Our 1975 Porsche 911 S is known as a “narrow body” or an “impact bumper” car. On the front, it has a narrow strip of rubber across the front bumper. On the rear bumper, there are two big four-inch rubber blocks. Some say these are to prevent body damage upon impact. Others say they are just filler to make up the space for the wider European license plate.
Prior to Saturday morning, I thought these were just some goofy DOT-required things (think of the horrible Jaguar SIII V12 protuberances on the later models). But then these rubber bits saved my butt.
Where the 911 is parked at my condo, I have to back near to the far wall to get out, then turn sharply.
I fired the car up (it starts instantly with a satisfying explosive crack). I used the hand throttle to bump it to a 1,200-rpm idle to warm up.
I didn’t realize it, but the carpet had gotten bunched under the brake pedal. (There is no clutch; recall this is a Sporto.)
I moved the shifter to “R” and the car immediately started rolling backwards towards the wall 15 feet way. In my confusion I couldn’t find the brake pedal, so we just kept rolling until the rear rubber nubs bumped gently into the wall.
A “thunk,” but a muted one.
I put the shift lever into “L,” but stupidly without cutting the hand throttle. Suddenly I was moving toward the other wall, 15 feet ahead. I still I found myself unable to activate the brakes, but I did manage to decrease the idle speed.
A few terror-filled seconds later there was another “thunk,” as my front bumper rubber strip touched the other wall.
I then figured out the problem with the carpet and the pedal, and all was good.
I did a tentative walk around the car and it was undamaged. Those ugly rubber pieces in the front and rear had done their job. I shudder to think of what would have happened if it had been a long-hood 911 or an Alfa Duetto that had tapped the walls. Thousands of dollars of damage without question.
I am now definitely a member for life of the “impact bumper” 911 club.
Have you ever accidently bumped your classic car into something and gotten away with no damage?
Tell me about it in the comments below.
Read my previous blog posts here.
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I got ‘bumped’ at a red-light-just-turned-green by a pickup behind me in my 1972 Pantera about twenty years ago. The Pantera was a US car with the bumpers front and rear, and there was no damage. I had always thought about ‘upgrading’ to the Euro stainless bumperettes, but that event changed my mind, as there was no damage when the bumper and its impact shock absorbers took all the energy. I’m sure it would have been many thousands of $ of damage without the US bumper. Sometimes, especially today with all our distracted and terrible drivers, it is good to have a little protection!
This is funny as I remember on your TV show, you walking around a Porsche 911 of this era and remarking something to the effect that these would never be worth anything because nobody wants those big ugly bumpers. Times change and so do we.
As a guy who came of age in the 1980s, the big black blocks of rubber on the back of a 911 are iconic. Euro versions of G-series just don’t look right to me, cleaner design or not. Glad that Keith proved they are functional as well!!!
Stay safe!
Dennis
I recently got run into by a new Ford Bronco while in my Miata. The Bronco had an aftermarket front bumper that was coated with spray-on bed liner material and had some over rider like projections. I was parked when the Bronco rolled into the back of my Miata at low speed. The afore mentioned over rider was perfectly in line with my tail light and as such there was, thankfully, no other contact to the back of my car. At the time of the impact my mind saw visions of a deeply scratched bumper cover, dented quarter panel and trunk lid and thoughts of trying to have 24 year old original British Racing green paint matched. But, by shear luck, the only damage was the smashed tail light. A few hours searching the internet and a new OEM tail light was on its way paid for by the Bronco’s owner. So, all in all, I can’t fault bumper protrusions even if they aren’t always aesthetically pleasing!
For some reason, the only times that I bumped anything with a car were while backing up. Just the other day, while maneuvering my E55 wagon out of a parking garage, a wall unexpectedly stepped in right behind it and got tapped. Luckily, just a scratch, and that rear bumper needs paint anyway.
i got bumped from behind at a 4-way stopsign by a teenage girl in a mid-’60s ford; i was in a newish ’81 prelude. as i realized no cross traffic was coming i took my foot off the brake. got a pretty good thump on that 5mph bumper–no damage! in a ’66 yenko stage 1 stinger with a trailer hitch i got hit by some drunks in an older ford at a stopsign at the end of an offramp. again, no cross traffic so i took my foot off the brake. no harm to the stinger but their bumper was caved in dead center aaaalmost to the bodywork.
If the minor cosmetics are bothersome, you know the source of reasonable mechanical repair already. A&P saved me three figures and sometimes four and five while trying to keep an Audi 200 on the road for our ski trips to Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor. This was a time when I was “inventory control” with a commensurate salary. I cannot remember the operator of 1989, but he couldn’t have been more helpful. And, their knowledge dwarfed all others of the day.
Love this article. very interesting
Usually when I’ve hit stuff, I’ve sustained damage. 🙂