So many modern-day Porsche owners dream of building a vintage air-cooled 911 to deliver the ultimate engaging driving experience, but settling on a recipe for the ultimate early air-cooled 911 is never an easy decision. With so many models and engine options to choose from, it takes an experienced Porsche owner to pick the best base model and select the perfect upgrades which will work in harmony to create the perfect end result.
This Porsche 911 Carrera hot rod now for sale at JZM is a good example of what is possible when a long-time Porsche enthusiast approaches a money-no-object early Porsche project.
Built to the lightweight “modern-RS” philosophy, a smart 1987 911 3.2 Carrera with the sought after G50 transmission and all-important right-hand drive was chosen as a base car for this superb driver’s 911. The car was stripped to a bare shell and professionally backdated to the pre-1973 look. All body corrosion was removed with the shell restored to as-new condition.
The front was converted to a centre-fill fuel tank, while the spoilerless engine cover was fitted with a handmade engine grille. Many parts were manufactured especially for this 911, and the chassis bristles with bespoke fabrication include strut tower reinforcements front and rear and a very tastefully modified electrical fuse and relay layout.
Inside the car, a rear roll cage envelops period Corbeau sports seats are fitted with retractable harnesses. A WEVO G50 shifter selects the gears with pinpoint precision. Brakes have been converted to a non-servo adjustable pedalbox system with the Bilstein dampers supplied to suit the lightweight Carrera.
The lightweight doors are beautifully finished, with the clutter-free dash setting the sports-purpose ethos. Aluminium pedals and footboards with an RS carpet set emphasise the lightweight theme, while the odometer shows 2,200 miles since the car was fully restored.
The story of all great 911s starts and ends with the perfect flat six, and this car is a perfect example. Under the engine cover lies a Redtek-built 3-litre ST-style engine, running modern EFI from a Canems ECU through high-butterfly PMO throttle bodies. The detailed spec is too much to list here, but suffice to say that it is an absolute torque monster! Full engine build sheets are available for interested parties.
The transmission was also completely rebuilt with a new LSD and new synchros throughout. The total bill for engine and gearbox was just shy of £30,000, and building this engine would cost even more at today’s money.
All in all, this is a very special car which must be seen to be fully appreciated and one which would certainly cost more than its advertised price to rebuild from scratch. Contact us to discuss this amazing 911.