How is a 911 built?

[TheRedSlantnose]

I've always been wondering...were the original 911's (1964-1989 series) hand-built, manufactured, or a little bit of both?

[E Sully]

Manufactured parts with a lot of hand work on jigs.
Made By Hand - Part 1 of 5 - YouTube

[grizzfan]

Great videos on the manufacture of the 356 series. However, notice on the right side, (where you can select all 5 356 videos) that there is #1 of 5 National Geographic videos on building present day Porsches. They are truly amazing.

Thanks for posting some history!

Tom

[turner_green]

Thats a pretty freaking awesome. I am digging it.

[wayner]

Initially in my youth I thought a 911 was exotic.

Then as I discovered more about these cars (both driving and cutting into them) I formed a new opinion:

A 911 is a car designed in the 60s, built using techniques form the 50s and sold in the 80s.

My son drove my hopped my RSR replica and said that it feels like an overpowered version of our dune buggy, but with suspension that works when it feel like it shouldn't

My basis for initial comparison to the 915 transmissioned 911 in my youth was a much more refined feeling Datsun 280z. His basis for comparison was a 99 BMW 328is.

In comparison to those other cars, it is amazing how well these 911 cars work particularly at speed, when under the skin they are relatively primitive but well designed non the less.

Just another example of how newer technology doesn't always win the day.

[Jrboulder]

This is at the very end of 73 production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBcH9CBBI0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leis5zazeXY

[TheRedSlantnose]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

This is at the very end of 73 production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBcH9CBBI0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leis5zazeXY

Do they still use the same "traditional" method for today's 911's?

[javadog]

Nope. Lots has changed. They had Japanese consultants come and teach them modern production techniques in the 1990's. I toured the factory about 10 years before that and it was interesting, to say the least.

JR

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by TheRedSlantnose

Do they still use the same "traditional" method for today's 911's?

Search on "Ultimate Factories" in youtube or perhaps rip it using a Torrent.

What I found interesting is the Ultimate Factory documentary for the newer Camaros indicated 14 hours cumulative time to build the car. If I remember correctly, that included stamping steel body panels.

The newer 911s spent nine-ish hours in paint alone. Humans cut in the door edges and such but the finishing robot paint spray machines are incredible. If you see it, check the atomization of the spray pattern. It's not a gun, it's a disc.

There is still "old-school" in new Porsches. Just not nearly as much.

[Dave Colangelo]

The video series Ed posted shows some great footage of the old factory. As time has gone on more and more has been automated but as I know it everything is "fitted" by hand. In other words what ever may make, weld, or assemble the doors they are fit into the car by hand and the same goes for the other things. The older cars were welded all by hand and Im sure a good amount of the machining was done by hand but now more auto welding and CNC work is done. For what ever flack companies now may get I do give Porsche credit for at least trying to keep some hand made touches on their cars. There are some articles I have read about the many years it took to become a certified worker or painter in the Porsche factory, it is considered an honor to work in the factory as I have read.

Regards
Dave

[reachme]

I had business last week in Stuttgart, so in additon to the Porsche Museum, I made sure I got on a factory tour. No pictures are allowed inside and they are VERY serious about that, confiscate all camera phones from when you leave the museum till you arrive back so I can't post any pictures. But it answered ALL my questions about how they are made.
The cars are built in Zuffenhausen or Leipzig and very modern. Zuffenhausen has run out of room, so they had to expand but they still make Cayman/Boxster, 911, turbo and is the only place where the 918's are being built. Porsche (car division not design) is only an assembler, they manufacture nothing from scratch. They are so just in time delivery that the tour guide said if deliveries stopped, production would stop I think 2 hours later. In the old days they kept 30 days worth of parts, imagine the cost savings of not storing/floating 30 days of parts
Each engine has a barcode and before they put a part on, they scan the barcode and then scan the part and if it does not belong, the tool will not work to screw the part on! Parts move around the floor on automated, GPS based carts. The frame is already painted before it crosses the road through an automated tunnel (yes you can see the cars moving across)


They put these protective shells over certain parts of the car so they don't scratch it.The coolest part is where the engine is mated with the already painted chassis, lifted up to the chassis and connected and bolted in. The other really cool part is where they put the windshields in, this rotating, arm suctions the windshield and after laser measuring, location presses it on.
The assemblers are selected from a very wide pool of applicants, gain seniority based on mastering skills from different stations and the workers council makes sure they get breaks. If they get three turbo's in a row (take more time), they will intersperse other cars so the workers dont get behind.

Best part of the tour, they were finishing up 4 918's and loading them on a truck, one was a Weissach package. They started them up and you could hear the roar and see them drive them (carefully) onto the enclosed truck (again no pictures inside). Oh and if someone tells you their car has never been wet that is not true, all cars are checked to make sure they dont leak anywhere as part of a standard test. And before you think that testing woudl be fun, they speed limit all the cars (they had problems in the past with workers racing).

Overall the building, assembling etc. is really cool, there is so much more to it but if you ever get a chance, go over there and do the tour. I hope that helps answer some questions, let me know if you have someting specific, I peppered the tour guide with 1000 questions.

[DSPTurtle]

Now that deserves a legitimate "cool story bro"!
Thanks for sharing. Seriously!!! Last summer I was four hours from Stuttgart and couldn't find a way into town

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Dave Colangelo

I have read about the many years it took to become a certified worker or painter in the Porsche factory, it is considered an honor to work in the factory as I have read.

+1

Remember reading this as well. Maybe in one of the videos. The stars have to be in alignment for them. Plus they are damned good for starters.

Also remember the kids that started at Porsche were only allowed to hand file stuff in a vice - long time - before the next steps in their career.

[CaryPhotography]

If only OSHA had been around in those days, they would have had a field day up in there. Notice how everyone was wearing safety goggles around there heads and not over their eyes?