1973 911 T E S RS external oil cooler system NOS add a front cooler to your 1973 car

[VintageExcellen]

I sold my 1973 and never used this system. I can bring all of this to the 356 Club Empi swap meet - the cooler lines are long and very hard to ship.


$3500


1973 Only original fender mounted external oil cooler system. Most all of the parts needed for adding a front fender mounted oil cooler to a 1973 model. These are different than the 69-71 versions BIG TUBES, different from the 72 version REAR TANK, and different than later G model versions which are the most common. For whatever reason Porsche made this system optional on S and RS cars - high power cars and air conditioner cars need this system. It's an excellent addition to any 73 car.

Thermostat NOS mounts directly on oil tank
Bracket NOS
Union nut NOS
Union nut seal NOS
Hardline 1 NOS
Hardline 2 NOS
Trombone cooler Good used 1973 Part
Cooler line 1 NOS

missing
Cooler line 2
Pipe engine to thermostat
Intake and return lines

Retail for the full system is $4500 (numbers are pictured below), this set is missing $626 of parts that are still available. I will sell for $3500.

[911MRP]

… For whatever reason Porsche made this system optional on S and RS cars…

Mark this was not optional on 73 RS it was standard equipment on the 911.744 base and M471 and M472. It was also standard equipment on 2.4 S in Europe and so called “rest of world” countries.

As you say the oil cooler system was not standard for 73 911S in USA and Canada. This is extract from an original Porsche factory document in my literature collection regarding the base spec of S as introduced for model year 73:
IMG_5499.jpg
Specific comment about USA and Canada market being the exception is highlighted.

Other original Porsche+Audi documents I have show oil cooler system retailed for US $265 if ticked as M-option on 911S in USA in model year 73.

I’ve recently read a post here that said was fitted in NA if an air conditioning was specified. Makes sense but not sure I’ve seen that documented in factory literature.

Country equipment varied so can’t generalise on 911 spec in 73, sometimes it was due to national regulations but quite often a commercial decision. For example the UK equipment spec was higher than the German spec due to the decision of the sole concessionaire importer here to promote the luxury aspect of 911 because is was roughly double the price of a new e-type Jaguar— a comment stating that the GB spec is different to the collection in the general information brochure for 73 is typed in the original 73 Porsche Cars GB price list. One small example being 911S had leather covered steering wheel as standard here in UK. Italy was famously less generous with equipment levels. Others are more expert on Italian market spec nuances but I’ve heard that was because of how car taxation worked for imports at that time for new car buyers in Italy.

There is another thread live discussing the surface finish of the oil cooler and line components. If this is to hand can you see if it is brass or steel ( possibly galvanised or cadmium ) under the black of the cooler and pipes? I expect the latter. Also are the nuts brass (or as looks to be case) steel since this detail reportedly changed part-way through model 73.

Steve

[VintageExcellen]

Steve - one thing I can say about working on Porsches most of my life - if you go by the books then you live in a world of absolutes but reality is very different.

The 73RS I owned didn’t have the cooler.

USA cars could have been ordered with this system - a clients 911E had it but very rare.

It wasn’t an accompanying option to the AC system -I’m just recommending it.

I don’t care what the books say, what I am saying is this will fit all 1973 cars, if you don’t have an external cooler AND have more than 160hp or A/C then you should put one on your car. It is a direct bolt on, no mods to the car but you might need to weld a couple oil line holder onto your rockers. Of course if you like to tear your engine apart every few years then don’t listen to me.

[911MRP]

Agree it will fit all 73 cars. It is a useful addition to some cars without one and wish you well with the sale.

However to be clear I maintain it wasn’t a separate M-option on a new Carrera RS order on 72/3. By that I mean not an M option that needed to be ticked and paid extra for as an extra to get it on RS when filling in 911.744 Carrara RS order back in 1972/3. I’ve never seen the M412 option listed as extra on an RS. It just came as part of the model equipment if leave aside the M491. The M491 being different having the central cooler and intake of front spoiler opened-up.

There are of course always the odd rare exception and or original equipment can go missing on a used example but pretty certain the front oil cooler system like you are listing was standard equipment on 73 Carrara RS base and M471 and 472.

Perhaps it could have been be deleted at special request ahead of build but not clear why someone would do that unless they planned to fit the M491 system themselves? Or had a use planned where they felt the external system was vulnerable to damage eg rally special stages or similar? I believe if never fitted tk they car would be a reason and story as to by an uncommon exception why that particular one hadn’t got the system believe.

If you let me have the vin number of your former RS the one that didn’t have the cooler (by PM if you wish to be discrete) I can look at its options. It would be a curiosity if the cooler were never there when new. Always open to learn even if the RS was a one off.

On the USA Canada 73 S the front oil cooler would be M-option 412 and assume where fitted would be on the window sticker for incremental $265. I expect was also available in E or T in USA 73 if also for it ?

This is example of how it appears in 73 on S when somone paid the $265 for it as an extra.
IMG_5512.jpeg

While the rest of world don’t typically have a similar window sticker by comparison 73S and RS this item does not appear in the build sheets ( fahzug-auftrag ) as a separate item because the oil cooler is included in the standard equipment bundle. This is the conversion order of an RS a car that is well known ( image has been posted here before so not indiscrete) — it has the front oil cooler; note the option for it is not listed separately among those to be added as a paid M-option because oil cooler is a standard equipment on the base 73 RS
IMG_5514.jpg
Largely it’s the country equipment code such as C10 and distributor code here for Switzerland that determine the build configuration along with the
Fahzug-type :
IMG_5516.jpg
IMG_5515.jpg

The couple of examples used above are not in a book, the source is the paperwork the Porsche factory and its distributor used to build and or sell the cars used in this comparison when new. I believe this is the case for the RS model in 73 thats why make the assertion but as always open to evidence that for the 73 RS model oil cooler was a paid for M-option, rather than simply standard equipment on 911.744 base, M471 and M472.



Steve

[RSTarga]

With A/C you are going to need more than a trombone. At least this setup gets you most of the way.
I have a receipt somewhere of a complete system I bought at the factory which details every part needed with part numbers. I'll see if I can find it.

[Richy]

Yes , VintageExcellen is spot on , there are few absolutes in the Porsche 911's .

[911MRP]

I accept often there aren't absolutes in old Porsche world. However so quickly invoking the oft quoted “few absolutes” platitude rather than looking into a question which should be capable of being answered factually comes across as rather lame, frankly. I want to be evidence based. Particularly when it involves the specification of possibly the most well documented model of the 911 pre-impact bumper era. Let’s remain focussed on the question and get evidence as ESR forum ought to strive to be fact an evidence based.

As stated the configuration “as built” was I believe a function of the data (including the year/model; country equipment code; distributor code; LL vs RL and so forth) on the fahzeug-augtrag. The true source data is in the fahzeug-aufteag (production order) created on the planning system — operationally it’s the where the oil cooler gets designated as standard equipment on the 73 RS — it’s a “rest of world model” sold in many markets , but importantly not a NA model. In the case of “paid for” accessories the first customer elected to add to RS those typically appear with M-code and description on that same document. For RS made after homolgaton on the one sheet; or explicitly listed in the conversion order for the the earlier circa 1000 homologation cars. I’ve never seen M412 an option listed against any RS chassis in the many lists derived from that factory source data so the coolers are evidently not an “optional extra” on RS model. Not in any source I’ve got or seen. I know folks here have searchable spreadsheets that might double check if I’ve missed M412 in my visual scan of many sources.

To me that’s where solid evidence the oil cooler was standard equipment lies for this rest of world top of range model — factory sourced data more reliable than empirically train-spotting RS as found where we simply can’t be sure what has happened to them through five decades’ of on some cases hard life.

I don’t dispute cooler was not there when that particular RS example was owned by Mark but remain unconvinced that it is correct to infer from that the oil cooler was [U] optional on 73 RS in the same way as the oil cooler equipment was optional on S of 73 for USA and Canada market in the way it’s stated here: [\U]

… For whatever reason Porsche made this system optional on S and RS cars…

For that reason I remain interested in the vin of the RS chassis that had no oil cooler as would like to see if I can establish if / how it was an exception to the 73 RS spec at new — was is it simply that the oil cooler had been removed at some point before Mark owned example in question or was it deleted at special request at new?

However the odd exception (or so) does not make the oil cooler an M-option that was paid for as an extra on 73 RS model in the same way it was known to be for 911S in USA 73. We know the 73 RS being a homologation model brought a string focus and control to the specification. Evidence of that being special written procedures for how the RS had to be ordered and precise inductions how the paperwork punched card letters was completed uniquely for the Carrera RS model. I believe what Porsche offered was to have the oil cooler inclusive on the base 911.744 and that this equipment carried into the M471 and 472. Of course an owner could have asked for cooler to be deleted /removed by the factory (if so, why?) or the cooler that was once there at new simply got removed at some point in its life if a used RS (more likely imo). But that’s not same as being is implied by lumping it together with the spec and approach for 911S of USA and Canada. Framing it in a way that suggests Porsche offered the oil cooler as an RS optional paid extra like was done for USA and Canada cars. The latter whilst a large market were the spec exception on 73S.
The 73 911S outside USA and Canada had the oil cooler. The 73 RS was famously never sold officially in USA and Canada so why would its specification for oil train-spotting follow the USA S specification by being fitted only if paid for? Why would the oil cooler standard equipment on S for rest of world markets not also be standard equipment on the limited edition top of the range homologation model in those markets? It is a fact the transmission of RS had an oil pump ( at until it was deleted from the spec around time homolgation presumably for cost reasons — however dint believe the motor oil pump was deleted when watered down spec third series). Why would Porsche have a transmission oil pump exclusively on RS but not have oil cooler for the motor on the 73 RS?

It is my view the oil cooler was standard throughout the life of 73 RS (unless the different engine cooling system was upgraded for an M491 RSR during conversion which is a different matter altogether)

To be clear what’s offered for sale seems a nice set of items that should fit any model year 73 and it would be an enhancement to a 911 T E S or other 911 that doesn’t have this oil cooler system. I wish seller best of luck with sale but my reason for being so dogged about this point is I expect ESR to be evidence based and specific when commenting on such things as 911 specifications. More than happy to give this FS sale item bumps if doing so gets to the accurately to heart of the specification matter.

Having owned an RS for more than three decades and spent a lot of time looking at many examples from delivered to many markets, often examining cars in great detail and working on a number of them (so not just reading books) I’m very surprised it was ever suggested let alone still being argued here on ESR that the oil cooler was an M-option on 73 RS base, M471 and 472. Very surprised at anyone would suggest it was an option that had to be requested when ordering a new 73 RS and that be billed as an “extra” like cooler on NA models, rather than being standard kit inclusive in the RS price! Unless significant evidence emerges to conclusively prove otherwise, I maintain that oil cooler equipment was standard equipment on 73 RS and even if an odd exception is found it does not doesn’t change my view.



Steve

[VintageExcellen]

I wonder what else I should post to encourage Steve to write another 1hr response. Just trying to sell an oil cooler system here, will fit any 73 911. Someone else is in a heated debate with himself ��

[911MRP]

I would suggest modifying the comment in the listing:

… For whatever reason Porsche made this system optional on S and RS cars…

… to something like … “For whatever reason Porsche made this system optional on 911S in USA and Canada for model year 73” [/QUOTE]
IMG_5499.jpg

Its is a more defendable statement than current wording — the last three words are not correct imo. Doing that doesn’t affect the sale. In fact it possibly opens up potential to include one more car that needs this equipment … the 73 RS that might still be without oil cooler!

Steve