Anyone ever heard of a '72 model like this before ?...

[andyjboy]

I am currently awaiting the answers to some questions & some additional photos - however, I'm still confused by the fact that the EPA sticker on the driver's door jamb has the Mar '71 date along with the '72 model VIN:

[Allen Henderson]

Other than a one-off-perhaps a "non-documented" prototype that the "Kardex" would document or it might be a RR 1/4 panel replacment. Here is the link to the seller's site

http://home.att.net/~porsche_for_sale/72sporto/

-Allen- Again, not my car!

PS This car has been for sale for months and months. IMHO it is the Sproto that keeps it from being sold at the asking price OBO

[Porsche]

Ain't nothing wrong with a Sporto.

[mschnittker]

The car was mine. I just saw this thread today 3 April 2007. Would have been nice if somebody had emailed me with questions or asked me to comment on this forum. My email was in all my ads for the car on PCA,
Pelican, here, elsewhere. Would have gladly provided any and all info. My web page had dozens of pictures, total detail, all serial numbers, everything you might want to know that I could think of. Complete and total candor is my watchword, the cars are what they are, this audience is completely knowledgable. I never put it on Ebay because I didn't want some kid to buy it who might not read what I wrote and think it was something he could blast around in without putting some work into it.

It's now in England, bought by a restoration shop for a French customer who likes the steering wheel in the proper position. I got what I had in it out of it, except for my labor pulling the motor three times fighting a leaking Sporto oil pump - a learning experience.

I believe it is a 1972 car and believe it is the 11th one built when they decided to change the VIN from the 1971 VIN's to the 1972 VIN's. Don't know when they did that, maybe somebody who has a 1972T can provide their VIN and build date for us? A hand full of data points might give us some insight as to when 71 became 72.

I think they had some no oil lid fenders and lock posts left over on whatever day they decided to go with a 72 VIN and just used them up until they were gone. Waste not, want not. The Factory never gave a bunny's tail about model years and all that, they were in the business of making cars for profit and good German work practice would not have allowed anything to go to waste.

Late in 2006 a potential buyer paid for a PPI by the best shop in the DC area. I've mentioned them before on various forum/s and they didn't like it so I won't here but they are the best, specialize in 356 restorations, Washington DC area.

Results? No rust on the bottom, perfect pan, perfect rockers, rust lower windshield, top of one door, no sign of any collision damage to front or to passenger or driver rear, no front clips, smooth as a baby's butt on both sides when you run your hand under the edge of the rear fender where it is spotwelded to the side of the engine bay, where the lid closes, no sign the panel with door latch that would have had a button to open the oil lid had been replaced, etc. They believed it had come that way from the factory. They were not shocked it had a 72 VIN, remember - they work on 356's a lot, no rules with those which were literally hand made. Motor tested fine, very good compression in all cylinders.

The VIN was definitely a 72. Motor s/n was about mid-72 production but definitely 72. The 400th or something like that, can't remember. I have no reason to think it was not original but can't prove it for sure, would need a COA. Again, the Factory did what they wanted to, remember the motor for a Sporto is a different model, has a different type number on the case, you can't just put any motor in with a Sporto, there is a whole different intake manifold on one side, the vacuum tank, a big solenoid that routes vacuum to the Sporto clutch when you touch the shifter (and I do mean "touch"). The oil pump for the sporto is driven by the camshaft on driver's side, whole different sheet metal back there, different oil tank, etc. They were probably mated as a unit, engine and transmission and then installed as a unit to chassis with the Sporto wiring, shifter and pedals installed. Maybe number 11 was special ordered as a Sporto and there were no engine/trans combos ready? Maybe had to wait a while until some were put together?

It had not been driven much and had a lot of stuff overdue like brakes and interior and of course paint but I drove it over 500 miles while I owned it. The Sporto worked ok but was moody, didn't want to work until warmed up a few minutes (when below freezing outside), really fun to drive once the weirdness wore off, you could put it in "second" and go from stop to 55 mph or so with no effort at all. Sort of a out of body 911 experience, no little stops and starts like with a 4 or 5 speed, like an electric car. Did have a tendency to run a little hot, at least hotter than any early 911 I've ever driven. No oil cooler in the front that I ever saw and I'm pretty sure it didn't have S front brakes. Had at least three coats of paint, original color was a special order I think, a pink red, never could decode the paint plate, I asked on Pelican, nobody could figure it out. My theory was it was bought for a wife and she picked the color based on a lipstick or something, maybe she was a mistress used to getting her own way. I have over a hundred digital pictures if somebody wants to have them for research or something. I didn't get a COA since I'd heard they take 6 months or more and didn't think I'd have her that long. Any questions welcome.

[Intheshop]

Intersting story, thanks for sharing the info. I know what you mean about the factory and inconsistent parts. I am the third owner of my 1971 911 -- it was manufactured in April 1971, but it came from the factory with the rectangle rear view mirror (i have a photo of the car with the original owner). It has a black engine grill (from factory) and a few other minor things that seem to not be consistent with being a 1971. It's a good lesson not to draw the lines too sharply between model years.

[Porsche]

Transitional models are interesting - I have a 68 S produced in late 67 that has 67 type features like the 356 type headrests.

[nick-moss]

I am the new owner of this car, but it hasn't arrived with me yet. I have a contact with the factory doing some investigation on the VIN and the colour and will report as soon as I have more info.

[boxster03]

I would love to hear more about this "contact" at the factory that can get this kind of information. getting this kind of information from Porsche in the past from any contacts in any country to date has failed to yield these kind of specifics or Porsche's desire to release them. (short of being an x works racer or Jerry S. perhaps)

[nick-moss]

I have now had the car up on the ramp and it is completely original underneath, with all the sealer intact and the originla Fraise paint showing everywhere. There is no sign of any accident damage or rust anywhere underneath. The VIN stamping shows no sign of being changed. From my conatct with the factory:

"as far as I could find out there was nothing too special about this car. Yes, the colour was fraise. It was an original US car without any interesting options and there are no hints that the car originally did not have the oil filler on the right rear wing"

The right rear inner wing shows no sign of ever having had an oil tank fitted and the B pillars look original





The parcel shelf is the 71 style with the thin longitudinal ribbing.
The rear damper cross member is the 71 style with the horizontal flange (the 72 has a vertical flange)
The right rear inner wing is the 71 style and has no holes for the 72 oil fittings etc.
The rear chassis rails are the 71 style, not the 72/73 style, they have the tube on the right side of the engine bay for the hot air supply to the air cleaner and flat faces where athe a/r bar mounts are.
The rear seat pans are the 72/3 style for the wider 915 gearbox.

The engine number is 6129021, type 911/61 with 3R cases, which is the 72 T USA sporto with MFI.

The build number is 102 0001, which makes it the first 72 model built doesn't it?

[911scfanatic]

Curious, does it have the '71-style parking brake?