mikemdd

I was changing tires/wheels this weekend getting ready for a track day and noticed that the right front spring had 3 rubber spacers inserted towards the top of the spring (side by side, not up and down). These rubber spacers look like brass knuckles for lack of a better description. The left front spring had no rubber spacers. I did a search and couldn't even find an example on any websites, as I had never seen them before. It is a stock 997.1 GT3 that I purchased with very low miles and had not been tracked (apparently) before I bought it. Has anyone seen these before? Not sure who or why they were installed. Also not sure why they were only on one side. Could they be for shipping purposes from the factory and never removed? I'm thinking that having them inserted only on one side can't be good....

TRAKCAR

Picture?

mikemdd

I'll see if I can get a picture..

Northshore04

They sound like the spacers the factory ships the cars with. Funny that one side had them and not the other though.

Seth Thomas

Sounds like the shipping spacers installed on cars to keep the suspension tight during shipping. I haven't seen them on Porsches but I have seen a lot of them on Honda S2000s. Seems a lot of Honda dealers didn't take them out before the customer picked the cars up and the customers came in complaining of stiff suspensions.

911SLOW

Please post pictures. They could be bump stops or something.

I find it hard to believe that you still have the factory transportation spring strut locking device on the car. Unless it's a garaze queen you would have felt that something is terribly wrong..


Yes, they have been using them since 1999 (at least).
Dealers were supposed to remove them before a test drive or before the car was handed over to the customer.

The strut locking device was designed as a slotted plastic sleeve and clipped on the piston rod of the shock absorber.

Depending on the vehicle equipment and destination, the plastic sleeve was coloured white, yellow, green, blue, red, pink or orange.

To remove it you don't have to remove the wheels, just lift the the car until the wheels are off the ground. Then twist the spring locking device until the slot points toward the luggage compartment. Beginning at the lower end, you press it away from the piston rod via the slot and guide it out of the spring.


I think that they stopped using this version for the 7GT cars though. Need to check.



Another pre sale gadget, to protect the battery while the car is being transported, as well as during the idle period at the dealer’s premises until it is handed over to the new owner, is the battery disconnect switch.
It automatically disconnects the battery from the electrical system as soon as the voltage falls below a specified voltage limit value for more than 10 minutes. This must be returned to Porsche by the dealer.


Also for the 2006+ 997 / 997 GT3s Porsche delivers them with V-max restriction. The top speed for the new cars in "production mode" and to the dealer is limited to 35 km/h (20 mph).


In this mode, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and the front airbag for the passenger also do not function.

Before handing it over to the customer, dealers run the "Vehicle handover" function using the PIWIS Tester in order to cancel it.

savyboy

Shipment spacers. The delivering dealer neglected to remove them at PDI.

Funny!

NVRANUF

Very amasing they lasted 5 years without anyone ever noticing!!

TRAKCAR

In a few years I will pay a premium for a fresh garage queen with those never removed LOL

DRPM

aka Virgin

savyboy

Yeah, me too...and never driven in the rain. Never looked at with an angry glance. And dusted only with Moa feathers plucked by blonde Aboriginal virgins...

paver

every engine start recorded in a journal

NVRANUF

paying a premium for a queen with pre-inserted rubbers.... sounds a little weird but...to each his own

mooty

no way. did he buy from carlsen porsche in redwood city? they always keep those things on. both my RS's had those and was removed by michael stead porsche when they serviced the car the next day....

like chastity belt?

TRAKCAR

LOL, funny posts!