How handmade were they in 73 ?

[prebordao]

Following a blog (Pondering Porsche(s)) post from a fellow pelicanite, I started thinking on the amout of hand assembly really involved in building a 911 up to the mid 70's.

How was the welding of the panels done ? By human welders, while the panels where being fixed to jigs ? What manual intervention was needed after ? Retouching the welds, minor dents ?

No wonder by the early 80's, Porsche was financially troubled.

[sc_rufctr]

They were probably a lot more hand made than a regular car of the day. As far a as welding, it was done by people using jigs. Even the early Turbos flares were welded on extensions to regular panels. So when you see someone doing just that in their garage they are actually being very "correct"
All of the interior was fitted by hand. Engines and gearboxes were built by specialists.

One thing I did read that surprised me. Apparently all cars were built as LHD and the cars for the RHD markets were converted to RHD after final assembly. I doubt that's true but who knows for sure?

[javadog]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

One thing I did read that surprised me. Apparently all cars were built as LHD and the cars for the RHD markets were converted to RHD after final assembly. I doubt that's true but who knows for sure?

Nahhhh.... you realize that a lot of the tub sheet metal was different between the two, right?

As for the labor, most of the work was done by hand. I took a factory tour a little over 30 years ago and it was interesting to watch the cars being built. If I recall correctly, at that time it took 17 days to build one. It was pretty basic, not much had changed from the earliest days at Porsche. I've even seen pictures of the painters spraying the color coats without wearing respirators...

JR

The following will give you an impression of how the bodies where made. Poor quality copy, but interesting.

04 Body Fabrication - YouTube

Note how they correct gaps and align panels.

Otto

[wayner]

I've always described an air cooled Porsche as a car designed in the sixties, built using techniques from the fifties, and sold in the eighties.

I don't think that description is far off.

[911pcars]

Some teenie, tiny thumbnails of the PAG assembly line in 1971; day one of the '72 MY production.

http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars/72index.htm

Some jigs for welding, but mostly hand-finished.

Sherwood

[S2GART]

At car shows I tell people that these cars were hand made and I show them the weld spots along the seam along the engine opening. The spacing isn't perfect between the spot welds. This only reinforces that a robot didn't touch the car.

[HarryD]

Nah.. Done by German Robots .. see them here: Porsche Factory 1972 - a set on Flickr

[Porboynz]

Interesting photos of 1972 production cars built in Aug 1971. In Excellence was Expected they say approx. 50 911's per day was the normal factory output. My 911 is in Albert Blue, RHD and has chassis number 911250048 so maybe that's my car right there.



Well its a nice thought.

[prebordao]

Originally Posted by Porboynz

Interesting photos of 1972 production cars built in Aug 1971. In Excellence was Expected they say approx. 50 911's per day was the normal factory output. My 911 is in Albert Blue, RHD and has chassis number 911250048 so maybe that's my car right there.

Yep. In the 75 MY brochure there's pictures of the assembly line with a targa painten in what looks like gemini blue. Sometimes, I think if it could be my own... silly, I know.

[prebordao]

Originally Posted by Otto H. Wegkamp

The following will give you an impression of how the bodies where made. Poor quality copy, but interesting.

04 Body Fabrication - YouTube

Note how they correct gaps and align panels.

Otto

That sets it. really hand + hammer made.

[Sunroof]

They slopped on the undercoating with a roller and brush which was a messy job. No spray application. Maybe it was a job for an apprentice.