Irish Hot Rod Project from a shed

[james33]

Here goes - Four years ago I bought a ’71T 911 which had been SC-ed (whom I call the Shed). I bought her for the 3 litre Engine and box. She was and still is full of rust and has been sitting in my shed along with a bunch of bits and pieces I’ve been buying over the years. The interior is SC except for the dashboard, wiring and running gear.

Also in my garage I have a freshly built 3 Litre engine which I had built for a rally car and just about all of the components to build up a running 911. Every time I look at the engine and bits I feel guilty that it’s sitting there and not being used.

7 years ago I bought a 2.4S which has just undergone a full engine and gearbox rebuild. This is a great car but I feel terrible (rightly or wrongly) about driving it day in day out in the bad weather and leaving it anywhere that is not secure and I have been flip flopping backwards and forwards about what to do (and had good advice from Nick Moss about what to do with it).

What I really want is a 911 which I can drive every day, leave anywhere and not have too much money tied up in it to feel guilty about it getting used and abused. In short I want a car I can grow old dis-gracefully in!


Here are some photos of the Shed in the shed and in close up. Notice how the sill repairs have been covered up and how the roof has rotted through and at the end are some photos of her on the loader off to the workshop up in Derry.

























I’ve been searching for ages to find a shell at an affordable price and a couple of weeks ago I got in contact with Whippy and he put me onto Marley (Porsche Club Ireland - Index) who had a rolling shell and doors he kindly sold me.

Picasa Web Albums - thomas - porsche 911 s...


I plan to take the black shell and have it rebuilt over time. At this stage I am not certain how long it will take as it will be funded out of selling bits off and scrimping and saving.

I really like the ST look (and am not ruling it out) but I also love the ’78 impact look with the headlight washers. Current thinking is to build and drive her as an SC then see what happens.

Ireland especially West Cork has a great motor sport tradition and I would like to keep the option open of doing hill climbs or time trials in it. Also the roads are unforgiving here and pot holes can mean a journey to the centre of the earth if unlucky!

The next step is to strip the shell , sand blast her to bare metal, make good, have her seam welded and plated in all the right places so she is as solid as possible without roll cage (Also want to do the mod which allows removal of the gearbox with engine in place).

I’ve seen a lot of project builds which are fantastic and are stripped out but are limited (for my requirments). I definitely want to have a full trim in it so I can take the children to school or put shopping in the luggage compartment.

The other feature I am certain of is a non-sun roof and last week I found one up in Waterford of all places, at the right price. I want the non-sun roof as it is less maintenance in the long run and gives me more head room when inside it. If you look closely at the picture of the Shed on the transporter you can just make out the non-sunroof secured to the existing roof.

Some other bits I want to build into the Shed are a bias brake pedal box, works quick steering rack, 944 Turbo front brakes, tinted windows, Billies front and back, LSD and short shift box (I am also a Sporto fan and have an option to fit that courtesy of Tom the East Cork Kerry man) and a set of ‘74 RS clocks.

What I am uncertain of at the time being is what I will do with the dash board and fuses...

Jon Cropper (who runs XS racing) Porsche 911 Build told me about the gear box mod.

If you follow the link and look at the 4th photo you can see the cut out which allows this mod and I suspect this cut away has been strengthend.

James