Red KONI Shocks

[Dick Weiss]

The blue Koni shocks are slightly smaller in diameter and having welded ends, are NOT rebuildable; Only the shocks which have the
screw closure on the upper end. Due to age and the internal porting of the piston's end gets clogged, the shock will get locked and can't be extended for access to the screw for disassembly. Konii USA in Hebron, KY may rebuild original dated shocks--@ a price.

I haven't been there for awhile, so I don't know if they still repair them--It was mentioned that they discontinued rebuilds since new
shocks are cheaper and having a lifetime warranty. (No dates, tho)

[Harlan Halsey]

My involvement with Porsches dates from 1964 when I purchased a 24,000 mile 1962 356B 1600S. It did not have Konis but after a short time I purchased a set from a local parts store. My recollection is that at that time all after market Konis were Koni red, and all had the same rebuildable construction. But, Konis were also a factory extra cost option, and if so ordered they came on the car, blue and had PORSCHE stamped on the lower end of the dust shield. Other than the color and the legend, the blue ones were identical to the after market red ones. If, however, you bought Konis from the dealer, then they were red. For a long time I thought that was it. But I have since come across a red one with the Porsche legend, and my '59 Carrera came with black Konis. The black '59 Konis are slightly different internally from the later ones and they incorporate a fill screw in the side which, of course the later ones do not have. For many years Koni maintained a facility in New Jersey for servicing their shock absorbers. In the 1960s I had them shorten the stroke, and as late as 1994 I sent them a set of BMW inserts, but by then they couldn't supply new seals for those shocks anymore. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it until someone comes up with the period when Porsche offered the Koni option, and points out that if Porsche ran out of the blue ones, they shipped red ones.

[Martin Bruechle]

al zim 2019/03/11

Hey Al Zim; check this fake speedster on eBay with ZIM 356 license plates.
The guy has a original yellow ZIM 356 plate in the front then a white newer ZIM 356 plate in the rear ? 8)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-1956-3 ... SwM9xbmUC5

[Dick Weiss]

There were optional gray Koni shocks on the pre-A series(?).