Authentic Factory Turbo Look - Need Help
 

I purchased what I think (thought) was a factory tubo look (FTL), option M491 backin May of '08. I've been focused on fixing various issues and never really spent any time looking into the history of the car. I should mention, that I have 930 brakes on all 4 corners and turbo trailing arms in the rear. I ultimately don't care if it's a true M491 or not, but am just trying to flesh out the documentation on my car.

Anyway, the other night, I finally took a moment to start looking into what I have. I don't have any documentation for the car, other than what I've done to it. So I started in the logical place and checked the option sticker under the hood. The sticker only shows option C03 (Cali car). However I have factory A/C, power seats and a number of other options that aren't listed. Has anyone else run into a situation where their options sticker doesn't include everything that's in the car? I've confirmed the VIN on the sticker matches the car.

These "descrepancies" got me thinking about a thread I had read when I first bought the car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/406599-m491-sales-figures.html
In the thread, it mentions some of the identifiers to look for on a FTL. I have most of them, except I don't know what the anti-dive spacers are supposed to look like, on the front suspension, so I can't confirm that (yet). Another item that gave me pause, were the transmissions listed (915/67, 68, 69 & 70) as being FLT trannies. I have a 915/73 and when I sent my full number to Pelican to confirm I was ordering the correct CV bolts, (turbo) the confirmed that I had. I just replaced my CV joints and can confirm they're turbo CVs.

I also remember reading somewhere that in the mid-80's, Porsche made the turbo flare part of the unibody stampings and it was no longer a separate part welded on at the factory. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

I'm hoping someone can post pics of the following:
1) Front anti-dive spacers
2) torsion tube trailing arm mounts from a turbo or FTL
3) inside rear wheel wells, looking up at the underside of the flares

Thanks!

Call 1 800-porsche, give them your VIN and they will tell you the options that came on the car.

Mitch - thanks for the suggestion. I'm waiting to hear back on what they find, however I've heard that Porsche's records quite often fall short on accuracy. If anyone has pics they can take or share, it'd be appreciated.

I think the 85 should still have the welded on rear fenders. From what I recall, the one piece came in 86 or 87.

Thanks G50. I've loaned out most of my Porsche books and haven't been able to verify.

Hey Josh,

I am willilng to bet a beer at the next Burger / Beer event that yours is a true M491. Too many things ring true here. The CV joints are simply the kind of thing someone would never consider changing to make a clone. Let me know when you get confirmation.
Larry

I've seen this mentioned once or twice elsewhere on this board. Mine too lists only the one option code C03, but the car has power windows, power locks, sunroof, full power seats, A/C, and a couple other options.
But I don't know why this is......:confused:

Larry - thanks for the vote of confidence. It's just one of those things that's been slowly nagging away in the back of my brain. My FIL (Ed) also had an '85 TL, targa and his options sticker clearly had M491 on it.

Talewinds - good to see that I'm not alone. Have you confirmed the VIN on the options stamp matches your car? I could see a dealer (although unlikely) possibly adding A/C, power locks/windows, etc, but not a sunroof. Like you, I also have power everything, including sunroof, rear wiper (although that was removed by a PO). Hopefully PNA will shed some light on what they think I have.

I also had an M491 (great cars!), and mine had it listed on the sticker.

But I'm pretty sure your car is genuine. Your option sticker for some reason doesn't seem to list ANY of the options, that just can't be right. Your car definitely has options (the power seats, for example).

Plus, as said above, it is highly unlikely that someone would have been so thorough in making a "Turbo look Turbo look."

There should also be a sticker in your owner's manual (or it might be the warranty/service manual) that comes in the burgandy colored pouch. If you have that, you might want to take a look.

G50 - I wish I had the original owner's manual and service manual, but no such luck. Thanks for the positive thoughts.

Yeah the numbers match, which I had previously confirmed because it's puzzling to me too. As I've fiddled with this and that on the car I've taken note of how options like power seats, and other power amenities were installed with wiring and looms/wraps that all look OEM.
Weird.

BTW, I just scoped out your garage pics. Wide bodies look freakin' AWESOME without a spoiler or wing! Nice job!
Let's see some more pics.

Something that you guys are forgetting is that things that were once options were standard equipment by the time the Carreras were built. Take power widows as an example; that's all you could get in the US. Manual windows weren't available here on a standard Carrera. Ditto with A/C. There are books out there that will tell you what was standard and what was optional for each year.

JR

Talewinds - I agree. I had H5's on the car when I bought it. I've since replaced them with Euro H4s, but was expecting to find an H4 to H5 plug adapter - nope, factory H5 plug. It looks like a factory install.

JR - good point on what had become standard over the years. However, I have almost every option in the book and only have C03 on my options tag. I would expect (maybe incorrectly) there to be an option that distinguishes between the varying levels of power seats. Mine are 8 way. I've seen others that a 4 way, etc. I've got a ton of books (several loaned out), any idea which one(s) have the info on what Talewinds and I are searching for?

Thanks for pointing that out, I wondered if that had something to do with it.
If all of those things were standard items back then, then I may indeed have no options.

The book that I think is the best for your car would be Mark Haab's "The 1974-1989 911, 912E & 930 Porsche." It does the best job of describing the various standard and optional features, with the fewest errors. I'd start with that. If you want to delve further, find a copy of the Carrera brochure from your model year. Get the one specific to the Carrera, not the generic one that covers all of the models (944, 911, 928.) That will list the options in more detail.

Keep in mind that the CO3 is a "country code." I can't give you a reference to what is included in that but keep in mind that the importer for each market decided what would be standard equipment for that market. A US Carrera of a given year would have a different set of standard features than one for another market, say Germany. So there may be things that were standard here that were options elsewhere. Some of these things may be included in the country code, or sometimes you will see a code for an option group, which will comprise several individual option bundled together. More research needs to be done, to document some of these things.

JR

I think both Josh and Talewinds have at least one optional item on their car. For example, I don't think the sunroof was ever standard. Or the 8 way power seats (4 way was standard).

On my 87 and 88 US cars, even the radio was an option (Option 158 Radio "Monterey" - 86 "Reno" - 87). The 6 and 7 inch Fuchs are shown as an option (Option 395 Light metal wheels - forged).

Also, if either of your car has cruise control, that was an option (454).

Also, C03 isn't a country code, it means the car was "California type car."

Yep, yep.
I forgot about cruise control, I DO have that. And the 8-way pwr seats. And sunroof.
I do have 7's & 8's genuine Fuchs also, but I wouldn't assume that these were necessarily on the car at delivery...

Turbo look is
Black boge or Porsche shocks instead of Bilsteins
Non turbo tierods
the rear torsion bar has 2 different locators for the transmission, one set for 915 and one set for 930
You have to have a turbo torsion bar to mount the trailing arms unless someone welded extensions for the arma and you can see that
Bruce

My '85 ftl cab was an ROW version and it did NOT have the M491 option listed on the option code sticker either (which freaked me out a bit)...but it was the real deal. Check out the M491 owner group on yahoo and I think there were others who had the same situation.