Factory A/C Equipped? 1971 Porsche 911T
A Porsche 911 normally wouldn’t find its way onto Barn Finds unless it was, truly, a barn find. And the condition of one as nice as this 1971 example would probably exempt it too. What sets this Porsche apart from others is the seller’s claim that this is a factory A/C equipped car. I didn’t know such a thing was even possible but I’m certain that some of our readers know about this infrequently encountered option. We need to take a closer look at this 1971 Porsche 911T; it is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $52,000.
The Porsche 911T (1968-1973) is one of the iconic 911 series whose origin dates to 1964. By 1971, the 911 had undergone some refinements but was still a serious road car that put more of an emphasis on spirited driving and high-speed performance than on luxury or creature comforts. Thus, finding a factory A/C equipped example is unusual, to say the least.
Porsche originally contracted out with a company called Delanair to provide A/C units for the 911. The parts were supplied to Porsche distribution which in turn made them available to Porsche dealerships. While it was a dealer-installed option it was considered to be a “factory” option. That changed in 1971 when “Behr” started to supply Porsche directly with an A/C unit for the 911 that was, in fact, installed on the assembly line. Behr also provided a kit for dealerships to install A/C as well – it supposedly mirrored the factory-installed componentry. This 911 clearly shows the under dash vents on both the driver and passenger side but there is no view, at least that I can find, of the compressor and condenser. And as can be seen in the above image, there are quite a few parts that need to be incorporated into the minimally available real estate on a Porsche 911T. There is also no mention by the seller whether, or how well, the A/C works – peculiar.
As for the rest of the interior, it is in nice condition. The passenger seat bottom appears to have a puncture but the rest of the very Germanic, black vinyl upholstery is in fine nick. There is some notable wear, with both the driver’s side and passenger footwell carpet and the seller states that the passenger footwell needs to be replaced due to rust. The seller does state that all of the dash instruments work properly. Of note is the lower dash chrome emblem on the passenger side glove box door, it reads “911S”.
In the boot is a 2.2 liter, horizontally opposed, six-cylinder engine. Research indicates that the referenced 911/07 engine generates 123 HP. The seller claims that this 911 is a strong driver and recent service has included: “new front pads and discs, Porsche brake flush, new shocks, new tires, Zenith carburetor rebuild, oil change with Porsche Classic 20W-50 oil plus filter, full service on throttle/clutch cable and bushings(it was old and needed a change), new headlights, new ignition distributor…. around $5,000 was spent”. He also adds that the motor was resealed a couple of years ago and there are no leaks or smoke and the oil pressure is where it should be. Gear changes are handled by a five-speed manual transaxle.
The exterior of this Porsche looks pretty straight with a very presentable finish. While there is no sign of misaligned body panels there is some corrosion starting in the lower portion of the driver’s side quarter. It may be superficial, it’s hard to tell from the image. There are also some other small blemishes marking different points on the exterior but nothing visible is of grave concern. This vintage Porshe is known to rust (recall the passenger floor reference) so a thorough inspection is warranted.
Being an A/C equipped 911 from the early ’70s, makes this Porsche notable among others – still it would be good to know a bit more about the system and its operational capabilities. The lack of discernable components, beyond the interior vents, gives one cause for concern. So assuming that the A/C system is intact, and working, would that option significantly enhance the market value of this 911T? I would think somewhat, it’s hard to say by how much, however. BTW, there are 93 more images of this 911T available here.
Thanks to Pelican Parts for the A/C references.
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Comments
I know nothing about Porsche cars, and I’m wondering where the a/c components are. I do see a couple of what look like a/c hoses in the under engine pic, but see nothing else. Wonder where they hid that sucker? The rust showing underneath is troubling, wonder what other surprises are in store? For 52 large you would need a complete professional inspection by an expert, hopefully someone with a name like Hans or Gunter. Good luck and stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
Could this be some AC plumbing here? I’m no Porsche expert either. Sure looks like a pressurized AC fitting
That’s oil supply to chain tensioner. No AC present. The condenser in the kit pic above sits behind the grill of the rear lid and can’t be missed when present along with the pipes which link via the hinges.
Actually, on second view – might be an ac hose disconnected near where the compressor should be! Confident about other observations though!
Thank you for the info, much appreciated
That’s an oil line to the camshaft. The kinked oil filler is part of the A/C package. Up front there is a factory installed housing and blower for a condenser and underneath refrigerant hoses run rather sloppily for a factory install.
The engine has been out-it appears the brackets for the compressor have been removed.
Thank you also. I’m always blown away by the accumulated knowledge on this website.
The only AC installation I’ve seen in a rear-engined air-cooled car is in Corvairs and it is pretty scary-looking!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cold-comfort/cold-comfort-1962-chevrolet-corvair-factory-air-conditioning/
If I’m not mistaken, I believe you could get A/C on the later air cooled beetles. It may have been a dealer installed unit.
VW began offering a/c as an option in the late 60s but it was rare and not terribly effective.
You can do ac in a 911 but it ain’t easy. Of bigger concern to me is whether those quarters are correct???? They look flared???
Worst looking flare job I have seen, needs to be cut off and back to stock or real Porsche flares added. ;(
The A/C compressor is not installed
In Porches of this era it should sit prominently in the right side of the engine bay looks to be missing in these photo’s
The rear quarters are not correct. Also there isn’t an AC compressor present on this car. It’s a rather big belt driven unit that is to the right of the fan
Non-factory rear wheel flares. Also, glovebox says 911s, but rear deck lid says 911t
Rear flares are Carrera aftermarket, hopefully steel. AC kit shown is later than the 911Ts as the dealer installed units had a 2 piston compressor rather than the Nippondenzo 5 piston shown. Our ’76 had the factory installed AC with the two piston compressor which we changed for the 5 piston unit which was much smoother. From ’72 on factory AC was common in the high heat areas of the country. When we lived in Nevada one of our 356Cs was air equipped by a company in Texas. All the units we had worked just fine.
Probably “…just needs a recharge.”
With the pics. provided, misaligned gapping is evident in the rear deck area. Signs of significant corrosion appear at various points throughout the body, and the front hood appears to have a wavy pattern across the surface. Interested buyers should definitely do a thorough check before diving head first…
Whoever flared the quarters also installed wider than stock rear wheels. 911T’s came with same size wheels front and rear. I wouldn’t be surprised if the thing got rear ended.
In the ’80s we did a lot of rear flares on the early cars. When the ’74 Carreras came out and the aftermarket guys were selling the metal flares the rush was on. The original Carreras had 6″ wheels up front and 7s in the rear. Along with the duckbill rear spoiler it was a great look and a whole bunch of folks modified their cars because of it. In the early ’80s welding on the flares and repainting the car was an 8K job not including buying the 7 inch wheels. Bought a lot of groceries off those jobs.
Real ’74 with 7s and 9s for wheels. It also had factory AC.
You absolutely need A/C if you’re in a humid or rainy environment. The defog really only works with A/C. Aftermarket A/C is generally much better, too.
My ‘86 3.2 has factory air that would be a cruel joke in FL, got to believes that the ‘71 version is no better
I’d pull the compressor for weight savings if I had a lightweight 911
If memory serves, in the 1970’s almost all VW’s and Porsches got dealer add-on air conditioning. It was a way for dealers to make more money, expensive high profit item. They worked very well, but they really slowed down Rabbits and Sciroccos. 911’s not so much.