who's porsche is it anyway ?

[adrian jaye]

Since I've been watching shows like "American Hotrod", "great hot rod build off", “a car is born” even MTV’s hilarious “Pimp my ride”.

I've turned my views on modding around.

Most ppl who knew me for the first year of P-car ownership, will remember that I was a real OEM/original parts/don’t modify proponent.

But recently I've been thinking, about my Capri ownership days where at the shows ppl would have all kinds of looks to there cars. People where friendly, there was none of this “my Capri” is a real Capri, other cars in the street waved and flashed you and there was none of this “anal” behaviour that I saw from day one of driving my Porsche.

At the shows you had the full gamete of cars, from mild to wild and NO-ONE batted an eye lid. There was none of this Porsche snobbery.

Lets face it the 44/24/68 are now coming to the days of being more and more an affordable Porsche and just for the elite.

I think people should be encouraged/supported in exploring the possibilities of there cars. Albeit from mild changes to extreme.

If the "I say" brigade is content in sipping Riesling, doing drives to the Algrave in there Barbour jackets and polishing there 30grand+ sports cars, bully for them.

Most if not the majority aren’t like that. Certainly in my travels people seem to just be enthusiastic about there cars and that’s good.

Of course you have the people who turn up to meetings just to get some cheap advice without participating or helping others, they I have no time for.

I have in the past often thought about having a garage big enough to do a complete engine re-build, or full body spray.

I think stateside there is more encouragement in "upgrading" the usual I have a 944 n/a I want to convert to a turbo, or how do I make the 968 engine fit in my 44. You still get a lot of opposition to these projects across the pond, but there seems to be a better feel for people who want to do these things.

Yes for some projects, we are talking “big” money but I'm more and more thinking, well what’s the big deal and why should we be knocking or discouraging people from doing these things. If a project looks like costing 10grand or more ... so what! Its not our money that the person is going to spend. As long as we offer the right advice, safe advice and what it’s likely to cost. Why should we use terms like “not economically viable” ? In whose eye’s, ours or there’s ?

Sure point out the pitfalls but is it such a "criminal" thing to explore the possibilities of your Porsche?

It may look like I've done a bit of a u turn, and to "some" extent possibly I have. Although I will still "err" on the side of if Porsche say it’s not correct then that is something you have to seriously consider.

Certainly modifications which may have safety issues have to be looked at with a different view. There is no substitute for a "Good looking car" which is inherently dangerous !

From my own POV I know that by not messing around with my Porsche I've NOT had any problems in 3 years of ownership. MOT's pass every year, which is more than can be said about all 3 of the Capri's I ran modified. But that does not mean I would probably not be averse to modding ideas

Anyway, lets try and kick out the snob element and embrace the enthusiast who loves there car but may be a closet modifier!

There is room for everybody, Concours 100% pure and true, to full blown chopped body, flip flop paint and running NOS.

Ideas and thoughts welcomed

Ade Jaye

[id10t]

Well, as long as you keep your original parts, and don't do anything too destructive (or non-reversable) then go for it... but the P-cars you mention (924/944/912, 70s and 80s 911s) are in the same boat that the 356 was in in the 80s. At 20 years old they have no big $$ value, but at 30, 40, or 50 years old there will be people who are willing to pay big bucks for original unmolested cars.

[adrian jaye]

yep thats a good point,

I keep all the orginal bits so the new owner can convert back, or I can do it for them. Of course some mods your not going to be able to undo easily,

say extensive bodywork or engine swaps.

then as you righly say, orginal concurs cars demand a good resale value.

I kow again from experince, when I used to buy a car for say a couple of grand. Resale value on heavy mods would mean being able to sell for a couple of 100 quid.

[928ram]

Adrian, you should hear the screams of horror when someone has thoughts of placing an American V8 in a 928! You'd think the world was coming to an end.

Your car has to please one person; you. I say do whatever pleases you.

[Z-man]

You don't own a Porsche. The Porsche owns you.



I dunno, it just seemed to fit the topic of this thread.
-Z.

[adrian jaye]

again as I said back in the day I would have screamed "heracy"

but again think about it the 928 was built for the american market.

and the appeal of American Muscle in a European car has it all really,handling and power.

[Moneyguy1]

I used to belong to the NHRA. Even continued my membership until I moved west four years ago. No matter what the car, no matter what the mod, members rarely made derogatory remarks about anyone's efforts, but on the contrary, offered actual help..and I mean hands-on help. Had I wanted to put a GM V6 or V8 in my '44, the mere act of supplying a couple of cases of beer and the parts would have gotten me three or four experienced volunteers. Nothing was sacred, and some of the results were truly jaw dropping. How about an Opel GT with a 302 Mustang engine...Street legal? There were those who were into strictly restoration as well and they got help. Like a guy with a 1941 Ford coupe who needed a grille insert. Another member called friends in NYC and found one. Imagine that.

With the sole exception of places like Pelican where info is exchanged (despite the extreme phobia about engine transplant), there are precious few people out there who own or work on Porsches that are willing to held, aid or share. I belong to PCA and wish it behaved like NHRA.

[tabs]

Now maybe, just maybe you could pretend that your 944 was a 911 RS and you could join the........................ I'm sure they like your kind of fuzzy thinking...but then again you'd be joining a group that is extremely snobish.

[kaisen]

Renegade Hybrids in Las Vegas has done a few Corvette LS1/LS6 V8 conversions for the 924/944/968's. All aluminum, 400+ horsepower, bolt in.

[pwd72s]

Chop away folks...a modified deuce coupe still gets my blood pumping, even though most of the bodies these days are either glass or metal repop. Some mods are instant classics, while others produce Carol Doda cars. By all means, when it's your car...do as you wish. Just don't expect everybody to love it as much as you do....or not, after it's done.

[adrian jaye]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Chop away folks...a modified deuce coupe still gets my blood pumping, even though most of the bodies these days are either glass or metal repop. Some mods are instant classics, while others produce Carol Doda cars. By all means, when it's your car...do as you wish. Just don't expect everybody to love it as much as you do....or not, after it's done.

Why should what you spend or do to your car be decided by what other people think.

as has been said

"You can please some of the people all of the time,
All of the people some of the time
but you can't please all of the people all of the time"

I'm not a sheep, I'm not a number.
I'm an indivdual !

[adrian jaye]

Originally posted by kaisen
Renegade Hybrids in Las Vegas has done a few Corvette LS1/LS6 V8 conversions for the 924/944/968's. All aluminum, 400+ horsepower, bolt in.

YUMMY !
slurp
drooooooool

[67nin11]

here's my fantasy porsche.. take a 85 or so 928 with a blown or no engine at about $2000 strip out and sell the uneeded/heavy stuff, put in some nice light seats then add a wrecked donor awd audi for the 20 valve 5 cly engine, drivetrain and front supension, throw in bigger turbo and tune the engine for about 350 hp, stir in a years worth of engineering headaches and call it a awd 925 turbo.....