The RUF front air dam and the wheels completely filling the fenders give Scott C of NC's black RSA a “hunkered down & hugging the road” stance. |
How many RS Americas were built? |
An excellent question! |
Having personally researched this exact question for nearly three years, after consulting with the PCNA Customer Commitment Center here in the USA, and then requesting a validated production number from the factory archivist in Stuttgart ..... I now have the definitive answer! |
.... and that is - 701 |
To view the factory response to questions regarding production numbers click here. |
Research reveals an interesting array of opinions as to exactly how many RS Americas were built - as is illustrated in the list below: |
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Needless to say, a letter was sent to Stuttgart with a copy to PCNA asking for the correct number. |
On 20-Dec-2003 I received a data package from Porsche AG stating the final production number was 701. |
The range of Vin#'s of RSA's is as follows: |
Production Table - Production date Vs Vin# |
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An excellent example of a Grand Prix White RSA owned by Brian S of IL. |
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How can I find out what number an RS America is out of the 701 built? |
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If the Vin# of a particular RSA is known, the above table can be used to calculate what number it is out of the 701 produced. |
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For example lets find out where Vin# PS419312 is out of the 701 made: |
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What do the factory option codes printed on the ID label (located on the underside of the front hood) mean? |
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Factory option codes. |
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Another good question - but an easy one to answer. |
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To find out where to look for the ID label with the factory option codes printed on it go to the What is an RSA? page. |
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The most common three digit option codes you are likely to find on an RS America ID label are as follows: |
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Option code “900” indicates the original owner got to experience Europe at the wheel of their brand new Porsche. |
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NOTE: the vehicle ID label (showing the option codes) is also on the first page of the maintenance manual. |
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Option “331” the Porsche CR-1 AM/FM cassette radio with digital display. |
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The stock factory CR-1 Cassette Radio (Option 331) shown above was often not ordered from the factory as Dealers would frequently fit the more desirable Alpine single disk CD player which was new audio technology in 1993. A further benefit to dealers was that they were able to make money from the fitment of a CD player. |
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How do I find out exactly when my RSA came off the production line? |
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Every RSA has the date it passed final quality inspection and left the production line engraved on its dataplate. This is known as the manufacturer's date code or “M-date”. |
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Open the drivers door. |
Look at the drivers door jamb - below the latch. |
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Open the driver's door and then take a look on the driver's door jamb just below the latch. Here you will see the factory dataplate which is a black decal. This dataplate is considered to be the primary source of data on the RSA to which it is attached. If you find the dataplate is missing on an RSA, exercise caution. This means either the car had the dataplate removed because the car was in an accident and was repainted, or it might indicate something more sinister - such as the vehicle was stolen and the dataplate removed to conceal the original Vin#. In either case, the Vin# should also appear on a black metal plate on the driver's door pillar - which is best viewed through the windshield. If the car's Vin# is not visible in either of these locations, it might be a good idea to avoid the car all together. |
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The “M-date” on the dataplate on the drivers door jamb. |
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The dataplate gives a lot of data on your RSA including Vin# etc. but ....... if you look up in the top RH corner, you will see the manufacturer's date code or “M-date”. This states the month and year that this particular vehicle passed final quality inspection and left the production line. |
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In the example above, the “M-date” shows that this particular RS America left the production line in January 1993. |
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What is the elastic strap sticking out of the carpet in the front luggage compartment for? |
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The elastic strap sticking out of the front carpet. |
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This is where the original leather document case containing the owners manual (with RS America supplement), the warranty booklet and the maintenance manual were stored during shipping of the car. Why ... you ask? Because with the fitment of passenger side airbags the glove compartment was now too small to hold said document case. |
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How can I tell if a car really is an RS America from its Vin#? |
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RSA Vin#s are found in several places on the car. |
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One place is on a metal plate attached to the drivers side windshield pillar (best viewed from outside the car through the windshield). Other places are on the dataplate on the drivers door post just below the latch, or on the ID label under the front hood, behind the hood latch. |
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The dataplate on the drivers door jamb. |
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In brief, for all RS Americas the first 8 digits of the Vin number the same, these are WPOAB296, then there is the check digit (see below), then PS for '93 or RS for '94, followed in all cases by 41 [NOTE: the thirteenth digit is a “ 1” ONLY if the car is an RS America] followed by the four digit serial number, the ranges for which and details of how to read an RSA Vin# are below. |
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What's the easiest way to tell if an RS America was fitted with a Limited Slip Differential at the factory? |
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The simplest way to tell if it was fitted with a factory Limited Slip Differential is to look at the ID label either under the front hood or on the first page of the maintenance manual. |
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The bottom rows of computer printout on this label are the factory option codes and if the car was fitted with the 40% locking Limited Slip Differential, the code “220” will be present - as it is in the example shown above. |
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NOTE: You can find out if any car has LSD if you jack the back end of the car up in the air so both rear wheels are off the ground and then turn one rear wheel by hand and watch to see if the other wheel turns the same way. If the other rear wheel turns the same way - you have LSD fitted (not necessarily the Porsche factory original). However, if the other rear wheel turns the opposite way ... the car does not have Limited Slip Differential. |
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Who described the RS America as “the car that the Porsche Club of America built”? |
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This exceptionally clean RS America belonging to Lew P of NY needs factory RS decals on its flanks to warn others what they are dealing with!
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This statement was made at PCA National Parade in San Diego in 1992 when announcing the introduction of the RS America for the '93 model year. The dignitary who said it was .... can you guess? |
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How do I read the Vin# of an RS America? |
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A sample RSA Vin# would be |
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WPOAB2968PS419312 |
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For RSAs built Jan '92 to Jun '92 the serial numbers are 8001 - 8297 [Total 297] |
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PLEASE NOTE: Although these cars were built in 1992 they were 1993 model year so on their option codes on the bottom of the ID label under the front hood (or in the first page of the maintenance manual) they carry “718” which means “Next years model”. |
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For these cars the 10th digit in the Vin # is a “P” (see above). |
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For RSAs built July '92 to June '93 the serial numbers are 9061 - 9380 [Total 320] |
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For these cars the 10th digit in the Vin # is a “P” (see above). |
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For RSAs built July '94 - Aug '94, the serial numbers are 9064 - 9147 [Total 84] |
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For these cars the 10th digit in the Vin # is an “R” and they were fitted with rear seats
[show me] in place of the dual storage bins that were standard on '93 RSA's. |
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Where's the ping-pong ball in my RS America? |
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“Every now and then, I have clearly heard a ping-pong ball bouncing in the engine compartment of my RSA .... what IS that?” |
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To locate the source of the ping-pong ball noise ... first remove the engine & gearbox ....
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Nah! .... just kidding! The noise you hear - which does sound remarkably like a ping-pong ball bouncing around, is actually the heater vent flaps popping open and then slamming shut and bouncing when the heating system is not pressurized. You might have noticed that you only hear the noise when you close the last door of your car with all the windows and sunroof (if applicable) closed. In this configuration, abruptly closing the door causes a slight a pressure increase in the passenger compartment, which vents through the heater ducting causing the heating system air valves pop open and to then bounce closed. |
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What is the most common mistake RS America owners admit to making? |
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Whenever I take my RS America to any kind of car event, it attracts the attention of other RSA owners, and without question, the most frequent mistake admitted by RSA owners almost always runs along the lines of |
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Former RS America owners will go to great lengths, even to the point of chasing you through downtown traffic, during rush hour, waving and pointing as if your car is on fire, just to tell you how great their RSA was (ask me how I know this). |
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..... maybe there's a lesson there somewhere! |
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