Horn grill and trim color

[Intheshop]

Good day. I am a third owner of a 1971 T with some S options, very stock. My question regards the factory color of the horn grills, trim on the turn lenses and the engine grill. Mine are black (body is gold metallic). I think they came stock black, but I understand prevailing view is Porsche did not switch to black until 1973. I wondered if any one else has black grills on a pre-1973 911? I want to be stock at all costs, so I will buy chrome ones if needed (between the grills and lenses it will be $500 to switch). I know the second owner (he owned it 1977-1987) and he says they were black when he got it. So if they were changed by the first owner, it had to be in the first few years of the car's life. Is there no exception out there of pre-'73 cars coming stock with black grills and trim? Thanks for any guidance.

[pwd72s]

All I can say is what's on my car, made in July of '72. The horn grilles are chrome. The original turn signal and tail light lenses, which I still have, are chrome trim. I went the euro colors & black trim on those, simply because I thought it looked better with my dark green paint.

[fryardds]

Yep,

Silver horn grill for '72 and black for '73, both plastic, but silver metal in '71. Rear lid grill is 5 bar silver style for '70-71 and then black anodized for '72 and 73. The turn signal lense with chrome trim was from '69 to '72 then black in '73.

[Intheshop]

Thanks for the responses -- that is what I had read and heard before... it is a bit disappointing, as I like the black grills and trim and would rather spend the money elsewhere, but feel strongly it should be stock. So the first owner must have changed it in the mid-70s -- probably to look hip or something.

[RandyWebb]

"Silver horn grill for '72 ... both plastic"

plastic silver grills in '72 ??

[fryardds]

Randy,

That is what Brett Johnson writes in his 911 restoration guide. I wonder about that also.

"By 1972 the grilles had become vacuum-metal plated plastic, then in 1973 they became black plastic. The grille listed for cars with fog or driving lights bore the same part number as the earlier metal version, and no black version was mentioned."

[Tom F.]

If you decide to change, then I would be interested in purchasing your black rimmed lenses, if they are US Market and in excellent condition.

[hdavis]

My horn grills were balck when I got the car, and also wanted to go silver.

Before you buy a new set, try piant remover and then polishing them. That`s what I did, with very good results. An added bonus is that the paint had protected the chrome very well and they were not at all pitted.

Good luck

[72targa]

My '72 has chrome plastic.

[911scfanatic]

My '72 has chrome metal grills. I also have a parking brake assembly that is the same as a '71 which, to the best of my forensic abilities, appears to be original to the car. (This also was a '72 part change). I have #62 built very early in the '71 calendar year. My assumption is that the earlier parts were still being used up at the time my car was made, which I understand to be very common practice at the Porsche factory. I don't think any blanket statements can really be made.