Vehicle Description
1972 Porsche 911E Targa
VIN 9112210803
E Series, Long hood, 803rd built (58 from the last 72) out of only
861 Targa's. Very late production with outside oil fill on the
passenger side, completed June of 1972.
Original color Sepia Brown (color code 415). Extremely original
example with only one re-spray (color change) in Black. The paint
is in exceptional condition with excellent panel fit & very good
gaps. All original floor pans and front suspension (rust free). The
interior is very nice & original with excellent fitting door
pockets. Original vinyl front & rear seats and new carpeting. The
dash has a small crack in between the speaker grill and the
windshield. The Fuch Alloy rims have been restored and fitted with
new Pirelli P6000 tires.
Mechanically the 911E starts right up and drives like a dream. Very
powerful 2.4-liter engine with Mechanical Fuel Injection (MFI),
which produces 165-horsepower, very smooth shifting 915 manual
5-speed transmission & four-wheel disc brakes. The 2.4-liter 911E
is very difficult to find & is one of the best early 911's to
drive. This 911E represents excellent value for its condition. If
you're looking for a great driving early 911 Targa, look no
further.
History of the 2.4-litre / E and F series (1972-1973)
The 1972-1973 model years consisted of the same models of 911- the
entry level T, the midrange E and the top of the line S. However,
all models got a new, larger 2,341 cc (2.341 L; 142.9 cu in)
engine. This is universally known as the "2.4L" engine, despite its
displacement being closer to 2.3 litres- perhaps to emphasize the
increase over the 2.2 L. The new power ratings for the T were 130
hp (97 kW), or 140 hp (104 kW) in the U.S., 165 hp (123 kW) for the
E and 190 hp (142 kW) for the S.
The 911E and 911S used mechanical fuel injection (MFI) in all
markets. The 911T was carbureted, except in the US where it also
used MFI.
With the power and torque increases, the 2.4 L cars also got a
newer, stronger transmission, identified by its Porsche type number
915. Derived from the transmission in the Porsche 908 race car, the
915 did away with the 901/911 transmission's "dog-leg" style first
gear arrangement, opting for a traditional H pattern with first
gear up to the left, second gear underneath first, etc. Some say
this was because the dog-leg shift to second gear was inconvenient
for city driving, other say it was due to Porsche's desire to put
5th gear outside the main transmission housing where it could
easily be changed for different races. The Sportomatic transmission
was still available but only as a special order.
In 1972 a tremendous effort was made to improve the handling of the
911. Due to the 911's unusual engine placement (rear-mounted, with
most of the vehicle's weight concentrated over the rear axle) early
911's were prone to oversteer when driven at the limit, and could
easily spin in the hands of an inexperienced driver. In an attempt
to remedy this, Porsche relocated the oil tank from its position
behind the right rear wheel to in front of it. This had the effect
of moving the weight of almost 8.5 l (9 US quarts) of oil from
outside the wheelbase to inside, improving weight distribution and
thus, handling. To facilitate filling of the oil tank, Porsche
installed an oil filler door (much like the fuel filler door on the
left front fender) on the right rear quarter panel. Unfortunately,
this unique design was scrapped after only one year, some say
because inattentive gas station attendants were putting gas in the
oil tank. The oil tank was subsequently moved back to its original
position for the model year 1973 and remained there until it was
moved back within the wheelbase for the 964 models.