FS: Porsche 911RS steering wheel

[Porscheaddic]

Up for sale is this very rare 1970 Porsche 911RS leather steering wheel. Factory numbers are 914.347.806.10 date code 4/70. Asking $1,200 OBO.

Thanks,
Vince 760-600-6297

[mepstein]

Looks like a stock 914-6 wheel. Why would you call it an RS wheel?

[911MRP]

It could indeed been from from a 914/6 wheel or a wheel once used on an early model year 73 RS. Earliest model 73 Carrera but example built in calendar 72 used up dead stock 806.10 wheels left over from the defunct 914/6. Hence the x70 date and other part and maker marks. Soon after the calendar new year 1973 we begin to see 914.347.806.10 but with x/73 date stamps on model year RS. After fugally using up the roughly 300 or so examples of the smaller 914/6 leftover wheel inventory for the limited edition RS it seems Porsche commissioned new production run the 806.10 wheels specifically for the remainder of the 500 73 RS. Cars from around January dates no longer have x70 t2+ lead time — they begin to have more typical lead time with respect to the build date of car. The earliest RS model also got a unique plastic horn push to save weight but these proved fragile from new so on Feb 73 Porsche reverted to the series metal horn push for the RS even though they hadn’t completed homolgation. I suspect they just had some Latin ones to use when car being weighed and swapped them for the more robust production metal ones but I don’t know e they for sure. There is a weight saving. Somone here has weighed both and posted a picture. Despite being fragile and prone to breaking when almost new. Somewhat remarkably a few fifty year old RS to this day still have their 914.347.806.10 with x70 date stamp together with their fragile plastic horn push intact. For folks who are students of the finer points of 73 RS model it one those little (earliest) 73 specification /authenticity quirky details. I was told about it many years ago by the old guard when such knowledge of RS passed word of mouth long before internet and before the Carrera RS book. It was according to my cognifwnto mentors one of the many small detail to lookout for when seeking to buy an early build RS — fortunately my calendar 72 built example had (and still has) its 806.10 x70 date along with plastic horn push. The correct homologation RS combination ideally should still be bolted to it.

The wheel offered by OP being an orphan wheel is without horn push or car makes hard to be sure — is it from 914/6 or a dead stock 914/6 as used on first roughly 300 hundred 500er up to around January 73. Either would seem plausible. If had been bolted to 73 built RS with plastic horn push then little doubt . The use of plastic horn push just one is the many things that show the attention to achieve weight saving detail on the true homolgation spec 500er chassis — among the details not understood or appreciated. It might have only saved a few grammes only but despite being under time pressure to bold 500 examples Porsche engineers and racers who were running the 911.744 programme for 911.744 went the bother of specifying and sourcing the plastic horn push and fitting them to the deadstock 806.10 30mm wheels with the x70 stamp. Details mattered then so they should still do.

Steve

*Edit: I found “moito’s” post with
pictures of the horn push weight comparison. So with acknowledgements to “moito” I repost his photos from
Since they are already elsewhere on the forum to here for ease of comparison.
IMG_1660.jpeg
IMG_1659.jpeg
If I read it right delta is a bit above 400g weight saving when moito weighed an original rare RS plastic horn push vs the regualr series metal. Doesn’t seem like a lot of weight but with the homologation paper giving 900kg then approaching half a kilo difference just for a horn push was deemed worthwhile to go after — at least until it proved weak . I don’t know but I’d guess even after 9 February change to metal the factory might had a few plastic ones to put the early RS when each was sent to the independent scales for certification — then they swapped to metal as part of conversion to M471, M472.

[stretch]

Steve. i would love to see a picture of your car. I have heard so much about it but have never seen it in person. Is it road worthy. ? it would make my Christmas to see a shot of the car.

Seasons Greetings.
Dave

[nickd]

it could indeed been from from a 914/6 wheel or a wheel once used on an early model year 73 rs. Earliest model 73 carrera but example built in calendar 72 used up dead stock 806.10 wheels left over from the defunct 914/6. Hence the x70 date and other part and maker marks. Soon after the calendar new year 1973 we begin to see 914.347.806.10 but with x/73 date stamps on model year rs. After fugally using up the roughly 300 or so examples of the smaller 914/6 leftover wheel inventory for the limited edition rs it seems porsche commissioned new production run the 806.10 wheels specifically for the remainder of the 500 73 rs. Cars from around january dates no longer have x70 t2+ lead time — they begin to have more typical lead time with respect to the build date of car. The earliest rs model also got a unique plastic horn push to save weight but these proved fragile from new so on feb 73 porsche reverted to the series metal horn push for the rs even though they hadn’t completed homolgation. I suspect they just had some latin ones to use when car being weighed and swapped them for the more robust production metal ones but i don’t know e they for sure. There is a weight saving. Somone here has weighed both and posted a picture. Despite being fragile and prone to breaking when almost new. Somewhat remarkably a few fifty year old rs to this day still have their 914.347.806.10 with x70 date stamp together with their fragile plastic horn push intact. For folks who are students of the finer points of 73 rs model it one those little (earliest) 73 specification /authenticity quirky details. I was told about it many years ago by the old guard when such knowledge of rs passed word of mouth long before internet and before the carrera rs book. It was according to my cognifwnto mentors one of the many small detail to lookout for when seeking to buy an early build rs — fortunately my calendar 72 built example had (and still has) its 806.10 x70 date along with plastic horn push. The correct homologation rs combination ideally should still be bolted to it.

The wheel offered by op being an orphan wheel is without horn push or car makes hard to be sure — is it from 914/6 or a dead stock 914/6 as used on first roughly 300 hundred 500er up to around january 73. Either would seem plausible. If had been bolted to 73 built rs with plastic horn push then little doubt . The use of plastic horn push just one is the many things that show the attention to achieve weight saving detail on the true homolgation spec 500er chassis — among the details not understood or appreciated. It might have only saved a few grammes only but despite being under time pressure to bold 500 examples porsche engineers and racers who were running the 911.744 programme for 911.744 went the bother of specifying and sourcing the plastic horn push and fitting them to the deadstock 806.10 30mm wheels with the x70 stamp. Details mattered then so they should still do.

Steve

*edit: I found “moito’s” post with
pictures of the horn push weight comparison. So with acknowledgements to “moito” i repost his photos from
since they are already elsewhere on the forum to here for ease of comparison.
IMG_1660.jpeg
IMG_1659.jpeg
if i read it right delta is a bit above 400g weight saving when moito weighed an original rare rs plastic horn push vs the regualr series metal. Doesn’t seem like a lot of weight but with the homologation paper giving 900kg then approaching half a kilo difference just for a horn push was deemed worthwhile to go after — at least until it proved weak . I don’t know but i’d guess even after 9 february change to metal the factory might had a few plastic ones to put the early rs when each was sent to the independent scales for certification — then they swapped to metal as part of conversion to m471, m472.

its mind blowing when you have one of each horn push in your hands to feel the weight difference - ps another early rs owner with plastic horn push that's survived pretty well

[911MRP]

Perhaps they made the plastic stronger for rhd RS Nick?

I don’t know when stop fitting x70 dated 806.10 wheel to early RS ( ie the deadstock from 914/6 ran out) but pretty sure mine has its original wheel and and car is certainty a 72 calendar year build as I have its fahzeug-auftrag which give the completion to the exact day. I have hear reports of 1/73 806.10 wheel on first 500 RS from former owner I trust who said was original — it had a plastic horn push. Albeit broken repaired it was there. That’s why I they ran out of the 70 stamped wheels early on calendar 73 before end of the original 500er series.

Seems to be one stamped 12/72 exits as sold by Cees:
This is the only 12/72 806.10 I’ve seen but it is an orphan so provenance unknown I suppose :
IMG_1668.jpeg
https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...el-dated-12-72

The factory must’ve decided to continue with the 806.10 specifically for Carrera 2,7 — per the part number in 72/73 spare parts book hard copy
IMG_1669.jpg
The 914/6 model was finished in model lineup by 1972 so likely any 806.10 wheel batches with x73 date stamp unlikely it was being made new for one of them? The RS was unexpectedly a strong seller and over 1000 more than 500 planned were made so needed 806.10 wheels as shown in the paper 911 72/73 911 spare parts book — quantity 1 for in Carrera 2,7 column.

The factory could’ve of course have found other similar suitable 914.347……380mm diameter wheels in 72 or 73 instead of the part number 806,10 ( we see plenty of 380mm 914 orphan wheels claiming to be RS offered here with different part numbers that aren’t the real deal). the existence of at least one 806.10 with 12/72 date and others with 1/73 suggests the factory ordered a new batches that part number for those RS.

We are told by the factory the last chassis made in calendar 1972 on 31 December 72 was RS 0319:
IMG_6787.jpg

With lead time from supplier’s production of any wheel stamped 12/72 to being lineside for fittment it seems likely the new batch was first used during assembly of RS in January 73 Phased after vin 320 — I don’t know but my best guess would be first used roughly 350-400 vin range? We know the RS with vin 451 was completed mid January 1973. Probably the change to new batches was not a clear cutoff point since RS were not assembled in strict vin sequence and no doubt there would be an overlap as x/70 date stamped work in progress inventory of the deadstock 806.10 were consumed and any new batches of 806.10 with 12/72 or 1/73 superseded them. I’ve seen a number of 1/73 stamped 806.10 so perhaps more made in that batch?

In summary: my working assumption is there were probably about 300 x/70 deadstock leftover when 914/6 was killed and these almost three year old parts were available so used for the first 300 RS examples or so. Porsche frugal ways until the x/70 deadstock 806.10 finally ran out. Thereafter newly commissioned batches of 806.10 were made with 12/73, 1/73 and subsequently other x73 dates, uniquely to be used in RS in 1973. This is based on fairly limited evidence and my observations. So it would be interesting to see if other 806.10 wheel examples emerge here (preferably not orphan of uncertain provenance ) — better if examples shared are still bolted to a genuine RS together with the unique to RS plastic horn push as further corroboration of it being the original fitment.

Steve

[mepstein]

So, in summary, we know it was a 914-6 wheel and it could possibly be an RS wheel but have no proof. Right?

[911MRP]

So, in summary, we know it was a 914-6 wheel and it could possibly be an RS wheel but have no proof. Right?

Balance of probability 914/6 with over 3000 914/6 built ( I’ve read that 2668 built in 1970, and 434 built in 1971) but it could be from an RS if you add the word “early” before “RS”

Also if wheel is in USA with half 914/6 sold there when 73 RS not being sold there officially ( although a number have been imported since ) rather suggests it is more likely from a 914/6.

Pretty sure it’s not a RS wheel that came from an example built after first 500er series RS for reason explained.

[Porscheaddic]

Wow! Thank you guy's for taking the time to write up such detailed information regarding these rare Porsche steering wheels. A few years ago I purchased a decent size inventory of vintage 911 parts owned by a gentleman who passed away. Based on the inventory of early Porsche race parts along with the steering wheel information, I believe this wheel is an original RS wheel. I have since sold all the Porsche vintage parts with the exception of this wheel. Any information to help confirm the wheels origin would be great. Sorry for the late response, I was not notified of the replies.

[Porscheaddic]

Bump now $800