Guy

Hello,

Just curious, whats the deal with rub strips on early cars. Was it standard equipment? Was their an option code for it?

While we are on the topic of options.....my 81 leather dash and door panels but that doesn't show up on the option codes that PET provided. Is that normal?

Thanks
Guy

Ethre

I think rubstribes are M418 and the leather is m462 (though that code also covers some other options). For reference, I am looking at page 369 in the parts catalogue.

Edit: And I think some cars have a sticker indicating the option codes - check under the carpet next to the spare tire.

Bjbpe

I purchased my '87 S4 brand new at the factory. I did not specify rub strips but they were there when I took delivery of the car. Hence, I think they were standard. I know that some folks don't care for their appearance but I rather like them.

JWise

I think technically they were an option, as option code 418 is for Protective Side Mouldings. However, for all practical purposes they were standard equipment as the vast majority have them.

The exceptions seem to be the very early cars along with some of the later GTS's. If you have a S2/S3/S4/GT, there's a very good chance you have them. My GT appears to have been special ordered and came without them (thankfully). The build sticker is noticeably absent of option code 418.

Guy

Good information! My 81 is missing its option sticker and I don't have the rub strips. While they could have been removed at some point, I am not seeing signs of the holes being filed. I have mixed feelings about them, but overall like the look without them.

Jon B.

I think Jarrod is right on the money here. Technically an option, though, just like sunroofs, the majority of the cars have them. So it's more of an "option" to not have them.

My car has neither, and I highly doubt I'll find another like it.

jdbfreeheel

My '87S4 does not have them and I don't have the option code on my sticker. Perhaps it was a common/'standard' option that was treated more as a delete if ordered that way from the buyer?

F451

My '85 did not have them. My '88 does. Much prefer "did not."

Vilhuer

Early cars didn't have strips. They were invented in either middle of '80 MY or at beginning of '81 MY.

Option sticker was added to trunk in '83 MY.

LEADASS

My car shows the M 418 but I don't show a code for the Leather interior. My car has leather everywhere:headliner,dash,doors,consoles, just not the pod.

Rob Edwards

5621 out of 6656 US S4+ cars came with rubstrips, or 85% overall.


The year by year breakdown is interesting:


So most U.S. S4's have rubstrips (77, 88, 98, 98, and 88% in '87 through '91), while they're much less common on GTS's (40, 46, and 42% respectively). Unless the factory stopped keeping track and the numbers are not reflecting reality (?)

JWise

Thanks for posting that, Rob. Those numbers confirm my anecdotal evidence. Flip through the 928 Registry during the S4-GT years and look for cars without them. Not very many.

jdbfreeheel

Cool, so my '87S4 is either rare or they were removed by the original owner (unlikely).

sendarius

According to my contact at the only Porsche stealership in the state:

Some options were "packaged" by the factory for certain markets. For example EVERY Australian-delivered 928 of a particular year might have high capacity A/C, cats, tinted screens, and 10-speaker stereo. In many cases these would not be listed as "options" because, in Australia, they weren't optional.

Sounds strange, but plausible.

James Bailey

Correct they packed them, or in many cases the options were at no extra cost so sunroof, rub strips, rear A /C were free !