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Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Hot Rod for sale

Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Hot Rod for sale

My good friend RB has decided to sell his modified 911 hot rod, based on a very late 1989/G-reg G50 3.2 Coupe. He’s owned the car for as long as I have owned Porsches, so it’s a big decision to part with the car, but as there’s a new mega-balls 964 Turbo in the garage (amongst other things), he’s not going to be left short of flat-six thrills.

I’ve driven the Guards Red 911 on road and track and it goes along nicely. I’ve lost count of the road trips I’ve followed this car through the UK and Europe on: my second-ever track day was a trip to Spa with this one, just the two of us. It’s a good, solid, fun 911 that can easily be further tweaked to suit a new owner’s tastes. Even better, the owner is not an idiot, so dealing with him will be easy on the brain.

Here is how RB explains it – (note: this car is now sold! Many thanks for reading)

Porsche 911 Hot Rod Explained

porsche 911 hot rod 2

There’s much more to tell than I can fit in an advert. The history and development of this car is transparent – it’s all online. I truly hope someone like-minded can buy this special car and have as much fun as I have had. On the right road, on the right day, with the right people, there are not many better experiences.

Unlike many “recreations”, this is not a 1- or 2- year project produced with a view to resale.  In contrast to that, I have owned this car for nearly 16 years, slowly evolving it to what it is now.  Everything has been done on my watch, at my expense and by my design. If you fancy a walk down internet lane, you can trace much of the car’s history on impactbumpers.com where I have posted under my own name for many years.  And what you can’t find there, I have documented in a comprehensive history file.

Based on a 1989 3.2 Carrera, I have taken everything I know about 911s and used that to develop what I think is a fantastic, sports purpose, lightweight 911 with much of the character of Porsche’s own RS cars. Initially built for fast road and track days, but more recently focussed on European road trips, this is one of the most developed G-series 911s you will find anywhere.

For disclosure, I need to start by pointing out that the car was Cat D recorded almost twenty years ago. Like many other 911s in that era, a small accident plus low values conspired to create an insurance write-off. I had the car stripped and jigged immediately after purchase, and then condition inspected.  It’s now straight and has had a full body resto since then. Cutting to the chase:

Bodywork

  • A rust free car subject to a full body restoration when converted to wide body approx 7 years ago
  • The rear flares are steel 930 and most everything else is plastic for low weight
  • The sunroof was deleted and the fuel tank is centre fill under the bonnet
  • Bumpers are 3.0 RS/IROC pattern and the rear tail is IROC – being the most efficient “non-wing” tail you can get, front bumper just repainted
  • Headlights were new during the rebuild and the wiring is all through a modern blade fuse style board greatly enhancing reliability

Engine

  • Engine rebuilt by Steve Winter at JAZ (part of about 15 years of JAZ history) with standard 3.2 pistons and cylinders, 993 Supercup cams and a 964 plastic intake
  • Built for 7000+rpm but limited to 7000rpm making 283hp via Wayne Schofield tuning
  • Lots of other good bits in the engine build sheet
  • Turbo Thomas custom exhaust (just repacked)
  • Not a (normal) lazy 3.2, but an engine inspired by the MFI RS engines, one that loves to rev and has throttle response that non-MFI 911 engines dream of
  • With a kerb weight under 1050kg, the power-to-weight ratio is more early GT3 than 3.2 Carrera

Transmission

  • Being an ’89 car, the gearbox is G50 meaning a 240mm hydraulic clutch, modern shift feel and a largely fail safe shift action
  • The clutch is a spring-centred 930S clutch, the pressure plate is light aluminium and the diff is a Powerhaus II assymetric plate type LSD – like 993RS
  • Gearbox mounts are poly as are engine mounts. The shift action is precise and falls naturally to hand with a slightly extended shifter

Suspension/Wheels/Brakes

  • Carefully and thoughtfully upgraded suspension.  Torsion bars are 22/29mm Sander Engineering hollow bars and the rear anti-roll bar is an adjustable 22mm bar
  • Dampers are custom valved Bilsteins to the JAZ Porsche recipe
  • Bushes are Neatrix rear and polybronze front
  • Offset monoball top mounts to remove stiction and add precision
  • Brakes are 964 front calipers over 944 Turbo discs and C12 rear calipers over 3.2 discs
  • Wheels are 8 & 9 x 16″ Fuchs with spacers/adapters and good Bridgestone tyres

Interior

  • A mix of light weight and just enough comfort
  • Recaro Pole Positions with custom leather covers and alcantara cushions provide the comfort and lightweight sound deadening, closed cell foam and OE carpets keep just enough noise at bay
  • The cage is an FIA spec OMP 6 point with welded in mounts
  • The steering wheel is a 996 Cup Car item and the doorcards are 964RS style with alcantara covers
  • Heat is 3-season with small heat exchangers providing enough to clear the screen and take the chill off
  • Six-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher complete the mix

The honest truth is that most of this car has been tested and replaced.  The fuel pump quit in the Swiss Alps and is now a Bosch motorsport 044 pump. The steering rack was replaced at one point: the list goes on. But what this car is really about, is a platform developed and optimised for great road trips.

Over the last few years, I have been as far as Slovenia, though the Alps twice, the Route Napolean and through the Pyrenees.  Track days at Spa, Le Mans and the Ring plus the usual UK tracks are all notches in the belt.  I have tested most everything you can test and the car stands ready for it’s next big trip.  Ready to create new memories with someone else.

At times, it has felt like I have poured my heart and soul into this car and when the roads and the company are just right, the highs I have experienced are about as much as anyone can hope for in a car.  I cannot emphasise just what an amazing package this car is.  The handling balance is just perfect, the diff gives amazing drive and the engine sings its little heart out time and again as it reaches for the rev limiter.

porsche 911 3.2 964 intake

I am not selling a concours car or a replica of anything, but I am selling a car that you will build memories with. If you want a car that lets you joins Euro R-Gruppe events, the Bergmeister or my own “Porsche Peleton” trips then this is it.

I have rambled on in my description, but I have 16+ years of story to tell. I know I have left out a load of stuff, but if my 3.2 sounds like you, then let’s talk. Far be it for me to suggest what a new owner may use this car for, but if they want to join me (and my fellow road trippers) in new Euro adventures, then I sincerely hope that is something that I can look forward to.

Boring stuff – the car will come with a new MOT in May and a service from JAZ.  I am happy to deliver the car to JAZ Porsche in St Albans for Inspections. See contact details in the for sale ad here.

Freelance Anniversaries: Nicolas Hunziker Porsche Art

Freelance Anniversaries: Nicolas Hunziker Porsche Art

I had an email today from my friend Heather, wife and business partner of motorsport artist and designer, Nicolas Hunziker, reminding me that the duo are celebrating ten years in business this month. The mail was well timed, as I am also celebrating a work anniversary today: my seventh year as a full-time freelance, working in and around the classic Porsche hobby.

I still remember parking my company car in the office car park for the last time, returning my work laptop and security pass and catching the train from Weybridge back to Banbury – I think I even kept the ticket stub. Mrs G picked me up in our old Landcruiser and we drove home through the leafy lanes, on a beautifully bright, sunny day. Still got the house, the Landcruiser, the Mrs and the sunshine (today, at least), but I no longer work for a company owned by a hedge fund and run by a revolving door of MDs, each of whom loved to send us on wild-goose research missions to find the secrets of future profit growth, but did nothing in response when we brought home the data.

It’s now seven years since I was a wage slave and I don’t miss a bit of it. What a joy it is to wake up in the morning, walk downstairs, put the kettle on and instantly be at work. I am truly grateful for what the last seven years have taught me and oh, to have learned it all so much earlier! I look forward to reaching my tenth anniversary and considering my own answers to the questions I just asked Nicolas. Here’s what my artist friend says after a decade of working for himself.

JG: How long did it take until you felt the new venture was going to work?

NH: I was fortunate as I was able to quit my job in advertising (I was writing and directing TV commercials) and take up painting full time, one year into my painting career. In the early days, I would deliver a painting without knowing when or where the next sale would materialise. The mortgage was late more than once, but Heather never discouraged me from pursuing my passion. She always stood by me and put her entrepreneurial spirit to work. And if it hadn’t been for the support of a few early patrons – support which continues to this day – I might not be where I am now.

JG: Can you share a high point from the last ten years? 

NH: I can think of several. Obviously getting the official nod from Porsche and McLaren, Gulf, Le Mans etc. to gild my paintings with their logos was huge. A couple of corporate commissions that stand out came from the Porsche Museum and PCNA. But one thing that has surprised me more than anything else is all the doors that my art has opened for me: My own racing activities, meeting people who I have long admired and now I’m lucky to call many of them friends.

JG: Has being in business changed your attitude to/experience of the classic Porsche world?

NH: Yes and no. On the one hand, I’ve had a peek behind the curtain through our apparel company where we were a Porsche OE apparel supplier. On the customer side, it’s been very rewarding to see how our creations have been accepted by the Porsche scene. We started our apparel line in 2011 but we still get a kick out of seeing someone wear one of our shirts walking around Goodwood, Le Mans Classic, Monterey or the local Cars & Coffee event.

JG: Have you learned any surprise lessons about people through your work?

NH: I don’t know if there were surprises, but I’ve learned the following:

1. Develop your own style.
2. Passion is the best inspiration.
3. Art opens doors.
5. Defy convention.
4. Art has value.

I love Nic’s approach to creativity: he is always thinking ahead. Hunziker Corp has some interesting projects in progress, all being documented online. Check out the Hunziker Art Car project (a 996 GT3 built through parts donations in exchange for artwork) and, of course, the famous Hunziker Driving Shoes, as worn by half the car guys in America, going by Heather’s Facebook shares.

Thinking about the questions I asked Nic to answer, my own answers would probably be that I knew it would work before I got started, as I had been data researching and writing full-time for ten years, working as a part-time Porsche freelancer since 2005 and already had an independent Porsche client base. There have been a few upsets in my seven years of freelance (mainly debtors going bust and causing a few headaches – not all financial), but I now recognise these as excellent learning experiences. The most recent upset was easier than the first, having learned how to spot, react and mitigate the effects of such occurrences and acting on my instincts early.

A better business radar is one good thing that has come straight from freelance, but it has not arrived at the expense of being harder with money. I started my freelance career working with people who charged for every single thing they did and I followed their example in the early days. I don’t do that so much nowadays: my attitude to earning has mellowed substantially. Going easier with this aspect has brought in many fun experiences and also taught me to say ‘no thanks’ more, and earlier. Time is the most valuable commodity for any creative, so better to draw a line under things as soon as warning flags are raised and move in a better direction.

Have I met inspirational people? Most definitely: valuable lessons have been learned from good friends all over the world. Have I inspired other people? One or two would say yes. Do I still feel the same passion? Yes, I maintain a deep love for the cars and people of this excellent hobby, but no doubt the movement is different today compared to seven years ago. A new generation has taken the world of classic Porsche in many different directions and we oldies accept that this is how all things go eventually. Some of the hot new trends are nothing new at all, but no point losing sleep over it. Things that don’t excite us so much are the best things ever for other folks, and that is OK.

As layers pile on top of layers, the core just gets buried slightly deeper, so we must dig harder to find it. The passion, support and encouragement I get from my hardcore Porsche friends (i.e. most of the people I work with) deliver all the energy one needs to press on. These people have shaped my last seven years and continue to exert a huge influence. I guarantee that if you are thinking of starting something new, it is your similarly passionate friends who will help get you through it. That said, all final decisions on what to do next are yours alone to make.

Freelance Advice (if you need it)

For anyone considering leaving their job and trying something new and different, I urge you to go for it, especially if you have a unique skill that is sought after. Do your research well and include contingency plans for all realistic worst case scenarios (not zombie attacks or nuclear holocausts) before walking away from the wage packet. With due diligence done and dusted, stop worrying and think and talk positive.

Walk away from anyone negative. They will kill what you are about to embark on. Avoid all negativity: negative people have nothing to offer the entrepreneur. They are not realists, they are buzzkill and you have already done your homework. Put your headphones on and walk away. Do not let buzzkillers inside your energy fence (I just made that up: please use it unwisely).

Add a few marketing skills to package the products/skills you intend to sell and then work your butt off doing something you love. It is so easy to work doing something that just flows in and around you. It is also incredible fun, most of the time. When it’s not fun, know you are learning something important. Also, never forget that the lesson may be to quit and do something different: I have changed tack many times in the last seven years.

Verify the market you are aiming to work in, nail the skills required (night school, online, private tuition or whatever) and as soon as you are ready to start, go for it. Worst case scenario: you get another job when the money runs out. Best case: there is no limit. You are the limit. I know so many of you have wonderful talents: let them shine brightly, follow the light and see where it leads!

Credits

ps: I have a few people to thank for their unflinching support over the last seven years (even over the last twelve years) but none of them would want to be mentioned in public: that’s just not how we do things. I am sure they know who they are – I talk to most of them daily! One or two people not so often nowadays, but the feeling is still the same. Thank you.

New Guy Allen Porsche Print: 911 SWB

New Guy Allen Porsche Print: 911 SWB

My friend Guy Allen has released a new Porsche print. An atmospheric rendition of the SWB car in flight, it’s another great example of why Guy is one of the UK’s busiest illustrators.

Guy’s previous Porsche work is all over Ferdinand. I’ve commissioned him a few times for impactbumpers t-shirt artwork and we’ve also released prints of this work together. Those prints all sold out long ago, and I would not be surprised to see this one sell out just as quickly.

guy-allen-porsche-911-print-2016-1

The SWB 911 has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Once ignored as the runt of the litter due to the twitchy handling and smaller engines, contemporary Porsche fans now rightly regard its Germanic purity and unique driving experience as a pivotal step in Porsche history. The SWB cars were the original lightweights and the thread of their lineage must be carefully picked through the model lines – some 911s follow the founding philosophy much closer than others.

R Gruppe Porsche 911 hot rods

My first proper experience of a SWB car came while I still lived in Ireland. A friend’s dad was a keen rally driver and also owned a garage. He had a SWB car in for some work and I would see that driving around quite a bit. It was LHD and may even have been something famous once upon a time, but I never got close enough for a proper look. Years later, when Jamie and I shot a well-known piece featuring two SWB 911s on our first trip to California (Short but Sweet: read it here), I remembered that early rally car and thought how well it would have slotted in with Bob Tilton and Chris Nielsen’s rally inspired R Gruppe machines. I should have bought a SWB project car then, but I missed that particular boat – they are now well out of my reach.

Porsche 911 SWB racing Goodwood 1

Experience the SWB cars in depth and you gain a unique understanding of the original 911 ethos, but race a SWB car hard and win with it, and you enter another dimension of 911 folklore. The UK saw a huge jump in SWB enthusiasm when the 73rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting featured the Aldington Trophy: a race for pre-’66 SWB 911s only. Mark Bates raced the EB Motorsport SWB 911 at Goodwood among a select group of its peers and spent most of the lap going sideways in some very close battles. Mark finished on the podium after a great hour of racing and people still talk to me about that mental race – a fine day in the SWB story.

Away from the circuits, SWB 911s make highly prized road cars, but finding original interior parts and trim is now perhaps the hardest part of a SWB restoration. There is plenty of choice as to who restores your SWB car but, with waiting lists as long as they are at the very best workshops, it might be quicker to learn the skills to restore it yourself! Plenty of Porsche fans are doing just that and, as a DIY diehard, I think that is brilliant.

Guy’s SWB Porsche print is produced on archive quality heavyweight paper. It is a limited edition of 200 large-format A2-sized prints (A2 is 420 x 594 mm). The prints are signed and numbered and you can take a closer look at them here.

Postcards from Bergmeister Tour 2016

Postcards from Bergmeister Tour 2016

Friend and fellow R Gruppe member, Guenter Kehr, has sent me some pics from the 2016 Bergmeister Tour, just completed by a great group of Porsche friends.

Long-time readers will remember the first Bergmeister Tour in 2010, when we took ten R Gruppe 911s from all over the world across Europe to the Alps, staying in Lake Geneva, Briancon and Monaco, following the old Monte Carlo Rally stages around the principality before coming home via Classic Le Mans.

Bergmeister Tour 2016 1

Painstakingly organised by Leonard Stolk at Twinspark Racing in Amsterdam, every day was a unforgettable experience. Six years later, it is still the best thing I have ever done in my 911, so I was delighted to get Guenter’s pics and a reminder of how special it is to be on tour in a group of air-cooled 911s with like-minded people.

Bergmeister Tour 2016 2

“Bergmeister Tour 2016 is completed,” writes Geunter. “Once again, an epic week of close to 5,000 km of intense driving on some of the most amazing roads across Switzerland, France and Italy. Lots of rain, fog, mud and gravel on the roads made driving even more challenging this year.

Bergmeister Tour 2016 3

“This was certainly an excellent test run for my new Michelin Pilot Exalto 2 NO tyres in sizes 205/55 ZR16 and 225/50 ZR16 mounted on 7 & 8×16 fuchs. The Michelins lived up to expectations: very predictable in the wet and with good braking performance and traction in and out of the uncountable hairpins.

Bergmeister Tour 2016 4

“The tyres and my new brake calipers saved me at least once from being smashed between a white van and a wall going up “La Madelaine”. Climbing up the ultimate Col de L’Iseran to an altitude of 2,770 m we even got freezing rain and snow. No reason to stop but first time ever I had to pull my heater lever on a summer tour. Too bad for the others who had sacrificed their heaters for less weight!”

Chateau du Picomtal les Crots

Congrats Guenter and to his fellow Bergmeister tourers – looks like a blast. Check out the Bergmeister Facebook page for more information and photos.

People are still building Porsche Hot Rods

People are still building Porsche Hot Rods

The average week puts me in touch with a stack of people seeking 911 projects. “I want a cheap SC/3.2/964, let me know if you come across anything.” A quick email to enquire about their plans usually leaves me depressed, as the Porsche hot rod has mainstreamed to Magnus and Singer, with most other builders going back to factory spec. Singer is by far the biggest influence nowadays.

Porsche 911 hot rod 3

There is nothing wrong with factory spec if that’s your bag and you do it properly, cutting no corners: a crisp early 911 is a very beautiful machine. But the idea that owners of SCs and 3.2s (and 964s and 993s) have suddenly been appointed as rolling museum curators just because values have shot up continues to be a major pain in the arse for those of us who enjoy individuality expressed through classic Porsche. There are lots of these cars in the world and plenty of nice original examples. Bring something to the car which is all about you, other than your name on the annual service bills.

Of course there are some fine hot rods in build at Porsche specialists all around the world, but those builds could be said to be slightly diluted by the professional suggestions that inevitably infiltrate the process – specialists are not exempt from the idea of conservation and what is “period correct”. Pics received from Neil this week offered some light at the end of the tunnel: people are still building Porsche hot rods to express their vision of the essence of Porsche.

Porsche 911 hot rod 4

Neil’s car was built by Neil, in his garage and to his taste. You might do some things differently, but individual expression is the point. Based on a 911 SC, this 3-litre has the Jenvey throttle bodies we would all like to fit to junk the ageing K-Jet intake. Neil has added DTA engine management and a straight through exhaust (I presume this is headers) into a custom silencer. The car makes 236 bhp, so there is a good chunk of budget gone, but a lot of fun added and a big leap in throttle response and fuel economy.

Porsche 911 hot rod 5

With more power on tap, the obvious next step was to take weight off and Neil found the answer in the EB Motorsport catalogue. Lightweight front wings and bonnet, much lighter bumpers and the rear quarter panels and engine lid have taken at least 100 kilos off the car. The diet continued with polycarbonate windows and lightened doors. The engine was treated to GRP tinware on the lighter engine (losing that winding exhaust junks a lot of heavy scrap too).

Porsche 911 hot rod 2

Neil hasn’t told me what his car weighs, but given the parts used, I am confident it’s less than 1,000 kilos. I’m sure it makes a great noise and he has plenty of tyre options with those 17″ Fuchs-style wheels. Of course you would do it differently, but instead of telling us all how you would go if you were building a hot rod, send us the proof that you’ve done it. Curators don’t get a say in the hot rod world.