by John Glynn | Jun 3, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods, Road Trips
Good times for Ferdinand yesterday with long-time creative partner, Jamie Lipman. It was an early start for us, and for Chris from Bedfordshire, who brought his newly-purchased R Gruppe Porsche 911 to London for a photoshoot around the capital.
Glynn/Lipman photo sessions are always big fun. This one started with a 6am meet at The Dorchester, then a stop in St. James’, alongside some fascinating blue plaques. The shoot rolled on through Westminster and into the City of London, ending at the Tower before noon.
Owner Chris had a great backstory that I was previously unaware of, and the icing on the cake was an impromptu encounter with Wally Fields, eponymous Big-Band leader and Gershwin aficionado. When a Zionist Jew and lapsed Irish Catholic discuss the irrelevancy of time as a concept on a Mayfair pavement at 8am on a Sunday, you know it’s going to be a good day.
If you’re in the UK, have you booked for our Race Of Kings yet? Four hours of fun with Porsche guys on Saturday June 15th, from 4PM to 8PM. Cost is a tenner including great food and good racing on the KW RaceRoom simulators. We’ve only got 30 places available so get in and book.
by John Glynn | Apr 15, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Market & Prices, Modified Porsche Hot Rods
Note: this car has now sold via the Ferdinand Magazine Blog and lives in New Zealand.
Fellow European R Gruppe member, Christian, has just sent details of his 911 RS recreation, which he has put up for sale. I followed this car in build for a couple of years and am surprised he is letting it go.
It made slightly more sense when Christian told me how a top secret barn find with a 360 chassis number was behind the decision, although part of me thinks I’d prefer to own this one.
This car is just so right. “This is the only Carrera 2.7L RS replica which was invited to the official 40th anniversary Porsche Carrera RS World Meeting in Stuttgart in September 2012”, says Christian. “It appears in the official participant book as number 36. The car is in overall perfect shape, always very well maintained and handles perfectly. It has a nice driving position as the driver’s seat, the special seat railings and the hub extension were built for a person around 175-190cm (5’7″-6’2″).”
Based on a late 1972 911T (’73 MY), this 911 is what Christian calls a “contemporary 2,7L RS M471 lightweight build”.
The colour is Grand Prix White over Viper Green. Four layers of paint protect a detailed restoration by Hans Patutschnick in 2010, with full photo documentation. Except for DP Motorsport bumpers & ducktail, the body is all steel and was fully wax protected.
Suspension is classic 911 19/26mm torsion bars with Bilstein Nurburgring suspension and raised front spindles. Adjustable 18mm bars front and rear, 7 and 8×15 wheels in proper anodised-with-bright-rim finish and Avon CR6ZZ tyres.
Inside is a DP Lollipop seat, with RS co-drivers seat: love the houndstooth. VDO gauges restored by North Hollywood, original 1973 Momo Prototipo, 85l plastic tank, magnesium transmission with correct gearset and a Quaife LSD. Full transmission cooling and Webasto cabin heating.
The engine is a true work of art, built by Oliver Bienert of Boxer-Motoren, Manching, Germany in 2011. It’s a 2.8-litre MFI, making 281 hp at around 7,200k RPM. The 7R case was modified with shuffle pins, oil bypass and boat tailing, before the bottom end was built around a knife edged 70.4mm crankshaft, with 964 oil pump, Carrillo rods and 92mm Mahle barrels and pistons.
The engine list really is too much, including custom Bosch throttles, MFI pump and twin plug distributor. An RSR flywheel and lightweight clutch finish it off.
Fuelled up with 30 litres and ready to go, the RS rebuild weighs 980 kilograms. It’s done 5,000 miles with no track use since completion. Everything is detailed in the German registration papers, it carries a H (historic) registration plate and is fully TUV approved.
Having just seen what traders were asking at Techno Classica for ordinary early cars, this seems well priced at €94,000. Though he is based near Frankfurt, I hear Christian has had contact from France and the US on this car, so get your skates on if you want to discuss it.
by John Glynn | Mar 20, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
I’ve been storing an original 3.2 Carrera Speedster hard top for a Dutch R Gruppe mate for a couple of years and he’s finally coming to collect it.
The email announcing his imminent arrival was accompanied by these pics of his latest build: Project 913.
913 is the codename for a 911 ST/930 hybrid with a bit of backdating, a lot of fabrication and many retro cool tricks in between. American Racing mags, slick red early-style interior, an air force blue colour scheme that could well become his trademark and something that should be a heap of fun to drive.
Sadly he’s not coming here in it any time soon. Could be time for another trip to Amsterdam: roll on summer!
by John Glynn | Mar 8, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods
Good times last weekend, as I spent Saturday covering the Saturday Surgery: a three-hour morning tech session. This is where owners can bring cars like this classic Porsche 964 Turbo in for a proper 45-minute inspection free of charge, and get some advice on keeping it right.
My friends pioneered the idea of these free inspections. They promise no hard sell and so it transpired, as four different owners brought their cars for attention, with only one spending money: on a much-needed battery. Two other 911s were new owners, checking the boys out for future servicing, and finding out if they’d bought a good car. The fourth Porsche was a silver 964 Turbo, not long sold but in for a trial fit of Fuchs alloy wheels.
The UK distributor of genuine Fuchs forged Porsche wheels always has sets in stock. The 17″ versions are still eagerly awaited, but these 18″ wheels were test fitted to the 964 and really did look a treat.
Fronts went on without a spacer while the rears tried a 20mm wide one that could easily be replaced by 10mm or less. I’d probably do something with the ride heights on these wheels, but it looks pretty good. What do you think?
by John Glynn | Jan 29, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods, Project Cars
The Porsche 912 Speedster from a few days ago went down a storm on Ferdinand Magazine’s Facebook page, which is heading towards 50,000 likes. I’ve got some more details to share on the custom 912, which previous owner Ryan tells me now lives with another friend of mine in Belgium. Small world!
The builder of this 912 Speedster had previously developed some successful race cars. He chose the 912 as it was lighter than a 911, it was a four-cylinder like the 356 Speedster, and the shorter four-cylinder engine mounted close to the firewall gave a lower ultimate height across the engine, which would help it achieve a lower rear deck line.
No computers were used to shape the body: just very careful measuring. After the roof was cut off, Wilbur Brothers bodyshop in Stockwell, Indiana removed the bodywork above the rear wing tops and replaced with a cowling constructed from two Karmann Ghia panels, which gave a lower rear end and less rake.
Like the 356 Speedster’s engine cover, this 912’s rear lid is a hatch that does not extend to the lower rear panel. It was made by welding the 912’s engine cover in place, mating two Ghia engine covers together, then cutting a hole for the 912 grill: an interesting solution.
Modified Speedster windscreen posts hold the shortened 912 windshield. The glass-free doors have custom door caps and plexiglass side windows.
To strengthen the chassis, metal plates were welded to the A-posts. Steel box section was welded into the sill sections, from front to rear wheel housings. The car went through a complete restoration and then had a fresh coat of red. Can’t wait to see this in the metal one day.
