Is the 911 Backdate the 21st Century Equivalent of a Slantnose Conversion?

[onewhippedpuppy]

This thought occurred to me as I was browsing BaT today, to see yet another backdated 911. Great car, looks well done, I’m sure fun as hell, but seems to be getting pretty cliche at this point. Am I alone here?

[DanielDudley]

Well, a few years ago, the right kind of backdate could draw big money, and maybe still can.
However, now that pristine impact bumper bumper cars are starting to have value, I'm sure that is influencing many people's opinion on originality.

I just want a fun car that goes like a scalded cat.

[Macroni]

Must be a market..... I do find them boring........

[GH85Carrera]

I have seen many countless modifications to a 911. Some so horrible I had to just walk away before I said something rude. One of our local members has one of the pre-production 911 slantnose Turbo from Porsche. It was an early prototype and does not even have pop up headlights. It is rare and likely very valuable, but ugly as sin in my personal opinion.

I am just an grumpy old white man. I prefer the stock look. My car looks pretty stock except the wheels are fake Fuchs in a 17 inch so I could buy decent tires. The original 15 inch Fuchs are in the attic.

So my personal opinion, yes the backdate is silly. Like the people that strip out the heat exchangers and the entire AC system to save some weight. Unless it is a track car that is nuts in my opinion.

In the end, the owner of the car is just that. The owner. It is just a car and they are free to do whatever they want to it.

[exc911ence]

It is a bit played out but at least the saving grace is that longhood cars look gorgeous, unlike many of the past must-do modifications like impact-bumpering your longhood in the 80's, or performing questionable slantnose/widebody conversions (see also: Gemballa, Strosek, Koenig).

Of course reading back to my first line as the Devil's Advocate, the longhoods look gorgeous to today's eyes but will they always? Is the attraction to chrome and fine features only a reaction to today's monochromatic and anonymous automotive styling? Time will tell....

[pwd72s]

I don't see the comparison with a slantnose. Yes, people overdid the slantnose on street cars, but it's original purpose was to give better aero to the 935 race car.

Backdating is done simply for the sake of appearance.

Overdone? Perhaps. Just a matter of opinion to me. If so, are Singers losing their cache'?

[fastfredracing]

There was a time where I liked the impact bumper cars way more than the longhoods.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

In 1985, I was reaching the age to get my drivers license.

At that time, there was NOTHING more beautiful than an impact bumper 930.
Everyone was converting longhoods into impact bumpers.

My father (who owns a 1965 911) called impact bumpers ugly, and slantnoses "abortion porsches" As a 15 year old, I didn't get it.

But he was right.


Basically this- things go into and out of fashion. Just don't get caught up in the fad.
Just as in the 80's, you couldn't repaint a porsche from orange/brown/blue to red fast enough, - 5 years from now- Guards Red will be the next "thing"

I also remember a backlash against 73 carrera conversions in the 2000's. "So cliche..."

As an aside- I completely get the practicality of a 17-18 rim on a 911, however, I think it looks like butt.
10 years from now you will be able to custom order a 15 inch 245 tire without so much as a second thought at a reasonable price. Bring it on!!

[MikeSid]

It's like plastic surgery.
A good job might look a little better. But it might look worse. And possibly much worse.
OEM, even if old, is always a better choice. No matter what model you are.

I tell myself this as I look into the mirror and see that my eyes have bags like the headlights of a 996.

[Tervuren]

from 901 to 997 my favorite is the 930.

However, I think the current gen 911 has an offering that would compete with choosing between it and a 930.

My favorite Porsche road car styling? The 944.

[Rodsrsr]

It may not be a fair comparison because in the 80's and 90's these cars were all over the place, but in all reality when is the last time you saw a longhood on the road? Backdate or not. I rarely even see impact bumper 911's and I'm in California. So within the Porsche community they might be common, but in the macro sense if a person is driving a longhood style car, its probably one of a handful within that community.

[look 171]

Some time they go by me so fat that I don't have time to see if they are conversions or not? I don't think the long hood is better looking then a typical 930. Maybe they were before my time. I agree with Leakyseal and felt the same way, we are about the same age. I remember seeing a slant nose back then and thought that was "THE" car. Hell, the DP 930 Slantnose Cab was the most in your face car of the 80s and I would give my left nut just to seat in one back then. Today, I think they are ugly as hell. I have to say this, I still don't think the long hood cars are that great looking and I am building one. No, its no back date.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Rodsrsr

when is the last time you saw a longhood on the road? Backdate or not. I rarely even see impact bumper 911's and I'm in California. So within the Porsche community they might be common, but in the macro sense if a person is driving a longhood style car, its probably one of a handful within that community.

Very rare here in Belgium & Netherlands, since there are car thieving gangs out to get them.
They steal em from parkings & garages, in plain daylight.
they even stole a 356 at a Concours show last summer.

Some people are really concerned about getting theirs out in public these day

[Bill Douglas]

I'm not a fan of the typical backdate look, the RS RSR look.

But I'm loving the genuine narrow bodied early car look. Chrome here and there, and steel wheels.

[kach22i]

Is the 911 Backdate the 21st Century Equivalent of a Slantnose Conversion?

Yes, but it was a cool thing to do in either era.

Laugh at big bell bottom jeans and long hair of the early 1970's, but they were cool as heck at the time.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

As an aside- I completely get the practicality of a 17-18 rim on a 911, however, I think it looks like butt.
10 years from now you will be able to custom order a 15 inch 245 tire without so much as a second thought at a reasonable price. Bring it on!!

The day I can get a summer performance tire for my factory 15s that can be used on the highway in the rain and general use I will put the OEM Fuchs back on. I can get autocross stickies now, but no one would use those on the highway in the rain on a 5,000 mile road trip.
In the mean time I do like my 17s. This photo is from a road trip to Maine and into Canada. I hit all the New England states.

[island911]

^Very nice...

Funny, back in the 70's & 80's, you could buy kits to make your old 911 appear to have modern impact bumpers. (fiberglass)

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I totally get why everyone is doing it and will probably be going over to the dark side soon myself.
I am pretty old school, and I even get bent out of shape when people put 16's on a longhood.

Yours do look pretty subtle and I am partial to the white!

[Tervuren]

I would rather have a perfect back date than a ratted original.

But I'd also rather have a perfect rebuilt original over spending that money on a back date.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by island911

Funny, back in the 70's & 80's, you could buy kits to make your old 911 appear to have modern impact bumpers. (fiberglass)

Mark! If you are reading this; please contact me so we can take the impact bumpers of your 1972 911S and convert it back to original.