Hollerans: Quality only Weissach could appreciate

[AntiCHP]

Pelicans:

Well, this post comes about largely because my poor wife is really tired of hearing about how nice the car is coming together…. Especially, since it’s not done yet (she’s been waiting 12 years for me to be “done”) -but really, it IS coming together quite nicely.

To fully appreciate the car’s transformation I can’t help but remember how the original 911SC Weissach was supposed to be a tribute to the people behind the fantastic results coming from the R&D facility in Weissach, Germany (circa 1980). The car has been in my family since new and with the last 15 years of track abuse I recently found that it was time to ‘refresh’ pretty much everything… brakes, suspension, and perhaps more importantly, to pack more beans into a 3.6.

That’s where John Holleran comes in [www.holleransperf.com]:
I can’t say enough good things about this guy… His work is absolutely Top Notch. His shop is in Pinole, CA (Bay Area) and John has the whole kit-and-kabootel(?) including a sweet Mustang dyno. I strongly recommend you put your list together and describe what you want out of your car because as I have found, this guy is quite a gifted mechanical & fabrication artist who will make it happen -but don’t take my word for it, check out these pictures:

Personally, I think it’s coming along as a far more appropriate “tribute” to Weissach…

Subject vehicle:


Brakes:





Engine:










(Note that the lower valve covers weren’t back from powder coating yet so those are loaners in the picture. )

There are still a few miscellaneous items to take care of but it’s getting closer to Dyno Time… .)

[Jason Cullen]

Mike,

I've been listening to your vision for a few years now, as well.

I'll I can say is:

"Exceeds Expectations"

Wow!

Jason

[Danny_Ocean]

Schwing!

[bigrubberjeep]

Wow now that is nice.

[PCA7GGR]

I thought John was planning on having your car done for Caitlin's 18th birthday. Or was it Emily's 18th?

[MarkM911]

Mike,

Simply magnificent!! Can't wait to see her in the flesh!

~Mark

[1911Guy]

beautiful

[rusnak]

I mean this respecfully, and with deference to superior enthusiasm: you did that to a Weissach coupe?

[Carl Bauer]

Very impressive Mike.

Here's where your old Weissach tail went:

[rsNINESOOPER]

I'll second the props to John Holleran, he is very talented indeed and just a truly honest and straight forward guy. These days you get what you pay for when it comes to building and tuning 911 engines, your money is well spent at his shop.

[snowtire]

Originally posted by rusnak
I mean this respecfully, and with deference to superior enthusiasm: you did that to a Weissach coupe?

Rusnak, I am sure I would have thought about this if it were my car. But to my mind, this car is not only a tribute to the spirit of the Weissach edition, but it also will likely not hurt its collector value in the long run. If the Weissach coupe follows the trend for earlier limited editions, the market may actually reward a racing pedigree.

In any case, it's a Porsche--it deserves to be driven hard like this.

[rusnak]

I think the cool factor of the Weissach Coupe, what with the factory painted Fuchs, the custom color, the signature of Ferdinand Porsche on the leather seats, the little bronze plaque on the dash and all, that kind of thing appeals to a purist, not a racer.

Sooo....a racer might not appreciate it, but a Porsche enthusiast is a fickle being. For example, many Porsche racer enthusiasts look upon a stock 911 with disdain, but you gut the car, bolt in a full roll cage, fuel cell, tear out the dash and bolt in a fiberglass board, take out the glass and install plexiglass, take off the bumpers, and that same car is somehow more sophisticated to some. The enthusiasm is apparent, but to say one is better than the other seems hard to prove.

What is almost universally accepted is that limited run Porsches get a lot of people excited. The RS Clubsport, RS America, 911 Speedster, and even the Weissach Coupe were and are all special cars in their own right, with emphasis on the words "in their own right" (as in not universal to everyone's perspective).

[Gene Wilkes]

MAJOR DROOL!! FABULOUS CAR!

[Bill Verburg]

Looks to be very nicely done!

[RFR]

That is nice!
looks to be about 30K nice! just in motor stuff alone

[AntiCHP]

I certainly appreciate the kind words...

And you know, I DO harbor quite a bit of guilt that comes to the surface every now and then. Particularly, for example, when I see an unmolested Weissach on the street! There are times I can't help but think "Good Lord, what have I done!!?"

My car has been in the family since new, and to this day I can still remember how the leather smelled and looked offset by the piping, which matched the carpet. The car had such a nice interior! (And it smelled of high-quality leather for at least 15 years!)

However, as the 911 and I aged, I continued to be drawn to the track over the concours events... And that pretty interior sure was heavy! So, why not sell it to some enthusiast that can use the bits?

My first track event in 1991 I agonized over the idea of drilling holes in this "collectible" car, and what it might do to the value.

But then I realized that tailoring the car into the car I've always wanted would make the driving experience that much more enjoyable...

And, really, after 26 years the idea of selling it is as horrifying as the idea of stuffing it into the wall!

My plan is to avoid doing both...

By the way, Carl, the tail look great on your car! (What is that unusual color? It's neither Pongi Beige, nor the Metallic/charcoal?)


How about another picture? This is a little over the top for some, but I suppose no more than the rest of the car...

[2.7RACER]

AntiCHP,
The Car is interesting at least, however your photography appears to be professional. Tell us what you use to make these pro quality pictures. Please, Thanks,

[AntiCHP]

Or maybe it's your new computer with its super-extra sharp-monitor?

I wish! No, I'm no photographer, "...although, I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night". That very first picture, though, was by a pro named David Wong (david@avatarnumedia.com) fellow p-car enthusiast with the equipment and skill to capture some spectacular images.

The rest were all from a Sony cyber-shot -but with good lighting.
(It's interesting that Holleran took 2/3rds of the pictures. See? He's got a good eye for detail!)

BTW, now that my engine is basically done, it turns out Holleran has a niiiice, freshly built ( < 1hr.) 3.3 Turbo (930) with ARP studs and all the basic tricks to make a sweet, reliable-but-feroucious power plant for someone's light and/or early chassis car, as I see it.

(Which, ironically, is what I had initially sought before I sold my 3.0 and stumbled on to a 3.6 to build!)

Apparently it was built for a customer who disappeared as suddenly as an enron stock dividend, only the customer was never to be seen or heard from again.

So, one slow lein-sale later, he can finally sell it. Uh, just not to me.
Now, anyway.

BUT... wouldn't it be a hoot to find a stock Weissach and cram the 930 motor into it? With the 15s and the 5 spd 915, it would be "more fun than half a gallon of red ants". (I doubt the intercooler would fit within the Weissach tail... although, I'm sure there are smaller, efficient after market options available.)

Once I get a picture of the Turbo motor I told him I would be happy to post it on the f/s section with more details.

[beamonk]

tell us about the front bumper and splitter.

[diy83sc]

Nice work! Not enough Weissach owners take their car places the car want's to be. Mine is the 161 car and the other a friend who I met at WG not knowing he lived in town and is in the process of restoring. I'm going the opposite - rebuilt the engine, upgraded brakes, and am now rebuilding the suspension... who know what will come next. All in all, it's coming along well