INMHO it's entirely a matter of money, taste and objective. If you want your Porsche to retain its value then leave it alone. Late 70s SCs are rising in value by the day and any mods you make will lower your value (backdate or update).

I happen to love the long hoods so I own 2 real ones, a backdated 83 (resembling an RSRish type thing) and am currently working on a 70 targa that I'm making a "Speedster" out of. That's my choice and my taste. I also like the look of the 964 and I believe it was a vast improvement over the original (what I consider cobbled together look) of the short hood cars. Still wouldn't own one 'cause I like long hoods.

If you like the looks of the 964 then do whatever you want to do. Don't let the current trends influence your thinking because trends tend to change - once upon a time everybody updated their long noses to resemble shortness. I will say however, since 964s and mid year 911s are now pulling similar prices and the 964 is (arguably) a better equipped, faster and safer car, I'm not sure why you wouldn't just buy a 964. Just my 2c.

If I were the judge I'd say that this is the winning post!

And I found two examples:

964 with flares for $30kand this is one of the good looking ones (sounds too good to be true so might be)

1992 Porsche 911 911 Carrera 4 (Turbo look) for $30,000 in MONTRÉAL | autoTRADER.ca

http://azr.cdnmedia.autotrader.ca/1/...pg?w=800&h=600


SC for $42k (oddly with what looks like 964 wheels - also Ruf front bumper?)


http://azr.cdnmedia.autotrader.ca/5/...pg?w=800&h=600

Is there an advantage to backdating a 74-89 vs buying a decent longhood and updating the suspension now that the G-series 911's in good condition have nearly caught up in price to the longhoods?

I totally agree. For cars in a bad shape that might be ok but these days perfectly good cars get butchered.
Good for me I guess.

Sent from my SGP321 using Tapatalk

Just a quick update as this was bumped up to the top, I did wind up buying a low KM 964.

It's a fantastic car and it feels totally different than my '75 911S. Both have their own virtues but I will be keeping the 964 and moving the 75 on.

Back dating and updating is such an interesting topic. I bought my car a 75 carrera updated to 965 turbo look, because the price was right and it had a turbo motor and was highly modified with things I knew I'd want to do to a stock car. I had big plans to back date it to a long hood looking car similar to Wayner's. But after driving & tracking the car I realized I loved the way it handled and went. I initially didn't love the 965 look but that quickly grew on me. Now I don't think I'd ever change the car. I've driven a stock 1967 911 and 1980 911 and to me they were interesting but just kinda boring & heavy feeling in comparison to my car that's 2400lbs and had track suspension.

Porsche owners who update, backdate or add gold wheels should be fined by the PCA. Just like home owners are fined who put tin foil in the window of their condos by their home owners association!!! (just kidding!) kind of.

LOL, that statement takes me back to 1983, Franz Lerch (Franz arrived from Stuttgart, Germany in 1956, as a factory trained mechanic when Porsche was introduced to the US), who started Franz Foreign Car Service in 1968, and crewed or managed (I forget which) for the Smothers Brothers 906
Who showed me (as he put it) his "Kit Car" a 72 911 that he converted to a 930
look. It was Franz who gave me some of my earliest real Porsche knowledge, educating me about what made the 72 so spectacle & why the 67S my buddy just bought from him (with American Eagle rims, which I later ended up with) was a good deal at the time for I think, $4,500:cool:

I think a VW would hold that title, look at the millions of Bugs & Busses that have been modified over the decades.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451855483.jpg

Wise move, as for the cost of converting, it would be less to sell an older 911 to buy a 964:cool:
While I haven't been playing with real Porsches as long as many here, I have gone through the "Stages" that 911 owners go through, from wanting to convert to a turbo body, friends did the "Slant nose" thing, Ruf style, then the desire for the 3.8 wing & Aero mirrors. For my Black 78SC, I actually have the stock lid, a factory Turbo tail & lid, Carrera Tail & lid, Stratton Duck tail, Carbon fiber 3.8 tail, aero mirrors, and at one time, had 84-89 Carrera valance & fogs & Ruf bumpers. I like having the option to change the look (and wheels) as my mood changes on my 911. But I have grown really fond of the Black with Red Carrera look (and Joe-Bob made me the graphics to match my Red 7&9X16 Fuchs, and the Stratton Duck, plus I have an extra hood for my Cibie hood mount fog lights off the #15 Toad Hall that a buddy, who owned & raced it, gave me.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451854490.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451854693.jpg

I think the original question was, Why backdate instead of update?
My guess is some like the power....suspension....etc of the "newer cars" but want the look of earlier cars. So, in a roundabout way, they're updating an older car by getting the look and keeping the "updated" power plant etc...in a "long hood".
I had ac SC that I considered doing some stuff to mostly because the bumpers are hideous (IMO), but settled for just taking the rear bumper pads off.
What I don't get is why these backdates are held in such high regard? I read all the time how complete Restos are rarely worth the money put in to them (I'm not talking about the elites) yet if you put a long hood, a ducktail and RS stickers on it you can ask $75,000? Makes no sense to me. Sadly, now when I do see a flared long hood I don't get excited because I figure it's a backdate (aka, wannabe...kit car...).
Personally, if you're gonna do it I think you should go all out and throw any attempt of making it look "authentic" out the window, and make it completely personal ala Magnus Walker. Yes, I'm sure there are plenty of Magnus critics here but at least he had the balls to color outside the lines.

As an owner in his mid-30s I can't imagine backdating my car. I came from the Mustang/Corvette world where we would try and update our cars to the newest model year reasonably possible. Slight updating I would love to do. I'm also in the minority who thinks long hood/skinny tire cars are hard to look at. Give me curves all day long!!!SmileWavy

it just looks so much cleaner! I'm in the process of doing a backdate on my car.

http://i.imgur.com/1OhSjfTl.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451894169.jpg

Show me an original SC with 180K miles that will pull down $75K, and I will stop backdating.

Time will tell if backdating will be so prolific that the next generation of collectors will value the impact bumper cars more highly in original form the same way folks began appreciating the longhoods that avoided "updates".

"Show me an original SC with 180K miles that will pull down $75K, and I will stop backdating."

I wasn't suggesting anyone stop, especially if you can pull $75k off of one, I'm just surprised that's what they fetch. And, as much as I appreciate the effort and craftsmanship, I never could understand putting that into a 'car A' to make it into 'car B' when on the title it'll always be 'car A'.

In other words, enjoy the impact bumper cars while you still can...before the "collectors" take an interest in them ;)

Roger

I love the looks of the 964. that is why I bought my 1985 Targa that had been updated to a 964 look. Some frown upon it but I like it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451960170.jpg

I know its still an 85 underneath but I never liked the impact bumper look. I am a fan of the tail also.

Whenever I start thinking about backdate / flares / silver trim for my 89, I default to this Pelican's car in the official modified bumpers thread and think - keep the impact bumpers, skip the flares. Keep the black trim. Still lots mods here, for sure. I love this look.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451961516.jpg

I like backdated cars with updates.

Having owned a couple of early cars, I always preferred their less heavy cluttered look to the impact bumpers. After I sold the early cars and purchased a dead stock SC my full intention was to backdate. Unfortunately I did my research back assward as the cost of doing a proper backdate, metal sheet metal, interior, paint and parts, the price quickly exceeded 10k and kept climbing. Since I have to think about maintaining the car with a few enhancements while continuing to fund retirement, I decided a backdate was out, unless I hit the lottery, which I don't play.

In the 1.5 years I was fixing what was broken the car appreciated 10k, which told me that whatever mods I do have to be easily reversible. This is the same strategy I used when I lightly modified a 73S I picked up for 15k 15 years ago and that sale worked ok. I have no delusions the SC will even remotely appreciate like that but I will stick to the formula.

So a lightly modified car it is. Since I never like the froggy face of the front bumper, I had it filled and now it looks 964ish and cleaner without the 964 bulk which to me looked clumsy and overly heavy even though it is regarded as an excellent car. Previous post 964 excepted.

Same with the rear heft and liking a cleaner look besides getting rid of weight where you want it least. Of course all this was ripped from the modified bumpers thread.

Thinking of going with a 3.2 short stroke to add a bit of kick. So update or backdate? I say go your own way and hot rod a bit if you like or spend like you hit the lotto, what ever makes it for you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451966160.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451966184.jpg

A.K.A. "Resto Rod with Mod Cons"

Oh man! This blue beauty is so unique. Really quite stunning. Kudos to the owner. Great vision and execution.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1451961516.jpg[/QUOTE]