John Simone 911 GT2 EVO/RSR Tribute - Backstory & Update Thread

[sirdaft1]

I originally put up a "what's the market value" thread over in the Marketplace after coming across a potential replacement - however I've since changed my mind and made the decision to hold onto her. That said, I thought I'd formally introduce my 1979 911 turned GT2 EVO/RSR Tribute to the Pelican community and use this as a place to provide some insight into her interesting backstory and share occasional updates.

Backstory:
I picked her up in the middle of the covid bottom (mid-2020) from a fantastic guys down in AZ (someone who has gone onto become a good friend). He had trailered and tracked her at various HPDEs for a handful of years after buying her from the original builder, John Simone.

For those not familiar, John Simone and Ron Palmer out of San Diego built 10 of these 930 chassis 993 GT2 Evo/RSR race cars nearly 20 years ago (early/mid 2000's). This exact 911 was the 10th and final, which was John Simone’s personal race car until ~5-6 years ago.

When I purchased her, she hadn't been registered or driven on the street for nearly ~20 years, so the first point of order was to get her registered and street legal. The State of Vermont assisted with getting her registered (hence the VT plates - a loophole that’s since been tightened up), and we did a host of work to her to make her street legal. Added lights (bi-xenon headlights, turn signals, reverse lights, gauge lights) and we removed the classic Simone checkered livery with a full exterior respray to Polar Silver. She’s also been heavily sorted over since taking ownership; with rebuilt JRZs, fresh rear axles, brand new everything fueling and ignition related, brand new chassis wiring, new Tillett seats and harnesses, replaced rear wing with a true GT2 deck lid + banana wing, new massive twin Setrab oil coolers, URW custom exhaust, new lightweight rear carpeting and sound deadening, and much more.

If you'd like to see a bit more of how she was made, there's a phenomenal time capsule of a thread from nearly two decades ago that shows a nearly identical John Simone 930 -> GT2 EVO/RSR build on another forum. Link: 911 re-body, from RSR+ to the EVO2.

Having now personally put 5k+ street miles and a half dozen track days on her while under my ownership, the best I can describe the experience of being behind the wheel of her is akin to having the opportunity to wheel a classic yet street legal Porsche Cup Car on the road and/or race track.

Raw.

Visceral.

Analog.

No nannies.

Just a lightweight chassis (2,300lb), 300whp, air-cooled, gutted and caged, classic 911 with ultra wide sticky rubber (275/335), a 3.6L 993 VR motor mated to a tight 6-speed G50 manual gear box, and a set of Schroth 6 points to keep you snuggly secure in the Tillett carbon fiber seats.

The newly installed SpeedHut GPS speedo confirmed a 0-60mph in 3.73 seconds and a 1/4 mile in the low 12 seconds while wearing the large aero-heavy banana wing (on par with 993 GT2s of the same era). I suspect she may be good for a high 11 second 1/4 miles sans wing and with a proper launch. Not bad for a 40+ year old 911 with ~300whp.

And if the attached videos and photos aren't evident enough - I have just a mild passion for all things 911 related. A passion that I've been fortunate to share and make into lifetime memories with my father, kiddos, friends and many others who have had the opportunity to hop in her for a spin.

I look forward to sharing occasional updates.

MJ

Videos:
URW - 911 GT2 Evo/RSR Intro Video
911 GT2 Evo/RSR Tribute Flyby Video #1
911 GT2 Evo/RSR Tribute Flyby Video #2
Backroad Driving Onboard Video
Dyno Video
Parking Garage Montage Video

[sirdaft1]

Dyno sheet:

[slow&rusty]

Wow.
Awesome build.

[sirdaft1]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

Wow.
Awesome build.

Thank you.

Below is how she looked was when I picked her up, wearing her classic painted on (not a wrap) John Simone checkered livery.

Not exactly ‘under the radar’ when she was drive on the street.

What’s great is that in the ~5k street driven miles I’ve had her, she’s only once been pulled over. And that was by what looked like a young kid (early 20’s??) that was a police officer that walked up and said “you did nothing wrong… I just wanted to check her out!”

[sirdaft1]

Gave her a bath today…

[patina]

Car looks great. Stay in your lane.

[sirdaft1]

Recently returned from another trip to the Tail of the Dragon. 4 days of carving up the Smoky Mountains with my 9-year old (his first time there in the P) and it was an absolute blast. Memories for a lifetime. Along the way we stopped off and chatted with dozens of fellow enthusiasts - which is what makes the experience all that much more memorable.

It was our first time bringing the drone and GoPro 360 and those really helped to capture the experience.

Here are some photos and videos of the P from the trip…




















A few chase videos (sidenote: first time using the GoPro 360 and couldn’t be more impressed with the audio quality)

Bottom of the Tail Takeoff
https://rumble.com/v6wk140-hot-damn-part-2.html

Tail of the Dragon South - Full
https://rumble.com/v6woyf6-porsche-tail-of-the-dragon-south.html

[JacobS911]

[Mocker]

Haha, Wooderson.