ST Lightweight Chrome Horn Grills??

[t6dpilot]

I saw an ebay listing selling a NOS plastic chrome horn grill for an ST, which got me wondering... Is that for real or just BS? The listing clearly shows a P/N, but not being an ST expert by any stretch, I sure as hell wouldn't know.

I was putzing around with my T and my plastic chrome horn grills came to mind again. These are in really great shape and I got to wondering, I have not seen repop plastic horn grills. When I first got the car, I just assumed that they were cheap plastic repops, but the ones I have seen are metal. The other thing that got me to wondering is that these were replaced on the car back in 1975 and have been on it ever since. Could these be real ST horn grills...? Yeah right.

Can anyone shed some light on this question? Thanks.

[C.Plavan]

I'm pretty sure it's a bunch of BS. My horn grills are chrome plastic on my race car.

[mjmoran]

Sounds like the "uber rare 911'Ss' bumper plugs" I saw earlier. They were being sold for $75/each and are in the stoddard catalog for .50. Performance and others sell the plastic horn repros all day long...

[t6dpilot]

Yep, thought it was BS. Just thought I would post the question to see what you guys thought. Doancha just love what this market is doing to our little hobby?

[a911s]

1972 911s (at least the early ones) came from the factory with chromed plastic horn grills. I'm sure some STs also had them, as it was probably one of Piech's lightweight idea. Originals are somewhat rare, as earlier LWB grilles were chromed metal and '73s were black plastic.

[Harvey Weidman]

Scott,
I have been asked this question since they were introduced. The metal grills were replaced with plastic sometime in 72 as I recall (in spare parts not on cars). When I inquired to Porsche replacement parts division they informed me that they went to plastic because of the problems with the chrome on the metal ones and all part numbers would be eventuly changed over. (most black are plastic) Some slow selling part numbers did not make the change over, but most did. In other words the plastic are production parts introduced much later than the ST. Sorry
H

[kenikh]

Aw, c'mon, I wanted to sell mine for $1000.

[72targa]

My '72 has plastic...

[t6dpilot]

Interesting information Harvey, thanks. My 69 hotrod actually has metal black ones (they do not look painted over the chrome), the 71T has the plastic chrome, the 73.5T has black plastic. I recently purchased a set of OEM chrome metal grills that were purchased new at Stoddard in 1980 or something like that. Did the factory go back to metal grills eventually?