JANUARY 2013 In This Issue... Toys 4 Tots Paso Robles Wine Tour ...

Rice’s Ramblings:
Elusive Surging Ignition-Again
1973 911 Carrera Impressions
Story by Lee Rice
The New Year is here with a New Hope
for an improving outlook for everyone.
911 ignition problems:
Question: My 1982 911SC had some
work done a while ago… and I notice
my SC wants to accelerate and then as
suddenly decelerate, only slightly all
in a cycle lasting 1-2 seconds. Is there
something I can do for this?
Reply: The 911SC is particularly
sensitive to ignition timing. Even slight
mis-timing can result in surges, like what
you are experiencing. The specifications
for the 1982 are within the 1980 thru 1983
SC Specifications. The timing must be
checked at 950+ 50 rpm, with the red and
blue vacuum hoses pulled off the ignition
distributor’s “double vacuum box”. Next
adjust the ignition timing to 5 degrees
BTDC while maintaining 950 rpm. Then
re-install the red and blue vacuum hoses.
To check the “vacuum box” *
(930.602.915.01) BOSCH: 1 237 122
736 (See image # 1) Note* The RED
hose provides vacuum for advance at
cruise power. The BLUE hose provides
vacuum for idle retard.*
1. Check VACUUM RETARD: with
blue hose connected, disconnect the
red hose at the vacuum box’s front
connection #2. Ignition timing must
be between -3’and -7’ ATDC.
2. Check VACUUM ADVANCE:
Disconnect blue hose from
connection #1, and disconnect red
hoses from connection #2. Now
connect blue hose to connection
#2. Adjust idle speed to 950 +50
rpm. -Ignition timing must be
between 8’ to 12’ BTDC.
3. Re- install red hose to #2 and blue
hose to #1, adjust idle speed to 950
+50 rpm
These specification are found in
Werk Shop Manual 1972 onward section
9.3 – 2/13
Anniversary
2013 is also an anniversary for us Porsche
911 fanatics of old, as we recollect back 40
years ago, history was about to unfold in
an amazing and dramatic way. These 911
cars we admire so much and just cannot
seem to get enough of, were originally
destined to build in a production life of
about 5- 7 years. The 911 was, after all,
an intended move-up from the 4 cylinder
“putt-putt” image of Porsche. This is no
put down either. The evolution of the 4
cylinder Porsche came about in the early
1930s and its history is a marvel from
Ferdinand Porsche himself.
In the 1960s Ferry Porsche and his
sons wanted to make their own history
with a new Porsche. A new design
was the answer with a growing West
Germany economy and a world market.
This required an entirely new design
with much more power, higher speed,
more driver-passenger room and modern
amenities. The 356 had evolved to its limit
and then (1961) a more modern car was
needed. This gave birth to Werk Design
Nr. 901, then a new name: “911.”
1973 was the arrival of a new upgraded
version of the 911, which became
a prominent racing car called the Carrera
Renn Sport Rennen. A German way to
state: Ralley/Sporting/Racing. Porsche
was determined to reduce any weight
not absolutely necessary by making the
# 1 -SC ignition timing layout
new 911 as lightweight as possible and
still have a street/road drivable 911. This
gave birth to Porsche’s “less is more”
philosophy. However, Porsche had to
sell 500 basic examples of the RSR to be
classified for homologation purposes that
was the: “Carrera RS.” The RS enabled
Porsche to be eligible to race in the Group
4 Special GT Class. These were called
the 911 2.7 Carrera RS, which became
the basis for the full blown 2.8 Liter, all
out racing, 2.8 Carrera RSR.
From a long time ago I recall my
first impression of the 2.7 Carrera RS, it
was on my wedding day, June 16 1973.
I had my 1968 911 perfectly polished
and ready to gently speed my bride and
myself from church –the very same car
and same bride I have today. Thank
You!
Anyway, just before leaving for
church the mailman delivered my
Competition Press/ Autoweek and on the
first page I saw, hot off the press from the
Paris Auto Show, a pictured 911, in white
with a blue “Carrera” stripe, blue centered
Fuchs wheels and that famous ‘duck tail.’
I was stunned! I was determined to have
one someday, or in my case build one!
SEE image # 2 (This has a familiar feel
- like what is brewing for 2013 and 2014:
the arrival of the Porsche 918) And with
that in mind I asked my brother John
Rice, to tell me his first impression of his
first 1973 911 2.7 Carrera RS.
“…Lee and I were due to meet in
Monterey for a visit and Lee went out
(Continued on Page 23)
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