Porsche Ducktail Authenticity

[audiman08]

I see a lot of ducktails being retro-fitted to many 911 trims. I know these began with the '73 Carrera RS and were later options on the 2.7 Carreras. What other trims, if any, was the ducktail an option on? Could you order a 911 or 911 S from the dealership in the 1970s equiped with a ducktail or were they all tail-less?

[Cobalt]

Originally Posted by audiman08

I see a lot of ducktails being retro-fitted to many 911 trims. I know these began with the '73 Carrera RS and were later options on the 2.7 Carreras. What other trims, if any, was the ducktail an option on? Could you order a 911 or 911 S from the dealership in the 1970s equiped with a ducktail or were they all tail-less?

I might be wrong but what i recall from that era was the ductail was available on the 73RS/RSR. In 1974 when they went to the new bumper design the carrera had a tail offered similar to the one used on the later 911's or similar to the turbo carrera tail with a rubber lip aka the whale tail. There was also a rather hideous all rubber bolt on tail that was offered that looked like a smaller whale tail and I doubt any are still in existence as they deteriorated over time. Most people added the 930 tail when it was introduce in 1978.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by audiman08

I see a lot of ducktails being retro-fitted to many 911 trims. I know these began with the '73 Carrera RS and were later options on the 2.7 Carreras. What other trims, if any, was the ducktail an option on? Could you order a 911 or 911 S from the dealership in the 1970s equiped with a ducktail or were they all tail-less?

Basically you could order a car that came with the ducktail (a Carrera) or have the dealer order the tail through their parts department and paint and install it for you.

Some of the later tails were optional on any 911.

JR

[audiman08]

Okay, that makes sense. Just thinking about putting one on my '75 911 S but didn't know if purists would laugh at me.

[Scooter]

Nobody will ever laugh at you for putting ducktail on your 911.

[rfloz]

Originally Posted by audiman08

Okay, that makes sense. Just thinking about putting one on my '75 911 S but didn't know if purists would laugh at me.

FWIW, the IROC cars were originally delivered with ducks in 1974 so they are "legit" for impact bumper cars as far as I am concerned (why, yes, my '84 does now have a duck).

Besides, if anyone laughs, remember what your mother always said: "Consider the source."

[javadog]

Originally Posted by rfloz

FWIW, the IROC cars were originally delivered with ducks in 1974 so they are "legit" for impact bumper cars as far as I am concerned (why, yes, my '84 does now have a duck).

You do realize that Porsche put them on the regular production impact bumper cars too, starting with the Carreras in 1974...

JR

[Rusty 356]

Did the early lightweight RS use an aluminum decklid with a ducktail?

[javadog]

The first series of cars built used a ducktail that was built onto an aluminum frame. Somewhere during the production run, after the homologation was completed, they started using ducktails with steel frames.

JR

[Flat6pac]

The factory frame that the tail is built on is definitely the que to originality
Bruce

[Wayne 962]

1974 Carrera



-Wayne

[jwetering]

The RS had both the duck *and* the flared fenders. Ducks on narrow body cars (like yours) look ok, but they really do look better on the 78+ cars which have flares similar to the RS of 1973-75.

That said, they look fine on the narrow cars and, more importantly, they do make the car more stable at speeds over a ton...AS LONG AS YOU INSTALL A CHIN SPOILER!

If I had my purist hat on and saw *any* 911 with a tail and no chin spoiler I would be very disappointed since it is my clear understanding that this makes the car *more* unstable at speed.

[fryardds]

Originally Posted by javadog

The first series of cars built used a ducktail that was built onto an aluminum frame. Somewhere during the production run, after the homologation was completed, they started using ducktails with steel frames.

JR

Yes, JR that is correct but as we know Porsche was a small production maker back in that period and they would use all available parts. A good friend bought a un-restored later third series RS, well after homologation was completed, and found it had an AL frame tail that was original to the car.

[rfloz]

Originally Posted by javadog

You do realize that Porsche put them on the regular production impact bumper cars too, starting with the Carreras in 1974...

JR

Oh yeah! Doh.

[Fast Corners]

A little OT but interesting (to me anyway). Not all RS's came from Porsche with the duck tail. They were only able to get a certain number of them on the cars by getting approval from the German version of the DMV. From what I remember, the later cars were shipped to the dealers without a tail and if the customer wanted, the dealer would install it after the purchase.

I think Peter Gregg's sportmatic RS was tail-less.

Back OT... A duck tail looks perfectly fine on all 911's with flared arches...they even look good on Targa's.

[Cobalt]

Originally Posted by Fast Corners

A little OT but interesting (to me anyway). Not all RS's came from Porsche with the duck tail. They were only able to get a certain number of them on the cars by getting approval from the German version of the DMV. From what I remember, the later cars were shipped to the dealers without a tail and if the customer wanted, the dealer would install it after the purchase.

I think Peter Gregg's sportmatic RS was tail-less.

Back OT... A duck tail looks perfectly fine on all 911's with flared arches...they even look good on Targa's.

I know they supplied some 74's with a whale tail i have pictures of a black one from a 1980 concours event that was said to be a stock car.



This is an S that had it updated by Brumos. Beautiful car

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

I know they supplied some 74's with a whale tail i have pictures of a black one from a 1980 concours event that was said to be a stock car.

That would have probably been a '74 911 RS (3.0) or one of the IROC cars.

JR

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Fast Corners

A little OT but interesting (to me anyway). Not all RS's came from Porsche with the duck tail. They were only able to get a certain number of them on the cars by getting approval from the German version of the DMV. From what I remember, the later cars were shipped to the dealers without a tail and if the customer wanted, the dealer would install it after the purchase..

From what I understand, they didn't get type approval from the German authorities (TUV?) for cars with a ducktail, so German customers had their tails delivered in a box and the cars were individually legalised/registered. Cars destined for other countries had no problem, so they were delivered with the tails installed.

JR

[fryardds]

Originally Posted by javadog

From what I understand, they didn't get type approval from the German authorities (TUV?) for cars with a ducktail, so German customers had their tails delivered in a box and the cars were individually legalised/registered. Cars destined for other countries had no problem, so they were delivered with the tails installed.

JR

According the best source I know which is the Carrera RS book, the authors describe the difficulties Porsche had with delivering an RS in Germany with a rear spoiler. A stubborn bureaucrat who was the chairman of the national Licensing Authority denied a general road license for the RS with a rear spoiler in Germany.

Porsche immediately fought back with an appeal but because tiime was running out to start production they did a legal end-around and otained an individual license for each RS that was to be delivered in Germany with a rear spoiler. This was done through TUV in Stuttgart. So each German market RS ordered with a rear spoiler was delivered with one on the car (not seperately) with no delays for the customer or the homologation process. FWIW

[Cobalt]

Originally Posted by javadog

That would have probably been a '74 911 RS (3.0) or one of the IROC cars.

JR

No this was on the stock narrow body 911. The RS was a widebody like the IROC cars. I have pictures I would need to scan but they show what was available. I will see what I can do.