Need rear glass expert on '87½ - '89 coupes

[Bob Prosser]

Hey friends. I need help, please, from someone with rear glass experience on years 1987½ to 1989 coupes (3.2 Carrera and 930 Turbo).

We're doing full bare metal repaint on a 1988, with all body parts off and using new rubber/seals on reassembly. When it came time to replace the rear window, we find that the black aluminum trim will not lay flat in the corner's radii.

Looking closer, I discovered that the original rear window trim (which had been there since the car was new) was plastic, not aluminum. Investigating this with the help of my Porsche dealer (checking the VIN), we learned that there was a change in about mid-1987. Yup -- from that date until the end of the series in 1989, the rear window trim on coupe bodies changed to plastic (with its own part number) and there was a change in the shape of the barb that goes into the rubber seal as well:

• The black aluminum trim (PN# 911-545-911-00-70K and 911-545-912-00-70K) has a J-hook barb.
• The black plastic trim that I need (PN# 911-545-811-00-70K and 911-545-812-00-70K) has an arrow shaped barb (see the photo and pages from PET catalog below).

Oddly, the front trim does not change.

I cannot find this trim in stock anywhere — new or "new old stock." The parts houses tell me to use the aluminum trim (it supersedes the plastic part in their books) but my window guy has tried and tried to get the aluminum trim to lay down flat and it simply will not. Now I am in contact with Porsche's Classic Department in Germany to see what they suggest. If anything at all.

Any ideas? If so, it’d be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a million.
Bob

[ertech]

89 does not have a trim.

[Alan L]

I don't know about your plastic trim issue - but have done a few windscreen installs with the aluminium trim. There may be some guys with some professional expertise who may chip in, but here is my $0.02c worth. The Al trim is easily distorted on extraction. Then it looks like it will never go back properly. But it will if you pre arrange it back to the proper contour. More easily said than done. It takes patience and a good eye to see where to bend it, and getting the curve right instead of sharp tweeks is important to get it to lay right so the rubber pulls in like it is supposed to(be prepared to spend an hour or two). A PITA job, but it can be done.
regards
Alan

[Bob Prosser]

ertech: Ok, I know for a fact some 1989 930 Turbo / 3.2 911 coupes have rear window trim. There was probably another mid-year change in '89.


Alan L: thank you for your input.

[pkabush]

Perhaps you need to get the older style rubber gasket that will accept the aluminum trim since the plastic is NLA.

[Bob Prosser]

Originally Posted by pkabush

Perhaps you need to get the older style rubber gasket that will accept the aluminum trim since the plastic is NLA.

Thanks, and yes that is what it looks like I am going to have to do if I cannot find that plastic trim. I know replacing the rubber is a LOT of careful work with all the wiring etc. that has to be accommodated.

[zakthor]

I got to spend some quality time with an old-timer glass guy while he did windshield on my 80s land cruiser. I waited and talked with him for the 3 hours it took. He had lots of stories of cars which were simply awful to work on: old Ferraris, bmw and alfa.

I asked him the worst glass job, he said something about an old saab sonnet, and the land cruiser windshield was up there, but he settled on the rear window into 911s as being the biggest b***h there ever was. He said the trim is super fragile, the glass sits quite deep and the glass doesn't always match the hole. He said you need to get the glass laying without stress or it will eventually crack so it often took him 2 or 3 tries and sometimes they needed to grind down the edges.

This is just hearsay but he sure did a fabulous job on the land cruiser.

[Alan L]

I had a glass shop try and install my 911 windscreen using a plastic strip insert since they couldn't get the aluminium one to sit right.
My windscreen started to detach itself 20 miles into a 300 mile trip.
I ended up salvaging the original strip and refitting it myself.
Alan

[ertech]

You are probably right my car is a May 89 and have no trim in back and has the 964 windshield

ertech: Ok, I know for a fact some 1989 930 Turbo / 3.2 911 coupes have rear window trim. There was probably another mid-year change in '89.





Alan L: thank you for your input.