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Classic Orange Porsche 911 Day

Classic Orange Porsche 911 Day

Not been out in a Porsche since I got back from the USA, so thought I’d better fix that. I grabbed some keys and got out in the fresh air.

Finally got the Tangerine 1972 Porsche 911 T I have for sale booked into Tuthills for a service and a suspension set up: ride heights and alignment. On new suspension bushes and new Dunlop tyres, this car is a delight to drive, but a little lower than is right, so worth sending it to Tuthills to be sorted.

While it’s there, they are going to check a few other bits and change the oil and filter, just to freshen it up. Should be absolutely brilliant when it comes back next week. Then it’s out for a photo shoot and we are thinking of entering it for the Goodwood auction in July. Will keep you posted. Email me if you want to know anything about this remarkable low mileage car. I would love to see it go to a good home.

The T is no slouch on its wicked TwinSpark Weber carbs, but the Carrera 3.0 is even perkier. Once back from Tuthills, I pulled the C3 out and took it for a run.

That car is – literally – a tonne of fun. The tax is up in July, so it’ll head off to Racing Restorations in Pershore for a little bit of body and paint, mainly repairing damage inflicted by moi, breaking into it in Monaco last year. Rob Campbell is also going to strip and clean the wheel arches, repaint and waxoyl the lot.

We’ll change all the window rubbers, install the carpet I’ve had sitting here for a few months, and maybe bolt in the mint 1975 Recaro sports seats. Either that or get the centres of my Recaro A8s retrimmed in some orange corduroy or similar. They are light weight, comfy seats: sweeter than the pukka early ones. But then the early ones are more ‘correct’…

While Robert is fettling the bodywork, wiring the heated screen, changing the fuel pump for an uprated modern unit etc, I’m going to send the engine off for a top end rebuild. No idea who is going to do it yet but am working on that.

Once the refreshed motor is returned, we’ll fit my SSIs and a custom exhaust that RaceResto will manufacture and then see what it goes like. I’m also thinking of redoing suspension bushes: need to get in touch with the polybush people and see who has the best deals on.

Driving it today was as much fun as it was when I first got it. This car never ever gets old.

Steve McQueen Porsche 911 Turbo on Ferdinand Magazine

Steve McQueen Porsche 911 Turbo on Ferdinand Magazine

911 & Porsche World magazine have used our Steve McQueen 930 shoot at Laguna Seca on both their subscriber cover and UK news stand cover this month: we’ll wait to see if it makes the news stand cover in the US also. You can see the retail cover here, as well as reading our article (also in this month’s Porsche World) about the two almost-identical 911SC coupes, ten grand and 100,000 miles apart: a piece called “Project versus Perfect”.

Steve McQueen porsche 911 turbo

It’s always a buzz to get a Porsche World cover, and a special buzz to get both retail and subscriber editions. Great photography as always by the marvellous Jamie Lipman, but a very special car too. The 930 was McQueen’s last 911 and now belongs to Mike Regalia, who bought and restored Steve’s famous Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, which sold at auction for a cool $2.31 million a few years back.

We shot the McQueen car during an SCCA meet at Laguna Seca. Organising the shoot is a long story – one for a book more than a blog – but it ended up with smiles all around. The moral is: if you ever go looking for Laguna Seca, you won’t find it unless you know the secret. Quite a shock how well hidden it is if you have been a lifelong fan of the place and just want to get in to have a look! There were some lovely people organising that event too: go SCCA!

steve McQueen Porsche 911 turbo

I gotta give a special mention to my great buddy John Gray for keeping my positivity going on the last US trip. When three cars cancelled the week before we flew, we were all set to pull the plug until Gray gave me the news that the 930 had surfaced. Big thumbs up JG as, without your encouragement, we might have stayed home.

Sometimes I can’t believe we find such great cars to shoot – I dunno how it happens but that’s all part of the fun! Roll on the next trip.