… and this one will even be painted Ivory White, but…
THIS ONE IS MINE!!!
Welcome to my project. I have been threatening to start a build thread for this car for quite some time, so I am using the occasion of its 2nd anniversary since arriving in my garage to get it going. The long and short of it are as follows…
What I started with was a 1968 912 that had already been converted over to a 911 vintage race car with a full (but poorly executed) cage, fuel cell, fire system, upgraded suspension, S-brakes up front, and a fresh 2.4L S-spec motor (with Webers) hiding in the back. Here is how it looked when I got it home:
Fast forward 2 years, and this is where we are at:
So, needless to say, a lot has transpired and I have been busy. What I at first was calling a “conversion” slowly but surely drifted towards a full restoration as I dug in deeper and deeper. The usual things that are hard to ignore (rust, poorly done repairs, strange mods that can only be explained by its “race car” status, etc.) kept creeping up so I would dig in a little more, do a little more disassembly, and usually end up saying, “yikes!”
I bought the car sight unseen, which was a big step for me. I am the kind of person that can spend 2 hours looking at a parts car candidate! I got as warm a feeling as I could before sealing the deal since the car was in Tennessee and I am in California. Was it what I was expecting? Not totally. Any regrets? Not really. It has been, and will continue to be, all worth it in the end.
In the past, all my Porsches had been “tributes to originality”; the price for being a patient and thorough used Porsche buyer. Well, I was getting tired of that! Time to find one that was already so messed with that I would never have a tinge of regret as I cut and welded on it.
My plan/goal for this car project has changed very little from my original intention, even with the shift to a full restoration. I wanted to build up an R-clone on a SWB chassis… LWB would not do. Not planning to go crazy on lightness for this project. The car will get a complete lightweight interior and have heat and a radio system. For the most part, all the R-ish exterior details will be present. I want it to be a fun street AND track car, and there will certainly be some autocrossing in its future. But when at a decision point, I tend to lean towards longevity and “streetability” for the best solution. This car will be a driver…
Hope everyone enjoys following along!