Aluminum Deck Lid Trivia?

[Jeff Trask]

1969 Porsche 911S trivia question for current and past owners?

Was a aluminum rear deck lit standard on all 1969 911S? If so was it available if the car was ordered with a rear wiper of A/C (do to the fact that the rear deck would have to be strong enough to support the additional weight)?
What year was the aluminum rear deck lid standard on 911S

[kenikh]

Standard, no, but rumor suggest they could be had.

[Baron]

Aluminum was standard in '70 and some say '71. I'm told that it could be ordered as late as '72 until supply ran out. Somewhere on this site, there is an earlier thread discussing this.

I'm also told (by Jashford...I think?) that it is not strong enough to support a wiper assembly. If you have ever shaken or wiggled one that is hinged on the car .......... they are really flimsy

Have a Merry Christmas Jeff, I hope you find one under the tree!

[gulf908]

In previous times my UK delivered car had a rear wiper on its alu rear lid(now deceased at some past time).
In fact,ALL UK delivered 2.2 E and S models had the rear wiper (and electric windows) as standard whether they had an alu lid or not.
However I can't see the alu lid supporting the a/c unit at all !
HTH

Cheers,
Dennis.

[a911s]

Aluminum deck lid equipped 911s even had a different part numbered rear lid shock that was less "strong" in it's resistance!

[schmidt]

Standard from 69-71 on most coupes. I only base my conclusions over the last nearly twenty years on perfect original unrestored cars with ZERO paint work, and I have taken note on each one. In nearly every case you will find the aluminum deck lid. The lids are fragile and suffered from damage and were likely thus replaced with steel. The rear wiper was not an issue with the alloy lid nor was the A/C, my A/C 71S has the best shape alloy lid I have owned. In nearly every case of "my car doesn't have one" or "my car has one" the car never has original paint (even thought the owner cant tell the difference) and/or little documented ownership history with interviews of every owner, so I throw those cases out the window along with "my car had a CD player, a special 2.5 liter 400hp engine with limited slip from the factory". You have to adopt a standard with ZERO compromise on authenticity. If I see a 69-71 S coupe with no alloy lid, my response is that it is missing. If you dont agree than show me that the car is 100% original paint with full ownership documentation with past owner interviews. If you cant than I will show you the factory manuals and several example of the standard. The standard in my opinion on nearly all 69-71 S coupes is alloy, so if you dont have one, then get one.......besides any guy with a 69-71 S coupe with no alloy lid will only make excuses..... until he is naked in the shower alone wishing he had one.....that is the acid test to the standard.

[andyjboy]

"I'm told that it could be ordered as late as '72 until supply ran out"

Aluminium engine lids were certainly still available in June 1973 - I bought the original aluminium engine lid (still in the original Factory Lilac paint in pristine condition) from RS #1576 (which was supplied to its first UK owner with the ducktail-delete option) a couple of years ago.

This engine lid came with a rear wiper.

[Paul Schooley]

Crap...I AM standing naked in my shower wishing I had one for my R hinges!!! Thanks Herr Schmidt....thanks a lot.

[boxster03]

Was there ever any mention of the alumn. deck lids in S owner's manuals? Perhaps something re special closing care?

What about the lic. plate panel, did that go hand in hand with lid or could the car have one or the other?

[schmidt]

That is correct alloy lids could be ordered decades later as a spare part until gone. No special mention of alloy lids anywhere except in the body section of the service manuals stating "Beginning with the 1972 model year, 911S models will no longer be supplied with an aluminum engine lid and rear license panel". The alloy lid was never an "option" one could order and no exclusion of the lid was made with a rear wiper or A/C. The reason for this statement is that the parts manuals carry from year to year and are updated. This section was missed in all 72 and 72-73 parts manuals so special mention was made. Having said that I have seen a couple 72-73 cars with alloy lids, one was a targa all original paint no stories with ownership history, strange but true. The lids appeared to stop being used in later 71 model year production around the same time that the 71 cars began showing up with flat spoke 72 style wheels and flag mirrors, yes that is right, flat spokes and a flag mirror on a 71???? The production of the 15" flat spoke began in 3-71 so many late production cars are found with the flat wheels and the flag mirror that was in use prior to the actually introduction of the flag mirror on 1972 cars. On more than one occasion I have seen restoration projects on going on 1971 cars with the owner "looking" for deep 6" wheels. I would look at the 5 matching wheels that "came" with the car only to find that the production date of the wheels pre dated the car by about a month....those were the original wheels on the car. When I discovered this I brought it up to Wiedman and he agreed, he saw the same thing when the cars where new, flat spokes on late 1971 cars. Oh and Andy, we are not talking RS cars here, that is a different subject with lids all together. As for alloy license panels, I have seen a number of those are E cars with no alloy lid strangely enough.