Doing it my way...

[Steve Perret]

Hello all, let me introduce myself first. My name is obvious, and I know a few people on this board already. I work in the performance suspension industry. I am a car guy, not a make guy, just a car guy. Some even call me a car slut, but I digress...

I have a 1970 911t that I bought in boxes. I have had it for around 7 years and I am finally getting to a point where I can put it together. At one point years ago I purchased all the stuff to do an RSR conversion to it, but the individual who I purchased it from skipped out and I never received any of it... This set me off the project for a long time, so long in fact that I even lost the un-transferred title. After a two year search, I finally found the title in a storage box at a friends barn. We had moved and stored some stuff there while in between houses, I guess we left one there and did not realize it...

Anyhow, this is where I come to the title of doing it my way. Originally when I bought this, it was with the intentions that it was a T car and I would feel no guilt in flaring it and building it the way I want to. Now I come on here and find that people actually have some level of respect for the narrow T car.. Personally seeing a narrow car does absolutely nothing for me, but seeing an RS style car just makes my blood start to cook. I am not building this car to sell or as any kind of concourse show car. I am building this as a fun get around, HPDE car, and autocrosser. Am I stupid for going this direction? Should I build it stock and sell and then potentially buy someone else's problem just to get what I want? Ok, maybe I sound like I have already made up my mind, but really I am interested in your input.

These are the best pictures I currently have..

[stormmaster]

Its your car....build it the way you want.

[Steve Perret]

Thats too easy.

[Dan in Pasadena]

My advice would also be to build it the way you want it, but...

...since you know you want it to look and perform substantially differently than what a stock early T will give you, why not restore the T as correctly as you REASONABLY can and sell it for the top dollar you can get.

Plenty of us (myself included) get our "blood boiling" over the original narrow early cars so I doubt you'll have much trouble selling it. Plus you'll get MUCH more for it (if you do it right) than you'll have to pay for a later roller that is frankly, a better and cheaper starting point for what you REALLY want anyway.

There are lots of way to go about it, this is just my $.02, YMMV.

Best of luck and post your decision and progress....slut

[stormmaster]

But you never get out of it what you put into a restoration....unless it is a flawless totally perfect restoration with full documentation in my opinion....and since you already have the long hood...I still say build it the way you want it.

[Steve Perret]

I definitely want a long hood, so if I went with a newer SC, I would be inclined to convert it. I am also a light weight junkie..

[Dantilla]

I found a long-hooded T at an insurance auction after it suffered an engine fire. I took the whimpy 2.4 out of it and stuffed a 3.2 in it's place.

Couldn't be happier.

I figure I didn't molest the car, I saved it from the scrap heap, and put together the car I wanted.

No regrets.

If you're building a car, build what you want.

[bob tilton]

Never think of re-sale value. Never think of it as an investment. Never save it for the next guy. Build your hot rod.

[bigchillcar]

might be inclined to sell as is and then buy an sc with the flares you already want and backdate it. you could keep the engine, re-build it or sell it and use the funds to help pay for the engine that you want. your project is going to take more $$ in my opinion to build what you want, if you really do it right. someone with the right money will come along and want to do a more thorough restoration of what you've got closer to its original condition.

[randywebb]

That is a fine direction. You will want a big motor with lots of low end torque and attention to gearing for AutoX. Sticky rubber, and it may want to be quite wide....

Stiff springs to lessen roll and shocks to match. You will not need to worry much about compliance as the courses are quite smooth.

What does the rule book say re your AutoX? That defines your limits right there.

[Steve Perret]

I had done the competitive autoX thing for years, at this point I am more interested in the fun factor than keeping in class rules. After I totaled the rally car at nationals, I have given up competitive racing till the kids are through college.

But yes, I will still drive it like a rapped ape, which is why the fun factor must be high!!

[randywebb]

Then the question is whether being beat up by every small bump or pothole is 'fun.' That's the tradeoff + slower times on bumpy curves...

[Zeke]

You can have a lot of fun building a narrow body hot rod and get some good lap times out of one. Lots do, and I did.

Check out the R Gruppe website. http://www.rgruppe.org/

[Steve Perret]

Randy, I am a suspension guy and have been known to daily drive cars with 300% stiffer than stock spring rates, I am not afraid of the stiff...

I will check out the site milt! Thanks!

[rtoms]

whats the story with the cosworth escort?"?

[rdane]

911s are all about suspension and power to weight ratios. Given some tire they can do magic.

Build exactly what you want.

[Steve Perret]

That one is a big bad 400hp animal with loads of group n stuff. Its currently torn down in the garage as I go through the motor. It had an unfortunate accident where it spit an ac drive belt and it got sucked into the timing belt cover..

I have been care-taker for a few for around 8 years.. I get the milk but did not have to buy the cows..

[DW SD]

You should do it your way.

My way is:

Put a 3.6 in it with a 915, flare it out, do the suspension, add turbo brakes and call it a day. I like long hoods and they are less weight than later chassis. I'm extremely happy with my project.

Rust proof it and keep it forever.

These cars are not investments. Hobbies at best. Money pits at worst.

Good luck,

Doug

[Dantilla]

Here's the one I did my way:

Engine swap, stiff T-bars, yada yada........

[Steve Perret]

Great shot!!!!