Little insect under the hood, Was there a factory gas filler option? Options

[nivekdodge]

Hi guys.
I’ve never heard mention of this little insect underneath the hood in the back of it. Was there by chance a gas filler option back in the day?
Kevin

[SirAndy]

Hi guys.
I’ve never heard mention of this little insect underneath the hood in the back of it. Was there by chance a gas filler option back in the day?

Never made it into production, as far as i know it was only added by the factory to one prototype car, the silver 914-8 (914.006).

I'm guessing they didn't want to spend the money to change the tooling after the bean counters decided they could save a few cents by removing the fuel door.
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[nivekdodge]

Hi guys.
I’ve never heard mention of this little insect underneath the hood in the back of it. Was there by chance a gas filler option back in the day?

Never made it into production, as far as i know it was only added by the factory to one prototype car, the silver 914-8 (914.006).

I'm guessing they didn't want to spend the money to change the tooling after the bean counters decided they could save a few cents by removing the fuel door.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

Thanks Andy

[bkrantz]

Hi guys.
I’ve never heard mention of this little insect underneath the hood in the back of it. Was there by chance a gas filler option back in the day?

Never made it into production, as far as i know it was only added by the factory to one prototype car, the silver 914-8 (914.006).

I'm guessing they didn't want to spend the money to change the tooling after the bean counters decided they could save a few cents by removing the fuel door.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

Probably a good thing. Can you imagine dragging the fuel hose across the fender the hood every time you fill up?

[mepstein]

Hi guys.
I’ve never heard mention of this little insect underneath the hood in the back of it. Was there by chance a gas filler option back in the day?

Never made it into production, as far as i know it was only added by the factory to one prototype car, the silver 914-8 (914.006).

I'm guessing they didn't want to spend the money to change the tooling after the bean counters decided they could save a few cents by removing the fuel door.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

Probably a good thing. Can you imagine dragging the fuel hose across the fender the hood every time you fill up?

On the 911’s with a center fill tank through the hood, it’s a real pain. Just like five point seat belts, the look is better than the real life day to day use.

[gulf908]

my understanding is that Porsche wanted a fender filler but the VW bean counters said no
pics taken from under the lid of the silver -8 at the Essen show 2019 = a one off

cheers
Dennis (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[gulf908]

again

[Geezer914]

[wonkipop]

my understanding is that Porsche wanted a fender filler but the VW bean counters said no
pics taken from under the lid of the silver -8 at the Essen show 2019 = a one off

cheers
Dennis (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

i believe the original design was for a cowl mounted fuel cap on the passenger side rather than the fender style.

makes sense. frank and functional. in the spirit of trying to keep costs down for a lower priced entry level car for both porsche with the 6 and volkswagen with the 4.
simple to make it lockable - just a lockable cap.

the early run of prototypes in 68 all had the cowl mounted fillers. both the 4 and 6 prototypes. the ex piech 8 still has its original cowl fuel filler and lockable cap.


68 proto 4. has the original style front indicator lenses same as piech 8. also early 911 circular mirror. along with cowl fuel cap.


proto shot of front trunk. you can see fuel filler on cowl.


piech 8.

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none of these cars would have had provision in the design of the system for the expansion tank required for all USA cars from 70 on with the evap emissions standards that came into effect under the nixon clear air act of 1970. the s bend to get from the filler to the tank precluded the possibility of the expansion tank on top of the fuel tank.

from what i can glean from history the nixon clean air act was kind of up in the air in the very late 60s and no-one quite knew if it would kick in or not. when the announcement of it and the details of it made clear when it came to the emissions standards to be required of cars there was very little lead time for manufacturers to respond.
it also only had effect for USA market cars, rest of world did not emmediately take up the standards and provisions.

i suspect the initial designs for the 914 did not anticipate the required equipment and standards and it was a late design amendment to get the equipment in.

the fuel filler flap in the front trunk panel likely was a late adaption or response and not part of the original design. a change that allowed for the expansion tank and fuel filler cap directly above it, leaving you no where to go but a flap in the hood panel if you wanted to "hide" the filler for aesthetic purposes.

if you add up all the associated costs with that. namely a cable. and probably most imporantly a lockable feature on the interior to operate the flap the costs do build up.
remember the 914 was thought of as an open top car. had a lockable front trunk release and a lockable glove box. you either would have had to house the filler flap in the glove box and redesign its interior with a bit of volume lost to it in order to secure it or have had yet another lockable cable pull in the cabin on the passenger side.

they likely toyed with the idea then decided --- no, too comlicated and costly.
the flap itself is not really the cost. its the rest of it.

my view on the filler flap possibility is that its a very late response during the final stages of the design to cope with the clean air act provisions which came into effect with fairly short notice. but the flap was not part of the early more pure and very frank and functional spirit of the original 914 design ethos.

but its only a thought and an opinion.
the cowl caps on the protos might have just as easily been a simple convenience on the hand built protos to get them built without necessarily having every single component of the car incorporated.

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