Building new 911 motor video

[82 SC]

Watch A Porsche 911 Be Made In Amazing Top-Secret Footage From A Porsche Plant
This makes me feel better about working on my 82 3.0 motor

[javadog]

And, that's completely different to how they built them in 1982... Way more automation now. Hard to believe they use a zillion dollar robot to install the valve covers. I wonder how long it takes to pay back that investment?

JR

[82 SC]

I work in manufacturing and they will make their money up pretty quick. They build a lot of motors and the cost of having workers do that job with benefits 24/7 is high. With regular maintenance to the robots they last for a long time. I am sure there were meetings in this subject at Porsche

[javadog]

I'm sure they know what they are doing. Do we? It would be interesting to compare the output of the factory at Zuffenhausen in the 1980's with their output today. I suspect automation hasn't bumped up the production numbers like we think they have. Back in 1982 the automation was pretty much limited to constructing the tub.

I do know that a 911 is much more expensive today than it was in 1982, adjusted for inflation. How much of that is content, how much is production cost and how much is lining the family's pockets would be interesting to know.


JR

[82 SC]

The 911 is more complex than before too. I am sure there are production numbers out there somewhere

[gomezoneill]

I used to work in a Porsche shop (not a factory) when I was young we all had a lot of fun these guys look like they're on mood altering drugs. Jeez they can't even lift a crankshaft without a lifting tool?

[tuff914]

What are the white things at about 1:19 ?????

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by javadog

I'm sure they know what they are doing. Do we? It would be interesting to compare the output of the factory at Zuffenhausen in the 1980's with their output today. I suspect automation hasn't bumped up the production numbers like we think they have. Back in 1982 the automation was pretty much limited to constructing the tub.

I do know that a 911 is much more expensive today than it was in 1982, adjusted for inflation. How much of that is content, how much is production cost and how much is lining the family's pockets would be interesting to know.


JR

I used $29,000 for the 1982 price - using the CPI online calculator I get $71,500 in 2015. So it seems yes a new Porsche 911 costs more but I think one can argue you are getting more. I went to the auto show (San Francisco) the other day - what happened to the 911's for $85,000? The Porsche booth "attendants" would not get from behind their "desk" or let you into the cars. Must be a sales strategy.

[RSBob]

My wife and I took the factory tour last month and even she was impressed. It was extremely quiet, as all tools are electric, all tolerances, torques are checked and then double checked by computer before any piece can move down the line. Fitments are checked by laser. The degree of engineering and software engineering just for assembly alone was off the chart. I have nothing but praise for their factory and methods and beer machine. Oh and there were apprentices in the assembly areas being taught the hands-on besides their hours of classroom training. Two years of apprenticeship before they are allowed to touch a piece of a car being produced alone.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by RSBob

My wife and I took the factory tour last month and even she was impressed. It was extremely quiet, as all tools are electric, all tolerances, torques are checked and then double checked by computer before any piece can move down the line. Fitments are checked by laser. The degree of engineering and software engineering just for assembly alone was off the chart. I have nothing but praise for their factory and methods and beer machine. Oh and there were apprentices in the assembly areas being taught the hands-on besides their hours of classroom training. Two years of apprenticeship before they are allowed to touch a piece of a car being produced alone.

This could be taken another way. Yes - very impressive re. the training and very precise/complicated assembly (the customer is paying for that). On the other hand - is this necessarily a good thing? How about if this excellent car can be assembled with industry "standard" training and procedures.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by hcoles

I used $29,000 for the 1982 price - using the CPI online calculator I get $71,500 in 2015. So it seems yes a new Porsche 911 costs more but I think one can argue you are getting more. I went to the auto show (San Francisco) the other day - what happened to the 911's for $85,000? The Porsche booth "attendants" would not get from behind their "desk" or let you into the cars. Must be a sales strategy.

I picked up a 911SC at the factory on September 15, 1982 and I paid around $30k. It had some nice options, including a full leather interior. An equivalent car today would run between 90K and 100K.

I agree, you get "more car" but I still think it would be interesting to know where the additional money goes. Porsche has always made a lot of profit, per car, compared to other manufacturers.

In the 1990's, they brought in Japanese consultants to show them how to get their manufacturing costs down. It would be interesting to see if they've gone up since then. They've invested in a lot of new infrastructure in the last 20 years.

JR

[sand_man]

Wether the videos are old or new, I love this kind of stuff.

[hcoles]

In the video - looks like the only "hand" threading was for the spark plugs.

[green_chile]

Interesting video. Very cool and thx for posting. Very efficient, consistent and expensive! That's what it takes to get the cupholders right.

Reminded me of a video of the McLaren facility. That place looked like an operating room and surprisingly quiet.

[tirwin]

Intrinsic cost is a function of quality of the available labor, economics of the available labor (e.g, unionized or not) and the amount of thinking required. Repetitive and highly quantifiable jobs are good candidates for automation. Qualitative decisions are still best done by humans.

Generally speaking, the Germans have excelled in serviceability of their designs and the efficiency of their assembly line and even how parts are delivered on the line. Now when I contrast that to my wife's Highlander, the engine bay layout seems efficient but whenever I go to change the air filter I ask myself what the heck were they thinking?

Labor unions have been both a curse and a blessing. The irrational things they do has pushed a lot of business overseas.

The other thing we did, in my opinion, that set this country back is we de-valued labor and told everyone that if you wanted to "be somebody" you had to go to college and get a 4-year degree. Sadly, we crushed real craftsmen out of business and turned everything over to bean-counters and pencil-pushers. I'm happy to see a little bit of a renaissance in car culture where people like Chip Foose are once again respected for what they do. We need more people like that and Magnus, whatever you think of their dealings. I just went to the Hilton Head Island Concours a few weeks ago. Seeing all those cars from different eras you could really see that once the mid 70s hit, car design really died out. You just don't see that kind of art in car design anymore. I can't tell a Honda from a Hyundai from 90% of the other cars on the road anymore.