WTB: Air Bottle for 1973 RS Carrera 2.7

[jaudette3]

I have a customer who has a top of the world Porsche RS #1526 M472 Touring Edition RS. He's looking for an air bottle in great condition.

RS AIR BOTTLE.jpeg

I know this is the longest of long-shots but please let me know if you have one for sale or spot one.



Thanks,
John

[911MRP]

Even during the period original homolgaton 500 RS those example for export got a compressor not a filler-bottle. That switch of filler-bottle to 12v compressor tyre inflator happened Jan 73 about a week after production resumed following the Christmas New Year shutdown of 72/73.

I’d estimate very roughly 12v compressor were being used for export cars after 400 ish 73 RS were made . Bottle filler might of course be correct depending if threes were someting unusual about its delivery but with vin 1526 being a JV Italian car maybe filler-bottle would not be original authentic equipment to an example for export to that country? Vin 1526 was built towards the end of the RS run in summer 73 — probably during June 73 — that vin is actually quite near end of the third series by which time the examples being sold as 73 RS had reverted to essentially “productionized” in their specification and their build processes like the contemporary 73 TES.

I have the tyre inflator-bottle for my first-series RS that was built in calendar 1972 but it’s not for sale.

Steve

[preS]

Does he care about the date stamp?

Richard

[ibmiked]

My suggestion is to buy one with the appropriate date code and restore it. The stickers and box have been reproduced and it really is not hard. Here's one that I was lucky enough to buy from Rick that needed a little love to bring up to snuff.

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[911MRP]

Just curious …. why would date code on some filler bottle matter if RS 1526 built in summer 73 for Italy (country code JV ) probably wouldn’t have had such a compressed gas filler at new anyway? More likely a RS of that late third series if exported to Italy at first sale would’ve had a 12v tyre inflation compressor when new. Wouldn't putting an orphan in that particular car be an anachronism?

If striving for authenticity then perhaps a correct to spec (Webster BDW ) 12v compressor is more apt if aping equipment it likely had at new? There is devil in detail of these compressors but arguably less incongruous than red bottle in that particular chassis.

Also while probably not relevant to 1526 for the reason just explained my understanding is if ever used to inflate a tyre the empty red gas cylinders were returned as an “exchange-core” and simply swapped for a filled gas bottle from whatever cylinder was in dealer inventory. With the exchange system highly unlikely to find a “date match” item in a 73 RS unless I. Rare situation it happens to be an unused survivor item from an early first (roughly 400?) example built before second week Jan / non-export 73 RS? Not just date stamps, the details of bottles evolved.

Owners prerogative —perhaps doesn’t much care about such RS nuances or maybe was unaware of such documented small but important details in this regard ?

Steve

[69Sman]

1526 would NOT have come with an an 'AIR BOTTLE'. Not from factory anyway. At the VERY best, some of the very very early Series 2 cars would have...but that's it.

[ibmiked]

It's jewelry. Of course the owner wants one, it's easier to display the bottle than explain why his car doesn't have one. In researching my '74 Carrera I found this passage from Ryan Snodgrass's book particularly illustrative. He claims that in some markets Porsche was still including an air bottle into 1974.

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[911MRP]

I’ve checked my memory on this detail by looking it up …

In the Carrera RS book (second edition) by Gruber and Konradsheim it says: Jan 10 1973 “Export cars receive compressor instead of compressed air bottle” 1526 is an Italian market RS; not a German home market.

More fundamentally, the same RS respected reference whose authors had access to factory records says: “ April 9 1973. Compressor instead of compressed air bottle. (Homologation number achieved.)“

I have checked my first edition of the book published in early nineties and same comments are also printed there.

Perhaps some 2.7 G series (non export?) did continue have compressed air bottles per Snodgrass comment but that’s not the year or special edition model referred to in the original post. From April 9 73 the late Carrera RS were (other than perhaps a few) were not actually true homolgation examples. Evidently they didn’t have the red bottle!

For those reasons, I would not expect to see Italian RS as late as vin 1526 having one of the red compressed air bottles being supplied by factory — after all it’s unlikely to even be transitional months after this change is noted in such a well researched reference on the RS model specifically.

It’s owners prerogative to put whatever “jewellery” he likes into his car but doing doesn’t make it as factory did it in June 73.
Given the facts in the RS book isn't it is more pertinent to ask the owner to explain how and why he thinks a compressed air bottle should be displayed in 1526? Vin 1526 is almost 500 examples after homolgation was achieved and the compressor used for RS!

Perhaps owner doesn’t know and assumed is should have one? Be interesting to know if owner still wants to find a compressed air cylinder in knowledge that for 1526 it evidently wasn’t what the factory would have supplied to a third series RS made several months after homolgation; let alone an RS that was “exported” to Italy.

Being an accessory hardly a big issue but interesting what is thought factory correct for the 73 RS — things changed a lot on 911.744 over time. The third series RS typically didn’t comply to a number of the limited edition specification details necessary to get FIA group three or four certification even if they still looked superficially similar — some had revised rear suspension or engine case materials but were by then much more like regular series TES in details. No longer required for homolgaton all but perhaps a few essentially morphed to the 2.7S that sales and marketing had wanted. The then operational complexities and cost of complying to homolgaton spec went away. Understandably Porsche didn’t make mention externally that later RS dod not have all the special features although there are internal memos that make it clear they deliberately stopped .

Quite why these difference is not known and values adjusted accordingly is frankly bizarre given the countless words written about why RS is special model when quite a number from third series not longer complied with the many special tings the engineers sweated over that had made it a limited edition homologation special model . In that context of Porsche no longer bothering with the core weight saving features of RS such as thin gauge body panels, lack forged cross-member, the liberal use of heavy shutz throughout, no in transmission oil pump, etc etc on third series 911 SC of 73 the presence of a compressed gas (vs 12v inflator) that is an easily removed accessory is hardly a big deal even though the well researched references tell us it was longer used for export RS from 10 January 73?

Regarding finding the period appropriate 12v Compressor: I seem to recall that Snudgrass’ book about the later G series Carrera tries to clarify the evolution of the distinctive 12v compressor as used in that era and for sone years after. Having looked into it myself, the story is complicated by Webster of Canada were the initial supplier and then manufacture licensed to BDW in Germany for practical operational procurement and logistical efficiencies — particularly if accessories were used for vehicles made in Germany shipped to North America. The compressor wasn’t just an RS item. While the distinctive 12V compressor is probably what was supplied in Italian RS vin 1526 not all orphan Webster ( BDW) compressors that look superficially correct would be appropriate for a 73 RS. So if the owner is seeking to find an authentic 12v compressor in the form most likely supplied in model 73. Websters were even sold in chain stores in NA nothing to do with porsche, P+A or VW of America supply deals. The devil is in detail : Feet design on the plastic housing, stamps on the body, be part number stickers, shape of power plugs , Webster BDW branding, valve connector shape , etc etc evolved on these compressors. The incorrect detail on a Webster compressor accessory might look anachronistic in a 73 RS; however a red compressed air bottle is evidently not factory equipment for a third series RS.

Steve

[Concept42]

I want to thank everyone for the input as I did not know. Lots of great information. Since my car is #1526, as stated above, I would assume it did not come with the bottle but actually with the "beige" air compressor. I have been able to locate the proper "beige" air compressor for the car. I would ask does anyone know anyone who restores these air compressors? Thanks again.