Porsche 911 galvanised body?

Question

When was the first 911 to have a galvanised body produced?
Where can I find a road report on a 1985 model? Was it really a devil to drive? Back end stepping out etc...

Answer 1

Porsche began using galvanised bodies in 1974 (though if I recall correctly, this was late 1974 and was mostly for model year '75 cars and later). The galvanized bodies are nice, but if you are looking at any older 911, be sure to pay special attention to rust problems as the galvanized cars can still have some (though less common than on the earlier cars).

As to the reputation for being hard to drive? Yes and no. To hear some people talk, you'd think that every set of tire skids marks at a corner were the result of a 911! The cars handle very well. But, alot of the traits that make them handle as they do, also contribute to requiring more skill than other cars to drive at the limit, and that it is a car that is extremely unforgiving. If you look at the weight distribution in the older 911s, you'll see alot of weight out back, and very little out front... in such as way that the 911 also is unique that the pivot point of it's weight distrubution is right at the front axel! This makes the car very responsive (although with factory alignment settings, it is still prone to some understeer). The car's front behaves like a car with low polar momentum, while the heavy back end is like a high polar momentum car - meaning that the back end can feel very stable, right up until the moment that it lets go, whcih can then seem sudden and violent if you are not use to the car (but for driving on the limit, the 911 will joyously throttle steer around sweepers!).

Answer 2

The 1985 Porsche 911 has a full galvanized steel body, so you should not have issues with rust (unless you live in an area where there is a lot of salt, or if the car had body work and oxidation crept in). Coating steel with Zinc is a great idea, but the process must completely seal the steel from the elements. If there is a break in the Zinc coating, the steel will rust (look at chain link fences - some rust creeps into the fence via breaks in the Zinc coating).

Enough about Galvanized steel! The 1985 Porsche 911 is a blast to drive. Yes, the back will get loose on you and unfortunately it can be very violent. The tires on an 85 are not very wide, so you don't have the same traction as the newer 911's. Also, the suspension is not as well designed as the newer models, so you feel more of the road and you also can lose control a lot easier.

A lot of the weight is behind the rear axle, so the car can swing around very easily. Lift the throttle on a hard, fast turn and the back end will want to be leading the car around the turn. Mentally, you will have to re-train your thinking to use power in turns. Natural instinct is to reduce speed when you're in trouble, however the 911 will make you pay dearly for this mistake.

Here is a test you can do on a regular car. Drive in an empty parking lot and do some medium-fast turns. In the middle of the turn, pull the e-brake hard (lose traction in the rear wheels). Physics tells us that bodies in motion stay in motion unless acted by another force. The back end of the car wants to continue in the same direction, however the force from the tires will direct the car in another path. Remove the traction and the rear will want to continue in the original direction. Do the same test, except throw a couple hundred pounds of weight in the trunk - the car is even harder to control. The 911 is a very heavily biased rear - same as the weight in the trunk example. The mass will want to continue in the same direction and since the majority of the weight wants to continue going straight, while the front of the car is already moving to the side, you will get a violent reaction and you'll go into a spin (back end wants to lead).

When you throttle out of a corner, the back end digs in (weight transfer to the rear as you accelerate). This helps the back gain more traction and you can steer the car through corners (using the throttle).

I think you'll enjoy a 1999 and up 996 with traction control much more than an older 911. You can corner much faster and if you mess up, you have PSM to save you.

Try both and see what works best for you. And don't let your ego get the best of you.

Good luck!

Greg

Answer 3

The pre-996 911s were and still are a bit of a handful. They communicate very well to the driver, but have some very counterintuitive tendancies (like not lifting off the gas in a corner.). On the street, theyre simple. On the track, theyre way more rewarding to drive than most cars.

dunno about the galvanized body. The real devils to drive were the 930 turbos (76-89 911 turbo, mines an 87). On and off throttle, fast, no ABS, no power steering, cable clutch, etc. Awesomely fun cars though.

Answer 4

Well I do know tht the older aircooled 911's are still admired by porsche fans (including me) as better then the Current Watercooled versions, I mean the older one were louder and jus so much fun to drive then the newer ones, like the the Awsome 1995 GT2 I meanI am gettin the new GT2 in December I've already made my downpayments but the older ones is jus more Awsome but I cannot find anyfor sale these dayz the the people who own them wont sell it to me either.

Answer 5

the first fully galvanised bodys where introduced in 1993, id ignor road reports get out there and drive some and yes they are a handful, especially if your not used to rwd

Answer 6

1977 for fully galvanized body.

Body Galvanizing in Porsche 911

Thyssen steel = steel with Zinc layers on both sides; thickness of the Zinc layers varied from 10 um to 20 um, depending on exposure conditions (Frere, p. 201)

1970 – Galvanized steel (not Thyssen type) used in floor pan and wheel arches (Bob White in Pano V: 142); the “entire platform, including the floor, the longitudinal members, the wheel arches and the seat pans were galvanized.” (Boschen & Barth, p. 124)
1971 models – had galvanized steel in areas particularly exposed to rust (Frere, p. 201)
1972-1973 – Thyssen steel use began (Bob White in Pano V: 142)
1973 – Thyssen steel: rocker panels, inner rocker panels, floor pans, & some other parts (Chuck Stoddard in Pano V: 142)
1975 – Thyssen steel: entire body treated (Bob White & Chuck Stoddard {began in Feb. ’75 production for US cars; earlier for Euro cars – had trouble with paint} in Pano V: 142, 192)
1976 models – had Thyssen steel in entire body except roof (Frere, p. 201)
1977 models – on – had Thyssen steel in entire body (Frere, p. 201); an “important step forward was the use of zinc-coated sheet steel for the manufacture of the entire body structure (except for the coupe’s roof on early production cars). Coated on both sides, this made the structure virtually immune against the formation of rust….” (Boschen & Barth, p. 143)


The Zinc steel added 22 lbs. to the weight of the body structure (Frere, p. 202)

Pano = Panorama volume: page number
Frere = Frere, Paul. 1997. PORSCHE 911 STORY. 6th ed., Patrick Stephens Ltd. Newbury Park, CA.
Boschen & Barth = Boschen, Lothar and Jurgen Barth. 1978. THE PORSCHE BOOK: A DEFINITIVE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY. Argo Books.


Note: the Panorama and Frere comments can be harmonized since most cars for one model year are constructed in the previous chronological year

1985 911 should not be too hard to drive. Watch out for Throttle Lift Oversteer and you should be fine. Good Luck!!!