'sympathetic backdate', 911S 1977

[superfoamy]

Hello forum......

Time certainly marches on....

I read this forum at every opportunity, contributing much less than I should, but I am eternally grateful for the advice available here and the enthusiasm of the readers and contributors. I am a member of the Porsche club of Queensland and I am working on the preparation of a track day car using a 1977 911S as a base.

The club I belong to are equally enthusiastic about all things 'Porsche' and I recently had the opportunity to write a small article about a few modest modifications I have carried out, with a few photos to illustrate the work.

I thought as a way of thanks to pelican and its contributors, I might post an 'abridged' version of the article here on the forum and include a few photos to show the work.

So, with all due respect the 911 and its design 'ethos' (as the bellow delete might draw some criticism)....I will start posting the article and photos in this thread. Comments are welcome, they have helped me get this far.... criticism is welcomed as well of course... tell me what you think, good and bad.....

Cheers all, uploading momentarily....

[superfoamy]

Substitute
Words and Photos by Tony D’Andrea (and ‘the Who’)

“But I'm a substitute for another guy
I look pretty tall but my heels are high
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young but I'm just back-dated, yeah” - Pete Townsend

Ah, the backdate question…..not that old chestnut!!?
Why would anyone take apart a completely adequate (and well-engineered), mass produced automobile at no small expense, and modify it using earlier panels and trim, happily skipping their way through a minefield of ‘I told you so’s’ and ‘what if’s’…..all for no real financial or competitive gain?
Well, you see, I hope to address that very question in the following paragraphs, if for no other reason than to satisfy my own interest to do precisely that.

[superfoamy]

Back to my dilemma. This nagging question of the justification of ‘backdating’ - a term which is used to describe the swapping out of ‘newer’ panels for ‘older’ panels to mid-year and later air cooled cars to ‘re-discover’ the lines of the original 911.
If I put things into some sort of context, perhaps then you might see the method in my madness, if there is any. My journey starts back in December 2009, on holiday in Australia from what was then my home in Italy. A Japanese imported 1977 911S was advertised in Brisbane for a price that was half that of the identical model in Europe. At the time I was looking at cars as far north as Amsterdam and as far south as Palermo (there seems to be a disproportionate number of old Porsches, and Fuchs wheels, for sale in Sicily, maybe abandoned after the last Targa Florio). All the cars I followed up on were inherently full of rust and missing expensive parts. This 1977 Japanese import, on the other hand, was complete, factory zinc coated, very tidy. It was however a newer model, in effect an impact-bumper car.
Back in Italy, I remember thinking that I was chasing something that was almost unachievable, with the price of pre-1973 911s climbing and climbing. I sat here in the Brisbane sunshine and contemplated my options. In fact, my decision came quickly, recalling the pain and agony I suffered some years previously in the UK restoring a 1964 MG. The rust issue is far too great an obstacle for one on a budget (and my budget could only afford an unloved pre-1973 rolling chassis). I offered what I had for the 1977, it was accepted and I quickly moved it into storage and I flew home to Rome.

[superfoamy]

So, back in Brisbane, the 911 was parked securely beside a massive slab of a vintage Cadillac (one notable previous owner - Mr Elvis Presley, and the current owner - one slightly less famous band member of the Wiggles, the blue one I think). Half way around the world I started mapping out my plan. The ‘backdate track-day car build’ idea seem to be the path to take. The mid-year 2.7s are not sought after, they were not made in small numbers (5,837 coupes)*, and they are all plagued with problems right?...so a backdate would do the poor chassis a favour by reducing the weight and making that poor motor work less, and look better doing it. So, back to my Porsche search, though this time not looking for a complete early car, just the front end of one.
On a road trip to Monza (the very same w/e of the F1 race in 2012) I managed to find a fibreglass front and rear of an early 911, as well as a fibreglass long hood. Then on a later trip during same year I met a 1970’s Sardinia Hill Climbing Champion who was able to supply two front wings and the coveted Fuchs wheels that were required. This gentleman driver wanted to retire to Rio ‘properly’, and tried desperately to sell me his 1960’s red Alfa GTA for a ‘good’ price. He must have mistaken my accent for someone with far more assets. I would have liked to buy it, what a beautiful car, even for a Porsche guy!!

[superfoamy]

Parts collected and ready to go, alas we set our course to return to Brisbane, with all of our wares. Somehow in the ‘big’ move the Porsche parts were relegated to the ‘second’ shipment. As the ‘77 was taken out of storage in Brisbane, the parts for the ‘backdate’ were put into storage in Rome – you see how difficult backdate projects can be!!!
I took it all on the chin as I was once again back in Brisbane and ready to start dismantling the ‘77. My inspections found 3 seized brake calipers (thanks goes to a club member for your spare ATE calipers), numerous Japanese fag packets, one period alpine stereo with cassette tape lodged inside (dying to hear it!), one drop link on the rear anti-sway bar that had well - dropped, and evidence of ‘play’ in the steering column (a quick fix using a repair sleave sourced from pelican). So with such a small ‘to do’ list I was keen to focus on exterior aesthetics.

[superfoamy]

One of the fellow club members commented to me in conversation, saying, “You know, the alloy bumpers on these mid-year cars really aren’t that heavy”. In actual fact, with the rubber trim and paint removed, his comment rang true. Like many Porsche parts, the bumper’s actual weight deceives the eye. In addition, once the paint was removed, in particular with the rear bumper, one is able to see the effort made to shape and form the alloy. I began to see the inherent value of the parts, ultimately deciding to work with them to create a sort of ‘sympathetic-backdate’ (I borrow part of the term from the term ‘sympathetic-restoration’ – an intervention to make something safe and usable without undertaking a full restoration.)
With the primary objective being to re-discover the line of the car of the 1960’s, this became an exercise of removing rubber (and it’s weight!) from the car’s extremities, removal of the rocker panel trim, and any other weight savings that were possible.

[superfoamy]

The only noticeable difference to the car is the deletion of the’ trademark’ bellows. Arguably, the deletion of these this falls under the category of ‘opinion’ (or one’s own proclivities). But one could argue the necessity of the bellow to the ‘Rest of World’ market (the bumper supporting tube struts of my EURO model were solid, hence the bellow would not function in an impact). This deletion however, along with the removal of the rocker panel trim, and the ‘tucking’ of the front bumper under the bonnet by 50mm, started to ‘hint’ at the line and delicateness of the early 911s. The removal of the bellow required the bumper to be extended by some 110mm (by welding ends to each bumper) hence making no measurable weight saving. Truth be told, welding this material is not so easy, however I was lucky enough to be put in contact with a welder near Brisbane who took on the small assignment without issue.

[superfoamy]

Filing and fairing is something I am familiar with, having worked on fibreglass dinghies and sailing yachts most of my life. The process is the same for both cars and boats - filing, sanding, painting…then re-sanding and re-painting…until all evidence of intervention disappears. It is a credit to my welder that he was able to complete his work with only one small adjustment, not having visited the car once.
Parts now bolted in place, with a measure of ‘gulf orange’ added for nostalgia, and the car takes on a visual lightness not present before. It’s a small victory, perhaps. To me, the narrow body mid-year cars provide an ‘aesthetic bridge’ between the more modern SCs and the early T, E’s. They aspire to be ‘safer’, more ‘secure’ and more relevant, but at the same time share some of the mechanical simplicity and synchronicity offered by the original cars. An ‘RS’ or even an ‘S’ this is not, but there is something tangible, a thread of familiarity, evidence of a continuum that is carried through the entire series of cars to the present day.

So is it justified?, I don’t know, said smiling. Do I like the result? Yes! Have I upset the puriests? Most likely. So, that's two for three, by my count

[superfoamy]

What is next? A fibreglass duck tail, and weight saving where possible in the interior, oh, and I promised myself I would remove the factory air conditioning as well, and I will just as soon as it cools down a bit here in Queensland. March is looking promising.

[superfoamy]

now...if I can just figure out how to post photos on this forum I will add them to show how the work turned out...one moment please....

[superfoamy]

Pelican Parts Technical BBS - View Profile: superfoamy

anyway a 'before' photo has been uploaded to this site some years ago...

[superfoamy]

uploading

[superfoamy]

still working on it

[superfoamy]

A studio full of spare parts for the original idea, a backdate build

[superfoamy]

Porsche club QLD. Concours, Ormiston House 2013

[superfoamy]

Mid 70's Sardegna ITA. hillclimb champion,... thanks for the Fuchs mate!!.. wish I had enough money for the Alfa as well!!

[superfoamy]

First fitting

[superfoamy]

First fitting, bellow delete - rear

[superfoamy]

First fitting, bellow delete - front

[superfoamy]

Gulf orange, never out of style