Carrera engine/sound cover?? Remove for concourse or not? pics inside

[Diamond911]

My 1988 Carrera came standard with a plastic cover under the engine as shown in the photo below. I have been told it's for sound reduction but not sure if that's the case?

Question - going to clean up the car and enter in a car show/concourse for fun. Originality is a criteria obviously. Should this remain on the car for a concourse or remove given it came original? I suspect it should stay.

Lots of cleaning up to do as the car has been driven a lot over the last 9 months (which is what it's for!!).

So in summary - what is it and should it stay for concourse?

thanks

[robert walsh]

In my opinoin leave it original if concourse is your is the goal, if not it makes little sense, unless a truly concourse original porsche is your objective. It all depends on milage on the car car and paint , interior etc. Nice looking 911 from underneath, keep it that way. If you keep it concourse then stay the course. An '88 isn't worth any more or less than the person buying it. Unless it's your goal to make it concourse. Best of luck, it looks great.

[the]

That is weird! Never seen one of those before. They didn't come on US cars.

[Diamond911]

Thanks Robert.

Should look OK once it's all cleaned up and degreased. Pretty dirty at the moment so a lot of work to do.

My goal is just to keep the car original and unmodified. Not necessarily concourse just nice and original and drive it and enjoy it as it is.

I've entered the concourse for the first time as a good excuse to clean my baby up and give it a birthday.

Another story I heard on this engine cover is that it was for the colder climates in Europe to retain heat in the engine (not sure on the truth of this one). Mine is an Australian delivered car so the cold is not a issue over hear!

I'll leave it on as I originally thought but would be interested in a definitive answer on what it is for.

thanks

[tchanson]

Originally Posted by the

That is weird! Never seen one of those before. They didn't come on US cars.

Agreed. That almost seems like a shipping package. I've never seen that on a 3.2.

What does that thing do to running temps?




Tim

[SteveinTO]

At the risk of exposing my inexperience, I'm really curious if someone knows what that apparatus is. Splash guard for the frozen north? Air ducting?

And the big aluminum looking u-tube strapped to the muffler. What is that, part of the turbo mechanism?

[Diamond911]

Running temps are perfectly normal to the best of my knowledge. Once fully warm the temp needle is around horizontal just below the middle mark on the gauge.

Standard 3.2 normally aspirated non-turbo unmodified.

[Hugh R]

Never seen such a thing, whatever you do, don't throw it away!

[Diamond911]

Definitely not throwing it away. Will be leaving it on there unless someone can point out a very good reason why it should come off.

[the]

It is an odd piece, for sure.

My total guess is that it was made for some countries that had strict noise regulations.

I would also guess that other than sound reduction, there is no good reason for it. It certainly can't *help* engine and cylinder head temps. I'd take it off, the engine wasn't designed for that in mind, and the factory doesn't run that in most of the world markets.

[efhughes3]

Maybe it was an Aussie requirement at one point? I've never seen one either. If I ran in a hot climate, I'd ditch it-it sure seems to me that it would indeed effect engine temps.

[TRE Cup]

sound reduction was (is) an important goal by the TUV in Germany. Porsche experimented with different panels on the motors when testing
its the first time i see this mod and did not realize they had implemented it as early as 88. As an interesting talking point, its kinda cool to see it on the car.BUT personally I would not run it on my car (unless I lived in the Alps and drove my car in winter!)

Get a copy of the rules and read them carefully. You may be entering in a "wash and shine" category that does not look at the underside with the scrutiny the top side gets. Concours competition can be really brutal, depending on the club. Its a great way to get your car REALLY REALLY clean- remember to Q tip the inside of the exterior door handles (behind the small paddle levers) as they check to make sure the grease there is clean and correct !

[Diamond911]

I entered the concourse section not the wash 'n' shine. Rules as provided to me.....

"CONCOURS -
This is open to all entrants and is the serious end of the competition.
There are three main areas of judging: interior, exterior and the underside of the vehicle.
Each judge is responsible for completing two pages of the six page judging sheet.
These pages are further broken down to preparation and originality. For example, there may be 10 points available for the carpets, 6 points for cleanliness and 4 points for originality. If there are aftermarket carpets it will loose 4 points for non-originality.
Judges responsibilities are broken down to specialising in either interior/exterior or underbody. Finally tallying is undertaken by a third impartial party and once reconciled the appropriate categories are implemented."

Thanks for the grease tip regarding the inside of the door handles. Man, this is getting serious!

[TRE Cup]

Underside too! oh boy ,, it is SERIOUS
for the manhattan competition with PCA (the overall trophy at their yearly parade) we experienced a full concours for the first time ever with what we thought was a very clean 77 turbo
ouch! besides the originality, as the rules state, cleanliness in unreal.
Some tips (where we never knew they would look) :
1) Pull up the rubber smile with your hands, wedge a couple of towel wrapped sticks to hold it up. And get it clean- no dressing as that a) did not come on the car to begin with b) attracts dust
2) With the car up in the air, turn the wheels lock to lock so the bellows on the steering rack are clean, clean , clean- of course you will have to remove the cover pan (which you will detail out as well)
3) pull the wiring loose from the bend over cable holders. Carefully note how it was arranged before you do so. Clean all the cables/ wires, clean the holders, and so forth
4) the rear bumper extension support tubes- they end in the engine compartment, are hollow and have large nuts holding them in place. Get a thin long stick with cloth and clean them out
I could go on and on, but in general- if you can get a set of long fingers wrapped in a white glove or holding a Q tip to access anything in the car and it comes out dirty- you have work to do. This is the extent full concours judges can go to to find the best of the best.

The local guy that won the manhattan at the PCA Parade in San Diego this year, with a 930 turbo, spent over a year with a professional concours detailer in preparation for that event. And it was still 4-6 points shy of perfect ( feeble memory- but you get the message)

Lots of disassembly will be required for ultimate preparation. Just don't get stupid with details like aligning bolt heads in the same direction, setting all four wheels on the lawn with valve stems in same position, tire imprints in same location, syncronized lug nut positions: That is TOO much type A activity!!!

Have fun

[Diamond911]

Holy smokes Batman!! Something tells me I won't be taking it this seriously.

Thanks for all of the tips. I'll see how I go.

cheers,

[PeterRT]

That cover is original for Swiss and Australian G50 Carreras (to meet noise regulations). Needs to be run with the whale tail for sufficient cooling.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by SteveinTO

...And the big aluminum looking u-tube strapped to the muffler. What is that, part of the turbo mechanism?

That heat tube is part of a stock Carrera heating system and directs air through the heat exchangers. Although I've backdated my heat, here's a thread that shows a pretty decent pic both from the engine compartment, and also a clear shot of it beneath the car near the bottom on page 2. My car's pretty "clean", but FAR from concourse, and I couldn't EVEN imagine being that anal, but that's just me. I'd take that ugly plastic cover off with no hesitation (this is the first time I've ever seen one) if it were my car .

Gratuitous pics of Carrera heater backdate...

[stormmaster]

You will also need a factory muffler if are wanting to enter in true concourse. I have gone that route in the past and found even though winning my class and best of show I enjoy driving my Porsche more than cleaning it. I keep my car clean but not concourse ready. Just do whatever floats your boat.

[Bart_dood]

Originally Posted by Diamond911

Thanks Robert.

Should look OK once it's all cleaned up and degreased. Pretty dirty at the moment so a lot of work to do.

My goal is just to keep the car original and unmodified. Not necessarily concourse just nice and original and drive it and enjoy it as it is.

I've entered the concourse for the first time as a good excuse to clean my baby up and give it a birthday.

Another story I heard on this engine cover is that it was for the colder climates in Europe to retain heat in the engine (not sure on the truth of this one). Mine is an Australian delivered car so the cold is not a issue over hear!

I'll leave it on as I originally thought but would be interested in a definitive answer on what it is for.

thanks

Why don't you take it off and examine it for a part number? then perhaps look online or call up a dealer and find out exactly what it is and when it was used?

[PeterRT]

Originally Posted by Bart_dood

Why don't you take it off and examine it for a part number? then perhaps look online or call up a dealer and find out exactly what it is and when it was used?

Again, it's original equipment for Swiss and Australian G50s.