What causes the "ping" when closing a 911 door?
 

OK, I'll admit that this is a silly question, but I'd really like to know just what "part" or "parts" inside the door cause that iconic and delightful "ping" when closing a 911 door.

Happy Sunday, all!

Rob

It's the sound of a machine that has been crafted out of a single piece of billet steel.:cool:

No door, and I mean no door shuts like a 911.

Metal tab for electric window wiring harness? When bent they don't ping, just what I heard.

What I hate is when someone who apparently is used to a domestic full size SUVgets in and rears back and slams it shut like they're trying to rip it off the hinges.:eek:

That's the beautiful sound of a well crafted cold drawn sheet metal with the right thickness and modulus of elasticity, not to mention the other "solid" parts that go together… :)

amen brother!!

^^...plus the essential patch of tar impregnated sound dampening affixed to the outer skin. You won't get the "ping" without the "patch."

this is a great thread. I cannot tell you how many times over the years that I have repeatedly opened and closed the door just to hear that sound.

magical and built like the rock of Gibraltar!!!!

this!!!!

Truly Porsche engineers pay much attention to the natural frequency of the structures, whereas other mfg's consider only the minimum strength/stiffness of the structures.

Even look at the early Cayenne and Touareg doors. Pretty much the same design. Yet Porsche used Aluminum, where VW used steel. ...and the Cayenne FTW.

I would imagine it has something to do with the internal door mechanism. My father's 356 does it to some degree as well.

It's a good door
 

When asked why the door design was unchanged for so long, Porsche Design Chief Harm Lagaay simply replied ‘it’s a good door’.

Each door is equipped with a Black Forest elf, as the door latches, He strikes a very small cymbal, denoting the door is firmly latched. You will notice that any door that has been hit, damaged or repaired by the ham fisted, the "ping" is gone. Express orders were given at the time of insertion, to remain on guard and report any intrusion. Furthermore if the repairs were not worthy of the engineered design, to abandon the post, cause further destruction via any means necessary. This included sunroof drain plugging, attacking paint materials for corrosive purposes, overload electricals, and sabotaging any and all oil lines and sealing surfaces. There are known instances of detonating of the head studs. Popping out the carbs? elves. Backfires on deceleration, elves. Caliper sticking, elves. Vacuum leaks, again elves. Crafty little buggers. Be nice to your 911, reassure the elves each time you close that door, tell them, good job! And take notice the "good" cars have "ping". It should be noted that this is very similar to the "smoke" injected at the factory in each and every wiring harness. A trick the Germans picked up from the Brits.

Beautiful!!! :) :) :)

These are great... I'm glad I asked ! :D

Sometimes I'll walk past the car out in the garage and open and close the door just to hear that wonderful sound.

You've never closed a door on a '57 Chevy Bel Air hardtop. :)

Sounds nearly identical.

It's more of a "blap", then a "ping".

The owner's main problem is asking people not to "drag in the door" when closing it.
Most people think they need to build up a 600MPH speed to get the door to latch.
I think the doors must cringe each time a non-Porsche passenger gets in!
Bob

It stirs the most basic of man' s primal emotions. It is like the tribal drum, the sound of a steel blade being unsheathed from it's scabbard, the blacksmith's hammer in the forge, the perfect cast, hitting the sweet spot of the bat, the perfect drive off the tee.

Closing the door of my '56 Chevy Del Rey Coupe NEVER sounded like that of my '88 Targa - at least insofar as I can remember from 50 years ago.

As I said in another post, the 911's door is more like that of a battleship's hatch.

I think I fixed it for you SmileWavy

Admittedly the last time I closed the door on a '57 Bel Air hardtop was in 1968 but I definitely remember it as being more of a "clunk" with maybe the window rattling a bit. and yes, I owned both a Bel Air 2 dr hardtop and a 210 2 dr sedan.. and sure wish I had either one of them now.

why it is the machine that goes ping of course :D

http://youtu.be/wshyX6Hw52I

You guys have to understand my dad's resto shop did tri-5 Chevy's. Everyone of them were fully restored.

Maybe y'all remember the sound with mileage?

I just checked the "pings" from my '87... the driver's side is A# and the passenger side is F#... howzzat for absolutely useless information?

Robhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/sleep.gif

440?

When someone said: "God is in the details" They where referring to the door closing, just like that.

Whoa, you're right! My '55 Chevy's (post coupe) clicked shut with a very similar sound! Forgot about that.

Hmm....the doors on my 912E has not got the ping like my 911s had......hence it must be a cylinder thing!?

The W124 has a similar fullfilling sound when closing the doors - but more of a "whaaapp" than a "ping".

It's the sound of money preparing to leave your wallet.

I love this thread. I love hearing the door close with ever so light the effort. I have to remind my children when they close the door to do so with respect. I also love the smell of my 911. I have an 87, had a 83 and a 82. They all smell so similar. It really is something and when I have to explain it to the wife, I realize she doesn't quite get it.

Cheers,

Grand

:eek: I always tell my passengers NOT to even dare slam my door or I will kicked
them out!! No joke!! :p ...and that infamous comment, "Porsche didn't build cars
for you to have Hulk Hogan's arms to close my door" SmileWavy
Its almost the same as watching someone backed in to you :rolleyes:

Thank you. I know I'm not full of *****! :)

56 Chevy 210 - 4 door. 39k miles when I bought it in '79. Grandparents of a girlfriend.

Sound not identical but in the same family. Little flex, well built.

I did like to open and close the door. "It's a good door" does describe it.

My 81 Targa does not have the coupe ping, but is still a reassuring sound.

I can confirm through testing today that if you flick the door latch from inside (just pull and drop before it starts to unlatch), you get the 'ping' noise without opening and closing the door.

Therefore I hypothesise that the sound is related to the door catch mechanism.

but you have to admit there is quite a difference between the sound of a 2 door hardtop and a 2 door sedan... the sedan sounds very solid, the hardtop ?? not so much.

...oops

Winner.

Well put Bob. Yeah, my Cabriolet doesn't ping so much as it makes a solid, well-crafted click. It's a delight to the senses.

Speaking of interesting sounds, I first saw this ad 30 years ago in a book that I still have, "Corvette! Thirty Years of Great Advertising." In this '66 ad for the new 427 they used the word "snick" to describe the sound of the shifter moving into first gear. Snick! That's what it sounded like! (A buddy had a '65 327/300 coupe and I had a '67 Camaro SS with an M-22 that I added.) Porsche doors have a similar unique sound to the snick of a shifter moving into a gate.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...psf8407089.jpg