My 1979SC has all black trim......

My 79 Targa bar, front & rear widow trim are all bright. Door wing windows are black but the door handle are more of a gunmetal/graphite color. http://mgerber.zenfolio.com/img/s6/v...58035287-3.jpg

My very early 78 SC coupe had chrome trim (windows, handles, etc.)

It was not anodized aluminum, it was hard chromed metal/steel.

I know it was original because I bought the car from the original owner in the late 80s. I know it was chromed, not anodized, because I had it rechromed. And it was heavy all all get out.

That's a rare 911SC you have there. One of one, most likely.

Porsche made the transition from chrome-plated brass frames to anodized aluminum frames during the 1968 model year, give or take.

Back to the discussion, I think the black frames prior to 1980 were all anodized black and the ones starting in 1980 were painted black. The part number changed then, they got a color code...

JR

That's an important point, javadog.

A LOT of changes occurred in the 1980's,
(especially at the Porsche AG, Board of Directors) all of which gave rise to
a more "comfortable" 911. And I mark this period as the end of an era of great,
hard-ass hammers from Stuttgart.

Hmmm...I don't know. My 82 trim is definitely anodized based on how it's fading...

+1 for my '81.

I wrote the above a few months ago. Does matte chrome exist or is all of my aluminum just that faded out? I don't know exactly how to interpret my COA which states......"Chrome Parts in Matte - Finished Black, Headlight Rings Exterior Color"

The headlights were replaced with H4s by the PO and the chrome is 50 shades brighter than my aluminum trim.

If the windshield and targa glass trim are aluminum, then why are the door handles black? Perhaps they were replaced by a PO?

Porsche didn't use chrome for the window trim after the first few year of production. The "chrome" trim was polished aluminum that had been clear-anodized. H4 trim rings were made from brass, then copper plated and chromed. I assume door handles were treated in a similar way, as they were not anodized aluminum.

I've seen black anodized trim fade completely. One way to tell would be to remove a piece of it and see what it looks like where the sun hasn't hit it. My guess is that your black door handles are original, and they haven't faded because they were painted, not anodized.

JR

What about mid-year cars? Was black trim an option for Middies?

The window trim and rear window trim on my 78 targa is aluminum and not black not faded and not replaced. I have the black option on my sticker and handles, targa bar and side windows are black. Car always garaged so window trim aluminum is not faded.

Suspect black window trim on a 78 is replaced with 80 trim.

It sounds like your targa has had some parts changed along the way.

Black trim could be had on a mid-year Carrera, and the turbos.

JR

JR appreciate the discussion and your interest.

Mine might not be mid year but has the black trim option. I've owned mine
since '84 and believe the likelihood someone replaced the rear targa window trim
on the car to be very very low.

Based on other info in the thread with black trim options on '78 Targa the non black trim for the window and the rear window is original even with the black trim option.

Perhaps the hand made Porsches in
78 were in a rush to collect the extra dollars for the option. And since the targa
rear window trim is different than the turbo and carrera's they had none black adonized.

So can you show me a '78 Targa SC with original black trim on the
windshield and rear window? Agree the 80's on have black trim
but not available for the 78 targa is my position


Here are some examples:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads18/Porsche%252B911%252BTarga%252BSept%252B2010%252B00 31285962683.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/567361-my-first-porsche-1978-targa.html&h=600&w=800&tbnid=rn5VhopGZSAVnM:&docid =EXwRMHUS6k2eEM&ei=NjjLVeSDHNHioASl37OIDg&tbm=isch &ved=0CF8QMyg0MDRqFQoTCOT285PCo8cCFVExiAodpe8M4 Q

Another
Google Image Result for http://mint2me.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/78-Porsche-911SC-rer.jpg

And another with black trim option I believe is original and correct same as mine:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/642753-1978-porsche-911sc-super-carrera-targa.html

Another

http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/321008,9767/1978-Porsche-911-SC_photo.aspx

So as best I can tell all these are 78 SC targas with the black trim option and none have
black whindshield and rear window trim. And I do not believe in fading as mine has be garaged at least since 84

Mike....thank you for posting the pictures.

They seem to be consistent with my '78 Targa; the black option still had front window trim, Targa back window trim, and rear badge in aluminum, while the side window trim, door handles, and Targa bar were in black.

This could have changed during the model year; I would love to see any pics of "78 Targas with the black trim option that are different.

Let me expand a little on my previous comments. From 1974 through 1979, you could get either bright trim or black trim. Black was standard on Carreras, turbos, the '76 912E and maybe one or two special editions (like the one in 1976.) Bright was standard on the rest. You could order black trim on models that had the bright trim as standard. You don't see may plain 911's from that era with all black trim, but they exist.

In 1978, the targa bar was made black, regardless of the trim color. The targa badge was also black, no other option existed for that.

From 1980, black was the only option.

There was a change in the trim in 1978, as the part numbers changed from 901- to 911-, except for the targa bar, which had been a 911- number for a while. I don't know what the change was, as I don't recall it being mentioned in the factory documentation. My guess is that it had something to do with the finish. Note that prior to 1978 and from 1978-on, part numbers exist for both bright and black trim.

I don't know everything there is to know about door handles. Bright and black were both available, but there was a point where it seems there was a separate part number for turbos and that one was black only.

So, I can't see Porsche not having black trim available for a '78 targa, since they had been making it for years. The caveat is that they did change the part in some way in 1978, so maybe there was a supplier problem for a while. I don't know...

I've sold off all of my factory documentation from that era, so I can't go back and study those materials. I tend to put more credence in that than current pictures of cars from that era, since so many things can change and few current owners bought their cars new. There is something about the black trim from those years that makes them more susceptible to fading from sunlight. I see endless examples of the targa or 911SC badges that have faded to silver. At some point, I think they figured painting the trim was a better option.

JR

There is no part number for a 911SC badge in a natural aluminum finish. That's a faded black badge.

JR

That picture shows a faded black trim on the top of the door, not a bright one.

JR

Thanks JR; very interesting.

Did the "911SC" badges on the engine lid also come in both black and bright in '78? As I mentioned earlier my badge is now dull faded aluminum looking and I am wondering if it was ever black as part of my black trim option package.

edit...Thanks JR, you beat me to the answer 10 minutes before I asked the question!

It's all about provenance:

No argument here I see a pic of Porsche Turbo from my '76 buyers guide of road and track magazine with black windshield trim.
But turbos are not targa.

Additional information you do not have makes the faded statement less likely. The trim directly behind the one in the photo under the rear targa window rubber is black and not faded at all and not painted either. Very unlikely the same material is exposed the same way and one fades and the other does not.

Perhaps both sides trims on the doors were swapped for this piece before I got it for the non black aluminum version? But the other information leads me to believe it is not faded.