Help me plan my 911 project!!

[Nathans_Dad]

The foundation has been laid (i.e. I got the wife to finally agree to let me get another 911)!

So, I am in the planning stages here.

What the end goal is a backdate type project based on a 78-89 911. Looking at converting to longhood, ducktail, possibly sunroof delete, changing to chrome trim and likely a good quality respray. Inspiration is the orange Singer 911.



Car will be a driver, probably not much in the way of tracking or DE, but it would be nice to be able to do that stuff if I wanted to. My initial budget for the base car would be something around $10-14K and I plan to do most of the work myself over the next year or two. My original plan was to get a decent driving car and drive it for 6 months or so before tearing into it.

Ok, so the question is which base car to get? I had a 3.2 Carrera targa previously and really liked that engine but I know the SC is a good base car as well. The G50 tranny has its benefits but I'm not sure it is worth the premium to me.

There is a local car in Craigslist, it's a 1980 SC Weissach which I looked at a couple weeks back. The car is pretty thrashed, paint is faded, there is some damage to the passenger side door and front fender. Driver side door also doesn't close well unless you really slam it...made me wonder about accident damage. No rust that I could see. Engine looks to be losing a decent amount of oil from what I could see looking under the car. Interior is pretty well shot, dash is cracked, seats are split, carpet is bad, headliner is sagging. The car does apparently run and drive although I did not ask for the keys when I looked. The car is at one of those cash for title shops and apparently was repossessed. Title is clean. Originally they were asking $8900, then $8500, then $7900, last listing is for $7500. I was thinking about whether a lowball offer of $5-6k or so would even be worth making given that the car needs significant work. The other side of it is if you are planning to strip it to a tub anyhow, maybe it is better to start with a car that needs a lot of work and get it for cheap vs. buying a good condition car now and paying a premium.

Anyhow, what are your opinions on a base car for this project?

[Rot 911]

If you aren't a limp wristed girly man needing a G50, I would go with an 84-86 Carrera coupe, preferably an '86 only for the updated dash and the lower seats. The SC is a great car, but the 3.2 is a much sweeter engine. With that in mind I would find a good 3.2 driver and take it from there. I would not get the car described above. It will more than double in price when you include the body work you would need to do. It is a buyer's market right now and you can get any number of 84-86 Carreras in decent driver condition for between $12k and $15k.

[Nathans_Dad]

That's what my thought was as well. The Weissach is definitely a project car, I kinda feel bad for it though, it was once a sweet limited edition 911 and now it is a tired old car who needs someone to take it home and love it...and spend a ton of money on it too!

[Zeke]

Here I am converting a backdate to stock so I can sell it. You just never know.

[bell]

Yep......86 911 with a 915 and 3.2.....
The late dash vents really help with ventilation.
The 3.2 and 915 when working properly are absolutely imo what a 911 is all about....backdated body just sweetens the deal.

Fyi......my dream build....
86 dash coupe non sunroof, 3.2 with some cams, light flywheel, 915, 80% lsd, pre-73 body, turbo flares, jagermiester orange, early turbo tail.....
Bliss

[Aurel]

Singer, I had never heard of them. Do they specialize in 911 backdates? Nice stuff. I like that little ducktail a lot. And the muffler too...

[notfarnow]

I've been mulling over similar ideas lately... I don't know how much longer I can hold out before a 911 lands in my driveway. There's a tatty yellow '70t locally that I could pick up if I wanted it... solid, mostly rust free but a bit tired. Probably ~10-12k.

But for 12k, I figure I should be able to get an 84-86 Carrera that needs paint, and then backdate it. I *really* like the 3.2/915 combo, but I would probably be just as happy with an SC if I got a good deal on one.

I think a backdated SC/Carrera has the PERFECT look:

[A930Rocket]

Norbert Singer. Noted Porsche engineer IIRC.

Norbert Singer

Singer, I had never heard of them. Do they specialize in 911 backdates? Nice stuff. I like that little ducktail a lot. And the muffler too...

[Nathans_Dad]

The little duck on the car is actually one of the later model electric spoilers that they modified with a little duck.

Mine will have the standard duck on it.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Norbert Singer. Noted Porsche engineer IIRC.

Norbert Singer

That's not the "Singer" involved with the car pictured. This Singer:
Singer Vehicle Design

[RWebb]

Is this planned to be a looks only change? Will you lighten the car a lot?
- more luxo-barge crap to throw out in the later MYs; SC has less; 1974 will have the very least of any bumper car

I would do the cosmetics LAST.

I'd do things in this order:
- repl. rubber brake hoses with new; flush system
- repl. all other fluids
- drive car while collecting suspension upgrade & Long-term Maintenance items
- Fix up suspension during winter (or hot hot summer for you maybe) - or do the F first, R later

I would next go to work on the powertrain - buy & build your motor & tranny upgrades while driving the car with the old units, then repl. in one fell swoop (except for cleaning engine compartment, replacing seals, etc. you would only be w/o the car for 1 day)

2nd to last is to attack the interior

finally the outside

I like doing the outside last as you don't see it while driving, but you do see and interact with the interior.

[A930Rocket]

I stand corrected, but who is "Singer" in Singer Vehicle Design?

Originally Posted by milt

That's not the "Singer" involved with the car pictured. This Singer:
Singer Vehicle Design

[TRE Cup]

Rob Dickinson is a singer, as in lead vocal for a group called Catherine's Wheel, and of course his own solo album "Wine for the Horses"
He is consumed with Porsche and is the main man of Singer Design, makers of the car photographed above.

No, you can't have parts to make your own Singer. Those are proprietary, but you can get close with a mix of after market parts so you can individualize your own build