80's 911 third brake light

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Kyle Tucker - 27 Nov 2005 14:00 GMT

Hi,
I've looked and can't find any facts on how some
911's have an internal, upper window light and others seem
to have an after-market ET-looking one off the rear deck.
Weren't all US 911's required to have one and would have
the internal one because the factory put them there?

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- Kyle

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Mat 911@earthlink.net> - 28 Nov 2005 02:28 GMT

>Hi,
> I've looked and can't find any facts on how some
>911's have an internal, upper window light and others seem
>to have an after-market ET-looking one off the rear deck.
>Weren all US 911's required to have one and would have
>the internal one because the factory put them there?

I owned an early production 1987 911 (Granite & Linen), with the ET
stalk. Here's what I remember.

For part of '86 and '87 the center mounted brake light was on the
bottom of the rear window.

Because it was on the bottom, when A FACTORY INSTALLED whale tail was
added, the tail's rubber lip obscured part of the light and didn't
meet the safety regs. As a result, the factory mounted tails had the
'ET" stalk. from the cabs.

In early '87 the bottom light continued --- but soon after the start
of production Porsche moved the light to the top of the window, and
didn't have the problem with the whale tail.

As a result, you'll see the ET stalk on cabs and on coupes with the
factory mounted tails (during the production of low light models).

An obscure part of Porsche history to be sure!

Mat

'87 911 Granite & Linen
'96 911C4 Arena Red & Blue Belt*

Another obscure piece of history --- interior option was blue above
belt line, gray below belt line.

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