HELP - SC Backdate - whose is this?

[I Beast]

I'm looking for any info on this backdated 911. Not sure if I want to pull the trigger on a backdate just yet, but if I do, this is what i'd like it to look like.

Thanks for any and all info!

[sc_rufctr]

Nice car but it's not familiar. Were did you get the photo?

[tazzieman]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Nice car but it's not familiar. Were did you get the photo?

Apparently an R Gruppe car Porsche | digitaldtour

[will hung]

It's not a backdate. It's a '72. It was actually updated in the 80's, then returned to longhood. It was featured in Excellence a few years back, I believe it was issue #181 from April 2010. I'd have to double check when I get home.

[Craig_D]

As Will says, this was in Excellence, and is one of my favorite 911s. He found it with SC UPdates and then returned it to its former glory (although kept the SC flares). It's got 930 brakes on there, and in the article, the local PCA chapter president said that if Steve McQueen was still alive, this is the car he'd drive.

Beautiful car.

[I Beast]

Thanks everyone for the info. If I were to do a backdate this is what I'd like it to look like, seems like I'm in good company. I didn't know there are parts avail to backdate and keep the SC flares. Is it a one-off or are the parts avail off the shelf? I'll try to dig up the Excellence article but in the meantime I'm still looking for more info on how this update/backdate came to be.

[will hung]

My favorite look on a longhood is the Carrera RS prototype look, small flares on the rear with no spoiler or graphics.

Up until the past few years, longhoods were considered a cheap way to get into a 911. And up until fairly recently, updating a 911 to look as new as possible was what all the cool kids were doing.

The car pictured was a victim of somebody updating it to look like what was the newest 911 at the time. As much as I love that car, the biggest tragedy is that it is no longer its original color, one of my favorites, Aubergine.

One my fears with backdating is that what happens in 10-20 years when SC values inevitably follow the same trend as longhoods? I see guys complaining about somebody backdating the SC they just bought.

To replicate the look on an SC, you have options.

The SC flares are only on the rear. So to make the rear flares work, you need a rear bumper that works. The easiest option is to buy a replica fiberglass rear bumper for a 1973 Carrera RS. All 1 piece and light, but you will most likely have to work it to get it to fit.

The other option is to hunt down the side rear bumpers from a 1973 Carrera RS touring. They are steel and contoured for similar shaped flares.

A third option is to source standard rear bumpers and have a body man cut and flare them to the contour of your rear flares. In all honesty, this is probably the cheapest, steel option, and will be guaranteed to fit the best.

The car pictured has steel rear bumpers.

For the front body work, you can source stock parts and they bolt up. Except for the hood catch. You'd need to weld in the slam panel from a long hood, if you want to keep it all steel. Or use hood tie downs with no catch. If a fiberglass front hood works for you, you can buy hoods with the latch positioned to work with a short hood's catch.

But that is just scratching the surface. There are trim changes. Mirrors. You need to cut away some sheetmetal outside and add some sheetmetal to make things work. Interior wise, almost everything dash, door panel, and seat related needs changed. If you want to do it right.

To me, if you want to backdate your car and have it keep its value, the key is to do it as tastefully and thoroughly as possible. Which, to me, means using as much steal and aluminum (if a factory option) as possible and either learn everything you can if you can do the work yourself, or pay somebody with a lot of experience restoring longhoods to do the work so all the details are right. There are cheap ways to do it in fiberglass, but you get what you pay for.

Look around, there are many threads on backdating 911's. I recommend researching it heavily before getting deep into it. As you learn more, you'll find little details over the longhood years you like better than others, and the way I see it, if you aren't building a 100% copy of a particular car, why stick to 1 set of details? Why not build your perfect longhood?

[Kyle at Pelican Parts]

This is a Pelican's backdated SC and it happens to be one of my favorite 911's in general. I believe his name on the boards is NameIsBauer?

[I Beast]

Originally Posted by will hung

My favorite look on a longhood is the Carrera RS prototype look, small flares on the rear with no spoiler or graphics.

Up until the past few years, longhoods were considered a cheap way to get into a 911. And up until fairly recently, updating a 911 to look as new as possible was what all the cool kids were doing.

The car pictured was a victim of somebody updating it to look like what was the newest 911 at the time. As much as I love that car, the biggest tragedy is that it is no longer its original color, one of my favorites, Aubergine.

One my fears with backdating is that what happens in 10-20 years when SC values inevitably follow the same trend as longhoods? I see guys complaining about somebody backdating the SC they just bought.

To replicate the look on an SC, you have options.

The SC flares are only on the rear. So to make the rear flares work, you need a rear bumper that works. The easiest option is to buy a replica fiberglass rear bumper for a 1973 Carrera RS. All 1 piece and light, but you will most likely have to work it to get it to fit.

The other option is to hunt down the side rear bumpers from a 1973 Carrera RS touring. They are steel and contoured for similar shaped flares.

A third option is to source standard rear bumpers and have a body man cut and flare them to the contour of your rear flares. In all honesty, this is probably the cheapest, steel option, and will be guaranteed to fit the best.

The car pictured has steel rear bumpers.

For the front body work, you can source stock parts and they bolt up. Except for the hood catch. You'd need to weld in the slam panel from a long hood, if you want to keep it all steel. Or use hood tie downs with no catch. If a fiberglass front hood works for you, you can buy hoods with the latch positioned to work with a short hood's catch.

But that is just scratching the surface. There are trim changes. Mirrors. You need to cut away some sheetmetal outside and add some sheetmetal to make things work. Interior wise, almost everything dash, door panel, and seat related needs changed. If you want to do it right.

To me, if you want to backdate your car and have it keep its value, the key is to do it as tastefully and thoroughly as possible. Which, to me, means using as much steal and aluminum (if a factory option) as possible and either learn everything you can if you can do the work yourself, or pay somebody with a lot of experience restoring longhoods to do the work so all the details are right. There are cheap ways to do it in fiberglass, but you get what you pay for.

Look around, there are many threads on backdating 911's. I recommend researching it heavily before getting deep into it. As you learn more, you'll find little details over the longhood years you like better than others, and the way I see it, if you aren't building a 100% copy of a particular car, why stick to 1 set of details? Why not build your perfect longhood?

Thanks for all the info. I know the backdate basics but what makes this 911 special to me is that a maintains an early appearance with SC flares. I really like the look of all the factory trim. I also would do steel bumpers and I'd want the early rocker trim. I do not know of any one making these to fit an SC so I imagine the owner fabed/modified his own. I don't plan on doing a "period correct" backdate (if I do one at all) so I can easily go back to an SC in the future. I really only want to do the bumpers, hood and all trim/brightwork including mirrors. I'd leave the interior SC for simplicities sake. My SC isn't pristine but I just spent 4K getting it running right so know I need to figure out what my end goal is. Once again thanks for the replies and if anyone knows who or where the owner is, please post up.

[TRE Cup]

Check this one out. 88 carrera backdated to an S look with rear flares and big wheels. Motor is a 3.6.
Axiom Motorsports and us partnered to build this for the client. I believe it now resides in the north east.

[will hung]

Originally Posted by I Beast

Thanks for all the info. I know the backdate basics but what makes this 911 special to me is that a maintains an early appearance with SC flares. I really like the look of all the factory trim. I also would do steel bumpers and I'd want the early rocker trim. I do not know of any one making these to fit an SC so I imagine the owner fabed/modified his own. I don't plan on doing a "period correct" backdate (if I do one at all) so I can easily go back to an SC in the future. I really only want to do the bumpers, hood and all trim/brightwork including mirrors. I'd leave the interior SC for simplicities sake. My SC isn't pristine but I just spent 4K getting it running right so know I need to figure out what my end goal is. Once again thanks for the replies and if anyone knows who or where the owner is, please post up.

I know exactly what you mean. These are pics of a prototype Carrera RS, and I love it.




A gentleman from Impactbumpers.com did exactly what you are describing. His thread is here.
Light weight image change - Body Overhaul Projects - Impact Bumpers

He backdated his Carrera, but did everything reversible. He found that early Durant mirrors cover the holes left in the door from the electric flag mirrors with no further modifications. I would like his project a little more If he had used steel bumpers. Furthermore, if he had used the lower sill trim from an RS, he wouldn't have even needed to fill the lower sill holes, making it more reversible. Here is a pic of his finished product.

[I Beast]

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

Check this one out. 88 carrera backdated to an S look with rear flares and big wheels. Motor is a 3.6.
Axiom Motorsports and us partnered to build this for the client. I believe it now resides in the north east.

Thanks Dave. We have yet to meet but I'm sure if I keep my 911 long enough, the time will come. Between the one I posted originally and the one you posted, the general idea is there. I tether between shorting and filling my SC bumpers or doing a exterior backdate, but honestly time will tell. If I keep this car long enough (maybe) I'm sure I'll mod it in some shape, form or another. Until then I'm trying to keep the juices flowing and get a good prospective on what my expectations are. Thanks for chiming in.

I'm still looking for the owner/builder of the car in the original post.

[I Beast]

Originally Posted by will hung

I know exactly what you mean. These are pics of a prototype Carrera RS, and I love it.




A gentleman from Impactbumpers.com did exactly what you are describing. His thread is here.
Light weight image change - Body Overhaul Projects - Impact Bumpers

He backdated his Carrera, but did everything reversible. He found that early Durant mirrors cover the holes left in the door from the electric flag mirrors with no further modifications. I would like his project a little more If he had used steel bumpers. Furthermore, if he had used the lower sill trim from an RS, he wouldn't have even needed to fill the lower sill holes, making it more reversible. Here is a pic of his finished product.

Thanks for the link. That prototype is gorgeous!!! The silver backdate looks great too but I'm i full agreement with the lower sill trim. The more brightwork they have the more "period" correct they look to me. Just my opinion, but since it's my car that's what counts

[RSBob]

TRE sells a backdating kit to a RS or early car look for the exterior

[will hung]

Sorry. Can't help myself now.

There are so many little details and so much history with the 911, that one can find all sorts of orientations and I love them all. I love the simplistic, trimless race-inspired cars. But like you, I find the ones with most of the brightwork intact the most appealing.

Here is a backdate that Autofarm built. My SC is a very dark green. I feel the brightwork on an early car really goes well with a dark car.

Pic:


Link:
RE: Driven: Autofarm Porsche 911 - PistonHeads

Just when I thought I was over the backdate bug...

[I Beast]

Originally Posted by will hung

Sorry. Can't help myself now.


Just when I thought I was over the backdate bug...

Don't apologize, just keep 'em coming!

I keep thinking I'll leave my SC an SC and then I go and start threads like this just to test the backdate waters... It's a slippery slope. If my '83 was perfect I'd leave it as is but since it's not, I feel I have the freedom to play a little.

[will hung]

If I backdate mine, I'd do it all. When I retrimmed my car a few years ago, I backdated my dash pad to look like a 76's (no center vent or speaker grill), but I'd go all the way backdating the sheetmetal, hvac controls, switches and gauges. With seats, door panels, and exterior bits and paint, it really adds up. My goal is to start going to more swap meets and start collecting the parts for when I inevitably paint the car.

[Flojo]

As such a backdate is a dream for my SC (and keeping it's technical advantages) I'd like to ask:
is there a tutorial/tech-advise, clearly structured and highlighting the difficulties of the to-do?

I have gathered many pictures and read as much as I can do, but I fear its still not enough for me to do it.

[outlaw911]

I sent my '87 911 to Nick Moss at early911.co.uk for a 3.2 to 3.4 ST/outlaw backdate thing. Link below:

87 3.2 to ST "Outlaw"

[tylermjohnson]

This is my dream set up. Looks beautiful perfect balance of the 911 qualities I love. Great stuff!

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

Check this one out. 88 carrera backdated to an S look with rear flares and big wheels. Motor is a 3.6.
Axiom Motorsports and us partnered to build this for the client. I believe it now resides in the north east.