thin sheet metal on 911 RS

[37yrold911]

Pelican bbs post

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=436083

[HughH]

attached is something that has been around for a while on various forums.
I picked it off DDK recently, but it relates to a 1982 UK Carrera RS Register (part of Porsche club of GB) document following a meeting with the factory at that time.

It shows what they say the factory suggests is the weight savings of the thinner panels. However note the comment at the bottom from the author of the newsletter.
Since then a lot more has been learned about these cars and a lot more information released by the factory including for the RS book

However i think this almost contemporary account is very interesting

[fourteenten]

I always thought that the normal steel had a thickness of 0.88 mm but same grade. Not 1-1.25 mm as mentioned in the PP thread. If you divide the weights form Hugh's table then you come pretty close to 0.88 mm.

Cees

[37yrold911]

.88? interesting - that wouldn't be much difference in stiffness

it should quite easy to measure though

[LongRanger]

I've heard/read somewhere about thinner sheet metal being used by Porsche for the homologation of the Carrera RS. As I recall, these 'light-weight' panels were used for fabrication of the 1st + 2nd series cars, to be replaced by 'standard' 911 pieces as the thinner-gauge bits ran out

This is the first documentation that I've come across to given specific figures on any weight differences

What's funny is . . . Porsche was offering 'light weight' RS quarter panels, not that long ago


Anyway . . .

Has anyone ever measured the metal thickness of any RS panels to confirm this?

Has anyone ever weighed an RS to find out the actual weight?

[WCB4]

Don't know about the weight savings or thickness. But the difference in price was enough to tighten my pocket so to speak. Just ordered a set of rear RS quarters. Price on the regular RS quarter was about $2,200 ea. The thin light weight quarter was up about $8,200ea, and yes I did fall off my Snap-on stool. I could not think that you would save more than 4-5 pounds of weight each. Dealership could not give me a shipping weight for the different Quarters. The dollar difference was enough for my decision.

[john rice]

There is a fair amount of information on previous threads here. I doubt you will find anyone that measured it, but it is quite obvious IF you own the particular car by simply pushing against the various panels. With the roof it is rather dramatic and makes a regular 911 seem like a Mercedes. BTW, the thinner panels have been found well past the stated cars. It's all here .. somewhere.
JR

[graemel]

I believe the 993GT2's or 911GT's used thinner guage steel throughout the shell.

[LongRanger]

. . . another thread . . .
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ighlight=stout




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