 it does show the reversible type screwdriver — not a reprint my car’s original glovebox book. My original English language RS blue supplement doesn’t show a toolkit because as stated kit wasn’t any different to MY 73 TES.

Important to correct (with evidence) what I think is misleading information when I see it posted on ESR as it tends to stick and then become accepted as correct. I piped up because I don’t believe January 1st 73 production cars holds-up as first date the kit with the distinctive reversible screwdrivers first seen. Several months prior was the case in my observations as supported the in period comment about an RS that in November 1972 was about the 50th built.

56F6ECF8-85B3-4B96-B3EC-EA81355380A5.jpg

Hope this helps

Steve

I don't think anyone ever took "73.5" to mean EXACTLY 73.5. Give or take a couple months is close enough for me.

[Allen Henderson]

+1 re John's statement above "I don't think anyone ever took "73.5" to mean EXACTLY 73.5. Give or take a couple months is close enough for me." Thanks.,

-Allen-

[Rick Cabell]

My lug wrench seems to be a little long for the tool roll. Any thoughts?

[Allen Henderson]

My lug wrench seems to be a little long for the tool roll. Any thoughts?

Rick, if you have a Sawzall, you can shorten it? Just kidding of course! I believe there was a similar post about this somewhere in this thread. At that time, at least, and still I don't believe anyone has studied the question other than to say, yes, the length varied. Perhaps a "study" has been done since then? Thanks.

-Allen-

[Rick Cabell]

I'll search through this thread and see what I can find, thanks Allen.

[mfitton]

I'll search through this thread and see what I can find, thanks Allen.

Rick you have a later lug wrench that fits in a larger tool bag you need the one with the 19mm stamped on the socket part and is shorter.