£1.5M 993 GT2 - Porsche cars history

Double take: Can amodified 996 C2 take onthemighty 996GT3? It’s closer than youmightthink and leaves £30,000 in your pocket too!

GT3V CLONE

PPOORRSSCCHHEE 991 CARRERA, 930 TURBO, 911SC, CAYMAN, CARRERA 3.2, 996 TURBO

THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING MONTHLY PORSCHE MAGAZINE

SIDEWAYS 944SBurning rubber: Going back to drift

school in a trio of 944s

PRACTICAL PORSCHEHow to, Projects, Porsche Technical

topics, Specialist, 911SC Buyers’ guide,Market/dealer watch, Classifieds

PLUS:

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MB

ER

2016 No.273

£4.75

US $10.50 C

AN

AD

A $15.75

911porschew

orld.com

£1.5M 993 GT2

The market for modern lightweights goes crazy.

Who’s buying them and whythe hell don’t they drive them?

cover Porsche 273 NEWch.qxp:1 10/21/16 10:46 AM Page 1

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Last month I signed off my ‘Up front’ ramblings by promising a full andfrank look at what is driving the crazy prices in the classic Porschemarket. This was on the back of the recent news of a 993 GT2 going for£1.85m at RM Sotheby’s London sale. ‘Who buys these cars and whatdo they do with them?’ is what we were really pondering. Well, we havegot to the bottom of the whole thing and, actually, it’s not really thatexciting.Using another 993 GT2 as a backdrop, one J.Tipler has donned his

investigative journalist hat and has been talking to those in the know.That is dealers, auction houses and collectors. These high prices are

applicable to low-mileage, modern lightweight Porsches only, the sortlusted after by folk of a certain age and now with the financialwherewithal to cash in. These cars are not for driving. They are theautomotive equivalent of fine art investment. The mileage is crucial tothe value. Oh, and the fact that they don’t attract tax when sold isanother factor, too. See, like I said, pretty dull, really. So dull that wedecided not to flag this issue up as: ‘The money issue.’ Interestingly,this doesn’t apply to older stuff like 2.7 RSs where mileage and trackrecord is seen as a badge of honour, almost.Back in the real world, and sifting through the auction results from

Silverstone Auctions’ Porsche-only sale I was drawn to an early 924with just 10,000kms on the clock. Now that’s a car that I lusted afterwhen I was younger, and it went for just £15,000. I’ll get my coat...

3911 & PORSCHE WORLD

UP FRONT

STEVE [email protected]

Editor: Steve Bennett01379 668748; [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Brett [email protected]

Features Editor: Keith Seume01208 871490; [email protected]

Consultant Editor: Chris [email protected]

North American Correspondent: Matt [email protected]

ContributorsPaul Davies, Antony Fraser, Jeremy Laird, David Sutherland,Johnny Tipler, Adam Towler

Studio ManagerPeter Simpson

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ProductionLiz [email protected]

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BUY US DIGITALLY ON

FIND US ONFACEBOOK

An expose into what’s driving the spiralling values ofmodern lightweight Porsches? Yes, indeed, but actually it’s

not really that interesting, says Bennett

Who buys these cars andwhat do they do with

them?“ ”

FIRST WORDS1ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 3:08 PM Page 3

4 911 & PORSCHE WORLD


*Classic Porsches up to 993 with a DIN-1 interface.

Porsche Classic Radio Navigation System.Find your way.Now classic Porsche owners can always fi nd their way. The Porsche Classic Radio

Navigation System features the best of modern technology, including Bluetooth® connectivity,

yet is designed to integrate seamlessly with the interior of your classic Porsche.*

For more information visit your nearest Porsche Centre or www.porsche.co.uk/classic



THISMONTH911&PW DECEMBER 2016

YOU AND YOURSNick Ramsay and his 996 GT3, plus 993

GT2 replica 36

MODDED 991 CARRERAWe get behind the wheel of a turbo

tweaked 991 Carrera with 440bhp 42

THE £1.5M 993 GT2What’s motivating the market for high-end Porsches? We find out with the help

of a 993 GT2 48

DRIFT 944SFancy a spot of drifting? You can in a

fleet of driftastic 944s 60

996 GT3 v modded 996 C2Just how close can you get to a 996 GT3

by modifying a 996 C2? 72

ULTRA LOWMILE 930 TURBOWhat’s it like to drive a time-warp, as

new, 930 Turbo? We find out 84

ARCHIVE: BEFORE PORSCHEPart 3 of our look at Porsche’s formativeyears. This month the Kubelwagen 94

HOW TO: 911 CDI BOX UPGRADEAnalysing Classic Retrofit’s CDI unit

upgrade on a 911SC 102

SPECIALIST: THE OCTANECOLLECTION

High-end Porsche dealer visited 106

p48

p42

p22

p60

FEATURES

CONTENTS DECchRevise.qxp:PW Template 10/21/16 3:04 PM Page 6


CONTENTS

PORSCHE NEWSAll the latest Porsche news... 10

PORSCHE PRODUCTS...and all the latest must have stuff 22

THE USUAL SUSPECTSKeith Seume has his say 30

PORSCHE LETTERSYou tell us 34

PORSCHE PROJECTSThe latest from the 911&PW fleet 114

PORSCHE TECHNICAL TOPICSTechnical problems solved 126

BUYERS’ GUIDE: 911 SCStill the starter air-cooled 911 130

MARKET PLACETried & tested, plus dealer and

auction talk 134

TIMEMACHINEJourney through 911&PW’s past 144

REGULARS

p72

p84

124CHRISTMASGIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM JUST£26

991111ppoorrsscchheewwoorrlldd..ccoommOORR TTUURRNN TTOO PPAAGGEE

CONTENTS DECchRevise.qxp:PW Template 10/21/16 3:05 PM Page 7

Thinking of selling your Porsche?Call Marc Sears on 07917 725 734 to arrange a no obligation

appraisal and valuation of your car.Porsche Centre ReadingBath Road Calcot, Reading Berkshire RG31 7SG 0118 930 [email protected]

008POR273:AI Template 10/21/16 2:00 PM Page 8

*Summer tyres versus winter tyres. Braking with ABS on wet road surface, 50 to 0 mph at +3°C.

**Participating Centres only.

Scan to see winter tyre performance in action

Traction. Gaining. Porsche winter wheels and tyres.Below 7°C the rubber compound in summer tyres hardens causing a drop in performance

and an increase in braking distances by up to 12%*. Porsche Approved N-rated winter

tyres are specifically designed for your Porsche and provide greater safety and increased

performance in cold, wet and snowy conditions. Whilst your summer wheels and tyres

are off the road, they can be securely stored for you by one of our 37 Porsche Centres**.

For more details visit your local Porsche Centre.


Give it up for Porsche's latest911-derived racer, the 911GT3 Cup. Due to hit the racetrack in 2017, the big newsis the switch to the direct-

injection “A1” engine, as seen in the latestGT3 and GT3 RS models as well as theultra-rare 911 R.

In other words, the hallowed Mezgerengine that can trace its roots right back tothe very first 911 in 1963 is finally a goner.With the new GT3 Cup, it's no longer used foreither race or roads cars. In its place is a 4.0-

litre flat six that's closely related to the 4.0-litreengine in the GT3 RS and 911 R. For therace car, it produces 485 metric horsepowerand thus slightly less than the full 500PSdeveloped by its road going siblings.

Porsche says a range of innovative detailsimprove efficiency and performance, ensuringbetter durability in racing mode and reducedmaintenance costs. That includes valve drivewith rigidly mounted rocker arms and a centraloil feed for the very first time. What’s more, anintegrated oil centrifuge is used to optimise oildefoaming in the engine. A crank with

significantly increased rigidity has also beeninstalled.

It terms of the bodywork, the massive184cm-wide rear wing has been retained fromthe predecessor model, but a new front apronand rear end deliver improved downforce forbetter traction and performance. As for thewheels, they're carried over from the previousCup car and remain gorgeous mono-bloc 18-inch racing rims complete with central lockingmechanism, 270-section Michelin racing slickson the front axle and big old 310mm boots outback. Wouldn't it be nice to see a road-going


NEWSNew 911 GT3 Cup racer * Have Porsche been making extra911 GT3 RSs? * Macan recall * Chinese Macan clone *Silverstone Porsche sale results * Dansk repro panels

ALL THE PORSCHE NEWS AND VIEWS

PORSCHEREVEALS NEW911 GT3 CUPRACERAnd says a final goodbye to the legendaryMezger engine

New 911 GT3 Cupracer will be themainstay of Porsche’sglobal one-makechampionships andthe Grand Prixsupporting Mobil 1Supercup

news273ch.qxp:PW Template 10/21/16 12:12 PM Page 10

MEZGER THE MANAnd says a final goodbye to the legendary Mezger engineThe term “Mezger” means different things to different Porschephiles. When Porsche'smainstream engines went through a rough patch in the late '90s and into the '00s, Mezgermeant power and reliability. When Porsche shifted its latest GT3 and GT3 RS to a newarchitecture, Mezger stood for character and real racing provenance, too.But there's a man behind this particular machine and that man is Hans Mezger. Born in

1929 in Besigheim, Swabia, Mezger joined Porsche in 1956, working on enginedevelopment. After a series of race engines, Mezger was a key player in the design of thelegendary six-cylinder boxer engine in the original 911. The core design of the crank casefrom that engine essentially survived in road cars up to the 997 GT3 RS 4.0. In time,engines based on the design became known as “Mezger” engines.The design lasted even longer in the race cars, which just goes to show how robust it

was. Porsche was reluctant to swap it for the new “A1” architecture, despite the obviousadvantages of direct fuel injection. Other highlights in Mezger's career before his retirementin 1994 included development of the air-cooled twelve cylinder engine for the Porsche 917,which produced up to 1200 horsepower in the 1973 CanAm version.


NEWS ANDVIEWS

GT3 with a similar amount of meat in itssidewalls? But we digress.As with other models built on the latest

Type-991 platform, the intelligent aluminium-steel composite construction ensuresmaximum rigidity and a lightweight body. Thenew 911 GT3 Cup is ready to race weighingin at just 1200 kilos.Porsche race-engineer boffins have also

once again focused specifically on driversafety during development. The driver isprotected by a solid safety cage and aninnovative, bucket-style racing seat with

additional reinforcements around the headand shoulder area. The enlarged rescuehatch in the roof, in line with the latest FIAstandard, makes it easier to provide initialtreatment and recovery following an accident.Intriguingly, Porsche manufactures the 911

GT3 Cup on the same production line as the911 road car in its main plant in Stuttgart. Thebasic race tuning is performed at theWeissach motorsport centre, where vehiclesare also thoroughly tested by a professionalrace driver prior to delivery. Some 3031 unitsof the 911 GT3 Cup have been built in the

996, 997 and 991 model lines since 1998.Thus, the 911 Cup is the most-produced andmost-sold GT racing car in the world.The new car will be used in the 2017 race

season, initially exclusively in the PorscheMobil 1 Supercup, held alongside the F1races, and in the Porsche Carrera CupDeutschland, as well as in North America. Asof 2018, the car will also be available for theother brand cups. In total, Porsche isorganising 20 of these race series forcustomer teams around the world, with the911 GT3 Cup being used exclusively.

New racer finallydoes away with thelegendary ‘Mezger’engine in favour of anengine closely relatedto the GT3’sroadgoing 4-litre DFIunit. Above right:Hans Mezger, albeitwith one of his lesssuccessful enginedesigns – the V12 F1unit from the ’90s




www.porscheclassiccentergelderland.nl

Porsche Classic Center Gelderland Ressenerbroek 2, 6666 MR Heteren The Netherlands. +31 26 356 0 901.

We realise your classic dream.

Porsche Classic Center Gelderland.2

Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera SpeedsterOnly 74 built - completely concours restored 1957 - 35,606 miles Price on request

Porsche 911 2.7 RS Only 1590 built 1973 - 6,663 km € 625,000

Porsche 911 3.2 Speedster Small BodyOnly 161 built 1989 - 23,068 km € 375,000

Porsche 356 A 1600 Reuter Cabriolet Unique - second owner - never restored1959 - 71,321 miles € 175,000

Porsche 911 CarreraOnly 385 built 1975 - 33,877 miles € 99,900

Porsche 356 A 1600 SpeedsterNever restored - only refreshed - very original1957 - 22,047 miles € 365,000

Porsche Carrera GTOnly 1270 built2006 - 40,651 km € 625,000

Porsche 911 S Targa SoftwindowCompletely concours restored1967 - 25 km after restoration € 299,900

Porsche 911 964 3.6 TurboOnly 632 built for Europe 1995 - 71,749 km € 299,900

Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Speedster Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster Porsche 356 A 1600 Reuter Cabriolet

Porsche 911 CarreraPorsche 911 2.7 RS



NEWS ANDVIEWS

MACAN COPYCAT GOES ON SALE

Not what it seems.To even the keenestPorsche spotter, thisis, to all and intentsand purposes, a

Macan in a fetchingshade of blue. But,no. It is a copy made

in China and isknown as the ZotyeSR9. It comes with a187bhp 2-litre petrol

turbo engine,equipped with all theusual niceties, andcosts just £12,300

Some interestingresults from thePorsche-only

Silverstone sale inOctober. Early 924

with under10,000kms on theclock went for

£15,000. Multipleconcours winning944 Turbo S not somuch of a steal at

£35,000. Carrera GTfailed to sell, while exUK press-fleet 996C2, with low milesand good history,made £16,880

After the stunning recent results from RM Sotheby's auction inBattersea, including a 993 GT2 that sold for £1.85 million, all eyeswere on Silverstone Auctions’ Porsche 2016 sale, held in associationwith Porsche Club GB on 15th October.It’s fair to say that the line-up wasn’t quite as stellar. The star turn

– a Carrera GT – failed to sell, and is currently still being marketedby Silverstone Auctions at £484,000. However, sift through the saleand there’s some interesting stuff and results, too.This being 911&PW, we are always drawn to the more

quirky/unusual, or should that be the cars that are more in our pricerange? Well, possibly, but oceans of undriven exotica don’t really doit for us. Equally, its also good to see some of the Porscheunderdogs getting a look in, too.With 2016 being the 40th anniversary of Porsche’s transaxle cars,

the performance of those entered in to the auction was certainly ofinterest. Depending on your viewpoint, the bargain of the event hadto be a 1981 924, with just over 10,000kms on the clock. To allintent and purpose, this car was effectively brand new and sold for£15,000. Now that’s a lot for a 924, but not a lot for what is surely aunique 924. A number of 968s made strong money, with a couple ofClub Sports selling at £25,000–£26,000 and an original, unrestored,one-owner 928 S fetched £9000, while a 1991 928 GT, with

desirable manual gearbox, made £24,750. We’re pretty sure thatcan only increase in the future.Big transaxle money was paid out on a multiple concours

winning, 1988 944 Turbo S, with 44,000-miles on the clock, whichsold for £35,440. Steep, but apparently fair these days.A couple of 996 C2s seemed to be rather good value for money.

Both were very early 1998 cars, with manual gearboxes with 60,000-miles and 72,000-miles respectively and fetching £14,625 and£16,880. The latter car was an ex-UK Porsche press fleet car, andwould certainly have passed through 911&PW’s hands at some time,not to mention every other UK car mag! Is that provenance? We’renot sure, but worth hunting out some press clippings.Sticking with water-cooled, a seemingly unexciting 986 Boxster S

made £14,060, but had just 9000-miles on the clock. A bargain wereckon, and not so much money that you wouldn’t want to use it,despite its low-mileage status.The big money items? Lightweights faired well. A 2010 997 GT3

RS fetched £168,000, which made £48,000 for a 30,000km 996 GT3look very good value, not to mention a 997 GT2 at £102,000, oh,and a Manthey modded 996 GT3 at £68,000.There was, of course, more. For the full results check out:

silverstoneauctions.com.

SMORGASBORD OF PORSCHES AT SILVERSTONE SALE

Stop. Wait. Do not adjust your spectacles, do not reboot your iPad.The car you see pictured here does indeed look very much like aPorsche Macan. But it is, in fact, a shameless knock off. Yes, it'snot just watches and luggage that get ripped off on an industrialscale by Chinese counterfeiters. It's cars, too.Known as the Zotye SR9, it was first shown in concept form in

2014, which just goes to show how quickly Chinese auto makerswith a penchant for homage can react. Technical highlights includejust a single engine at launch, a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engineoffering 187bhp and driving through either a standard five-speedmanual or optional six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The startingprice in China equates to about £12,300 in old money.Inside, even the SR9's dashboard is an obvious copy of the

Macan and includes an optional LCD instrument cluster. However,where the Chinese car does differ is overall dimensions. At

4744mm in length, 1929mm in width and 1647mm in height, theZotye SR9 is 63mm longer, 6mm wider and 23mm higher than thePorsche Macan. It also rides on a 43mm longer wheelbase than thecar from which it is clearly inspired at 2850mm.If you are wondering how the SR9 is even possible, that comes

down to what you might call relaxed Chinese intellectual propertylaws. When the Zotye concept was first shown, Porsche reportedlythreatened legal action but has yet to actually pull the trigger.However, should any attempt to sell the car outside of China bemade, it's likely Porsche would be forced to act.And the SR9 is far from the only Chinese knock off. Zotye itself

also makes copies of the Audi Q3 and Q5 along with a number ofVW clones. Another Chinese brand, LandWind, caused controversywith its X7. Externally the X7 was an even closer copy of the LandRover Evoque than the SR9 is with regard to the Macan.

Strong line-up and sales at annual Porsche auction



Supporting All Porsche Passions Since 1957

Our warehouse supplies a vast majority of the world’s Porsche restoration shops — but it also

helps keep our employees own projects on the road. We use our cars for development and test fitting

to make sure your car stays as authentic as possible. No one else can match our warehouse full of parts,

our expertise or our support for all Porsche passions — since 1957.

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pporting AllS assions Sorsche PP 759Since 1upporting AllS

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www.LALitandToyShow.com

The 34th Annual Porsche and Vintage VW Literature, Toy and Memorabilia Swap Meet has:

• Over 300 Vendor Tables

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• International Attendees, Vendors and Parts

The LA Lit Meet is the Centerpiece of the Grand Porsche

Weekend in Los Angeles:

• Driving and Shop Tours

• Parties and Social Events

• Sunday’s SoCal All-Porsche Swap

and Car Display in Anaheim



NEWS ANDVIEWS

When the latest Type-991 911 GT3 RS was launched early lastyear, Porsche estimated a production run of around 2000 units.That was pretty much in line with the production numbers of theprevious two GT3 RS models from the 997 era.Now rumours are circulating of dramatically increased

production numbers of up to 8000 units and additional allocationsfor Porsche dealers. But what is the truth and why does it matter?For an answer to the latter question, you need only look at theprices commanded by the 991 model on the open market.The original list price in the UK was £131,296. Current used

prices range from just over £200,000 to nearly £300,000. IfPorsche really has made, or is planning to make, anything likethe rumoured 8000 units, that could have serious consequencesfor long-term values. So where have the rumours come from? Inpart, it's down to discussions customers are having with Porschedealers in response to new production slots being allocated.Then there are numbers emerging from the US. Porsche North

America has always done things its own way and is routinelymore open about the number of cars it sells than head office inGermany. Apparently, Porsche NA is expecting to deliver around1400 units overall. If you then extrapolate out based on the typicalproportion of cars going to the US you arrive at a figure of around3500 to 4000. Nowhere near 8000, but still getting on for double

the number of previous 997 GT3 RS models and massively morethan low volume examples like the 996 GT3 RS or the 997 GT3RS 4.0-litre, which were limited to around 600.To get to the bottom of it all, we spoke to Porsche GB's product

affairs manager, Nick Perry. He says that Porsche never specifiesthe production numbers for non-limited models like the RS beforeproduction ceases. With this still ongoing, in other words, he can'ttell us exactly how many Porsche has or will make. However,Perry does point out a few factors that suggest the real figure isvery likely at the lower end of the speculated range, at the veryleast, and also present difficulties in suddenly increasingproduction. “For a model such as the GT3 RS with a magnesiumroof, carbon front wings and so forth,” Perry explains, “thespecialist suppliers of such components need to work to anumber to support the manufacture of those bespoke parts. Andour own production facility – where we needed to modify theassembly line to incorporate the 21-inch diameter rear wheels ofthe RS (the biggest ever wheels on a 911) – also needs to workto a figure for logistical reasons.”Perry also says there are always fewer RS models than their

plain vanilla GT3 siblings. All of which doesn't absolutely excludethe possibility that the rumours are true. But it does suggestestimates of 6000 to 8000 units are awfully unlikely.

We put it to Porsche...

What does it matter howmany of a given carPorsche makes? That'san interesting question.When Porscheannounced that the new911 R was to be limitedto 991 copies, that prettymuch guaranteed itinstant-classic status.

In the current market,it also guaranteedinstant profits foranyone who had anallocation. But what ifPorsche had made fiveor even 10 times asmany? It would havebeen exactly the samecar. And yet its appealwould have been quitedifferent. In fact, hadthe 911 R been explicitlyavailable in unlimitednumbers – “order one,and you can have one” –it's quite possible theymay have struggled tosell as many as 991.

After all, it's a£130,000-odd 911 with acompulsory manualgearbox. And over 90per cent of 911 buyersprefer PDK. At the sametime, questions havearisen over the numberof the latest 911 GT3 RSthat have beenproduced. It's not astrictly limited car likethe R. But a certaindegree of exclusivity isassumed and indeedunderpins market valuesthat are in excess of thelist price.

That Porsche choosesto be less than entirelyforthcoming regardingthe actual numbersmade (see storyopposite) doesn't exactlyhelp. All of which makesfor an odd situationwhere Porsche willproudly tell you howmany Rs it has made.But not how manyGT3 RSs.

HAS PORSCHE REALLY MADE 8000 991 GT3 RSs?

A total of 102 UK Macans are reported to have been builtbetween 30th July and 9th August 2016 with the relevant anti-roll bar connecting links. Failure of the links can lead tounpredictable handling. The specifics of the handling traitscaused by failed links can vary, but increasedoversteer under lateral load is a prime symptom.Another tell-tale sign is knocking or rattling comingfrom the rear axle.In an official statement Porsche said, “there is the

possibility that the front anti-roll bar of the affectedvehicles were fitted with connecting links from adefective batch on which the connecting linkbushings can move out of the connecting link eyes.This can cause rattling noises and cansubsequently cause the anti-roll bar to stopfunctioning during extreme driving manoeuvres. Ifthis happens, the sporty handling as designed intothe Macan may be impaired, resulting inoversteering of the vehicle.”If you're wondering how a failed front roll bar can

cause oversteer, as with most handling issues it's acomplicated subject. But in simple terms, the failedfront roll bar means the rear axle takes more of theload and thus is more likely to break away inextreme circumstances.

UK owners with cars affected by the faulty parts have alreadybeen contacted by Porsche. Porsche says owners are beinginvited to book their cars in to their local Porsche Centre, wherea repair will be carried out free of charge.

MACAN RECALLED FOR SUSPENSION FAULTSpeaking of the Macan, but this time the real one, Porsche has issued arecall for certain 2016 models due to a front anti-roll bar fault that cancompromise handling

OUR TAKE

THE NUMBERSGAME


PORS

CHE9

97GT

3GEN

2MAN

UAL2

009/

59-£

107,9

95PO

RSCH

E997

C2SC

ABRIO

LETT

IPTRO

NIC*H

UGES

PEC*

2005

-£28

,995

PORS

CHE9

96C4

2000

-£12,

995

PORS

CHE9

68RA

CECA

R199

3-PO

A

PORS

CHEB

OXST

ERS3

.4SP

ORTE

DITION

2008

-£17,

995

PORS

CHEB

OXST

ERSM

ANUA

L200

9-£1

8,995

PORS

CHEC

AYMA

NS20

06-£

17,99

5PO

RSCH

E993

RSRE

CREA

TION1

995-

£41,9

95

PORS

CHEB

OXST

ER2.5

1998

-£49

95PO

RSCH

E993

TURB

O199

5-£9

9,995

PORS

CHE9

30TU

RBO1

986G

UARD

SRED

4SPE

ED47

000M

ILESP

OAPO

RSCH

E997

C2S2

005S

ILVER

-£22

,995

PORS

CHE9

97GT

3GEN

2CLU

BSPO

RTMA

NUAL

2010

-£120

,000

AGENCYTK.COM



Silverstones’ sale on the 15th October isn't the only auction of interest to Porschephiles. RM Sotheby's “Duemila Ruote”, to be held inMilan on 25th November, is also crammed full of tasty Pork.RM Sotheby's says it's the largest automotive-themed private collection sale ever staged in Europe, featuring over 430 cars, 150

motorcycles, 60 boats and hundreds of bicycles and automobilia items, all offered without reserve.The Porsche lots major on air-cooled kit, including a delightful looking competition-spec 356 coupe. An army of long-hood and impact

bumper 911s are also on offer. Early 2.0-litre cars, a 2.4 S, SCs and 3.2 Carreras – you name it, there's probably more than one on offer.Several later air-cooled cars including RS variants of both the 964 and 993 are also available, plus a 959 in comfort spec. Nice.The transaxle cars make an appearance, too, with a 1982 928S, plus several tidy looking 944 and 968 variants. Rounding the sale out

are several 911s from the water-cooled era, including multiple GT3 models and two Cup cars. There's also an early low-mileage 986Boxster and a 2005 Carrera GT for good measure. For more information, head for rmsothebys.com.

We are none of us getting any younger. That includes air-cooled911s, which are getting on, especially the early long hood cars.Danish Porsche parts specialist Dansk has been producingreplacement panels for these models for some time. But nowDansk has set its sights on something slightly more ambitious: theability to supply every panel for a long-wheelbase model and thuscreate a new 911 from scratch.At the recent Frankfurt Automechanika show, Dansk showed off a

fully built shell. However, only the parts in black were Dansk’s own.Still, that does include a new front section in one piece, includinginner fender, front panel, firewall and lower pressing all welded

together. Dansk also produces all floor panels, side panels, fenders,quarter panels, front and rear panels, bumpers, front bonnet andrear hood.According to Dansk's Martin Frank, just add to that the roof, the

seat well and some additional small parts and you have a new 911shell. “Our plans are that within three to four years we have allpanels produced. When we have all panels, then we can startthinking about making our own Dansk chassis,” Frank told911&PW. Quite what Porsche would make of Dansk selling full 911shells is another matter. In the meantime, you can browse Dansk'scurrent parts and offerings at jpgroupclassic.dk.

SOTHEBY'S MILAN SALE SPECTACULAR

DANSK AIMS FOR FULL REPRODUCTION SHELLS

There will be anumber of Porschesup for grabs in Milanin November as RMSotheby’s hosts the

auction of asignificant

automotive-themedprivate collection

It could only be amatter of time before

Dansk is able toproduce complete 911shells. Bodyshell on

jig demonstrateswhat is currently

available, with all thepanels in black

produced by Dansk.We think it would

certainly be aninteresting

development

NEWS ANDVIEWS

Fancy building a brand new air-cooled 911?





017POR243:AI Template 4/16/14 2:21 PM Page 17


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comfort, what with its rubber bushingsand plenty of void space leading tosignificant movement. Powerflex's

solution involves polyurethane insertsthat fill the bush voids and significantly

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BEEF UP YOUR BUTZI BAHNSTORMERBomb-proof build. Hewn from granite. Machined from billet. So say the clichés ofconventional wisdom when it comes to the 964 and 993 variants of the 911. Andwho are we to argue? However, even these run-out air-cooled classics do havetheir weak spots. One such opportunity for improvement is the engine carrier. Infact, it's not unheard of for the carrier to bend, crack or even fail when the car istracked or fitted with stiffer engine mounts. Porsche fitted reinforced carriers to itsrace cars for just this reason. Now you can, too, thanks to the new Rennlinecarrier. It's not only stronger and stiffer than the standard carrier. It's also 1.4lblighter thanks to its CNC engineering and tig-welded construction. Yours for $495from www.rennline.com. So call that £380 plus shipping, VAT, duty and swampinsurance (OK, not swamp insurance) in old money. rennline.com

WEIGHT SAVING MEASURESHere are some new products from Stuttgart-Classica. Theselightweight aluminium door hinges (bottom) are CNC machined fromaluminium billet and are perfect for a race car application, or any 911that is looking to losesome weight. Availableas body-only halves orcomplete hinge setsaccording toapplication, they costfrom £150 a set. Butthat’s not all…How about somematching lightweightaluminium bonnet andboot hinges? Theseare manufactured from5mm aluminium plate,with water-jet-cut holesfor added lightness.Polished up to a mirrorfinish, they will lookperfect on any 911 andcan still be used inconjunction withthe bonnet or bootgas struts. Theyare available for1964–1989Porsche 911s, 964and 993models.Pricesstart at £395 perpair.www.stuttgart-classica.co.uk

Products 273ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:55 AM Page 22

ENQUIRIES+44 (0) 20 7468 [email protected]

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THE BOND STREET SALEExceptional Motor CarsSunday 4 December 2016New Bond Street, London

Entries now invited

bonhams.com/motorcars

1,722 miles from new2004 PORSCHE CARRERA GT£480,000 - 540,000

1968 MASERATI MISTRAL 4.0-LITRE SPYDER£525,000 - 575,000

First time to market for 46 years, The ex-Laurence Pomeroy Jnr.1914 VAUXHALL 25HP ‘PRINCE HENRY’£500,000 - 600,000



PUSH YOUR BUTTONSHow about this for a different kind of resto-mod? Specialists in Porschebadging and other tweakery, Car Bone, are now offering a completePorsche panel switch restoration service. The Polish outfit reckons it canrescue worn switches, buttons and panels from any possible Porsche andrestore them to their former unfingered glory. Its show-piece offering is arestoration of the A/C panel for 964, 993, 944 and 968 models. The skilfulrestoration involves high quality paints and decals to resurrect the originalfactory finish. What's more, the turn around on receipt is just one to twodays. Pricing starts at $50 or roughly £40 per button, but you can sendimages of the buttons and switches in question for a detailed quote. Findout more from car-bone.pl.

CARRERA 2.7 BIBLESpare a thought for the poor old Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 of 1974. Untilrecently, it was almost invisible in the shadow of its more illustrious sibling,the Carrera 2.7 RS. And yet the Carrera 2.7 shared an identical engineand much of its DNA, including the wide-hipped shell, with the attention-grabbing RS. Of late, market values have grown to reflect its true place inthe Porsche pantheon. And now you can celebrate this relatively unsunghero with a new book dedicated to the model. Meticulously researched byauthor Brian Snodgrass using Porsche archive material, perioddocumentation and access to private collections, Carrera 2.7 sports over800 images among its 406 pages and includes the complete story, fromthe original factory options to its production history. Available fromparabolicapress.com for £190 plus shipping and duties.

LUXURY LUGGAGEGiven the current market value of classic Porsches, this natty new collection of bespoke bags had us worried for a moment. But we are assured no 911s diedto bring you these bags. Instead, the handles are inspired by the steering wheel spokes from the iconic 2.7 RS of 1973 and, similarly, the fabric inserts recallthe classic houndstooth and tartan check seat centres from 911s of old. Brought to you by Haendel, a new Dutch specialist in travel bags, the Grand ColsCollection are named after Europe’s highest mountain passes, hand-made from calf skin and fine-tuned to fit limited luggage space. Haendel says four of theGrand Weekender bags exactly fit the luggage shelf of an air-cooled Porsche 911. At 1529 Euros a pop, that would be quite an investment. But then style nevercame cheap. Find out more from haendeldesign.com.

PRODUCTCALL


ELITEPOR273:AI Template 10/13/16 12:34 PM Page 25


PRODUCTCALL

A TINY TURBOThe Porsche 911 Turbo. The very best there is. When you absolutely,positively have to obliterate every other car in sight, accept no substitute,as Samuel L. Jackson would say. That's as true today as ever. Even thestandard 911 Turbo now packs a preposterous 540hp and will hit 60mphin less than three seconds. Of course, at £126,925, it'll cost you. As forthe even faster £145,773 S, let's not even go there. Instead, why notponder the standard Turbo's 198mph top speed and weaponised stylingfeatures courtesy of this 1:43-scale model. It's all there including thesignature air intakes in the rear wings, the quad-LED driving lights, themassive multi-spoke wheels and the bi-plane rear wing. Yours for €49 or£43 including VAT, the place to go to bag one is selectionrs.com.

R IS FOR RAREAs we pen these very words, an example ofPorsche's latest unicorn car, the type-991 911 R isjust about to go up for public auction.If nothing else, that will put an end to thespeculation over the prices commanded by thispainfully desirable pseudo-analogue throwback.Then again, as the example in question happens tobe specified without that all-important lightweightflywheel, it will probably go for pennies.In the meantime, perhaps we can interest sir in thisscale model. It's a 1:43-scale recreation of the carthat itself aims to resurrect the bare-bones appealof the original 1967 R, an 800kg flyweight thatmany regard to this day as the purest 911 of themall. It was certainly the lightest. However you see it,you can have this pitch-perfect 1:43-scale model ofthe modern R, one of a limit run of 1911 copies, for€89 or £77 including VAT. Who knows it too maybecome a collector’s item, albeit with value inkeeping with its 1:43 scale. selectionrs.com.

SUIT UPNewsflash for the 911&PW massive. Summer is over.So why not suit up with this super Martini Racing kitfrom our chums at Selection RS. The jacketrecreates the Martini Racing team kit worn by staffduring the 1975 season. Features include obligatoryMartini stripes, zipped sleeves and an embroideredMartini logo. Its an official Martini product, made ofpolyester and both lightweight and waterproof. It'syours from 149 Euros inclusive of taxes and thus£128. Available in sizes from small right though toXXL, SelectionRS advise that it's a tight fit andordering the size above your sartorial norm isadvised. If you seek something simpler, how aboutthe Martini Club International T-shirt? It's 100 percent cotton and on offer for 34 Euros or £30. Bothgarments can be ordered now via selectionrs.com.

A SMALL TASTE OF TARGAGet a load of this slice of scale-model Targa tastiness. It's a 1972 2.4STarga recreated in painstaking 1:18-scale detail. The model includes araft of period-correct features, including chrome Fuchs wheels, the sidemirror, the glass-house highlights, the long-hood styling and thesignature anodised Targa hoop. But the really clever bit involves thefully functional doors and panels. Both front and rear panels open toreveal the luggage compartment and a detailed engine bay. The doors,likewise, pop open to provide access to the feature-complete cabin withsports seats and five-on-the-floor. The critical final flourish, of course, isthe removable Targa panel. How can you resist? Available now fromselectionrs.com for €139 or £120 including VAT.





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THE USUALSUSPECTSAs summer draws to a close, Keith Seume extolls the virtue of visiting ‘all makes’classic car shows and makes a fascinating discovery. Meanwhile, he gets all weak-kneed over a four-door Porsche that preceded the Panamera by two decades…

Far left: AnnualThornfalcon classicshow was a greatopportunity to giveEl Chucho a latesummer airing, andan entertaining dayout looking at cars ofother marques

Left: A surprising‘Porsche connection’– early TVR usedtrailing arms andtorsion bars from aVW Beetle, with a356-style ride-heightadjuster built in

There’s not a hugeamount of Porschemotorsport action inthe south west, so it’salways good to seeJonathan Williamsonwaving the marqueflag at KS’s localhillclimb event

911&PW WRITERS ON MATTERS PORSCHE OR OTHERWISE

KEITHSEUMEEditor, Classic Porsche

When you’re a big fan of a particularmarque, it’s all too easy to get wrapped upin your own little world. We all love Porsches(well, I presume you do – after all, you’rereading this magazine) and so we tend to goto events where we see lots of otherPorsches and meet other Porsche-lovingpeople. It makes you feel ‘safe’.And to be honest, there’s nothing wrong

with that, but every now and then it doesyou good to step outside your comfort zoneand head along to a random event to checkout what else is on offer. Personally, I lovegoing to non-Porsche events – or morestrictly speaking, events where there areother makes and models on hand.Here I’m not talking about the big

meetings, such as Le Mans Classic orGoodwood’s famous Revival, but smaller,more local gatherings or race meetings. Amonth or so back, I tagged along with agroup of Porsche owners from the westcountry who’d decided it would be fun to goto the now-famous Thornfalcon classic carshow near Taunton in Somerset.This meeting is pretty unique in that entry

is totally free for everyone, and it attractshundreds of cars (and motorcycles) of allages, but mostly what we loosely refer to as‘classics’ – which tends to mean virtuallyanything built up to the 1980s. Think AustinAllegro and Triumph Stag.Actually, don’t, for there was an amazing

variety of classics in attendance, from 1920sAustins to a new McLaren. Only asmattering of Porsches, though, including ElChucho, and friends Jonathan’s 914/6,Peter’s 914/4 and Jeremy’s lovely 356A.The four of us had caravaned up from

Jonathan’s house just a few miles awayfrom Henlade, the location of the show, andhad expected to see a few more Porkers –but aside from a 356 and a couple of late-models, none were to be seen.But in many ways, that made the show

even better, for we got to check out a widerange of cars with which we were unfamiliar(or at least, I certainly was). I have alwaysliked French cars, especially oddities likePanhards and older Citröens, but I wasrather taken with a 1940s Hotchkiss saloonwhich was totally original and for sale at£17,750. OK, so that’s not cheap but had itbeen a better-known marque you couldprobably have doubled the price. It waswonderful – and, like many French cars ofits time, right-hand drive.I wandered around, looking at the

Caterhams which had arrived en masse,and various hot-rods, which had their ownenclave, before stumbling across a rathernice early TVR. Now I’ve always liked theolder TVRs, and used to lust over a locally-owned V8 Tuscan, with its rumbling small-block Ford V8.But the car which caught my eye was

much older than the Tuscan: I think it wasan early 1960s example (please excuse mylack of detailed knowledge of the marque!).Actually, it wasn’t so much the snub-tailedstyling and wire wheels which caught myeye, so much as the Porsche connection.Yes, you did read that right.OK, so it was only a modest connection,

but a connection it was, and I must admit itsurprised me. I had always imagined thatBritish sports cars of that era would havewishbones and coil springs at the front, butinstead the little TVR featured transverse

multi-leaf torsion bars and VW Beetle trailingarms (see above). There was even a 356-style height adjuster built into the uppertorsion-bar tube. Ferdinand Porsche wouldhave loved it. And that, folks, is why I lovegoing to multi-marque shows. You neverknow what you’ll discover.My latest trip out was very local – all of

about six miles – to a hillclimb at TregrehanHouse near St Austell in Cornwall. There Imet up (again) with Jonathan Williamson,this time at the helm of his well-used andvery successful 1972 911S (ignore theimpact bumbers and whale tail – they’re partof the car’s long history!).

JW’s a bit of a star when it comes tohillclimbing, so it was no suprise that hestormed the course in fine style. His andmine were the only two Porsches there thatday, but that didn’t stop it being a wonderfulday out – yet again.

GETTING OUT AND ABOUT

The usual suspectsKSv7ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 3:04 PM Page 30

The launch of the new Panamera gavePorsche the excuse to dust off the trulywonderful 989 prototype. I say ‘trulywonderful’ because I believe it is one of thebest-looking Porsches never to make it intoproduction. This was largely due to twoparties falling out with each other…Porsche’s former CEO Heinz Branitzki

was the man behind the project, makingavailable a sum of DM1 billion to develop anew car to sell alongside (not in place of)the 911. Gone would be the 924, 944 and928 in a move that was intended to takePorsche into more upmarket territory. Theproject was to be managed by Ulrich Bez.Fresh from a stint at BMW, Bez made big

changes at Porsche, bringing the Indycarprogramme to a halt, simultaneously takingthe marque into the heady world of F1. The944 was kicked into touch to make way forthe stop-gap 968, while the 911 was to begiven a new look, a revamp that resulted inthe fresh-faced 993.But the car which seemed to get Bez

most excited was ‘his’ new upmarketPorsche, a car that would sit at the top ofthe range in a market segment which wasnew territory for the company: the 989.This was to be a four-door executive

‘saloon’ powered by an all-new front-mounted 300bhp 3.6-litre V8, aimedsquarely at BMW’s successful 5-seriesrange, and most notably the high-performance M5.Styled by Harm Lagaay, the 989

succeeded in retaining a familyresemblance to the forthcoming 993 despiteits engine location. In fact, the styling is inmany ways more reminiscent of the later996 and, to a certain degree, the much later997. Its elegant curves (penned in the1980s, remember) have stood the test oftime, making the first generation Panamerain particular look clumsy by comparison.Unlike the outgoing front-engined

Porsches, the 989 was to feature a moreconventional layout, with the gearboxattached directly to the engine. But that’sabout as far as ‘conventional’ went, for thetransmission of choice was to be a six-speed Tiptronic semi-automatic, with a PDK

design a possibility if available in time.Four-wheel-drive was also to be an option.Test mules were built, and universally

praised by all who drove them. But whenFerdinand Piëch made his dislike of an‘executive Porsche’ clear, the project wasultimately doomed. Bez left the companyand, with the 989 on the brink of going intoproduction, the plug was pulled largely ongrounds of cost. Efforts were made to sellthe engine to other manufacturers to recoupsome money but nobody was interested.Ferdinand Porsche is said to have been

furious at the waste of so much money forso little result. I’m just furious that theelegant 989 never made it into production…

The Goodwood Revival is one of thosemeetings I try not to miss. For some stupidreason, I never went to the very first one, buthave only ever missed out on a couplesince. Its detractors will tell you it’sexpensive (which it is) and overcrowded(which it also is), but where else in thiscountry do you get to see such greatentertainment? If nothing else, peoplewatching is always fun at Gooders.Porsche representation has always been

a bit hit and miss at the Revival, with theoccasional 356 or 550 making anappearance, but rarely much more thanthat. Many people I spoke to expressed thewish that Goodwood would (is that poetry?)make the famous 911-only race from lastyear’s Members’ Meeting a regular part ofthe attraction, but it’s unlikely to happen.However, despite the lack of on-track

Porsche action, there’s still plenty to seeelsewhere. For the last few years, Porscheitself has taken space in the ‘Earl’s CourtMotorshow’ building, this year taking theopportunity to show off the new Panamerawith the help of a couple of four-seaterprototypes, inluding the elegant 989 (seeabove), while outside the track, PorscheClassic from Germany is now a regular, this

year showing off a stunning 356A coupéand running up a freshly-rebuilt Carrerafour-cam motor, much to everybody’sdelight. Staff were on hand to answer allyour restoration questions, too.But we were particularly pleased to see

the effort made by Porsche Club GB,whose display of two early 911s (SimonBowery’s racer and Fred Hampton’s 911Slightweight), a 904 and a 356 Carrera

attracted a lot of favourable comment – asdid the inspired ‘Speedster’ coffee bar.For several years, the club has been

(often wrongly) accused of turning its backon the classics, seemingly preferring to wooowners of new models into the fold, but thisdisplay turned all that on its head. ThePorsche marque has a wonderful historyand there’s a lot to be proud of. Well doneto all at PCGB – you did a great job! PW

THEUSUALSUSPECTS

Below left: PorscheClassic fromGermany has beenexhibiting atGoodwood for thelast couple of years

Below: Hats off toPorsche Club GB forgoing the extra mileat the Revival

At Goodwood,Porsche showed the989 as proof of how ithad been consideringa four-door, four-seatmodel way before thePanamera, the latestversion of which wasmysteriously hiddenfrom view behinda screen…

PAULDAVIESSTEVEBENNETT CHRISHORTON JOHNNYTIPLERJEREMYLAIRDADAMTOWLERBRETTFRASER

Say what you like aboutthem, but 911 & Porsche

World’s elite squad ofjournalists and

Porschephiles have opinionsaplenty on all manner ofautomotive matters. And

this is where they gettheir two-pages’ worth

911 & PORSCHE WORLD 31

FOUR DOORS TO THE FORE – A LOST OPPORTUNITY…

GOOD TIMES AT GOODWOOD

The usual suspectsKSv7ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 3:04 PM Page 31


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Cayenne"GTS"4.8tip (09 -2009)Basalt blackwith black leather53,000miles...............................£26,000

Cayman2.7pdk (64 -2014)Redwith black leather / alcantara13,000miles ...............................£43,000

Cayman2.7pdk (64 -2014)Sapphire bluewith black leather8,000miles .................................£43,000

Cayman2.7pdk (14 -2014)Agate greywith black leather18,000miles ...............................£40,000

Cayman2.7pdk (14 -2014)Redwith black leather16,000miles ...............................£40,000

Cayman"S"3.4 (10 -2010)Whitewith ocean blue leather43,000miles...............................£27,000

Cayman2.9pdk (12 -2012)Basalt blackwith black leather22,000miles...............................£30,000

Cayenne"GTS"4.8tip (59 -2009)Whitewith black leather62,000miles...............................£26,000

Cayman2.9pdk (61 -2011)Platinumsilverwith black leather24,000miles...............................£29,000

Cayman2.9pdk (12 -2012)Basalt blackwith black leather39,000miles...............................£29,000

Cayman2.9pdk (61 -2011)Platinumsilverwith black leather41,000miles ...............................£29,000

Boxster "S"3.4pdk (12 -2012)Platinumsilverwith black leather27,000miles...............................£37,000

Boxster "S"3.4pdk (12 -2012)Basalt blackwith black leather18,000miles ...............................£37,000

Cayenne"GTS"4.8tip (09 -2009)Meteor greywith black leather45,000miles...............................£26,000



Cayenne3.0diesel tip (09 -2009)Silverwith black leather65,000miles...............................£19,000


Cayman"S"3.4pdk (09 -2009)Basalt blackwith black leather42,000miles...............................£28,000

911(997)"2S"3.8tipcab(06-2006)GTSilverwith black leather50,000miles...............................£30,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8tip (06 -2006)Seal greywith black leather54,000miles...............................£29,000

911(997)Targa4S3.8pdk(58-2008)Silverwith black leather45,000miles...............................£46,000

911(997)Targa4S3.8pdk(09-2009)Whitewith black leather38,000miles...............................£50,000

911(997) "2S"3.8pdk (58 -2008)Basalt blackwith black leather27,000miles...............................£42,000

911 (997) "C2"3.6dk (09 -2009)Silverwith black leather34,000miles...............................£39,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8 (07 -2007)Basalt blackwith grey leather44,000miles...............................£32,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8pdk (59 -2009)Basalt blackwith black leather67,000miles...............................£38,000

911(997)"2S"3.8tipcab(06-2006)Basalt blackwith black leather50,000miles...............................£30,000

911(997)Turbo3.6tipcab(08-2008)Basalt blackwith black leather45,000miles...............................£54,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8tip (57 -2007)Silverwith black leather52,000miles...............................£33,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8 (57 -2007)Basalt blackwith black leather51,000miles ...............................£33,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8 (07 -2007)Atlas greywith black leather47,000miles...............................£32,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8 (57 -2007)Basalt blackwith black leather53,000miles...............................£32,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8tip (06 -2006)Basalt blackwith black leather39,000miles...............................£31,000

911 (997) "2S"3.8 (56 -2007)Silverwith black leather55,000miles...............................£30,000

Cayman"S"3.4pdk (13 -2013)Whitewith black leather15,000miles ...............................£45,000

Cayman"S"3.4pdk (13 -2013)Amaranth Redwith black leather27,000miles...............................£44,000

Cayman"S"3.4pdk (13 -2013)Yellowwith black leather25,000miles...............................£45,000

911 (997) "4S"3.8tip (56 -2006)Silverwith ocean blue leather44,000miles...............................£33,000

STSHouse, BristolWay, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 3QE T: 01753 553 969 www.rsjsportscars.com

RSJ 273.qxp:AI Template 19/10/16 15:00 Page 1


LETTERSGot something to say? Need to express an opinion on thePorsche world? E-mail us on [email protected]

Could I, through your magazine, send outa word of thanks to the driver of a whitePorsche 964 who stopped to help mywife after her Cayenne broke down onthe way home from Chichester?I gather there had been a charity

driving day at the Goodwood track that

day and he was on his way back.Without his assistance, we’re sure she’dhave been marooned for some time. Sothank you Mr 964 – we hope you had agreat day at the circuit and helped raiselots of money for a good cause!Paul Starr, Guildford, Surrey

YOU WRITE, WE READ

A WORD OF THANKS

Going green was a great lead into KeithSeume’s article about the new CayenneGTS (August) and it is also a phrase thatcould be how many startled drivers ofGranada Ghias, Vauxhall Senators and allthe other 2.5-litre-plus rep mobiles felt on amemorable day in the early 1980s on astretch of the M1 in the Midlands. Indeed,‘green with envy’ was perhaps the moreaccurate description of those affected bythe sight in their rear view mirrors that day.I suspect many of them never even

noticed the Porsche in their mirrors before itdrew alongside in its full Dutch Policeregalia. This was my first exposure to aPorsche in the real world and one that hasremained etched on my mind since that day.Keith’s article referenced a visit to Mark

Wegh’s Classic Porsche Center Gelderlandand within it the collection of Dutch policevehicles (see above – KS).In the summer of 1983 I was working for

a constabulary in the East Midlands in thetraffic department. One of the sergeants inthe unit was a true petrolhead – ultimately aprivateer in the RAC rally later that decade– and through his contacts he was able toarrange the loan of a fully operational DutchPolice 911 Targa in support of a summersafety campaign we undertook that year.Older readers will remember the ‘Keep yourDistance’ campaign with the familiartriangular car stickers that formed the thrustof the campaign.

The vehicle also came piloted by twogents from the Dutch police dressed in theirimmaculate white tunics. The story goesthat they were not allowed to have theTarga top in place in inclement weather as itwould impare them getting out of the car tospeak with those whom they pursued.A number of us were treated to a

passenger ride – women first in those days– but on my turn we achieved a speed ofexactly 149mph on the calibrated speedo. Iwill never forget the astonishment of thedriver of a Saab 900 Turbo as our driverpulled alongside, smiled (left-hand drive,remember) and then accelerated away froma velocity already in excess of 100mph.All these years later I have now become

the proud owner of a Porsche 911 thatbrings the same degree of pleasure that Iexperienced back then.Andy Baguley, via E-mail

Taken at Nottinghamshire Police HQ in 1983

TRANSAXLE TALES

I always enjoy reading your magazine, and particularly like theUsual suspects column as it gives me, the reader, an insight intothe way your contributors feel about our favourite cars.In the November 2016 issue, Adam Towler brought up the

subject of the way Porsche 944s are now being hyped up bydealers. His are wise words and they struck a chord…About six months ago, I decided that I’d like to add a 944 to

my modest fleet for use as a daily driver, or at least a car whichI could happily use on the daily commute (about 50 miles eachway over a mixed selection of road types) without due worry.I had a budget of up to £8000 which I felt was more than

enough for my quest. I began by looking at the Autotraderwebsite, followed by Pistonheads, as well as magazines such asyour own, of course. In the end, my eye was drawn to an advertby a relatively local specialist dealer (when I say ‘specialist’ Imean sports cars in general, not Porsches in particular) whichwas advertising a 1987 944S for £8500.I called the number and spoke to a very pleasant gentleman

who regailed me with tales of the car’s exceptional condition andsuperb history. I said that I was interested but first I’d like tocarry out an HPI check on line. ‘No need!’ I was told. ‘We’vealready done one and have the certificate to prove it. The car’s agood one’ were his exact words.I told him I would come and look at the car the following

weekend and left it at that. But there was a niggling feeling inthe back of my mind that, for the price of a night out, I ought torun my own HPI check. Boy, am I glad I did. It came back with

the news that ‘my’ car was a Category C write-off which hadbeen repaired and put back on the road.Now I know that is not necessarily a problem, especially if the

repairs have been carried out professionally, but there wouldalways be that stigma – a stigma that is usually reflected in theseling price. Clearly not so in this case. I called the dealer andtold him I was no longer interested, and why. He came straightback with ‘Yes, we know about the Cat C marker but we’velooked over the car and it’s fine. You won’t be disappointed.These cars are selling fast and you’d be hard pressed to find abetter one!’. I put the phone down…So, there you have it: a specialist dealer who only saw pound

notes and was hoping for a gullible customer. I’m just glad itwasn’t me and that I followed my instincts.It didn’t take long to find a good car – I bought a Guards Red

944S (similar to the one in the photo – mine is in for somepaintwork at present) from an advert on the PCGB forums andhaven’t looked back. Sadly, as these ‘affordable’ Porschesbecome more popular in the general trade I suspect there will bemore dubious dealers looking for a sucker whom they canhoodwink into a deal. Caveat Emptor, indeed.Bruce Hignall, via E-mail

CAVEAT EMPTOR

LettersDecember16v7ch.qxd:PW Template 10/20/16 4:50 PM Page 34

www.toyo.co.uk | ToyoTyreUK



THE TWISTED TWINSA nut-and-bolt recreation of the beastly 993 GT2 and what must be the UK's ultimate track slagwith 190 track days under its belt? It can only be Nick Ramsay and his famous Twisted TwinsWords: Jeremy Laird Photography: Antony Fraser

It's the quiet ones you’ve got towatch, they say. In which case,keep your scanners peeled forNick Ramsay at a track day nearyou. For it is this mild mannered,

unassuming, semi-retired IT systems andnetworking expert who is responsible for thepositively homicidal pair of Porsches yousee on these pages.Let's put it this way. If you met Nick

casually at a drinks party or a summerbarbecue, you almost certainly wouldn'tconnect him with this Porsche pairing. One isa nut-and-bolt recreation of the beastly 993GT2, the other what must be the UK'sultimate track slag, a heavily modified 996.2GT3 Clubsport with no fewer than 141,000miles and 190 track days under its belt,almost all of which have accrued duringNick's tenure.Our preconceptions comprehensively and

rather pleasingly blown to smithereens, it'stime to get to know Nick and his remarkable

cars a bit better. Like many a committedPorschephile, Nick methodically worked hisway through a colourful series of machinesbefore settling on Porsches as his primary,though not exclusive, motoring muse.His early car history began in the 1970s

with a Mk2 two-door Cortina in mighty1600cc trim. Nick had it bored out to 1700cc,added a pair of fancy carbs and did the headwork himself. Clearly, the bug bit early andbit hard. After the Cortina came someLeyland produce including, ahem, an AustinAllegro. A VW Polo in breadvan specificationfollowed, itself usurped by a Ford Orion.Things got a bit more serious in the late1980s with his acquisition of a BMW E21323i, which bore Nick, his wife and theirsoon-to-be-born daughter to hospital atimpressive triple-digit velocities.Next up was a series of VW Golfs, starting

with a Mk1 GTI, then a Mk2 GTI 16 Valveand eventually the ultra-rare Mk2 G60 heowns today. His first Porsche, meanwhile,

was a 996 Carrera 4 with aero kit. But it wasthe sad and sudden passing of Nick's wife in2006, just 80 days after being diagnosedwith cancer, that put everything intoperspective. “I had a re-evaluation of my lifeto that point,” Nick explains, “my daughterwas 16, I'd built up a certain amount ofmoney and I realised I might not be heretomorrow. So that's when I really startedbuying Porsches.”So what of Nick's two beasts and which

one to start with? Your 911&PWcorrespondent was lucky enough to sampleboth cars and it was the GT2 recreation thatcame first, so let's go with that. Nick boughtthe car, which started life as a 993 Turbo,roughly half completed.“It already had the front transaxle stripped

out and the GT2 'box fitted,” he says, “it hadthe correct GT2 turbos and the interiormodified, too.” Everything else has beendone in accordance with Nick's vision, hisquest to create as accurate a GT2 recreation

Nick Ramsay with hisPorsche duo. In theforeground a faithfulreproduction of a 993GT2 based on a 993Turbo. Lurking in thebackground is Nick’sextensively modified996 GT3, which has141,000 miles and190 track days underits belt

YOU AND YOURS: NICK RAMSAY

YOU AND YOURSch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 11:00 AM Page 36


YOU &YOURS

as possible. “I changed the front uprights, thearches, wheels, rear bootlid – that was amission to find, the boot lid. They had nostock at Porsche for fully seven years. Butthey've now restarted production, probably tosupply competition cars. It wasn't cheap at£7500 for a polyurethane boot lid.”Another nice, geeky detail according to

Nick involves those famous bolt-on arches.“They're all genuine carbon kevlar arches.One of them came from the original batchmade in France, the rest come fromDenmark and made much later, probablyaround 2007 or 2008. It took much longer tomake the early arch fit,” Nick says. In fact,fitting GT2 arches is and indeed was a brutalprocess, even when Porsche was doing it.“Porsche took standard Turbo bodies,” Nickexplains, “they had a template, and they justsawed that much metal off every corner.”Pretty much the same process applied toNick's car. Youch.Anywho, the GT2 is now essentially the

finished article, complete with a recentrespray, paint protection film, KW coiloversand a 92-litre long-distance fuel tank. Nick'sdone 22,000 miles in the GT2 and we canconfirm that it's a truly delightful road car.Like all GT2s, it looks like a thug. But,actually, it just wants to be friends.The low speed character, including the

bassy, languid engine note, is much morecivilised than you might expect. There arereal fireworks available from the circa 450hpmotor, of course. But in the dry, at least, themassive rear track and those huge rearboots provide plenty of traction. Ultimately,it's a million times more usable and has amuch warmer more approachable characterthan the bad-boy aesthetic would have youbelieve. Maybe Nick and his cars are moresimilar than they seem.But what of the arguably even more

menacing 996? All in black and ultra-purposeful, it looks like the kind of Porsche aSith Lord would drive. There's even a littleDarth Vader in details such as the tactilesteampunk techniness of the remotereservoirs for the exotic Moton dampers.They look so lush, you want to reach out andfeel the cool, smooth alloy (Perv! Ed).However, it wasn't always like this. “I

bought it on February 1st 2008,” Nick says,“it was on 20,000 miles and it was acompletely standard Clubsport model. Nowit's on 141,000 miles and all of thoseadditional miles are from track days or goingto and from track days.”Needless to say, it's not quite standard any

longer. “I wore all the suspension out within ayear – the bushes, the shocks, the lot,” Nicksays. And so the mods began. “I like doingtrack days,” he says with not a littleunderstatement, “so, I decided to modify theGT3 to put up with the abuse.”The list of tweaks and major mods is,

frankly, encyclopaedic. But here are a few ofthe highlights. The engine has had multiplerebuilds (more on that in a moment) and thesuspension features the aforementionedMoton dampers, along with spherical jointedadjustable thrust arms all round, sphericaltoe links, forged and CNC machined lowercontrol arms and billet aluminium top mountswith aerospace-grade monoballs. In short,the car is solid-jointed throughout.Then there's the carbon roof panel, the

997 Cup plates in the differential, the 996RSflywheel and the 964RS engine mount. All of

Above middle: Nickhas spent a lot oftime pedalling this996 GT3 – 190 trackdays and counting.Right: The secret totaking a GT3 engineto 141,000-miles?Lots of oil changes itwould appear. Oh,and a few enginerebuilds

Nick at the wheel ofthe 993 GT2 rep. Helet us have a drive,too, and it’s a lotmore civilised thanyou might think and,with a 92-litre longdistance fuel tank, it’sdesigned for goingthe distance

Black and menacing, itlooks like the kind ofPorsche a Sith Lord

would drive“ ”


which amounts to less than one quarter ofthe full list of changes. Hardly anything onthe car has survived unfettled. But try thisfor one last detail that captures thecharacter of both the car and the man. Thecar runs yellow calipers that indicatePorsche's ceramic braking solution, whilethe discs are clearly steel. But this is nostraight swap.“The arc of the caliper was made for a

350mm disc and it can accept discs up to362mm. But I had them machined out foreven larger 380mm Alcon discs. It makes ahuge difference. I run on slicks for trackdays and they'll take as much braking poweras you can throw at them.” Oh, and it just sohappens that in his spare time, Nick is alsothe UK distributor for Alcon products.As for those engine rebuilds, when you've

done over 190 track days all over Europeincluding in excess of 500 laps of ye oldeNürburgring Nordschleife, a bit of wear andtear is perhaps to be expected. Over to Nickfor the details.

“The first rebuild came at 85,000 miles,”he says, “the next at 92,000 miles and then131,000 miles. The first engine rebuild wasa bit of a problem. The rings weren't gappedproperly and therefore it damaged twobores. So it got taken apart, those twopistons and liners were replaced and it ranfine until 131,000.” What happened next

remains something of a mystery. “It mighthave been a bad tune or dodgy fuel inHolland. But either way, it melted thealumimium at the top of one of the pistons,the ring opened up its groove and then aninch and a half of ring made a bid forfreedom through one of the valves. It's

probably still in the exhaust somewhere.”The most recent rebuild involved a full

Porsche Motorsport piston and liner kit.But what of the future, does Nick have

any plans for changing up or adding furtherPorsches? His naughty little secret is anunmodified 997.2 GT3 Clubsport in paint-to-sample Riviera Blue, which he keeps tucked

away for occasional road usage. But fornow, Nick seems settled and happy with hisstable. It's been some learning curve, takinghis 996 from near-zero to 190-track-dayhero over the past decade. And we dare saythere's a lesson or two in Nick's story for allof us. PW


YOU &YOURS

HISTORYLaunched in 1995as a homologationspecial, the 993GT2 is for some thegreatest air-cooled911 and thereforearguably thegreatest 911, fullstop. Maybe that'swhy one recentlysold for nearly £2million at auction.Whatever, it'sdefinitely a beastwith (latterly)450hp and 432lb ftof torque. Just 57road cars werebuilt, of which onlyseven were right-hand drive. All hadthe outlandish rearwing, compositebolt-on wheelarches and a kerbweight of just1295kg or aboutthe same as a basic2.5-litre 986Boxster.The 996.2 GT3,

meanwhile, was thefollow up to theoriginal modernMotorsport 911.Arriving for modelyear 2004 andbased on thefacelifted 996coupé, power fromthe hallowed 3.6'Mezger' engine,which had abottom end derivedfrom the GT1 raceengine, was upfrom 360hp to381hp. The frontbrake calipers werealso upgraded tosix-piston affairswith ceramic discsoffered as anoption for the firsttime. Overall, itwas a meaner,harder, track-focussed follow upto the morecompliant androad-biasedoriginal GT3.

The first rebuild came at85,000-miles, the next at92,000, then 131,000“ ”

Above: Wingedwonders or just‘Twisted Twins’ asNick Ramsay’s duo isoft referred to as.Whatever, they makefor quite a sight onthe road. Left:Remote damping andevidence of a lifespent on track




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991 TUNED

All of the grousing aboutPorsche abandoning the gen1 991 Carrera and CarreraS’s naturally aspirated flat-sixes needs to stop, for at

least two reasons. The first is that the oldcar is gone, at least from Porsche’s new carmodel roster, and two, virtually every roadtest you read declares the cars worthy, ifnot exceptional. If you want a naturallyaspirated Carrera or Carrera S, search farand wide, and if you’re really lucky, youmight find a new one still sitting in aPorsche dealer’s back lot inventory. Yourother choice is pre-owned.The 991 gen 2 biturbo 3.0-litre Carrera is

rated at 370 horsepower, and, here in theUnited States, begins at $89,400. The equallynew, also bi-turbo 3.0-liter Carrera S boils out420 horsepower, and bases at $103,400,which means the extra 50 horsepower costsyou fourteen grand. Of course, there’s muchmore content to the Carrera S over thestandard Carrera than just the extra punch, sothe incremental cost buys more than just areduced 0–60 time. What matters here is theincremental cost per pony, whether it’s dollars,pounds, euros, rupees or rubles, the axiomremains the same: Speed Costs Money, HowFast Do You Want to Go?

If your budget doesn’t extend to a baseprice of over a hundred grand, there is a wayto get the go for less dough. When it comes tocracking into Porsche’s extremely wellfirewalled Bosch engine managementsystems, our Go To guy is tuner extraordinaireStuart Schikora. Schikora’s late father Harrywas a Mercedes-Benz factory developmentengineer dating back to the 300SL Gullwing.After moving his young wife to America tobuild his family and his own businesses,Schikora the senior worked at another well-known Southern German import auto dealer,Auto Steigler, before hanging his shingle onhis own independent Porsche service,restoration and race shop. When HarrySchikora built up an engine, it was balancedto perfection with hand polished innerworkings. Son Stuart was into cars early, asyou’d expect, and post earning hisEngineering degree from UCLA, beganbuilding up hot rodded Ferraris, Mercedesand Porsches.He was also learning all the classic

mechanical mods – cams, heads, valves,pistons, exhausts and such – yet recognisedearly in the game that engine managementand electronics was the way of theperformance, fuel economy and emissionsfuture. He was one of the early players in

“chip tuning” cars back when he had to “burn”an “eProm” microchip that needed to bephysically plugged into a car’s enginemanagement computer. Of course now,several decades later, nobody does thatanymore, because now the trick is crackingand hacking into the system’s computer codeand carefully reprogramming its ignition, fuel,timing and boost curves. This is theautomotive equivalent of brain surgery, wherethe skilled surgeon can do great things withthe car’s brain power, or, alternatively,damage it for life.Schikora often develops and shapes his

own engine management profiles, but giventhe complexity and sophistication of thealgorithms involved with some cars, finds itoccasionally best to “get by with a little helpfrom his friends; you can’t beat the factory’sengineering prowess.” Stuart doesn’t “tuneand tell” thus will not name the names of hisengineering pals at Porsche or Bosch, but it’sclear he has some secret door help fromthose types of folk. His discretion for theiranonymity, his own reputation, and that of hislegendary father’s, keeps those secretpathways quietly open to him, because thoseare the factory development shops that aredesigning and testing such things to OEMquality levels, 365 days a year.

It was only a matter of time before tuning outfitswould crack the code to the gen 2 991’s turbo enginemanagement system and wind up the boost andfuelling. Enter, then, a 440bhp base Carrera fromUS tuner, Stuart SchikoraWords and photography: Matt Stone

A smart looking 991Carrera and no more.Well, looks can bedeceptive becausethis apparentlystandard machine hasbeen tweaked toproduce 440bhp.That’s a full 70bhpover standard

991 tunedch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:19 AM Page 42

Schikora was anxious to get his mitts andlaptop on a new Carrera, confident that theadded element of turbocharging allowed yetone more parameter (boost) that could beoptimised for performance, instinctivelybelieving that there was more easilyobtainable power increases to be had with the991 gen 2 cars than with the previous,naturally aspirated models.Among his clients is Downtown LAMotors,

among the West Coast’s premier Porsche(and other premium German) dealers. Hefound just the subject he was looking for inthe form of a new, 2017 Carrera 3.0 biturbo 7-speed special-ordered and just acquired byone of LAM’s sales managers. This gorgeousGrand Prix White sunroof coupe is loadedwith nearly every goodie you can pack onto a991-2, short of PDK as the owner reallywanted an old school manual. With it camespecial order Carrera S wheels. He’s alsoadded tinted windows, great for the look, andbecoming nearly standard equipment in hot,sunny SoCal.Everyone loved the way the car drove, but

it didn’t feel as quick as its 370 horsepowerrating would indicate it should be. Schikorahas tuned many of LAMotors’ customer cars,so this dealership manager put his ownmachine into Stuart’s hands. Schikora

obtained an experimental enginemanagement map from “my friends inGermany” and set about tuning the programand algorithms up a bit based on his ownstyle (kind of like blending your own favouriterecipe in the kitchen), and goals for the carincluded more power and torque withoutcompromising drivability, reliability, oremissions compliance, as California has a

mandatory bi-annual emissions snifferinspection as an element of licensing renewalrequirements. After his laptop spent a littletime up close and personal with the Carrera,the results are startling: horsepower up to440, with max torque increasing acommensurate amount. These ratings outstripthat of even the Carrera S, for a costdifference of not $14,000 (or £9500 based onUK list price) but more like 15% of that. We’renot saying that a tune job of this sort is adirect replacement for a Carrera S, as that car

comes with a lot more than just a powerincrease over a standard Carrera (such as amore sporting suspension, the electronicallybaffled Sport Exhaust system, and such), butthe big point is that you can get the big poweralone, for a lot less money, and never have toremove a single part or in any way open upthe engine. In case you’re wondering aboutboost levels, the stock tune allows for about

0.9 bar, and it’s now been bumped up to 1.1bar – yes, there’s likely more in it, butpotentially at the expense of engine life,engine knocking, emissions or fuel mileage.So boost is like many things in that more isgood, but too much can be too much.We drove the car extensively in and around

Los Angeles, having multiple opportunities tolet the car off the chain, although ourevaluation didn’t include instrumented testingnor track laps, but we can tell you the car isnow as fast as it should be, in fact at least


MODIFIED991 CARRERA

Schikora obtained anexperimental enginemanagement chip ”“

Above top: Manualgearbox option putsdriver fully in controlof the extra 70bhp ontap. Middle: It’s inthe blood: Schikorajunior with father,Harry, pulling apart a356 engine. HarrySchikora ran his ownPorsche race andresto shop and priorto that was adevelopmentengineer at Mercedesin Germany



Carrera S fast. You’ll quickly get into the habitof flicking the steering wheel mounted “modecontrol” into Sport the minute you fire theengine, because that’s where the newfoundpower lies. Besides the noticeable punch ofan extra 70 horses and the added torque,there’s no newfound bad manners. The carfires every time, idles like a perfectgentleman, and doesn’t ping or knock – whichalso proves how adept the engine

management system is at orchestratingmyriad ignition timing, fuel and boost math.Fuel mileage is not impacted, other than bythe driver having his or her foot on the loudpedal even more often than before. Nosmoke, no running on, no funny noises oremissions issues either.What really impresses is the torque-rich

mid-range. With a max 400lb ft on tap, it

almost doesn’t matter what gear you’re in, butthere’s meaningful boost at 2000 revs or so,and it pulls like a small freight train right to theredline, although you don’t need to rev it thatfar to get the most out of it. It’s great to beable to carry good speed into a corner withouthaving to downshift too far, and power outfrom Torque Fat City strongly with smooth,linear acceleration. Schikora said that thefattened mid-range torque was among his

main goals, adding more fuel, more timingand more boost in a smooth line with nopeakiness. Job well done in that regard; theacceleration is just stronger and brighter allaround the rev counter.What else this revitalised performance

curve allows you to do is really appreciateeverything that’s been updated and improvedin the transition from 991-1 to 991-2,

especially the much slicker 7-speed manualshift action. The old shifter was a little doughy,never clearly telegraphing what gear you werein, nor which one you were calling for; nosuch problem now, as the revised shift linkageis sharp, crisp and communicative, whichdoesn’t take anything away from the PDK butreminds you again how much you enjoypedalling a good manual gearbox.The one thing from the Carrera S this car

needs is a more full-throated exhaust. The carpurrs lovely and with sophistication, but themotor music out of the pipes lacksexcitement; the aftermarket can surelyaddress this, as could a factory Porsche sportexhaust. The new mapping lets the engineburp and snap a bit on overrun, which soundsnice, but left us wanting more. We bet it won’tbe long before this car wears a sport exhaustof some sort.So there you have it; Carrera S level power

outputs with no downside, and for about 15%of the cost delta of the step-up model. If youown or are contemplating a 991-2 Carrera (orany modern, computer era Porsche), there’sno reason you wouldn’t do this. Call or textTunermeister Stuart Schikora on US310/430-2237. PW

So if the base 991Carrera can be tunedto 440bhp, with noproblem, what is the991 Carrera S capableof producing, with itsbigger turbos? Aneasy 500bhp perhaps,for a relativelymodest outlay?

MODIFIED991 CARRERA

What really impressesis the torque-rich mid

range power ”“ CONTACTOur thanks:Downtown LAMotors Porsche,porschedowntownla.comRBtechLA.com




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MILLIONAIRE’SMILESThe astronomical auction price recently achieved for a 993GT2 sets a dangerous precedent: similar cars may simplybecome undriven works of art. We pre-empt a lock-downWords: Johnny Tipler Photography: Antony Fraser

GT2ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 1:44 PM Page 48


£1.5M 993GT2

To drive, or not to drive?When a car’s value suddenlydoubles, are we talkingmothballs, or is it still fine touse it? Andrew Mearns of

Gmund Cars is marketing this 993 GT2and, despite its current worth in the wakeof the recent Sotheby’s sale where asister car fetched £1.8m, he wasgenerous enough to let us out on theYorkshire Dales’ fell roads, where wedrove it as it was meant to be driven.Granted, that would have been executedmore easily on a racetrack than themoorland lanes, but on the out-of-season

A-roads at least I discovered somethingof its true identity.Backtracking for a minute, Porsche

brought in the 993 GT2 racing car tocontest the GT2 category of the BRPGlobal Endurance series in 1995 and thesubsequent FIA GT Championship for1997, with Roock Racing taking the GT2honours in ’96 and finishing runners-up in’97. This particular car is a street-legalevolution of the road-going 993 GT2 ClubSport. Originally bought by South Africanenthusiast and racer Bruce Joelson, ithas seen track action in his hands,winning the annual Welkom 2-Hours

twice, as well as several 1-Hour sprintraces at Kyalami. He arranged for theEvo race mods to be installed at thefactory, including the rear wing, frontsplitter and racing oil feed to the turbos –rather than the GT2 Club Sport’s roadversion. It also features GT2-Rsuspension and solid engine and gearboxmountings, and the 322mm cross-drilledand vented front discs and calipers arethe same as the 968 Turbo RS. There’sBosch ABS operation, too. We know thatthe power-unit is the 3.6-litre, two-valves-per-cylinder 600bhp flat-six, mated withsix-speed gearbox, but the contents of



the engine bay are rendered invisible by thevast intercooler that occupies the inside ofthe engine lid as well as the upper portionof the engine bay.

It’s breathtaking to look at – the familiar993 form embellished with an odd welter ofadd-on protuberances. Beginning at thefront of the car, the remarkable aspects ofthe GT2 include the black splitter curvingaround the bottom of the airdam, which ishollow and flimsy, but looks like a step forclimbing onto a bus. The valance containstwo tall grilles for the oil coolers, a pair ofducts to cool the brakes, the tow-eye, andanother couple of grilles on either side fordissipating heat from the nose. The add-onwheelarch flares are what give the GT2 itsdistinctive squat, purposeful stance asmuch as it’s slammed suspension andnegative camber – and they are attachedby little chrome Allen screws, seven eachfor the font ones and eight on the rears.They add 30mm at each corner to the car’swidth, and the point of them was that they

could be replaced more efficiently thanpanel beating in the event of an on-trackaltercation. Cup mirrors are to be expected,but that rear wing…! I mean, short of theChaparral WSC prototypes and F1 lunacyfrom circa 1970, wings do not come muchloftier. This biplane device is as tall as the

coupé roof. The base spoiler section isincorporated in the engine lid with its broadlattice grille, with pudgy fins either sidefeaturing the embossed GT logo and theforward-facing triangulated fish-mouthintakes serving the intercooler. That part isharmonious enough with the rest of the car,but the top wing cantilevered off the sides

of the lower one appears to have beensourced from the Pitts Special parts-bin. It’scrudely bracketed on with three screws oneither side so it’s angle-adjustable, withanother three screws at each end attachingthe fins. It’s this lofty rear wing, more thanthe wheelarch extensions, which proclaims

the GT2’s racing purpose, redolent offrenzied pit work assisting the driver’s questfor split-second lap-time advantage. Forsuch a sophisticated piece of kit, though, inroad-going terms you’d call it a lash-up.Moving on, the aluminium bonnet and doorshelp restrict the kerb weight to 1133kg(against 1295kg for the ‘normal’ road

Stripped for action.Interior is prettymuch pure racer, notthat this car will bedoing much of that.Hard as it is toaccept, for mostPorsche fans thissort of high-endexotica is to be seenand not driven

Figure hugging raceseats and a fresh airfeed for thoseendurance races

Short of the F1 lunacyfrom circa 1970, wingsdon’t come much loftier”“



£1.5M 993GT2

Awesome! Anoveruseddescription, butthis time it’s bang-on to describe theimpact of a 993GT2 on the move.Just imagine beingovertaken by that?

version of the 993 GT2). Cladding thegold-centred BBS split-rim alloys are PirelliP-Zero Rosso 235/40 ZR 18s up front, and325/30 ZR 18s on the back. Quite the tradFerrari race look – red coachwork withgold wheels. There are two more sets ofwheels and tyres – one Speedline andanother BBS.There’s a comprehensive roll-cage

welded in within the car; the only tubemissing is one passing horizontally acrossthe lower dash, but unlike some restrictivecages this cabin is easy enough to vaultinto. There’s a Momo F1 steering wheelwith red horn buttons handily placed onthe spokes, and a prominent speaker tubebeside the A-post for communicating withthe engine room – actually it’s nothingmore than a fresh air supply for a sweatyrace driver. Between the seats is a leverfor adjusting the firmness of the front anti-roll bar – notch it forwards for hard andbackwards for soft, another aspect of the

racecar spec as mandated by the FIA forGT2, rather than being tucked away underthe front lid. The rear suspension reboundadjusters are also within the cabin and nottucked away in the engine bay. Pedals aredrilled aluminium TechArt jobs, with leftfootrest and a slab of plywood on the floor.Otherwise there’s no carpet or headlining.Inner door skins are plain cards withsimple handles, thong pulls and wind-upwindows. There’s no interior light and nosun visors. The chairs are glassfibrebuckets, solid and unyielding, enmeshedby Schroth four-point harnesses. Theparadox of this is the dashboard and dialsare standard 993, though without radio,natch, but there is a glove locker, andeven more bizarrely, an on-boardcomputer supplying all the usual data likefuel consumption. The short gearlever fallsreadily to hand, topped by an acorn-shaped knob off a 962. Behind the driver’sseat is the Motronic ECU, and behind the

passenger seat is a modest fireextinguisher. And there’s a red ignition cut-off by the light switch, with another one inthe lower left of the luggage bay, wherewe also find a pair of remote reservoirs forthe dampers with knurled knobs foradjusting the firmness, along with thestrut-brace. There’s no spare wheel. Thefully adjustable rose-jointed suspension iscomprised of alloy components, withBilstein dampers and RSR springsproviding the firmest of rides – thoughallegedly less fidgety than a rock-solidGT2 race set-up. As for badging, the rearreflector which is foreshortened by theplethora of brake lights, reflectors,reversing and tail-lights contains thePorsche identity, but apart from the bonnetbadge, that’s it. You either know what it isor you don't.So now we move on to the thorny

subject of values. For many people, the993 GT2 might just as well be £180 grand,let alone £1.8 million. The air-cooled shiphas sailed. However, it is a phenomenonthat causes reactions, by degrees, fromraised eyebrows to rampant defamation onthe blogs. You don’t have to go back veryfar to find values escalating. In 2012 atRM Auctions in London a road-going GT2went for £324,000, and a Club Sport

So now we move on tothe thorny subject of

values ”“



model from the Trundle family collectionwent for $357K (£228K). By autumn thatyear one was on offer at £620K – thoughit may not have reached that. Then, in2013 at Gooding & Co’s Pebble Beachauction a GT2 Club Sport sold for $506K;so in three years they have trebled in price.It’s not as if buyers are few and far betweenat these sorts of prices; at the recentSotheby’s auction where the low miles GT2made £1.8m three competing buyerspushed it to £1m over estimate, and thewinning bidder – a noted fan of 964s and993s – also bought three other Porsches.There were seven high-end Porsches in thesale, including a 993 RS, a 930, a 2.7 RSand a 993 Turbo S, and the four cars thatmade the most money went to thisparticular buyer.To get an idea of the likely fate of the

cars, I spoke to Peter Haynes, Sotheby’spress officer, and he told me that collectorswith the wherewithal to afford these priceshave grown wealthy through success in

tech, IT or the City. ‘Instead of buyingshares or traditional financial bonds theyput their money into art, and classic carsare a branch of art. They probably have aspace where their favourite cars can bedisplayed in a controlled environment, andinstead of the Hurst or Koons they show a

993.’ Mine would be more like an Emin, butthat’s another matter. ‘The market isevolving for sure,’ said Haynes. ‘Twentyyears ago, pre-war cars were deemed mostcollectible by people of a certain generation,and that was followed by a resurgence ofinterest in ’60s and ’70s cars including theFerrari 275GTB and Aston DB5. Then a

new generation that grew up with posters ofTesta Rossas and Countaches on theirbedroom walls were seeking out examplesof the real thing. Now we have wealthy techand IT or City people to whom even aDaytona looks old fashioned, and it’s the’90s cars like the 993 that are floating their

boats. So we are going to see values ofcars from the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s going upin value.’ There’s hope for us yet then! Butdo they get used, these millionaire’smarvels? ‘Broadly, there’s a line drawn inthe sand at 1980,’ says Haynes. ‘Cars builtearlier than that, like the 2.7 RS, peopledon’t care about mileage, it's more about

The moment themarket changed?Well, not quite. Themarket for modernhomologationPorsches had beenrising rapidly forsome time but, neverthe less, £1.8m forthis 993 GT2 atSotheby’s Londonsale in September2016 – £1m overestimate – was seenas a watershedmoment

In tech and IT it’s ’90scars like the 993 that

are floating their boats ”“

£1.5M 993GT2


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condition. Ironically it doesn't matter howmany miles you put on an older car; withsomething like a ’20s Bentley the engine’sprobably been rebuilt ten times, and no onewill think twice about buying a 2.7 RSwhose engine has been rebuilt by areputable specialist. Doing an event likeTour Auto with it doesn't detract from thevalue, it adds to its provenance. But peoplebuying the more modern cars are obsessedby mileage, so the less a car’s done themore they like it. Preserving that investmentmeans keeping the mileage low, so there’sunlikely to be any trackdays or grandtouring. If they do, and then sell the car for30 per cent less than they bought it for, thatmeans they have the benefit of a big luxury.You have to ask yourself, which would youbuy, a low miles 993 RS whose inherentvalue rests in its recorded mileage, or a1972 Ferrari 375GTB which you could drivewith no regard to mileage – for the sameprice?’ What’s Peter Haynes’ tip for the

future: ‘a low numbers Porsche like a 4.0-litre 997 GT3.’To hear an owner’s view I called our

friend Vic Cohen, who sometimes helpsout as a driver on a big shoot. Vic had two993 GT2s, a blood orange one and whathe calls a ‘Viagra blue’ car. ‘The orange car Isold to a French racing driver and hestill uses it on track, and the blue one –Audi RS pearlescent blue – had a boulevardsuspension system. I bought that ten yearsago for less than £100 grand inBremerhaven, tracked it for three years,rebuilt the engine, and it’s the ultimateair-cooled 911. But is one worth more thana Carrera GT? Thomas Schmidt is probablythe expert. As for £1.8 million, what’sthe point of keeping your money in thebank?’ OK, so they only made 172 GT2s,of which about 30 were Club Sports, so Isuppose there’s a justification of sorts forthese prices, but they do leave me feelingrather numb.

Andrew Mearns fills in some of the historyon our red car: ‘the last guy’s had it for 15years, and he’s not done a lot with it as it’sbeen in the Apex Porsche collection (on theWeltevreden estate near Stellenbosch,South Africa). It was modified when new atPorsche, and not molested along the way.We’ll probably get the Speedlines repaintedwith the correct grey wheel centres, but I dolike the BBS with the red centres. Although itdid a few minor races it’s never beenpranged – I’ve checked for that and it’stotally straight. Prices have been creepingup – Hexagon and JMZ had a couple awhile ago, but at £800–£900 grand theSotheby’s guide price was spot-on for theblue one, till three potential buyers showedup all wanting to own it, and that drove it upanother £1 million. It had done 2000kmsand was a true collector’s piece. This onewe’ve got here is worth a bit less as it’sdone 16,000 miles. I want to present it to itsnext owner as it is, in original condition,


We move away fromthis absorbing featureto take a look atTipler’s fashionchoice for today’sdrive. Note how hisstriped hat is colour-coordinated with theGT2’s roll cage, andhow elements of hisnatty, paisley printshirt match the greentrousers. Johnny hasoften been describedas being ‘good withcolours’ and wewouldn’t disagree

Bilstein dampersfeature remotereservoirs, which siton top of the long-range fuel tank.Spacesaver sparewould look amusingif pressed into action



£1.5M 993GT2

although we could make it pristine, butthen you risk over-restoring a car and I’mnot a big fan of that.’ Will it sit in an airbubble in someone’s private art gallery? ‘Itneeds exercise, and it’s got a few stonechips, and it’s not Ferrari GTO money, sopeople will still use it.’Andrew believes we’re witnessing a

sea change in buying behaviour. ‘There arethe connoisseurs, but there are also a lotof people coming along with plenty ofmoney and very little knowledge, and it’s awhole new audience for us as well as theauction houses. Maybe they’ve just soldtheir house in Chelsea and moved to the

Cotswolds, so they’ve got £10 millionspare; there’s no capital gains tax ona car so it’s a great place to park theirmoney. Everyone’s thinking, I want aclassic car: Audi quattros, Ford Cosworths,Peugeot 205s and VW GTis, Ford Capris,they’re all over £20 grand now. Traders arenot going to auctions any more becauseyou just can’t get in. It’s husbands andwives, no background knowledge, nodiscussion with dealers, no due diligence,and it’s a whole different ballgame. We’vegot a customer who used to spend around£20 grand on a Porsche; now he doesn’tbat an eyelid at £60. I don't offer finance

any more, even though it was profitableand people like Lombard used to fight overmy business; banks do personal finance ifyou need finance. My old customers havebeen blown out of the water financially. The3.2 that used to be £15K and you couldjust add on another £10 grand to trade upto a 964 for £25K – not any more. Peoplelike that have moved onto water-cooled. Sowho is my target audience? Someone inBahrain, or a collector in California,apparently. I’ve still got normal 3.2Carreras, a 944 Turbo and 964s in stock,but with people out there looking to park £1million on a car, I’m keen to see where it

They’ve got £10 millionto spare; there’s no

capital gains tax on a car”“It’s hard not tolament thc fate of acar that is destinedto spend the rest ofits days as somesort of investment.Still, like a piece ofart, it is at leastgood to look at



takes us.’I’m also keen to see where the 993 GT2

takes me as well. I’m harnessed into theuncompromising chair, which I shuffle closeto the wheel for arms-bent steering. Thecacophony when it starts up is absolutelydeafening – a melange of whirring gears,clutch whine, turbo whistle, differential anddriveshaft graunch. And somewhere in thereis the flat-six engine exhaust, only that’sdrowned out by the raucous transmissionsqueal. The gears shift surprisingly easily,and it is an easy car to control, contrary tothe bellicose soundtrack. However, the hardsuspension means every nuance of the roadsurface make itself felt in the bouncy ride. Itdoes not deliver its performance in a peacefulway: the G-forces literally knock my headback under sharp acceleration, but once I geta bit of speed up it does start to make sense.There’s a fair amount of torque-steer in thestraight-ahead, due to the massive amount ofnegative camber on the front wheels, and it isresponsive to on- off- throttle for over- andundersteering changes of direction. Once Iget in the groove it’s quite enjoyable, though

every impression is tempered by the colossalmechanical noise. On a track you’d bewearing a helmet and, frankly, ear defenderswouldn't go amiss on the open road either.It’s like a loud switch – the faster you go thelouder it is, and the only time it’s relativelyplacid is cruising on an A-road on a trailingthrottle. You’ve always got company with thiscar; the soundtrack sees to that. Yet it drivesvery nicely, for all that, and once I’m up at

5000rpm the cacophony takes on a deepbaritone growl; it’s not a brutal racing clutch,the shift is workmanlike but perfectlycompliant moving from notch to notch.There’s no turbo lag – it’s instant forwardmotion once the throttle’s pressed. Turn-in issharp and accurate, aided by the negativecamber and despite the size of the fronttyres. The slightest steering input and it goes

where I point it. It’s a load of compromises;radical, extreme – a 993 on steroids.

Sure, it’s eye-catching, and people stop toask about it when we’ve parked up on themoors for Antony to swap cameras orlenses, but there’s no question, as Andrewsays, ‘it’s a road-legal track car that you candrive to the circuit, have an awesome dayblasting around the track, and then drivehome.’ And that’s where it belongs – on the

racetrack, and it sort ofgoes without saying that we’ve simplyscratched the surface of its true capabilities.It’s a really exciting car, and I would love tohave more of a go. Let’s hope that,wherever it ends up, the new owner will beof the same disposition. Call me Slumdog,but I can’t see myself reprising the drivingexperience by any other means. PW

CONTACTAndrew MearnsGmund CarsUnit 14, Nidd ValleyTrading EstateMarket Flat LaneScottonKnaresboroughHG5 9JANorth [email protected] 797989

B’n’B:Sarah CannonThe Old SmithyScrivenKnaresboroughNorth YorkshireHG5 9EAtheoldsmithyscriven.co.uk01423 860078

And that’s where itbelongs – on the track ”“

Winged wonder!Downforce doesn’tcome much moreoutrageous than witha 993 GT2 wing andfull, verticalextension

£1.5M 993GT2


Nidd Valley Business ParkMarket Flat Lane

KnaresboroughNorth Yorks, HG5 9JA

Similar cars wanted

GMUND CARSSpecialists in sourcing Porsches worldwide

www.gmundcars.comTel: 01423 797989 E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: Andrew Mearns: 07887 948983

1997 Porsche 993 Carrera 4 Coupe, Black withBlack, high spec, 62k miles, £62,995

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1958 Porsche 356 Speedster, rare Right Hand Drive,fresh 100 point restoration, Silver/Black, £395,000

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1983 Porsche 911 SCCab,White, full history fromnew, 81k miles, Black roof, pristine condition, £39,995

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1992 Porsche 944 Turbo Cabriolet, 1 of 100 made,72k miles, Cobalt Blue, Blue Leather, mint, £29,995

1999 Porsche 996 Cup Car, ex Johny Mowlem,only 5k miles, great condition, full history, £59,995

1996 Porsche 993 GT2 Clubsport, Guards Red, only 17k miles,full documented history, 2 owners, factory upgraded to 600 BHP,one of only 30 Club Sports made, pristine condition, £POA

2005 Porsche 996 Turbo S Cabriolet, Olive Black, 21k miles,full history, massive spec, fully loaded, £69,995



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DRIFT AWAYIn a bid to improve trackday driving standards, Johan Dirickx has prepared a trio of 944s and issued theSideways Challenge! We take an oblique view of the project…Words: Johnny TiplerPhotography: Antony Fraser

944 sidewaysch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:11 AM Page 60


944DRIFT CARS

How they miss oneanother I will neverknow! Two drift kingspirouetting their 944s inunison for the benefit of

our lensman, full-tilt, sideways aroundAbbeville’s 13 tight turns – and a spillageseems inevitable. Supremely talented asthey are, it’s just a matter of time beforeone or other overdoes it and thetormented tyres cry ‘enough’ – and asQuinten’s car rotates, Johan ducksbehind him and disaster is narrowlyaverted by a whisker. Things we do to getthe money shots – and both 944s arefrequently dodging Antony’s camera carby the width of a Rizla paper.

This is all very well as a spectacle, but itdoes have a practical aspect, too. Johanrents Abbeville circuit twice a year as avenue for giving his RS treasures a blast,and he’s invariably joined by a great bunchof Benelux Porsche owners who chip in,equally hell-bent on extracting the maxfrom their beloved Porkers. Johan also

races his 993 GT2, 3.0 Carrera RSRand SCRS in historic events likeGoodwood, Daytona and Laguna Secaand has also done Classic Le Mans in aBatmobile. In a bid to share some of hisexperience and enhance fellow Porschefans’ on-track proficiency he’s prepped four944s appropriately. They are set up sothey come unstuck easily and, withguidance and practice, the driver can tipthe car into controlled and prolongedsideways motion. ‘People who want to goout on track with a Porsche and have funwith it and do some drifting can hire oneof these 944s for the day. But I will onlyrent them out on an event that is under ourcontrol – you can’t just say, “hey, I want torent a car for a trip to the Nürburgring,”I’m not doing that for obvious reasons.Only yesterday we rented one of the carsout and the gearbox got trashed already!’That meant that Johan’s trustyspannermen Mike van Dingenen and JoePinter beavered away for most of the dayin their Abbeville Nissen hut garage to

rebuild the transmission.Another reason for choosing 944s is

that they are much less expensive than911s, yet more powerful than 924s, andalso easier to drift at low speed thanBoxsters. ‘They cost between €8000 to€12,000 euros,’ says Johan, ‘though wehave done quite a lot of work to themechanicals, put in the seat harnesses,the race seats, the roll cage, fireextinguishers, so we’ve made them intorace cars, effectively.’ All have equipmentattached to the passenger-sidetransmission tunnel consisting of anindependent handbrake lever and brakebias lever, so that the rear wheels can belocked at will, all calculated to enable thedrift procedure. ‘I would guess that thevalues are now up to 18- to 22,000 euros,’calculates Johan, ‘but for that price Icannot prepare a 911 for people to go outand thrash around a circuit.’ We havethree cars at our disposal here: a 211bhp3.0-litre 944 S2 and two 220bhp 2.5-litre944 Turbos – and there’s another prepped



Turbo back at base. ‘The original idea was tohave one Turbo for the instructor and threenormally-aspirated ones for the clients, but itdidn't pan out quite like that,’ laughs Johan.‘The extra power of the Turbo makes iteasier to drift, and it means we can playaround more with tyre sizes on the backwheels to facilitate the drifting.’ They run thesame width front wheels all round so the reartyres are narrower than they would benormally. Certainly, of my outings withQuinten in the S2 and Johan in the Turbo,the latter was the more vivid experience –and that’s not to decry Quinten’s abilities ashe’s a hugely qualified circuit drivinginstructor with experience on a number ofEuropean tracks – just that the Turbo is the

sideways specialist’s star car.In any case, the 944 is an inherently well

balanced chassis, so it’s not apt to snapback, and once tweaked into a slide it can bebalanced on throttle and steering wheel andthe drift maintained all the way around thecorner. As Johan says, ‘The 944’s handlingis more predictable and, for a novice, it’s aneasier car to drive. A 911 is a handful if youdon’t know what you’re doing, whereas witha 944 you have 50/50 front-to-rear weightdistribution, so basically you put it into thecorner and give it a flick and it starts slidingand it’s very easy to catch, whereas youhave to be ahead of the game in catching a911. What I want to achieve is for people tostart in the morning with no sliding

experience, and by the afternoon they cansay, “hey, I know how to slide a car!”’ Puntersdon't just arrive and drive. For the first hourit’s mandatory they sit in with an instructor –in this case Quinten – so he candemonstrate the lines through the corners,and show how to modulate the car’sprogress around the circuit by juggling thesteering wheel and accelerator. Driver andpassenger swap over, and the instructor canthen assess the pupil’s level of ability andprospective talent. As Johan says, ‘he canvisualise how you drive, are you hard on theclutch, are you hard on the brakes, are youhard on the gearbox, and then he will giveyou some advice. Quinten is very good atinstructing people, and they feel confident

The drift fleet: Acouple of 944 Turbosand a 944 S2 (albeitwith a standard 944Lux front bumper)

Tipler learning theDark Art of drifitingfrom instructor,Quinten



944DRIFT CARS

Why a 944? Whynot. It’s rear drive,well balanced andit’s not going tobite back like a911, making it theideal Porscheenthusiast’s firsttime driftexperience

when they drive with him and get better andbetter. And afterwards he follows you inanother car to see how you get on, so hecan tell you what you got wrong. Peopleimprove quickly, and even if they’ve nevertried it before, by the end of the day theyhave much better control than they had inthe beginning, and they feel wonderfulabout it because they’ve done somethingthey never did before, with a reasonabledegree of success.’Johan and Quinten’s near-miss flags up

a practical aspect that has to be taken intoaccount. Most people here are regulartrackday participants and they all fancytheir chances with a bit of drifting, thoughJohan takes the view that the majority willprefer to rent a car rather than risk prangingtheir own car into the barriers. ‘We have abodyshop back in Belgium, so even if theytotal the car, it will never be entirely writtenoff because I will always be able to getsome parts back. As we do everythingourselves it’s only labour which isexpensive, but it’s not the same as if youwere to trash a 911. I’m working with aninsurance company to produce a policy sowe can insure our clients, but it won’t be anannual thing as we only do two or threeevents a year at the moment. Otherwise,the client hands me a deposit and if nothing

happens to the car the deposit is returnedat the end of the day.’And how many sets of tyres do they get

through in a day? ‘How much do you wantto drift your car?’ counters Johan; ‘if it wasme I would probably need four or five setsin a day.’ Sounds like a promotional gift fora tyre manufacturer. ‘I think for normalclients just the one set will be sufficient,maybe not today because it’s getting verywarm and we might get some extra wearon the tyres.’ And since a car slides moreeasily in the wet, does that mean thecustomer will be hoping for a rainy day?’Yes, if he’s not afraid of the rain, and also if

we do it on a wet day there’ll be much lesstyre wear, much less fuel consumption, sofor me it would be better to have it wet. It’salso fun to drive in the rain. But I havenoticed lots of people hate the rain for onereason or another, which is one reason whyI think we should get people accustomed to

driving a car that’s drifting.’Johan gives a demonstration. I clamber

into the 944 passenger seat and buckle up.I thought he would do one, maybe two lapsto warm the tyres up, but he goes for itstraight way, blitzing the Tarmac withsideways attitude and pluming more smokethan the Red Arrows. ‘When I’m drifting myaim is that, after the second turn, I need tohave got the feel of the car, understoodhow it works, maybe not always perfectly,but there or thereabouts.’ There are othervisceral sensations to drifting. Second timearound, I can see the spent rubber literallysmoking on the corner – and we’re certainly

smelling it! The soundtrack too issomething else: imagine those TVdocumentaries where dog-sled teams crossthe Antarctic in a raging blizzard; well, thewailing, tortured tyres of the sideways 944sound just like the banshee polar windscreaming across the ice-sheet.

For normal clients, justone set of tyres will be

sufficient... ”“



He’d be a shoe-in for Strictly: twirling thewheel this way and that while dancing theQuickstep on the pedals, Johan elucidates:‘We have a brake bias to the rear, sowhenever you come into a turn you use thetransfer of the mass of the car to get themomentum going, but if you then press thebrakes a little bit they will help you set up thecar. It would be almost the same as usingthe handbrake to lock the back wheels, butI’m not keen on using a handbrake, soputting the brake bias to the rear helps putthe car into the slide.’ ‘And why not thehandbrake?’ I blurt breathlessly. ‘Becausewhen you do drifting you should make ithappen with the transfer of the mass of thecar and not with the handbrake. I know thereare different theories; for example in theirdrift challenge the Japanese always use thehandbrake to set the car up, and it’s mucheasier setting up the car with the handbrake,that’s for sure, but I don’t like it.’

The prominent easy-access handbrakeis also a safety feature so that the instructorcan retard a wayward pupil or client if thingsget out of hand. The instructor – Quinten inthis case – also has the kill switch on hisside, too. Johan believes this is a neatersolution than the more extravagant expedientof a second set of pedals. ‘I think this is aneater way, so when you hand the car to aclient, he’s driving all by himself, otherwisehe’d always have the impression thatsomebody else is in control; it’s all aboutbuilding confidence, and I want them to feelas if it was their own car and it’s their ownexperience.’Johan goes into the corner pretty deep

with more power on than really necessary,then he’s effectively hauling off that power onthe steering wheel, all the while modulating iton the throttle pedal. ‘You use the transfer ofthe mass,’ he explains, ‘so you come into acorner and you’re turning in, and the weight

should be on the front axle, so basically yourrear axle is lifting, so the car will then go intoa slide. Depending on the configuration ofyour car, you need to counter-steer, and, forexample, with a 911 you have to counter-steer before the car starts sliding so youhave to anticipate that, but with a 944 youhave more time to play with. So unless yougo to the extreme with your slide, yoursteering input is very limited, because oncethe car is sliding you take over with theaccelerator. So you get the car into thecorner, start counter-steering with oppositelock, and then with the accelerator youcreate the angle of your slide. Those are thetwo factors that govern your slide, thesteering wheel and the accelerator, and theyshould play together. The more you counter-steer the faster your slide will be over, themore you accelerate the longer it will go onfor, but at a certain moment you will be goingso fast, you’ll be going so wide in the corner

Synchronised driftingfrom the masters:Quinten and Johan.This could be youafter just one dayof tuition

The 944 Turbomakes for theoptimum drifter,thanks to extrapower and torque,which makesunsticking the rearthat bit easier. Rollcages and race seatsare part of thepackage

944DRIFT CARS




that you won’t have the possibility of gettingit back, so it’s always having a nice balancebetween steering and acceleration.’

That’s all very well, getting the car set upand sliding, but what happens once the endof the corner comes up? ‘The thing thatpeople forget is that at the end of the slideyou’re still counter-steering, your car is stillgoing sideways, and most people are doingthat right, but then they are not fast enoughtaking off the lock with the steering wheel. Inwhich case they could be in the barriersmaybe 200 metres further down the track.So basically, the most difficult thing is notsetting up the car, it’s not the power-slide assuch, but it is getting the power-slide backinto a straight line, and that is what mostpeople tend to get completely wrong. Youwant to set it up, slide, power-slide, then getit back in line, and then once you can do thatyou have to go a little bit further and try toslide on the ideal line, trying to get the noseof the car onto the apex when you’re in yourslide with complete opposite lock, and that is

the nicest thing you can do. Your aim in aright-hand corner would be to have your left-hand rear wheel on the kerbs when youleave the corner, but it’s very hard to do.’

That’s the theory! But minor factors arealways changing, ranging from tyre wear –Quinten’s car threw a hunk of tread one timeand he pulled up so as not to get a blow-out– and tyre pressures fluctuate, the track

surface is changing as it rubbers up or rainfalls, or there’s midday heat warming itthrough. The amount of ‘ball bearings’ ontrack is incredible: when Johan and Quintenwere pirouetting in unison and my passengerside window was open, in lefthanders a hail

of rubber granules was bouncing off my faceand helmet. ‘You have to adapt,’ counselsJohan, ‘no two slides are the same; you doone fabulously well, you do the second onea little better or a little worse, and there isalways something different about it, andthat’s what makes it so interesting. You cantry different lines, you can go to the outsideor the inside, you can go to the apex and

you can start playing.’A lifelong love affair with Porsches

blossomed after Johan graduated fromuniversity in 1989. ‘My father didn’t want meto go racing, and he always said if you wantto race you’re going to pay for it yourself and

To aid the driftprocess, the 944s runskinny front wheelsall round, as opposedto the 944’s standardset-up of wider rearwheels and tyres.Braking is biased tothe rear to assist withweight transfer onturn-in

Far right: Notevertical hydraulichandbrake sproutingfrom passenger side,with brake bias. Thisis purely a safetyfeature for theinstructor to retardan over-enthusiasticdriver if need be

You want to set it up,slide, power-slide, thenget it back in line ”“



944DRIFT CARS

he regarded sliding and track-driving asracing, and he didn’t want to spend anymoney on that. So the first thing I did whenI was working was to book a course inFrance with the École Winfield Peugeotdrifting school at Magny-Cours. It was athree-day course, and the first day the onlything you were doing was just sitting in thecar, hands on the steering wheel, beingshown the correct manipulation of steeringwheel, gearbox and pedals, including heel-and-toe stuff, and for a whole day we didn’teven drive one metre. The second day westarted putting the cars into a slide, and

then only the third day we could take themout of the slide. It was actually verysensible, because it taught the essence ofgood driving, from the seating position,hands on the steering wheel, how fast youcan pick up your steering wheel whenyou’re working it, and you must alwaysknow where your wheels are pointing – ifthey are right or if they are left, or straightahead. After that I started doing ice driving,and I’ve been doing that for 25 years now,going up to Finland for anything up to amonth, and just doing nothing else butsliding.’ Aha, so now we know where the

Sideways Sorcerer acquired the black arts!I sense that he now regards the ice

driving sessions run by the manufacturersas a soft option. ‘I first went with Audi andthen with Porsche, using winter tyres, notstudded or spiked tyres. In a Porsche on icewith winter tyres you’re going all over theplace, but on the ordinary roads they’re allright. And then they decided to go ontostudded tyres, which means you do havesome grip. Whether that’s a good thing ornot depends on how much you like to be onthe limit of sliding. The last time I went onthe ice was with the Turbo S, which is such

Smokin! No doubtabout it, drifting ishuge fun, butwould you want toabuse your own carin such a way, orindeed build aspecific driftmachine? Hiringone could well bethe answer


a fantastic car that you don’t even have toknow how to slide because the car will geteverything back, and that’s very comfortingfor all the people who are on a one daycourse because they come away satisfied.’So, if you fancy learning to drift authenticallyhook up with Johan’s 944 SidewaysChallenge. Next session is likely to be atAbbeville in April, but watch this space.

There’s always a musical analogy to be

drawn, and you don't have to look hard forthis one: The Drifters’ Tamla Motownharmonies are an aural delight, and ourdrifting pair here aboard the 944s atAbbeville – Johan and Quinten – are avisual as well as a physical delight –provided the aroma of burned rubberdoesn't repel you. And now, like Dobie Gray,

it’s my turn to free my soul and drift away,and I’ve got my Peltor helmet on, and super-comfy Piloti driving shoes and Sparco racinggloves for good measure. I’ve moved theseat quite close to the dished steeringwheel, and it’s easy enough to bucklemyself into the four-point harness. I note thered ignition turn-key, push-button starter,normal 5-speed shift – plus the apparatusfor the erect handbrake lever and smaller

brake bias lever mounted adjacent on thepassenger side of the transmission tunnel.I ease out onto the circuit, and as I turn intothe first abrupt right-left I know it’s a veryforgiving car. From the outset it invitessideways action, quite uncannily. There aremarker cones strategically placed to aim atfor optimum turn-in, so you’d think what

could be more simple than to aim the car atthe cone, turn in, aim at the next cone, butthe reality is that the faster you go the moredifficult it is to hit the cone to get the lineabsolutely right. Even on the first lap I’mgoing quickly enough for the car to beworking its tyres overtime, and it issignificantly different to normal track drivingwhere deliberate drifting is not of theessence. I’ve got Quinten in with me calmlyissuing instructions, saying, ‘yeah, turn inhere, turn in there, accelerate here, 3rd gearthere,’ and whilst we are indeed drifting,I can see only too clearly where I’m makingmistakes by turning in too early or going toowide, and I concentrate on refining andhoning my lines and fine-tune whereI change gear, figuring out what gear worksbest in which corner – mostly 2nd and 3rd,though I hit 5th momentarily on the mainstraight as the turbo bites. It’s satisfyingwhen I get it right, though quite exhaustingby the end of it. I’ve done 10 laps, and I’mquite hot, not to say a little sweaty as Icruise back into the paddock and switch off.And now, as the adrenaline rush subsides,I’ll slide off to the bar for a stiffener. PW


Be a ‘slideways’ hero!Despite what somemay say it is ‘big’ andit is ‘clever!’ And it’salso an essential carcontrol skill, becauseif you can get into aslide, then you canget out of one, too

CONTACTJohan Dirickx911 MotorsportBlauwesteenstraat1222550 KontichBelgiumTel: 00 32 (0) 475270 [email protected]

QuintenDevrekerLegerstraat 257B-2610 WilrijkBelgiumMobile: +32 [email protected]

Thanks toEurotunnel for theslide-rail transitunder the Channeleurotunnel.com

944DRIFT CARS

From the outset itinvites sideways action,

quite uncannily ”“


051CP34:AI Template 2/4/16 12:20 PM Page 51




TWIN TESTF

or an odd minute I wonder ifI’m seeing double. Themidweek indulgence of aglass of red wine (singular,honest!) last night cannot

surely have had so great an affect as tomake silver gen 1 GT3s multiply rightbefore my very eyes. But sure enough,there before me are two seeminglyidentical 996s. They arrived a momentago, just a couple of minutes apart,bobbing their bulbous noses over thelumpen gravel car park in an identicalmanner, both dangling their plastic frontsplitters perilously close to the stones. If itweren’t for the difference in badging onthe 996’s short engine cover, there aren’tmany who’d be able to tell them apart.Therein lies the point. A visual

compliment, if you like, to the theme of thisparticular story: with the prices of GT3s asthey are, just how close can you get on justa fraction of the budget? With the 996 eraof 911s continuing to find their feet in both

the used market and the hearts and mindsof Porsche enthusiasts, now seems like asgood a time as any to find out.Actually, given that you’re doubtlessly a

Porsche expert reading these words, Ireckon you probably could tell these twoapart. For starters, the Carrera wears a265/35 ZR18 tyre on the rear axle, asopposed to the GT3’s OE fitment of 285/30ZR18 (Pirelli P Zeros in the GT3’s case,compared to the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s ofour Carrera). For the GT3 die-hard, there’ssomething ever-so-slightly not right aboutthe additional sidewall on the Carrera. Thebigger front discs on the GT3 (actually froma gen 2 996 GT3) and its beefy calipersare another tell tale, and then there’s thereal nerdy stuff – the set up. The fullyadjustable GT3, this one recently raised tomake it a bit more tolerant of speed humpsand other obstacles on French roads (soI’m told), has that subtle camber that hintsat the aggression found elsewhere in thecar, something this Carrera just can’t

capture. Still, we are talking very, veryminor points, and, in fact, a little moretweaking/expenditure on the Carrera couldneutralise every point of differentiation I’vejust mentioned.An Aero Kitted 996 3.4 Carrera? I reckon

there would once have been a fewsniggers going around about that one.When used GT3s were ‘reasonably’ pricedand the 996 Carrera just another used 911,the act of putting a body kit on to make itlook like a GT3 when it wasn’t amounted tonear sacrilege. It reminds me of that placethat currently ‘makes’ 991 GT3 RSs out of996 Carrera Cabriolet Tiptronic donor cars.No, really, they actually do that; it’s a thing.However, I firmly believe something has

changed. When I see this car now I don’tthink ‘Carrera masquerading as somethingit’s not’, I think ‘That’s a tough looking little996, I bet it’s fun to drive.’ As the appeal ofthe 996 grows relative to the direction the991 has taken the 911 in, the idea ofmaking it look and go harder seems like a

Two identical 996 GT3s? But why? Well, take another look. One is the real thing, theother is a boggo 996 C2, but with a lot more than just a body kit. Just how close can youget dynamically to the real deal with a bit of budget and imagination?Words: Adam TowlerPhotography: Antony Fraser

996gt3ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 11:32 AM Page 72


996 TWINTEST



very good one indeed, and if that shouldextend to some factory-tested bodyaddenda, then why not? If it works for aGT3, it should certainly work for a Carrera.This particular Carrera is ideal for this

story. Bought when the cars weren’t worthvery much at all, and already with somemodifications fitted including the Aero Kit, itsrelatively mild specification need not dent thebank account too severely, but I’m fascinatedto see if it can get anywhere near the GT3today. And that’s the point: I’m not expectingit to match the appeal of the rumbling oldmonster parked alongside – that would justbe plain silly – but I am interested in just howclose, or otherwise, it can get for an awful lotless money.Stan Leask bought this Carrera back

in the Spring of last year. It’s an early car,a ’98, with the cable-operated throttle – a

feature that suddenly seems to be gainingtraction on forums as ‘the one for the purist,and the potential investment’. Stan paida reasonable sum for the car, certainly lessthan what similar cars are going for today,and set about creating the car you seehere today.As the long-term owner of an increasingly

track-focused 964 Carrera 2, he wanted toretain some of the civility and practicality ofthe 996, while sharpening the drive up to histaste: a sort of ‘fast road’ spec. That alsomeant keeping the rear seats for the kids,something that has been removed from the964 in the name of weight saving. “I wanteda Porsche that I could go to car events inwith the kids”, says Stan. “I also felt it wasa good time to buy one, with prices possiblyrising in the future. I looked at two or threebefore buying this one – it was advertised

on eBay – but there wasn’t that muchchoice because I ideally wanted one withthe Aero Kit on it. This one was just whatI was looking for, as it had the MO30suspension on it from the factory, includingthe thicker anti-roll bars, and the limited slipdifferential. The modifications I’ve carried outrecently are to evolve it into what I reallywant the car to be.”Those mods consist of some careful TLC

and good old fashioned tuning. Stan hasknown Steve Winter at Jaz Porsche foryears, so it was natural that the 996 shouldgo there for attention. Jaz rebuilt the car’ssuspension – and as Editor Bennett knowsonly too well, there’re a lot of elements andbushes to a 996’s suspension – around aBilstein PSS10 coilover kit, and it’s this thatforms the most obvious point of differencebetween this Carrera and the average 996

The 996 GT3 isa tough lookingmachine and easy toemulate and, with996 prices still veryreasonable, then whynot? It’s all about thestance, and while thisis the real thing,Stan’s C2 is nearidentical in thisrespect

It’s the rev-counterthat gives it away.The 996 C2 revs outat 7000rpm, whilethe GT3 keeps goingto 8000rpm. Whitefaced dials standardon GT3 but an oftenfound option on C2



996 TWINTEST

The mods I’ve carried outare to evolve it into what I

really want it to be ”“996gt3ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 11:33 AM Page 75


out there. However, there are also plenty ofsmaller changes that make a big differenceto the way the car drives. For starters there’sthe 200 cell cats and a sports silencer fromTop Gear, plus a 997 GT3 short shift kit forthe gear linkage, and Stan hasn’t been shyin making a few changes himself, including amod that reduces the strain the ancillariesput on the crankshaft pulley, and a bypass ofthe Helmholtz resonator in the inductionsystem. All done, as he says, to give the cara bit more of a mechanical, alive feel. Theoriginal factory Aero Kit front section differedfrom the GT3-spec item by having thecentral space for the third radiator blankedoff, so Stan replaced it with a proper GT3part and then fitted a third rad and low levelthermostat. What’s harder to see is his workin the cabin, because although this Carrerahas now travelled some 104,000 miles, byremoving sections of the interior andreassembling carefully with the inclusion ofstrategically placed felt tape, this is a 996cabin devoid of the usual rattles, fizzes andcreaks that can blight these cars. As a 996

owner myself I immediately noticed thedifference in the first 100 yards of driving thecar, the lack of background chatter greatlycontributing to the overall feeling of qualityand solidity that the brain subconsciouslydetects and forms an opinion on.While the Bilsteins are set on the soft side,

with 18in rims, coilovers and those MO30spec ARBs, don’t go thinking that the rideisn’t firm. It’s not crashy, nor for meuncomfortable, but it does unerringly relayevery small change in the road surface backto the driver. It’s the sort of ride quality thatgets better as the speeds rise, so that’sexactly what I decide to do.These 3.4-litre motors like to rev, and this

one is no exception. The mid-range is farfrom barren, but the car really gets a moveon from 4500rpm, whereas a gen 2 can pullusefully from 3000rpm. First impressions arereally good: the exhaust is quiet – you’d behard-pressed from within the car to evenknow it has a sports exhaust fitted – and theother engine mods only make a subtledifference. There’s a little more chatter and

thrash from the ‘six’, a bit more whine andcommotion that lets you know it’s alive andkicking back there, and when I lift off theaccelerator it seems to growl and snort akind of ‘ga ga ga’ noise that isn’t present inthe standard car. Nevertheless, these aregentle differences in the noise, and nothingthat wouldn’t be liveable with day-to-day.What I’d hoped to discover with this car

was an alert, engaging driving experiencethat combined modern-era pace with realinvolvement, and that’s exactly what thisCarrera provides. It pulls hard and keenly onthe straights, encouraging use of the revsand singing along, but it’s the corners whereit really shines, turning in sharply, changingdirection with just a flick on the wheel andfeeling really adjustable. It’s the sort of carthat you’d drive just for the hell of it, and yet,cleverly, one that could easily be also usedfor more mundane journeys. Stan intends todevelop it a bit further, fitting a lightweightflywheel when he replaces the clutch andgetting the factory LSD rebuilt for goodmeasure. He’s also going down the route of

As on the previouspage it’s all about the‘stance’ except nowwe’re looking at a 996C2 rather than a GT3,but one with GT3wheels and fullyadjustable BilsteinPSS 10 coiloverdampers, with MO30roll bars

Interior a bit of agiveaway, but only interms of the rearseats, otherwise itcould be a Comfortspec GT3, with thesports seats

996 TWINTEST


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fitting the 82mm throttle body from a GT3,plus an IPD plenum, and then getting the carremapped. I wouldn’t say it actually needsmore power than it currently has, but we’reall the same – if it’s there, we can’t resisttrying to find it. The flywheel should certainlymake the car more aggressive: I think itcould work out very well indeed.So, a cut price GT3? Definitely. Does the

GT3 need to be nervous? Ummm…no. TheGT3 doesn’t need to be nervous preciselybecause of the reason I’m experiencing now,having turned the simple-looking Porschekey in the ignition of this old friend. We’vefeatured this particular 996 GT3 Comfort inthis magazine before (no, it’s not AntonyFraser’s car), some years ago, and sincethen its mileage has risen from around120,000 to 126,000. Good. As people whoreally know what they’re talking about will tellyou (including the man in charge ofdeveloping the car originally), a well-caredfor Mezger ‘six’ only gets better with age anduse. Only the collector fears mileage. Thiscar has been owned by friends Peter andJohn for a while now, and was originallybought as a way of getting a ‘cheap’ GT3 foruse on track day. The duo has owned a longline of Porsches over the years betweenthem, collaborating on various restorationprojects and high performance builds. I oncedrove a 964-engined 3.0-litre RSR replica oftheirs that really did blow the cobwebs away.Anyway, they know a good Porsche when

they see one, and they’re more than astuteenough to know that in this battle hardenedold GT3 they have a very good car indeed.I’m pretty sure the 996 GT3 would

comprehensively fail the NVH testingprocedures of many a current day global carcorporation. When it fires up you couldalmost be excused for thinking it was aboutto spit its guts out of those twin rear pipes.There is all manner of clatter and ‘zing’ from

over my shoulder, and already my face istrying not to split in half with a big grin.There is something so right about this car,

although I don’t think Porsche actuallyintended what I’m about to describe back atthe time it was built. Back in 1999 this wasthe return of the ‘motorsport’ 911, the new‘RS’ without actually being called an RS. Thefact that it was slightly heavier than astandard Carrera, and had features such aselectric windows and carpeting in it, was, Iclearly remember, a source of annoyance tothe Porsche old guard at the time, soperhaps it was just as well it went by a newname. Even so, with its low front splitter and

large, adjustable rear wing, the GT3 had aformidable presence, both visually andcourtesy of the spec sheet. Fast forwardthose 17 years and the 996 GT3 looks small,neat and – especially in silver – veryunderplayed. If you know what you’re lookingat you can see the aggression in the stanceand the ride height, but there is no fancylighting, no carbon fibre, nor canards, wingstruts, wide wheel arches, hungry air intakes

or centre exit exhaust pipes; it’s not eventhat loud at idle, despite the sports rearsilencers (the only modification on this car).For me this relative subtlety is in the finest

tradition of the original Carrera RS, and thegreat high-end 911s of the late ’60s andearly ’70s. This isn’t a car for thoseinterested in parking outside Harrods: it’s acar for those interested in driving. Iappreciate that these qualities would make acurrent Porsche marketing man stare with aglazed expression into the middle distance,but they just connect with me somehow. Andthat’s why I love the 996 GT3.With 360bhp the original GT3 is fast, but

As ever, there’s not alot to see in the rear.Keen spotters willimmediatelyrecognise the 295bhp,3.4-litre in theforeground and 3.6-litre, 360bhp Mezgerbehind. There’s novisual frippery witheither, but the rattlyold Mezger lump hasthe C2 unit well andtruly licked, althoughStan has a few modsplanned to eventhings up

This relative subtlety isin the finest tradition ofthe original Carrera RS ”“



not overwhelmingly so, or at least so thetheory goes. The 3.6-litre motor produces273lb ft, so this isn’t intimidating, force-fedtorque from just above idle that unsettles thecar; this is a smooth, organic engine, thatdelivers its performance in stages – stagesthat the driver can tap into depending onmood and circumstance, and unerringlyaccurately thanks to scythe-sharp andcompletely predictable throttle response.

The gnashing from behind soon stops,and then it roars, and roars a bit more,before the noise then opens out like a

Leslie speaker starting to project the tonesof a Hammond organ, and soon it’s wailing,louder and louder, giving more and more,those titanium conrods allowing it to safelyand energetically spin up to nearly8000rpm. At this point you will be flying upthe road, then grabbing another gear fromthe wonderfully tactile ’box, and landingperfectly back in the meat of the powerbandfor another red line assault. And you knowwhat? The modified 996 Carrera is just buta distant memory. There’s no point trying tofool myself, I can lie for the sake of my own

wallet and everyone else’s, but it won’t beconvincing. Just one drive in the GT3 isenough to make a Porsche nut melt into arather pathetic pool of unfulfilled car-lust.

Of course, the GT3 is much more thanjust about the straight line bit, but here thegap between the cars is less noticeable.This particular car has recently had a fairchunk of money spent on refreshing thesuspension, and it feels sharp andresponsive to drive. The ride is alsorelatively uncompromising, but it’s notunyielding, and you soon get acclimatised

Tw0 seeminglyidentical carsseparated by about£30,000. Whatdefines the GT3 isits engine,otherwise,dynamically, the C2‘wannabe’ makes agood stab atemulating its road-race brother

996 TWINTEST


to how the GT3 goes down a road. There isa little more positivity to the way it turns in,but some faster roads and/or a circuit wouldsurely show up where the real differencesbetween this and the more conventionallyset up Carrera would lie. It may be a car forthe Nürburgring Nordschleife or the pan-European jaunt, but that doesn’t mean it isn’tfun on a badly surfaced Home Countiescountry lane.

I don’t want to give the GT3 back but, ofcourse, a dash for the port and imaginedfreedom is not an option. It’s a very specialcar, and a slightly more affordable one than,say, 18 months ago. Today you’d struggle toget £50,000 for a high miler such as thisone, with any 996 GT3 that doesn’t have‘investment’ mileage falling short of the sort

of values they once would have achieved.Nevertheless, that still makes it easily twicethe price of our early Carrera. With the latter,find one that’s already had some of the workdone and you’ll save yourself a lot of money,as genuinely good modifications are, asever, not cheap. However, it’s probably fair tosay that many of the items you will bereplacing on a Carrera are those that areworn and would need changing anyway,

even if just for replacement standard parts.The common sense approach to a Carreraproject is not to start looking for more poweror expensive chassis parts, but to start off bycarefully working through the car, ensuringthat it’s as fresh as possible and driving in amanner that Porsche originally intended.This alone will make it feel so much faster,

and newer. Remember that many 996s havebeen neglected or run on a hopelessly smallbudget in recent years, so it shouldn’t comeas a surprise that some deep maintenancewill now be required on many of the cars.Stan’s car is a great case in point here.

Sure, he’s spent the big money on thesuspension kit, but for me it’s just as muchthe rubber bushes in the suspension, thefastidious work freshening and tightening upthe interior and the general attention to detailthat make this such an appealing car – oneof the best 996s I’ve ever driven. What is itscurrent value? Hard to say, as with anymodified car, but possibly nearer £20,000than £15,000? Based on that assumption,this car surely has to be the absoluteperformance bargain of the year, and I don’tjust mean in Porsche terms, I mean in anoverall enthusiast car remit. It is simply greatvalue for money, with an appeal vastlybeyond its worth. So while it is no match forthe stellar GT3, and specifically the Mezgerengine contained within it, I’d say it was amuch better car than the numbers suggest. Athird of the price it may be, but it’s muchmore than a third of the car. PW


Our man Towler atthe wheel of the 996C2. Owner Stan hasspent valuable timestripping out parts ofthe interior andreassembling withstrategically placedfelt tape. The result isa much tighter, rattleand buzz free cockpit

Those ‘Big Red’ brakecalipers are a GT3giveaway andpowerful with it, butthere’s nothing wrongwith standard C2stoppers in goodcondition

THANKSWith thanks to StanLeask, PeterWalmsley and JohnMoss.

996 TWINTEST

The C2 surely has to bethe performance

bargain of the year ”“





HENDONPOR265:AI Template 2/17/16 11:57 AM Page 2


TIMELOVESA HEROSwimming against the backdating tide, it’s

a treat to drive a pristine 37-year-old, lowmiles 930 and experience the authenticthrust of Porsche’s contemporary supercar

Words: Johnny TiplerPhotography: Antony Fraser

930Turbo NEWch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:07 AM Page 84


930TURBO

Muffled, gruff bark, tiptoeup-on-points posture, amomentary hiatusbefore the powerpushes in: yes, we’re

on a hark-back hangout with a genuine7000-mile 930 coupé, a 1979 NorthAmerican-spec 3.3 model in sumptuousGuards Red. It’s a glorious essay inperiod self-assurance, when Porsche wasthe master of turbocharging on road andtrack, and it’s not that often we get todrive a car that, three or nearly fourdecades on, feels pretty much just how itdid when it left the factory.We’ve come to visit classic Porsche

specialist Ande Votteler for this turn-back-time experience at his former furniturefactory premises at Balingen in southwestGermany. It’s like a vehicular departmentstore with antique lorries in one hall,scooters and motorcycles in another,interspersed with restoration projects,including a healthy dose of Volkswagens

big and small, and some exceedingly rare.His prize possessions are the Porsches –356s in all forms and classic 911s, whichreceive due diligence and are lined up inechelon in one of the halls. It’s difficult toidentify specific models because they are allswathed in dustsheets like dormantchrysalises to protect them from light anddust in this vast ‘saw-tooth’ glass roofedconservatory. Any of them can be fettled intime for an outing, and we haver over a 356Carrera Speedster that ran in La CarreraPanamericana and has oodles of patina. Ora black 2.7 Carrera versus a black 964 RSthat could work as a black-to-blackappraisal. We are spoiled for choice. Thenhe reveals the US 930, and the die is cast.Before we head out into the neighbouring

foothills of the Black Forest, Ande delivers ahomily. With a business eye firmly attunedto the historic market, he perceives a shift inpurchasing practice in the world of classicPorsches. ‘To have a ’79 car like this 930,which is like new, is very special,’ concedes

Ande, ‘and nowadays, all the collectors Iknow and customers of mine invest only inoriginal cars. They’ve changed from thenormal cars they collected previously tobuying very special original cars which arelike new. The values of all collector carswent up a lot, as we know, and most ofthese people don’t drive the cars anymore,or they just drive them so the mechanicalparts don’t seize up. So they have drivingcars and they have collector cars, and this930 is the best example of a collector caryou can get, because it’s old and new at thesame time, and while it is nearly 40-yearsold you feel it drives like a new car, andthere is nothing about it that is not correct.So you have the impression that you’resitting in your new car in 1979, and that’s avery good feeling. You cannot compare itwith a car that has 200,000km or miles,which has had an engine overhaul orsomething major because it will drivedifferently. Here, every gear is locatedwhere it should be in the gate, the doors



close accurately, the keys turn smoothly, theseats feel firm and not worn, and it’s had nomodifications done to it.’Interestingly, it’s not just about how the car

itself feels; as Ande points out, it applies tothe contemporary social aspect andperception of material wellbeing from allthose years ago, too. ‘I enjoy the feeling ofthe age and the special condition of the car,and that applies even more to the cars I havewhich are 40, 50, 60-years old; if you have a356 Speedster or a Carrera from the ’50swhich is in almost new condition, youunderstand how a guy felt in the ’50s whowas able to buy a car like that, who had thisamount of money and the freedom it gaveyou.’ Some years after WW2 when lifereturned to some kind of normality, a car likethat engendered an optimistic feeling – itsymbolised a brighter future. The 930 Turbowas a key car in that it too represented amilestone in Porsche production history, bornout of the competition success pioneered bythe ’72 and ’73 Can-Am championship

winning 917/10Ks of George Follmer andMark Donohue. Championed by CEO ErnstFuhrmann, the 260bhp 930 was launched in1975, powered by the 3.0-litre KKK/3/LDZ-turbocharged flat-six, barely a year after the911 Carrera RSR Turbos debuted at Le Mans– Gijs van Lennep and Herbie Muller placing

2nd at La Sarthe in ’74. The brakes matchedthe turbo’s shove-in-the-back impetus, withstopping power gleaned from the 917 racingcar’s cross-drilled discs and four-pistoncalipers. Porsche fans loved to be associatedwith that. The immediacy of successes likethese elevated Porsche to the supercarstatus previously reserved for the Italian

marques, a position consolidated in 1978 withthe introduction of the 300bhp 3.3 Turbo, withintercooler mounted atop the engine. ‘Inthose days a 930 Turbo was the best youcould get,’ affirms Ande. ‘No other Porschewas more impressive, except a race car, butthis is a normal street car and there was

nothing else to compare it with. The 3.1 SCwe drove a couple of years ago is of thesame age, and is also very impressive, butthe Turbo was a new step in automotiveengineering, and when the turbo cuts in it’simpressively strong and you feel it for sure.’ Itwasn’t without minor setbacks, though. ‘Fornormal people the Turbo was fantastic; it was

930 Turbo has it allgoing on, from theperiod perfect GuardsRed paintwork, widearches and huge ‘teatray’ spoiler to thosefat Turbo Fuchs

Right: Engine looksalmost primitive bytoday’s standards,with intercoolersitting astride. Air-con a must for USmarket. Power at300bhp seems paltrynow, but was mightyin 1979

In those days a 930Turbo was the best youcould get, afirms Ande ”“



930TURBO

A fantastic,snaking piece ofroad and a 911Turbo to drive.Driving, though,isn’t somethingthat this Turbo hasseen much of. Withlittle more than7000-miles on theclock, this Turbo’svalue is in its lowmileage. It’s acollector’s car andas such will hardlybe driven. Goodjob we droppedin then!

a very intense experience and, yeah, it waseven difficult to drive. American buyers hadto train on the car before they could own itbecause some bad accidents happenedthrough turbo lag and drivers getting caughtout. So Porsche had to educate theircustomers on how to drive the car – it’scrazy but that’s how it was, this wasengineering in ’79. Even so, US 930s are alittle bit down on power because of emissioncontrols; more like 265bhp compared with300bhp for a rest-of-world car.’ Our subjectcar, one of 1200 US-spec cars built in 1979,just made it across the Atlantic before theexclusion of 1980 came in. The 930 wasdiscontinued from the US market (andJapan) due to emissions controls legislation– though it was still available in Canada –but it was reinstated in 1985 with thecatalysed 930/68 engine and its DME (digitalmotor electronics) that linked exhaustsensors to injection and ignition. So between1976 and 1989, official imports of 930coupés into the USA totalled 7287 units, with109 Targa versions and 600 cabriolets.Specifically, it was delivered to Porsche

Santa Clara, California, as a 1979 modelwith limited-slip diff, electric sunroof, electricmirror passenger side, black roof lining andPirelli tyres. The original owner purchasedthe car on 30th November ’79, and the firstservice was done by Porsche Santa Claraon 24th January 1980 at 682 miles. There isa document that identifies the owner asLarry Woo from Solon, Ohio, and the OhioCertificate of Title shows the classic cardealership that Ande bought the car from asthe legal owner. ‘So we believe that the carhad two legal owners, including thedealership mentioned on the Title,’ reasonsAnde. ‘The car was rarely driven and wassitting idle most of its time. A friend of minefound the car at the Ohio dealership inunblemished condition in 2014 with just7151 original miles, and he bought it andshipped it to Europe where it entered mycollection. We looked over it, did a minorservice and a repair to the sliding points ofthe sunroof which were starting to break offbecause they’re made of hard plastics.’Its scant usage in the States wasn’t

particularly unusual, according to Ande,

though in Europe it would have been adifferent matter. ‘You would be very hardpressed to find a 930 or any 911 with such alow mileage over here, because if a Germanbuyer could afford a car like that in ’79 hesimply drove it. Most of the people whobought those cars were keen drivers, maybeindustrial or business people who used thecars for the first few years as businessoverheads, so they soon racked up 50- to100,000kms, and after that the car wasprobably sold and used just as much bysomeone else, so you rarely get a car whichis in original paint and has a good body. Thequality is very different, and the times havechanged: people now want to have the verybest in their collection, and more and moreit’s the American cars that come intoGerman collections because Americansoften bought cars like this as a third, fourthor fifth car, just to have a nice hobby car. So,getting something like this Turbo hashappened to me maybe three or four timesin 25 years.’Collecting cars as a pastime began in the

post-war years. Ande elaborates on the



pursuit: ‘Many collectors started buying carsthat were in regular use after the SecondWorld War, because before and during thewar only a very few people could afford areally expensive car, and in those days if youhad a bicycle you were doing well! After thewar, when everything got going again, the carcould be bought by many people becausethey worked hard and could afford it; and fromthis time onwards people traded in their oldcar for the newest model, and old cars wereoften of little value. For example, a 356Carrera was one of the most expensive carswhile it was in production, but at end of the’60s when the 911 was the normal Porscheyou could buy 356s for just a few hundredmarks because nobody wanted themanymore; the Carrera four-cam engine wascomplicated and expensive to fix, and manypeople had even changed them for thenormal 356 engine, so you could buy them for“an apple and an egg” (for peanuts). Thosecars were bought by collectors, who maybedid a little bit to the body and then they were

parked in their collections, and manycollections today are full of bad stuff from theausterity years after the war.’ But timeschange constantly, and Ande is one of the firstPorsche collectors to keep cars in originalcondition. That also allows for original paintthat has perhaps become distressed by theCalifornian sunshine, and he shuns over-

restoration done for the sake of it.Which brings us back to the immaculate

930. Though the Turbo could be specified inany colour on the 911 palette, Ande contendsthat US owners chose primary colours. ‘Inthose years the Turbo was mostly ordered inred, black or white – those were the colours

people bought, and I like red ones; I also likeblack ones but they are very understated, andin ’79 nobody wanted a Turbo which didn’tlook like a Turbo; they enjoyed showing offthat they could afford a Turbo.’ I seem torecall something of the sort in Britain in themid-’80s, too… Now, did I remember to packthe red braces?

The Balingen countryside offers some greatdriving roads, and with no dramas the 930heads uphill where we can give it its head onthe forested sweeps. My initial impression isthat the 930 gives quite a hard ride, and it’snot particularly enthralling in terms of theexhaust noise, which is muffled by the turbo.

This US spec 930Turbo is very muchof its time. InAmerica, much likein the UK, Turbostended to be orderedin red, black or white.In mainland Europe,and Germany inparticular, rathermore subtle metalliccolours were thenorm

Not much in the wayof patina here,although the leatherdoes show some signsof age. No surprisesince in modernmileage terms thisTurbo hasn’t evenreached its firstservice mileage

In ’79 nobody wanted aTurbo which didn’t look

like a Turbo ”“



930TURBO

The gear lever moves through the notches ofthe four-speed gate well enough, thesteering is not heavy, and on the road ithandles in a mid-period 911 fashion,comparable with a 3.2 Carrera Super Sportwhile less motivational than, say, a 964. The930’s 16in forged Fuchs alloys are shod withPirelli Cinturato P7s, 225/50 R16 on theback, and 205/55 R16 on the front. Thesetall tyres give a great ride as well, and after afew passes prove confidence inspiring, too.I pause in a layby for my colleague to fastenthe camera to his car for the tracking shotsand contemplate the 930’s broad shoulderedflanks that still impart a swagger whichnarrow-bodied 911s – some 5in (12cm)slimmer – can only yearn for, set offimperiously by that tea-tray rear wing andchubby bumper overriders that would serve

very well in a demolition derby. Its uprightheadlamp lenses and American bezelsimpart that lugubrious heavy-eyed DeanMartin/Robert Mitchum look, and the secondpair of indicators in the wraparound frontbumper, plus the red rear indicators, alsotestify to its US provenance. Suspendeddriving lamps are party to the unresolvedappearance of the impact-bumper look.

Sitting in the cabin, things to remark onare that it’s only got four gears, while on thespeedometer the allowable US 55mphmaximum speed is indicated in bright reddigits, and controls like fan, defrost off,defrost max, upper levers left, lower leverright, fog lamp and de-mist button are allspelled out graphically for the Americanmarket. There’s a sunroof, and all cabinfurniture is present and correct and, most

significantly, absolutely pristine.But as I gather pace, what it seemed to

lack in purposefulness on a cluttered A-roadchanges markedly on a sweeping B-road asI swish along the hillside. Now thesuspension really is working well, banishingthe indifferent A-road behaviour, and actuallyturn-in is rather lovely, projecting a characterall of its own as it leans through the curves.I’m mostly using 2nd and 3rd gears andrelatively low revs, between 2-, 3- and4000rpm. That’s the turbo torque factorplaying its hand. On the open road it iscertainly a joy to swing around the bends,but on a sharper corner there is quite anoticeable weight transference. Flinging itthis way and that through these wonderfullyundulating bends between the forest walls –with sheer drop-offs in places and certainly

Yes, those US specbumper overridersare truly hideous!Hard to believe,also, that we onceconsidered the 930Turbo’s rear tyresto be incrediblywide. Here, underhard cornering,they appear to belost in the bulgingwheel arches


very little in the way of barriers – it’s wherethis car definitely comes into its own. It’sdemanding because I’m having to constantlymonitor what it’s doing, so my input into thesteering and throttle is intuitive. I don’t thinkabout it, it’s just what happens. I barely getinto 4th gear at all on this section, and I’mreaching quite high revs on the short straightbits. As I thrust it ever more swiftly around thezig-zag twists and turns of these Black Forestlanes it steadfastly retains its dignity, keepingitself just beyond the reach of my wilfuloverconfidence. And obviously in deference toour host’s generosity and the car’suntarnished exterior I consciously refrain fromincautious excess.Of course, the 930 predates modern

traction aids, including ABS, so braking

requires firm pressure. Shuffling the cararound repeatedly for the panning andcornering part of the photoshoot, changinggear is a slow and methodical process, andit’s not a car that relishes having to do muchof that; it’s way happier when bidden to keepgoing hard in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The crucialthing here is that I can see through quite a lotof the bends so I’m able to straight-line themas I can tell that there’s nothing coming or, ifthere is, I’ve got space to duck back in, buttraffic is scarce so I’m having a clear run allthe way. How it was in ’79.So how relevant is that 40-year-old

turbocharged performance today; does itstack up, even compared with bland modernturbodiesel hatchbacks? Like any vintagePorsche it more than holds its own in the

performance stakes; not much can livewith a 930 at full chat – though its driverneeds to know what he’s up to. But it’s not theerstwhile supercar performance that lingerson so much as the imagery and character. It’slost none of the essence of the heroic beastthat it exemplified three decades ago. The930 is unfailingly street-smart, crowd-bewitching, decidedly macho in the way itlooks and the way it behaves – at least whenpushed; in my ideal world it just needs tosound a bit more butchMy snapping colleague is very fond of

reciting that ’70s Rocky Horror Show paean,Let’s do the time warp again, and indeed, Idon't mind if we do. All together now: “it's thepelvic thrust that really drives you insane…”That’ll be the 930’s Turbo thrust. PW


Poster car. A bit likethe Athena prints ofthe ’80s, these‘collector’s’ cars areto be looked at andnot driven. Seems abit sad to us, butwhat do we know?

CONTACTEurotunnel:eurotunnel.com

Ande VottelerSchalksburgstraße2, 72336 [email protected] 49 7433 35691

930TURBO


Piece price (Euro) exclude 19% VAT, Dealer enquiries welcomeAmbergstr. 3 • 86633 Neuburg/Donau • Tel (+49) 84 31 / 40 740 • Fax (+49) 84 31 / 42 174 • www.sportwagen-eckert.com • [email protected]

chrome grille, 4 bolt mounting, left/right, metal version

cover plateoil cooler

repair panel VIN

911, 65 each 250,00 EURO

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SPORTECKPOR273:AI Template 11/10/16 09:30 Page 95


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Dove House 273 new.qxp:AI Template 10/18/16 9:38 PM Page 87

PORSCHEARCHIVES

Although, as we saw in lastmonth’s instalment, the V-series cars and the W30 hadproved to be successful in most– if not all – respects, they

were never viewed as anything more thanstepping stones on the way to creating theperfect People’s Car.The W30 in particular proved to be a

sound design, with its steel chassis andgenerally reliable running gear. But as apractical, everyday mode of transport, it hadseveral shortcomings. Principle among thesewas the design of the rear bodywork – inparticular the lack of rear window.In common with the earlier V-series cars,

the W30 featured a row of louvres stampedinto the sloping tail, through which the driverhad only a very restricted view of the roadbehind. The louvres also acted as coolingvents for the rear-mounted air-cooled engine.Inside the car, the engine was sealed off fromthe passenger compartment by a glazedbulkhead, making the W30 very noisy,especially as far as the rear seat passengerswere concerned. This was noted in a

government report in January 1937.The solution was to use a steel bulkhead

and then redesign the bodywork toincorporate a glass rear window. This soundssimple but, in reality, it created a newproblem. The bodywork of the W30 and itspredecessors was heavily curved partly toimprove the aerodynamics and partlybecause Ferdinand Porsche quite rightlybelieved that curved body pressings wouldbe substantially more rigid than flat panels. Toincorporate a curved rear windscreen wouldhave been an obvious solution but one has toremember that in the 1930s curved glass wasan expensive option.The answer was simple. Erwin Komenda,

the man responsible for the styling of theW30 prototypes, suggested using two smallD-shaped panes of glass at a slight angle toone another. That solved one problem butimmediately created others.To increase the torsional rigidity of the

W30’s bodyshell, Komenda’s original designhad included a stamped-in rib along thecentre of the roof panel. This fell directly inline with the proposed new rear window.

Komenda overcame this problem byincorporating swage lines along the sides ofthe roof, a design feature which will befamiliar to any modern-day Beetle owner.The other problem was that the original

louvres not only acted as a rear ‘window’,they also provided the cooling air for theengine. Komenda’s solution was toincorporate a row of smaller louvres acrossthe back of the car, following the contours ofthe new two-piece window. However, asthese louvres were not as large as theprevious design, the engine’s cooling fan hadto be increased in size to prevent the air-cooled engine overheating.Elsewhere on the body, the front luggage

compartment and its lid were bothconsiderably enlarged. This is one areawhere the prototypes had, until now, proveddeficient – test drivers regularly complainedthat they skinned their knuckles when tryingto remove the spare wheel and tyre from theW30 (the spare was slotted vertically into theluggage bay, in front of the fuel tank).Also, much to Erwin Komenda’s delight,

the doors of the latest design were hinged at


Above: How we’dlove to know whatwords passedbetween them at thismoment. Ferry (left)and FerdinandPorsche discuss thenew VW38 prototypein 1938

PORSCHE, BEFORE PORSCHEIn Part Three of our return visit to the early days of Porsche, we trace the development of whatbecame the VW Beetle, and watch how that same basic design was developed into a militaryvehicle which served as the mainstay of the German army in World War II

Words: Keith Seume Photos: Volkswagen Archive

ARCHIVE.Dec16KSv7ch.qxd:PW Template 10/20/16 12:46 PM Page 94


FROM THEARCHIVE

the front – all previous prototypes had rear-hinged ‘suicide’ doors – making them far lessprone to bursting open in the event of anaccident. In his book We at Porsche, FerryPorsche adds ‘We also discovered womendisliked getting into a car with their knees andskirts exposed to the wind! So the hingeswere reversed to enable the doors to openforwards instead of backwards.‘A fringe benefit of this change,’ he

continued, ‘was to make the car moreattractive for export, since most foreign carshad doors opening the other way.’Although the all-steel chassis of the W30

had been a vast improvement over that of theV-series cars, with their wooden floorboards,it was still not as rigid as had been hoped.This problem was now compounded by thefact that the ‘new’ prototype was gainingweight with every design change. Glass rearwindows were heavier than louvres, theenlarged engine cooling system added 3kg…The increases seem small but the changes tothe body alone increased the weight by some45kg – an increase of something in the orderof 20 per cent.

The original plan had been to build aseries of 30 third-generation prototypes,which would be ready for public display inFebruary 1938. This proved impossible, sothe date of the first public showing was putback until 1st May that year. Even then, itwas out of the question that the full numberof cars would be ready in time. The decisionwas made to build three cars specifically foruse as working display vehicles.Why the urgency? Well, the project had

been dragging on for so long now that therewere a few murmurings that the People’sCar project seemed to be falling far behindschedule. There had already been fancifultalk of building as many as 100,000 cars in1940, a scant two years hence, even thoughthe basic design of the car had not evenbeen finalised.A full-size wooden mock-up was built by

Reutter – the karosserie responsible forproducing the bodies of the prototypes, usingpanels supplied by Ambi-Budd in Berlin – andmade available for view in January 1938.There were some detail changes made to thedesign at Ferdinand Porsche’s request.

These included changing the design of theheadlights and the taillights. The headlightswere, initially, similar to those of the old W30cars, being vertical and mounted in raisedpressings which protruded from the wings.The new design saw the headlamps laid

back to follow the contours of the wingsthemselves. At the rear, the lights wererelocated and changed in shape, as was therear valance. But that was all. The Beetle, aswe have grown to know and love it (althoughit was never known by that name at the time),had finally arrived.Ferdinand Porsche knew that these next

prototypes had to be the final series beforeproduction began, so made the decision tobuild three cars – called the VW303 series –which, to save time, were based on thechassis of the ‘old’ VW30. The bodyshell,which was now virtually identical to that of thepost-war production models, needed somemodification to fit the earlier chassis.Work began in earnest to build the cars in

time for the May deadline, with mechanics atthe Porsche workshops and the Reutterkarosserie, which was conveniently located

Left: Lone VW38 sitsoutside the Stuttgartworkshops prior toPorsche’s move toGmünd. This series ofprototypes wasassembled by theneighbouring Reutterkarosserie

Above left: One of theVW303 prototypes isseen here at thePorsche works in1939. The new carcertainly generatedconsiderable interest

Above: A clearindication of thestrength of theplatform chassis –and a hint at itsfuture basis for anoff-road vehicle…


PORSCHEARCHIVES


across the street from Porsche in Stuttgart,working all hours to complete the threevehicles. The first to be rolled out into daylightwas a regular saloon model, this beingjoined a few days later by a sun-roof saloon.Then, after a wait of another few days, thetwo saloons were joined by a convertible.Resplendent in gloss black, the three VW303prototypes attracted a great deal of attention.The main reason there was such an air of

urgency was that the corner-stone layingceremony at the new factory, which was to bebuilt exclusively for the assembly of thePeople’s Car, was due to take place towardsthe end of May. It was vital that the three carsshould be present as the ceremony was tobe performed by the Fuhrer himself, AdolfHitler. Heads would surely have rolled hadthe cars not been ready in time.The factory itself was loosely based on the

Ford factory in Detroit which Porsche, fatherand son, had visited a year earlier. Thepossible location of the factory caused agreat deal of debate, the task of finding theideal spot being the responsibility of Dr BodoLafferentz, a senior member of the RDA

(Reichsverband der Automobilindustrie).Lafferentz had been told that the site shouldbe as central as possible, and close to acanal, the Autobahn and a rail network.Lafferentz flew over much of Germanysearching for potential sites and, afterconfirming his thoughts by studying maps indetail, proclaimed that Fallersleben (betweenHannover and Berlin) was perfect.Apart from the fact that the proposed site

was alongside the Mitteland Canal, close to arailway and within a few minutes drive of thenew Autobahn system, what really appealedto Lafferentz about the area was that all theland belonged to just one person: Count vonder Schulenburg, making negotiations farsimpler. Needless to say, the Count was nothappy about having to sell his land to makeway for a car factory, but his protestations fellon deaf ears. Few could argue against thewill of Adolf Hitler and win.The cornerstone-laying ceremony was

a masterpiece of Nazi razzmatazz, with muchflag waving, music making and endlessspeeches. It was a memorable occasion byany account – but it was Hitler’s rousing

speech which left the biggest impressionfor in it he referred to the new car as theKraft durch Freude-Wagen (Strength ThroughJoy car), a reference to the KdF movementwhich looked after the well-being of theGerman worker.Ferdinand Porsche was not very

impressed with this sudden, unannounced,change of name but could do nothing tochange the Fuhrer’s mind. So KdF-Wagen itwas, despite how absurd such a name mightsound to potential customers in a futureexport market.Following the ceremony, the three VW303s

were returned to Stuttgart and the twosaloons readied for some seriouscomparative testing against three of the mostpopular cars of the day: an Adler junior, aDKW Meisterklasse and an Opel Kadett. Thecars were fitted with extensive test equipmentwhich measured, among other things, enginetemperature.The first test routes took in all kinds of

terrain, from fast Autobahns to steepmountain passes. It was here that the othercars, each being water-cooled, met theirmatch. As their engines boiled over, the KdF-wagens sailed on unabashed. A check of theoil temperature of each vehicle told its ownstory: the KdF-wagen engines reached 85degrees Centigrade, while those of the rivalcars were some 10 degrees hotter.From late spring in 1938, another series of

cars was built. These new cars were referredto as the VW38s and were what we knowtoday as pre-production models – finalprototypes intended to iron out the last few(hopefully minor) problems before full-scaleproduction could commence.Examples of these cars were tested in

company with the earlier VW303 and evenan old W30, the road-tests confirming whatmost people involved with the project alreadybelieved: the KdF-wagen was (orVolkswagen as Porsche preferred to call it)was almost ready for production.The initial works order had called for 30

VW38s to be built – this is where theprevious VW303 got its name for there werethree examples in addition to the planned 30VW38s, hence VW30+3, or VW303.

Left: Almost there –1937 engine designwas very close to thefinal configuration.The angle of thevalves was changedbut in most otherrespects it is verymuch like the earlyproduction engines

Above left: Very firstVW303 prototype isrolled out intodaylight for the firsttime, alongside twoolder VW30s, nowdestined for scrap

Above: At the 1939Berlin motor show,the KdF-Wagen tookpride of place, a barechassis beingdisplayed alongsidecompleted vehicles



FROM THEARCHIVE

However, the order was soon upped to 44,followed by another order for a further 50cars to be built under the working title ofVW39 – the designations VW38 and VW39being a reflection of the construction date.All of these final prototypes had a new

chassis which was far more rigid than that of

the older VW30. Faithful to FerdinandPorsche’s original concept of a flat floorpanwith torsion-bar suspension, its basic designwould change little over the next 65 years…There were few differences between the

cars built in 1938 and 1939, principal amongthem being a recontoured front luggagecompartment lid and redesigned bumper

over-riders. Perhaps a little moresignificantly, as far as passenger comfortwas concerned, the VW39 was the first KdF-wagen to have warm air ducted up to thewindscreen.In February 1939, the final version of the

KdF-Wagen was put on display and, to help

spread the gospel according to Dr Porscheand Herr Hitler, representatives of theGerman and foreign press were invited todrive the new car along a carefully chosentest route which just happened to take in aview of the new factory at Fallersleben.It had been a long, winding road, but the

KdF-wagen – or, out of respect for Ferdinand

Porsche’s wishes, the Volkswagen – was atlast ready for production. All looked rosy untilAdolf Hitler decided Germany should annexPoland. Another door in the history ofPorsche was about to open…But let’s turn the clock back a few years.

On 11 April 1934, at the offices of theGerman Transport Ministry in Berlin, ameeting was called to discuss the suitabilityof Ferdinand Porsche’s Volksauto as thebasis for a lightweight, inexpensive militaryvehicle – a German ‘Jeep’.Members of the Reichs Chancellory, the

department ultimately responsible for allmilitary matters, demanded that such avehicle should be able to carry three soldiers,each equipped with a machine gun andammunition, across all kinds of terrain. Whilethese talks appeared promising, it would bealmost a year before further progress wasmade as Karl Rabe, Porsche’s chiefengineer, had more pressing matters tocontend with.A second meeting then took place between

Porsche, the RDA (Reichsverband derAutomobilindustrie) and representatives ofthe RWM (Reichswehrministerium – Ministryof Defence) in March 1935 at which thespecification was discussed in far greaterdetail. Of particular importance were theminimum engine output, ground clearance,drive layout (two- or four-wheel-drive),gearing and the type of wheels and tyres tobe used.In the early part of 1937, the civilian W30

prototypes were ready to commence theirextensive test programme, but one car(carrying the licence plate IIIA-37013) wasrelieved of its test duties and its bodyremoved. The bare chassis was then fittedwith off-road tyres and taken to Berlin whereit was inspected by several high-rankingmilitary officials to assess its suitability for useas a base for a military vehicle.The same chassis was then equipped with

very rudimentary bodywork, consisting of littlemore than four wings and an engine cover,two crude bucket-like seats and a lightmachine gun. To improve its cross-countrypotential, a third pair of wheels was attached,one each side of the chassis, mid-way

Left: The KdF-Wagenand its rivals wereput through anextensive testprogramme,including a drive upthe famousGrossglöckner pass.The Porsche designpassed with flyingcolours while othersoverheated and fellby the wayside…

It had been a long and windingroad, but the KdF-Wagenwas at last ready for

production…“ ”

Above left: It is welldocumented thatWagner was Hitler’sfavourite composer,so among the first tobe shown the newPeople’s Car was hiswife, WinifredWagner (centre)

Above: In 1939, anumber of journalistswere invited to drivethe new car, amongthem two Britshwriters, a youngGordon Wilkins (left)and monocledLaurence Pomeroy


PORSCHEARCHIVES


between the front and rear axles.Unfortunately, Porsche only had five off-

road tyres of the correct size, so one of thesewheels remained bare… The idea behindthese two ‘spare’ wheels was to lift the middleof the chassis clear of any obstacle that mightotherwise have caused it to bottom out.In December 1937, this vehicle was then

shown to military officers, including a

representative of the HWA (Heereswaffenamt– the German Army supply office), shortlyafter which another meeting was held topresent Porsche with a revised Wehrmacht(military) specification.The overall weight was not to exceed

950Kg, which included the combined weight

of three soldiers and their equipment, takento be 400Kg. That only left 550Kg for thevehicle and, as the bare VW30 chassisweighed close to 400Kg anyway, clearly thebody had to be basic at best.Early in 1938, a second prototype was

built, this being a considerable improvementover the first, although it was almost certainlyconstructed on the same chassis. This new

prototype had more susbstantial, roundedbodywork, but basic canvas ‘doors’. Thechassis was strengthened by the addition ofsteel members inside the car and heavy sillsalong each side, onto which were mountedthe two ‘helper’ wheels.A third prototype followed shortly after,

which offered better protection from theelements for its occupants, but it was stillfitted with the third pair of ‘helper’ wheels.Known as the ‘Stuka’ (so-called after theinfamous Junkers Ju-87 Sturzkampfbomber,or Stuka, dive-bomber), this proved to bemore agile over rough ground.Yet another prototype was then

constructed, this being based on the chassisof the VW38 sedan, rather than that of theolder W30, and featured rounded bodyworkwith an integral windscreen. The manresponsible for its design, Franz XavierReimspiess, completed the project (Type 62)in record time.The new vehicle was significantly different

to its predecessors in a number of respects.Gone were the third pair of wheels, althoughthere was now a bonnet-mounted sparewheel. There were still no doors, only crudecanvas roll-up side covers and a rudimentaryfolding roof offering protection from theelements. The new body was fitted to thechassis number 14 of the new VW38 seriesand powered by engine number 14, too – abasic civilian-specification 985cc unitproducing just 23.5bhp.

Above left: Using thebare chassis of aVW30 prototype,Porsche examinedthe possibility ofusing his design asthe basis for alightweight militarygun platform

Above: Porsche (withtrilby) explains toHitler the nuances ofthis, the third designfor an off-roadvehicle, known as theType 62

Unfortunately, Porsche onlyhad five off-road tyres ofthe correct size, so one

wheel remained bare…“ ”Left: FerdinandPorsche looks on.Second generationoff-road prototypeout on the road withone of the first Type82 Kübelwagens.These early designsused a pair of ‘helper’wheels to aid off-roadmanoeuvrability



FROM THEARCHIVE

The new vehicle was first shown to themilitary in November 1938 and thenunderwent extensive testing against moresophisticated military machinery. The Type 62proved more than a match, even if, accordingto Chris Barber in his book Birth of theBeetle, some military experts felt it looked toopretty! It was then put on display at theVienna motor show early the following year.Despite the positive response from most

quarters, the HWA (Heereswaffenamt)remained concerned about the vehicle’slimited ground clearance and its lack of four-wheel-drive. However, Porsche’s own HerbertKaes, very much the driving force behind thismilitary project, was soon able todemonstrate the merits of the Type 62.But Porsche’s design team was

determined to further improve matters andeven before the mud had dried on the tyresof the Type 62, yet another design waspenned. This carried more angular bodywork,but it still lacked doors and was fitted onlywith a simple folding roof. The matter ofground clearance was addressed by fittinglarger 18-inch-diameter wheels, with taller5.00x18 tyres, which gave the new vehicle up

to 40mm more ground clearance comparedto the VW38’s 16-inch wheels and 4.50x16tyres fitted to the type 62.Mechanically, this new prototype – referred

to as Wagen 62 – was virtually identical tothe VW38, with the same 23.5bhp 985ccengine. However, the exhaust system was allnew – previous prototypes had beencriticised for their lack of ground clearance atthe rear due to the low-slung silencer whichwas similar to that used on the sedan. Thenew system consisted of two separatesilencers mounted alongside the clutch bell-housing, with two separate tailpipes.By the time a further revised prototype

appeared, war had been declared againstPoland, and so the pressure was on forPorsche to finalise his design. Late in 1939,the ‘new’ model was ready. This time itfeatured four steel doors and betterprotection for the occupants, thanks to amore sophisticated roof design. But would theWehrmacht be completely happy? Sadly, no.Ground clearance remained a problem,

despite the the larger-diameter wheels andredesigned exhaust system. Porscheeventually addressed this by incorporating

reduction gearboxes on the ends of eachaxle. When used with modified front stub-axleassemblies, they not only increased theground clearance by 30mm but also reducedthe overall gear ratio.This helped the off-road capabilities and, at

the same time, allowing the vehicle to tricklealong at a modest three miles per hour in lowgear, thus enabling the vehicle to be drivenalongside a column of troops on foot –another of the army’s many requirements.The new improved design was referred to

as the Type 82 and would become themainstay of the Wehrmacht throughout WorldWar II. It rapidly became known, bothofficially and unofficially, as theKübelsitzwagen – literally ‘bucket seat car’, areference to the design of the seats used inthe off-road prototypes – but the name soonbecame shortened to simply Kübelwagen.Series production began in 1940 and the

very first entry in the hand-written productionrecord in the factory archives in Wolfsburgreads: Type 82 Kübelwagen. It was, to allintents and purposes, the very first mass-produced VW – and arguably, therefore, thevery first production Porsche... PW

Below left: Whoneeds four-wheel-drive when you havea Kübelwagen?

Below: Reductiongears on the end ofeach rear axleincreased the rideheight by 30mm andreduced the final-drive gearing

Above left: OriginalType 62 was deemedby some in themilitary to be ‘toopretty’! Secondincarnation was morefunctional in design

Above: Excellentground clearance andlight weight of theType 82 won it manyadmirers among theWehrmacht soldiers



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Not so much a how-to thismonth – although there is apractical element to whatfollows – but more a why-to.Or, given both the manifold

benefits of the device in question, and thehistorical, aesthetic and not least financialvalue of the broad spectrum of Porschemodels for which it is intended, perhapsthat should be a why-on-earth-NOT-to?We are talking, as you might have

guessed, about the distinctive so-called‘spark boxes’ fitted to air-cooled 911s, up toand including the RS and RSR, from 1969 tothe end of 911SC production in 1983 – andto the 930 Turbo through to its own demisein 1989. There was even a similar set-up inthe 906, 908 and 917 race cars. Today thereis a tendency to think of these now familiaraluminium canisters as primitive enginemanagement systems, possibly becausein the relevant Porsches they are oftenassociated with fuel-injection systems, albeitprimarily of the entirely mechanical type(or later the electro-mechanical type), but inreality they are nothing more than capacitive-

discharge ignition modules.In previous inductive-discharge ignition

systems the high-voltage spark at the plugsis generated by applying a voltage (usually12, but in some cars just six) to a primarywire coil wound around a ferrite core. Thiscreates a magnetic field in the core, and that,in turn, induces a voltage in an adjacent andcrucially longer secondary coil of wire. Whenthe circuit in that primary loop is opened(via a rotating cam inside the distributor, andthe associated contact-breaker points), theresulting collapsing magnetic field causesa much higher voltage (typically 25,000)to be induced in the secondary loop. This isthen ‘distributed’ to each of the spark plugsin turn. There is a little more to it than that,of course, and a fuller understanding of howit all works is going to require a basic graspof physics (or just Google ‘Faraday’s Law’),but it is cheap and simple and, generallyspeaking, efficient and pretty reliable.As power units became increasingly

sophisticated, however, and their users moredemanding, so the inherent shortcomings ofinductive-discharge ignition became more

apparent. A four-cylinder engine running at3000rpm requires just 6000 such ‘events’(that is to say sparks) per minute. Add twocylinders and push the engine to, say,6000rpm, and you need no fewer than18,000 sparks within the same period.(And that is with just one spark plug percylinder; famously many classic Porscheshave two.) A well-designed and well-maintained inductive-discharge ignitionsystem will generally rise to such a challenge– but often only just. Electrons, beingalmost unimaginably small, move almostunimaginably quickly, but the coil now hasonly milliseconds during which to react eachand every time the contacts open, and suchis the means by which those themselves areactuated that at very high engine speedsthey are in danger of not even closing fully(or at all) in the first place.The answer – eventually – would be the

capacitive-discharge ignition system. Firstproposed in the 1890s by the brilliantHungarian electrical engineer Nikola Tesla,essentially this consisted of a condenser(also known as a capacitor) that could be

TECH: HOW TO

It was the purchaseand subsequentrestoration of thisexquisite 911SC thatset Classic Retrofitproprietor JonnyHart on the path tore-engineer theBosch-made ‘sparkboxes’ that lie at theheart of its ignitionsystem – and of somany other 911s from1969 all the waythrough to 1989. Caris now far fromstandard – watch outfor the full story in afuture issue of themagazine – but allmodifications havebeen carried outsympathetically andsubtly, to create thekind of machine thatPorsche itself mighthave built; a sort of911SC GT3. Naturallyit also has one of CR’suprated fuse/relayboards

THE VITAL SPARKMany classic air-cooled 911s have capacitive-discharge ignition systems. Thanks to ageing electronicssignificant numbers are now beginning to fail, but one UK-based specialist – the owner of the beautiful SCshown below – has come up with a genuine plug-and-play replacement that is not only future-proof, but alsoallows for an element of advance-curve mapping. Story by Chris Horton; photographs by Antony Fraser

HOW TO CDI v6-finalch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 2:59 PM Page 102

charged by a DC generator, and thendischarged through the coil to generate therequired high-tension spark. Its first use in avehicle was by Ford in around 1906, but thereal pioneer was Bosch, and during theSecond World War a number of Germanaircraft engines had effective but ultimatelyrather delicate CDI systems made by thatorganisation. Development for automotiveapplications continued after the war, using adevice known as a thyratron to initiate andcontrol the process, but these were similarlyfragile, and despite the by then well-knownbenefits of CD ignition – much higher-energysparks (typically 35,000 volts) that wouldmore easily fire wet or fouled plugs,improved power and fuel economy, and notleast reduced exhaust emissions – theyproved to be something of a dead end.The real breakthrough in solid-state CDI

came with the invention in the late 1950s ofthe thyristor, also known as the silicon-

controlled rectifier, or SCR. Unlike thethyratron, this would be more than reliableenough, it seemed, but it was also prone toreacting to spurious trigger impulses, partlyfrom electrical interference, but primarilyfrom the ‘points bounce’ that had also been(and would remain to the end) one of theAchilles’ heels of the basic inductive-discharge ignition system. This resulted in aseries of weak and/or mistimed sparks at theplugs that would cause severe misfiring, andpossibly even engine damage. The problemcould to some extent be avoided by using aHall-effect trigger, or even an optical device –and in time, of course, that is precisely theroute that many manufacturers would follow– but initially these were very expensive.The solution came in 1962 from a Royal

Canadian Air Force officer, one Frank LWinterburn. He retained the contact-breakerpoints, but crucially his clever internalcircuitry allowed the system somehow to

recognise only the first opening of thecontacts in each ignition event, and to ignoreany subsequent openings as the points‘bounced’. Winterburn’s design wasmarketed in Canada as a bolt-on accessorythrough a company called HylandElectronics, with testing showing (or at leastclaiming) often significant power and/oreconomy gains, and similar improvements inthe lifespan of both the spark plugs andespecially the contact-breaker points. Boschbought the European rights to the design in1971, but by then the genie was out of thebottle, and throughout both that decade andthe 1980s there were many similar after-market systems, some licensed and thus‘legit’, others probably not. At that timethis writer was a journalist working on CarMechanics magazine, and over the yearswe ‘tested’ (albeit not very scientifically)probably several dozen such units.Porsche began using a Bosch CDI system


CDI+ comes inessentially two

configurations: with athree-pin connector

(all units in thisphoto) for cars from1969 to 1977, and a

six-pin connector for1978 to 1983 (911SC)and to 1989 for the

930-model 911Turbo. Additional

flying leads on two ofthe boxes are for shiftlight, tacho drive andexternal input. The

box on the far right isa refurbished Bosch

item, fitted withexactly the same

modern electronics;perfect for the

‘stealth’ look. Fulldetails of all options,features and prices –and an on-line shop –

at www.classicretrofit.com, or elsecall 01825 83032

The purpose-madetest-rig fits neatlyinside a rigid flight

case, and often showsup weaknesses in

seemingly still soundoriginal Bosch CDIunits: just because

they whistlereassuringly when theignition is switchedon (see sidebar onnext spread), it

doesn’t mean thatthey will deliver

healthy sparks at highengine revs and

under heavy load.Triggering device is aHall-effect magneticsystem (on far rightof case), but many ofthe cars covered by

the CR unit have old-fashioned contact-breaker points; bestuprated if possible.The CDI+ box wasprecisely designedand made to fit onstandard mounts inthe engine bay (insetphoto, opposite), andto plug in to existingwiring. CR-designedhousing looks great,too, but the modernelectronics can alsobe fitted inside an

original Bosch box forthose who – for

whatever reason –demand 100 per centoriginal appearance.Photo on the far rightshows just such an

installation; the car’sowner wanted the

box to remain exactlyas it was, corrosionand all. Note theso-called surface-

mounted componentscompared to those inthe unit in the test-rig

PRACTICALPORSCHE



TECH: HOW TO

Jonny Hart (far left)attempting to explainto author Hortonhow it all works. Theunderlying science isway beyond the latter– he says he nowwishes he had paidmore attention inschool physicslessons – butcertainly not the logicor benefits of CDI+.One of the effects ofthe internal circuitryis to produce not onlymuch stronger andmore consistentsparks at the plugsbut, as theoscilloscope traceabove shows, twosuch sparks almostinstantaneously. This– and the fine-tuningof the advance curvethat is also possible –allows for muchimproved combustionefficiency, and that,unsurprisingly, cantranslate into modestpower and torqueincreases, andperhaps reduced fuelconsumption. Enginewill almost certainlystart more easily,especially from cold,and offer improveddriveability

Main problem withthe original Boschboxes is their age – atleast 27 years, and insome cases headingfor 50. Design isbasically sound, saysHart, although thesedays it wouldn’t bepermissible to runwires carrying heavycurrent so close tothe metal case – theresulting tracking toearth (left) leaves tell-tale spatter marks

in its road cars in 1969, first in the higher-performance 2.0-litre 911S, before laterrolling it out across the full range, and initiallyretaining – presumably on cost grounds –old-fashioned contact-breaker points as thetrigger mechanism, although this layoutwould in the later Turbo and the 911SCbe replaced with a Hall-effect trigger. Theelectronics, modest by today’s standards,were housed in a cast-aluminium boxmounted on the left-hand side of the enginecompartment – but where, of course, theywould be routinely roasted, before beingallowed to cool and then roasted again,many times over. All things considered,however, they were – and often still are –amazingly reliable.But certainly not entirely so. And, when

they do go wrong, not always easy todiagnose, and neither particularly easy norcheap to have repaired – and with theobvious possibility that the remainingperhaps 40-year-old electronics inside couldsoon go wrong once again. New sparkboxes, needless to say, are no longeravailable. And, even if they were, wouldprobably cost an arm and a leg – as do,

of course, the seemingly good second-handunits that could themselves soon stopworking. It was an issue faced by Porscheenthusiast Jonny Hart from Five Ashes inSussex, but as a highly qualified electronicsengineer and designer, with many years ofexperience running a company buildingsuitably robust systems of all kinds for thedefence and aerospace industries, one thathe quickly realised had an obvious and –for him – relatively simple solution.‘I bought and restored a 1982 911SC,’

he says. (And we shall be featuring thisexquisite machine in a future issue.) ‘I soondiscovered that the car had a capacitive-discharge ignition system. I joined a fewforums, and equally quickly realised thatfailure of the original CDI boxes is a commonproblem. There’s nothing wrong with theBosch design, it's just that the components,particularly the film-type capacitors usedback then, have a limited lifespan. With newunits unavailable, and repairs achieving littlebut to delay some other failure, I started tohave concerns over the likely reliability of my30-year-old car. There are quite a few after-market options, of course, but I didn’t like the

way they look, and I didn’t want to modify theoriginal wiring loom. I wanted a plug-and-play replacement. So I decided to task ourengineers with designing completely newelectronics to replace the CDI box. The briefwas simply that the new circuit should fit inan entirely original Bosch casing, or one withthe same dimensions and mounting points,but be microprocessor-controlled to allowfor mapping the ignition.’Development of the system, now known

as CDI+, began in 2013, and a prototypewas running – in Jonny’s own SC – by mid-2014. ‘The circuit design and layout weredone using our in-house CAD system. Forthe high-voltage supply we used a designoften found in military power supplies,because we wanted the robustness thatthey offer. The unit delivers two 300-voltpulses, one immediately after the other, intoa standard coil. This gives effectively twoalmost instantaneous sparks at each plug,and essentially twice the spark energy of theoriginal box. We have also built in protectionagainst over-voltage, under-voltage, reversepolarity, and against the coil being eitheropen- or short-circuited. The inputs and

There are many reasons why your classic 911won’t start, or run reliably, but in any suchscenario (and having exhausted all of the otherobvious possibilities, such as faulty HT leads orcontact-breaker points) it’s a fair bet that,ultimately, the spark box will be to blame.

One simple diagnostic tool is your ownhearing: if the box is powered up (ie ignitionbut not engine switched on) and working moreor less normally, then it should emit a notoverly loud but certainly audible high-pitchedwhistle. It’s a bit like tinnitus, for those whoknow what that’s like, but generally discerniblydifferent. Bear in mind, though, that even thisis no guarantee that at high or even mediumrevs the unit will produce all the sparks that itsdesigners intended. And do remember, too,that CDI+ doesn’t make any such similar noise– or not one that the human ear can detect.

As a further but slightly less easy check onthe original system’s viability, carefully removethe box, and equally carefully open up the caseby unscrewing the bottom cover plate. Thecomponents and wiring inside will almostcertainly be looking pretty tired, but often youwill see (and smell) evidence of the arcing thatbecomes an ever-increasing problem as

insulation materials begin to break down.‘The Bosch circuitry was pretty much state-

of-the-art for its time,’ says Jonny Hart, ‘butthese days no designer would ever run a wirecarrying that much current so close to the

casing, or anything else that would encouragetracking to earth. And needless to say our boxesare completely different. They use what areknown as surface-mount components, and aredesigned to meet today’s electronic standards.’

DON’T IGNORE THE WARNING SIGNS



PRACTICALPORSCHE

Fuelling in an engineequipped with CDI+is likely to be ‘fixed’,but downloadablesoftware (and the

necessary knowledgeand experience on thepart of the operator)allows ignition curveto be mapped almostas precisely as in any

subsequent fullyelectronic engine

management system(right). Additionalfeatures include a

tachometer feed, anadjustable rev-limiter

(either ‘soft’ or‘hard’), shift light (as

shown far right),and even a presetrev-limiter that byholding the engine

speed below a certainpoint whenever the

clutch pedal isdepressed can

function as a kind ofvery basic launch

control. And all forthe price of a second-hand Bosch box from

the likes of eBay,which by definitioncould very soon go

the way of the one inyour car to start with.

The phrase‘no-brainer’ springs

to mind...

outputs are isolated and filtered. For theeven more technically minded, the 48MHzmicrocontroller is a 32-bit STM32 ARMCortex. Despite measuring only fivemillimetres square and one millimetre thickit’s around ten times more powerful than a1980s’ home computer!‘We use automotive-grade 125-degree

components throughout the design. Mostparts are over-specified, so our maincapacitors, for instance, are rated at 600volts, yet run at only 300. We use localcompanies for the supply of parts andsub-assemblies. We are proud to say thatour circuit boards are manufactured here inthe UK, and supplied to us inspected andtested. All assembly work is done here, too.The machined cases are made from solidbillet aluminium – although we can use anoriginal Bosch item where the customerdemands 100 per cent original looks. Theunits are then built to order with either three-or six-pin sockets to plug straight into thestandard Porsche wiring, as determinedby the car model. Every single unit is soak-tested at 7000rpm before shipping.‘Our engineers’ background in mission-

critical electronics means that we fullyunderstand the importance of rigoroustesting. All of our products are extensivelybench- and road-tested before launch. Weoverheat and destruction-test all our designs.That first CDI+ prototype was bench-tested

at 7000rpm for four weeks, literally non-stop.If it were possible to hold that engine speedin fifth gear in a 911 for that long, that wouldequate to well over 100,000 miles. We havehad access to an engine test cell, and theuse of both a race car and a rolling-road forperformance testing. Unit 001, as we havenamed it, is still running in a 911 to this day.It has been back to base for a checkup andgiven a clean bill of health.’Wisely – and unlike the makers of some of

those after-market systems from the 1980s –Jonny Hart is wary of making claims aboutpower and performance gains. ‘The two mostimportant benefits of our system have to beits reliability and its ready availability,’ hesays, ‘as well as its simplicity. It really is plugand play – assuming there is no other reasonwhy the engine won’t start, of course, or runproperly.’ But you will most likely notice animprovement in starting, idle quality and on-the-road driveability, he suggests, and quitepossibly fuel economy, as well. ‘It’s the earlycars that usually show the most gains,’ headds. ‘The air/fuel mixture in their combustionchambers tends to be quite turbulent, so thefact that you have two sparks rather than justone helps it burn more efficiently. If the firstspark doesn’t get it, basically, then thesecond one certainly will!’ But the systemalso has a ‘mappable’ ignition curve (moreon this fascinating aspect in a future edition),and in the right hands that can deliver small

but obviously valuable improvements inpower and/or torque. Every little helps.Neil Bainbridge at BS Motorsport, for

instance, has carried out a number of dynoruns on a 2.4-litre 911T engine running onPMO carburettors (indeed, this writer waspresent for one of them), and after installingand carefully setting up the CDI+ systemrecorded a 10lb ft (13Nm) rise in torque atcertain parts of the rev range. (The full testresults are downloadable from the ClassicRetrofit website.) ‘The CDI+ box showed anoticeable increase in power, even whenusing the timing offered by the standarddistributor,’ said Neil, ‘and torque gains of upto 10lb ft. That would certainly be noticeableon either the road or the racetrack, andsubjectively I think the engine ran moresmoothly, too. It’s a really clever little system,and I can see no reason not to use it if youhave the opportunity – or one of the manycars for which it is so suitable.’Personally, I couldn’t agree more. It’s

almost enough to make me want to go outand buy a sound but poorly running classic911 – of which, let’s face it, there are stillmany – and then, for little or no more thanyou are likely to pay for a second-handPorsche/Bosch box of unknown provenance(and future reliability) on eBay, give it a wholenew lease of life. As we suggested at thebeginning, how could you possibly not wantto upgrade your 911 in this way? PW

Classic Retrofit’s CDI+ is available for 911swith either three-pin connections (1969 to1977; actuation via contact-breaker points) orsix-pin sockets (911SC from 1978 to 1983, and930 Turbo to 1989; actuation by Hall-effecttrigger). Both variants come in a brand-newcasing beautifully machined from billetaluminium, and designed to fit straight on thestandard mounts in the engine compartment.Cost for either unit in ‘road’ trim is £795 plusVAT, or £995 pus VAT for a race-specificationunit. Both systems have essentially the samefeatures, but the latter adds a waterproof‘pigtail’ connector, and more easily allowsfine-tuning with the engine in the car.

For those seeking a ‘stealth’ upgrade youcan have the Classic Retrofit electronicsinstalled in your own standard Bosch box,and if you don’t have a suitable donor casethe company has limited stocks of lightly

refurbished original items, ready forinstallation of the CDI+ internals, for £195pus VAT. (Interestingly, says Jonny Hart,at least half of the failing or completely deadoriginal units that Classic Retrofit sees havealready been rebuilt at least once before.)Comprehensive but refreshingly clear andconcise fitting and set-up instructions areincluded, and also downloadable in advancefrom the Classic Retrofit website (go towww.classicretrofit.com, or alternativelycall Jonny Hart on 01825 830525). Thatwebsite also has a secure on-line shop area.

Both road and race units incorporate anumber of other valuable features, in additionto the improved timing accuracy and dualspark to 10,000rpm that come as standard.These include both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ rev-limiters (as well as an input for a preset limitfor a sort of simple launch control), and an

output for a dashboard-mounted shift light.Sadly, we don’t have the space to go into thosein detail here, but we hope to follow up thisstory with another in the near future, showingnot only how to install the system in a typicalcar (quite possibly Antony Fraser’s 911SC; seebelow) but also how to take full advantage ofthem during the set-up procedure.

Classic Retrofit manufactures several otheringenious and top-quality electrical upgradesfor classic 911s, notably the front and rear fusepanels which these days are similarly prone toall manner of reliability problems. They cost£245 and £45 plus VAT, respectively. Wecovered the installation of one of the formeras a how-to story in the August 2015 issue,and more recently this writer helped theaforementioned Antony Fraser fit one to his911SC. See the resulting Our cars reports inthe July and August 2016 editions.

OPTIONS, FEATURES AND PRICES – AND SOME FURTHER READING



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PORSCHE PARTS

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TECH: SPECIALIST

The OctaneCollection’s Porschestock is eclectic butvery much high-end.This S/T replica wasbuilt by Maxted-Page& Prill. Next to it isthe only right-handdrive Maritime Blue964 RS built

Viewing at Surrey-basedsports car sales emporiumThe Octane Collection, ‘isby appointment only’.Which makes a lot of

sense. If the huge barn that serves asthe company’s showroom were freelyaccessible to all, then director LucasHutchings and his small team ofsalesmen would never get any workdone. Because once you’ve entered thatshowroom, you’ll never want to leave…We’ve all played fantasy garage: well,

The Octane Collection is fantasy made real.It’s like the ultimate car enthusiast’smuseum but with an ever-changing line-upof exhibits as cars are sold and bought.Admittedly, pre-1980s machinery doesn’t

make up much of the mix – although therewas a gorgeous 356C in the showroom onthe day of our visit – but chances are thatyou’ll see plenty of cars that at some stagein your life you’ve said, ‘I’d really love tohave one of those.’ Sure, we’re a Porschemagazine, and yes, you’re all Porscheenthusiasts, but it’s hard not to bedistracted by gems such as a BMW M3(E30), Lancia Beta Monte Carlo, Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, LamborghiniCountach 5000 QV, and Ferrari 599 GTO.And, of course, there are Porsches. Lots

and lots of top quality Porsches. In fact,Porsche is comfortably the bestrepresented marque within The OctaneCollection, with models that span all theeras from the aforementioned 356C,

through to the highly sought-after (991) 911R, an example of which had been sitting inreception the day before we arrived but hadgone before we got there.To keep things simple, throughout this

article we’re going to refer to everything thatwe saw on a smart, secure farmyardcomplex located down a narrow Surrey laneas belonging to The Octane Collection. Butthat’s not quite accurate. Lucas Hutchingsis director of a holding company calledImage Automotive: The Octane Collection isone of the brands which operate under thatumbrella. The others are MillenniumHeroes, Fast Classics and Great BritishClassics, but all four brands rub shouldersin that same temptation-filled showroom.Hutchings understands the importance of

The Surrey based supercar emporium deals in all types of sports and super car, but by far itsbiggest sales indulgence is top-end Porsches. We drop in for a look aroundWords and photography: Brett Fraser

THEOCTANECOLLECTION

specialistch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 1:10 PM Page 108


having a powerful brand, knowledge that heaccrued in his previous automotive venture,4 Star Classics, which he ran with anotherbusiness partner. Established at the end of2009, 4 Star Classics quickly made animpact with its professionally designed logoand high quality photography in itsadvertisements – the cars were well lit on acrisp, white background, giving them apremium feel to go with the premium pricesthat 4 Star was asking.

Two years ago Hutchings elected to setup on his own under the Image Automotivebanner, and continued to exploit some ofthose marketing lessons he learnt whilstrunning 4 Star. ‘We certainly weren’t thefirst to photograph our stock against clean,white backgrounds’ he concedes modestly,‘I think that honour belongs to a companycalled Eclectic Cars. But we have movedthe game on.

‘You might say that we got a bit carriedaway – we built a proper full studioincluding an infinity cove, and we havephotographic studio lighting. And we alsorealised that while it’s lovely to have all thegear, you also need to have a professional

car photographer to take the shots: theyunderstand the best angles and how youcan get the light to fall most seductivelyalong the lines of the car. We were verylucky from the outset to have a greatphotographer.’

The photographic studio is based a fewmiles down the road from the showroomand is incorporated within The OctaneCollection’s preparation unit. ‘We sell

special cars and we like them to be at theirabsolute best when they go off to their newowner, so we take great care with theirpreparation,’ explains Hutchings. ‘Detailingthe cars is obviously very important, and wealso have a resident technician to take careof mechanical glitches on the oddoccasions when there are any.

‘We have diagnostic equipment that we

use for a basic check-over, so that we cancheck that engines haven’t been over-revved or swapped because of enginefailure or accident damage. And we’ll checkthat engine and chassis numbers match thepaperwork. Our aim is that when ourcustomers take delivery of a car from us, itshouldn’t need anything more doing to it. Ofcourse cars are cars and very occasionallya post-sale issue will occur, but we try our

very hardest to minimise that possibility:we’ve got a good reputation and workdiligently to maintain it.

‘From our perspective we want to believein the cars that we’re selling, and once acar has gone through our preparationcentre we’re able to have that belief. Itmakes life easier for us and means thatbecause our customers go away satisfied,

PRACTICALPORSCHE

Main man, LucasHutchings, learnt histrade with 4-StarClassics, the companythat really started topush the boundrieswith presentationand pricing

We sell special cars. Welike them to be at their

absolute best“ ”

Image andpresentation extendsto smart receptionarea, complete with awell-stocked fridge!

specialistch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 11:13 AM Page 109


we tend to enjoy a lot of repeat business.’In spite of his very clear focus on getting

the customer experience just-so at TheOctane Collection, Hutchings insists that atheart he’s not really a salesman, simply a

car enthusiast. ‘Everyone who works here isjust the same,’ he asserts, ‘passionateabout cars and driving. It’s how we selectour stock – we think about what cars we’dlove to own ourselves. As you can see,there’s an emphasis on high performance

and supercars, and we specialise in raritiesand limited editions.

‘We’re only interested in very high qualitystock, and despite the fact that we’ve beenaround for a comparatively short time, our

client base understands this – both thosebuying from us, and those hoping to sell ustheir cars. We now have such excellentcontacts with the latter group that weseldom have to go out looking for stock, itcomes to us.’

Hutchings’ love of cars stretches back tochildhood. ‘My parents tell me that I seemedhappiest in my pushchair when they werepushing it fast,’ he laughs. ‘My obsessionwith speed grew from there, firstly throughbicycles and then later anything with anengine. My first car was a Peugeot 106 XSafter which I graduated to a Renault 5 GTTurbo and then a Clio Williams; I did a fewtrackdays in the Clio and learnt a lot aboutcar control.’

Car fan he may have been, but Hutchingswas a late convert to Porsche. ‘Of course Iwas aware that many Porsche owners wereobsessive about the marque, but because I’dnever driven one I simply didn’t understandwhat they were about. As far as I wasconcerned the engine was in the wrongplace – in a 911 at least – end of story.

The OctaneCollection andassociated brands,has pushed theboundries for thequality of itsadvertising, withstudio photographyat the heart ofits website andprint adverts

Left: ImageAutomotive is madeup of four differentcompanies all sharingthe same space, withThe OctaneCollection dealingwith the real high-end stuff. Studio isthe real deal, with aninfinity cove andstudio lighting,presenting stock inabsolute perfect light

TECH: SPECIALIST

Hutchings insists at hearthe’s not a salesman,

simply a car enthusiast“ ”



PRACTICALPORSCHE

Despite all the high-end exotica, ourmodest imaginarybudget was drawn torather lovely 911SC ata shade under£50,000. Still toomuch, but nevermind, it’s a stunner...

It’s not all aboutPorsches. We wereparticularly takenwith this BMW 3.0CSL duo beingprepped for sale

‘But then I actually got to drive one and itall started to make more sense, especiallyon a track. The harder you work a 911 themore rewarding it becomes. And thoserewards are marvellous. The turn-in isfantastic because there’s no engine overthe front wheels to create inertia, and thenwhen you put down the power as youthunder away from the apex, there’s superbtraction. I can see why people can becomeobsessed with their Porsches.’Hutchings’ growing appreciation of the

brand didn’t translate into a direct policydecision for The Octane Collection to stockmore Porsches: it just sort of happened.‘The funny thing is,’ he muses, ‘that onceyou’ve got a couple of Porsches in theshowroom then they start to snowball.’ Lookaround the showroom today and thatsnowball has become a Stuttgart-sourcedavalanche, with 911s from every era, that356C and a Boxster Spyder overwhelmingall other brands numerically.Most of the iconic 911 badges are

represented – RS, GT2, GT3, GT3 RS,Turbo, Turbo S – and often across severaldifferent generations. And The OctaneCollection isn’t shy of taking on unusualcars: on the day of our visit there was a 9112.4 S prepared to S/T specification byMaxted-Page & Prill, complete with an MSAHistoric Technical Passport, and a

supremely well executed tribute to the 3.0-litre RSR IROC. Plus there was the onlyright-hand drive example of the 964 3.6-litreTurbo to be produced in Maritime Blue.‘I’m a bit of a fan of the 964 and 993

Turbos,’ confesses Hutchings, ‘but I wasalso pretty excited when we had a couple ofCarrera GTs pass through the showroom a

while back. And it’s such a shame that youmissed out on seeing the 911 R; it reallydoes seem to be the car of the moment andis exceptionally hard to get hold of.’Frankly, any of the Porsches that are

currently on The Octane Collection’s stocklist would suit us just fine. But in amongstall the fire-breathers and track monsters is

a more genteel machine that neverthelessexemplifies the spirit of Porsche – a 1982911 3.0 SC, Guards Red, Pasha cloth trim,just 69,710 miles. It’s a beaut, inside andout. And all that separates us fromownership of this dream machine is thesmall matter of £49,995: if only journalistswere paid more… PW

CONTACT:The OctaneCollectionChinthurst FarmChinthurst LaneBramleySurrey GU5 0DR+44 (0) 1483338903theoctanecollection.com

Once you’ve got a coupleof Porsches in stock, thenthey start to snowball“ ”



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TECH: PROJECTSPROJECTSWedon’t just write about Porsches,we drive and live with them, too

THE TEAM

Move along now, nothing to see/read here. No,really, I might as well fill this box up with

question marks. I amguilty of neglect. The996 has no MOT and isstill broken. What can Isay? Guilty as charged.

STEVE BENNETT996 C2/944 LUX

After the recent engine debacle – now sorted,thank goodness – an MOT seemed like the least

of my worries. And itwas, with just a fewniggles to sort before apass was issued. Seep118 for the full story.

KEITH SEUME912/6 ‘EL CHUCHO’

No news on the 924S, parked up again at AutoUmbau, but I have spent some time ‘snagging’

the 944 and, once it wasback down on its wheelsagain, even managed abrief drive around thecul-de-sac. Ready to go!

CHRISHORTON924S, 944

Still rolling along hoping to get the enginestarted soon, so at least something is finished!

I’ll also be changingthe 3.2 back to torsionbars as I just can’t geton with the coilover setup fitted.

PETER SIMPSON911 2.7 TARGA

Ah, the life and times of a Boxster. There’salways something to worry about – like ‘why

am I losing coolant?’There’s no visible signsof loss and then theeditor suggested a headgasket. Thanks!

BRETT FRASERBOXSTER 3.2S

On a recent excursion to Pfaffenhausen Iacquired a Ruf ducktail spoiler, which STR

Norwich will soon fit.Oh, and finally Mrs T’sBoxster 986 SAnniversary model hassold via Paul Stephens.

JOHNNY TIPLERBOXSTER 986/996 C2

Colleague Tipler may have mangaed to sell hisand Mrs T’s Boxster (above), but my 996 GT3 is

still stubbornly refusingto shift. It’s back homenow keeping the 911SCcompany. Frankly I’mtoo busy to worry!

ANTONYFRASER996 GT3, SC, TRACTOR

It always looks darkest just before itgets totally black. Call me a glass-half-empty kind of guy, but as Istepped aboard the Croc a fewweeks ago and headed north to

none other than Porsche engine specialistsHartech, my disposition wasn't exactly thatof sunny optimism.

The reason I was heading to Hartechwas that my Cayman's oil consumption hadcrept up ever so slightly. If we were talkinghere about a 'normal' engine, whatever thatmeans, it wouldn't have been of particularconcern. But the M97 3.4-litre lump has ahard earned reputation for lunching on itsown bores and the first sign of animpending failure is increased oilconsumption. I know this with some

confidence because the engine in my carwas replaced at just over 40,000 miles forprecisely that reason.

A mere two years later, I've put another40,000 on the new block and the uptick in oilconsumption was perfectly timed to play onmy paranoia. Last time around, the car wasunder Porsche warranty so the main concernwas getting Porsche to pay out. This time,any issues would be on my head. Or ratherbank balance.

So, as soon as I noticed the smallincrease in consumption, it made every coldstart something to dread. I'd twist the key ingrim anticipation, always half expecting theoil level indicator to be doing the samedeath-blink that presaged engine failurebefore. This is no way to enjoy your Porsche. JEREMY

LAIRD2006CAYMAN 3.4 S

Occupation:Freelance writerPreviousPorsches: OneCurrent Porsche:Cayman SMods/options:StandardContact:[email protected] month:A trip to Hartech forsome enginereasurance. Did itwork? Read on...

HEALTHASSURANCEWorried about a slight increase in oil consumption, Jeremy Laird tookhis Cayman to Hartech for a checkover. The news was good...

Up on the ramp: TheCroc took a trip toHartech to have itsbores sniffed by thebest in the business

our cars jeremych.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 3:53 PM Page 114


PRACTICALPORSCHE

There was nothing for it but to get the boressniffed by the outfit that conventional wisdomdictates is the best at this particularbusiness.

Hartech are fully three hours away frommy base of operations in Bath. But I alsoknow from experience that inspecting boreswith a fibre optic camera can be a hit andmiss affair. Hartech have seen more thanmost. More importantly, because they rebuildso many of these engines, my theory wasthat they would be best placed to connectwhat they see on the scope with what theyfind when they pull these engines apart. Iknew my engine wasn't just about to fail. ButI wanted the best expert opinion on whetherit was beginning to go.

As I schlepped up the M5, I had plenty oftime to contemplate the possible scenarios.Probably the most vexing would be thediscovery of some very early bore scoring. Inthat scenario, it would probably do another10,000 miles, maybe 20,000. That soundsreasonable, but at my annual mileage, itwould only buy me another six months to ayear. Of course, with the only externalsymptom being oil consumption, the Crocwas thoroughly marketable. But I could notpunt the car on to a private seller withouttelling them that it was beginning to go. Andwho wants a gen 1 Cayman with an enginethat's beginning to go?

You then begin pondering the options.Whack it through webuyanycar? Part

exchange it at a dealer? All very do-able. Butall also involve subterfuge that wouldinevitably hit some poor bastard six monthsor a year down the road. When it comes tocars and houses, many take the view that it'severy man for himself. But I don't think Icould knowingly put a borked car back intocirculation without full disclosure.

It's therefore something of anunderstatement to say that I was pleased tolearn that my bores are in good nick, someof the best Hartech had seen in a while,even if the context is a business thatinevitably tends to see the bad ones.Whatever, I spent an extremely intriguing fewhours touring the Hartech facility andlearning a little more about how they goabout things. There was much to be learned.

First, Hartech are one of the good guys.I have occasion to meet a reasonable arrayof specialists and not all of them live up totheir reputation. If anything, I was moreimpressed by Hartech than I had beenexpecting. Not because they have swankyfacilities. They don't. It's a large facility. Butthink northern grit not antiseptic cleanliness.McLaren's famous technology centre hasnothing to fear.

But what Hartech does have is properengineering prowess. I'm talking about skillslike machining a block, custom-fitting pistonsand designing bespoke solutions to thevarious niggles that blight water cooledPorsche engines. Like a lot of things in life,

the guys that do something a lot are usuallythe best. It's not that Hartech are necessarilycleverer than anyone else. But take twoequally talented engine builders. If one hasdone 1000 of a given engine type and theother has only done 10, well, it's not hard toguess who will have fine tuned their processand come up with the best solutions.Practice makes perfect.

If that sounds like a marketing pitch, so beit. All I know is that when the time comes,there's only one place I'll be going for myrebuild. All of which meant that when Ijumped back in the Croc and headed for mynext destination, a short break inNorthumberland, spirits were high. I plotted acourse of pure B-road action, fully four hoursof it, and gave the Croc a comprehensivespanking. I did the same on the way back,too. It's so very liberating to have basicconfidence in your car, isn't it?

Confirmation of a healthy engine alsomeans I have finally begun to walk the talkconcerning some tweaks to the Cayman andin so doing I am unilaterally withdrawing myearlier offer to submit to capital punishmentin the event of inaction. A big-bore GT3-specbrake master cylinder has been fitted alongwith a shift mechanism with metal bearings.One was a notable success, the other a totalwaste of time. To find out which was whichand hopefully get a little insight into CameronSports Cars, who look after the Croc locally,tune in next time. PW

A scored bore. Buthappily not one of theCroc's. The Croc'sbores were deemedfit and healthy by thefine fellows atHartech

One of Hartech'srebuilds nearingcompletion. Thenewly closed-deckdesign looks about abillion times morerobust than the open-deck bores of theoriginal factoryengines

CONTACTHartechFirwood Works,Firwood IndustrialEstate, ThicketfordRd, Bolton BL23TRTel: 01204 302809hartech.org

our cars jeremych.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 3:53 PM Page 115




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Treat this as a cautionary tale.We all know it’s unsafe tocrawl under a raised car whenthe only means of support isthe jack, even if it’s a pukka

trolley job and not the windy-thingy Porschesupplies. No, you must use axle stands aswell. Only……only in my case I tried to pump the jack

up higher, one axle stand slipped and thecar slid sideways and the left-hand lower sill(sometimes called rocker panel; the bit thatsits below the rubber trim line) hit theground. The rear wheels, I would add, hadpreviously been removed. Memo to self:ensure axle stands are on even ground!Fortunately I was not lying underneath

when it happened, otherwise more than aheadache would have been the result. Infact the only ensuing problem was how toraise the thing off the ground to re-instatethe axle stands. Anyway I did it with thehelp of the car’s Bilstein jack – so windy-thingy came good – but examinationrevealed about 30cms of the rocker panelfolded over.No real damage done, to car or owner,

but obviously a repair was needed. Enterthe village coachworks, who areenthusiastic about ‘interesting’ cars andhave tackled quite a few restoration jobs onclassics. Their man, Aidan, reckoned thebest plan was to cut out the bent end of the

panel, straighten it and then weld back inplace. The weld would then have to beskimmed down and whole panel painted.In fact it turned out better to unbolt the

complete panel – it was new and had onlybeen fitted last year (see SVP later) so thebolts were not rusted – and then beat itback to shape on the bench makingalignment easier and no need for anywelding, before re-fitting and painting.Simple job, done expertly. If you’re in

need of a bodywork job and live in theHerts/Beds/Cambs area then call Aidan atCCR Coachworks (see panel) and have achat. Tell him I sent you!

WHAT’S IN A COLOUR?One bit of valuable info gleaned during thissorry affair: According to the stamped panelunder the carpet on the left hand side of thefront luggage compartment my ’87 Carrerapaint is Indischrot (Indian Red in English, Iassume) but almost everyone tells me it’sjust the same as the better-known GuardsRed. But it’s not. Aidan has the latestelectronic database allowing him to mixcolours which reveals Indischrot is indeed atotally different mix, particularly containingyellow which Guards Red does not contain.A well-known Porsche specialist, who

shall be nameless to spare his blushes,actually sold me a can of Guards touch-upa few years back, saying it was exactly the

same. Furthermore the Certificate ofAuthority for the car which Porsche GBkindly supplied only last year also claimsthe colour to be the aforementioned GuardsRed. Perhaps they thought it soundedbetter for the English market?Moral of this tale? Check before you

spray!

HOT OR COLD?The reason for jacking up the car was totake a look at the L/H heater control valvewhich lives in the murky depths past thedrive shaft, handbrake cable and brake line,and is operated by motorised cable fromthe knob near the handbrake.Problem was it wouldn’t switch off –

which meant the co-driver got hot feetwhatever the weather. This particular valve

TECH: PROJECTS

Our irregular correspondent thought it was time he brought you up to date on what’sbeen happening with the Carrera 3.2. Davies nearly flattened himself but he’s founda good local paint shop

STEADYHOWYOUGO!

Porsche’s eye view ofthe marvellous Millaubridge on theautoroute south of theMassif Central andheading for Spain

PAULDAVIESCARRERA3.2OccupationFreelance motoringwriterPreviousPorsches’68 912Current Porsche1987 Carrera 3.2TargaMods/optionsJust as [email protected] monthA cautionary tale, abit of panelbashing, plus asticky heater valve,saving fuel on aSpanish trip and(another) change ofaddress for DomDelaney at SVP

CONTACTCCRCoachworks,Langford,Bedfordshire; Tel:01462 701044

Jaz PorscheSt Albans,Hertfordshire; Tel:01727 866075 or07002 911 911;jazweb.co.uk

SVP MotorsportInkberrow,Worcestershire;Tel: 08454639111/01299251152;svp-motorsport.co.uk

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was replaced (by me on my back under thecar, with axle stands of course) just a fewyears back and I knew all that was neededwas a squirt or two of WD-40 to get thingsworking again.But after my experience with the slipped

axle stand I became a bit wary of moreunder-car excursions and trotted along toJaz Porsche (now living happily near StAlbans) so Steve Winter’s merry men couldhave a look for themselves and confirm thatthe valve was indeed operating again.Incidentally, the move by Jaz from north

London to Hertfordshire has proved to be agood one. The premises are larger andbetter equipped, including the latest wheelalignment gear. Access is now much easierfor out of town customers old and new, andloyal City Porsche owners soon found therailway station just down the road. Also, ifyou speak nicely to Steve’s wife Claire shemight even let you use the Jaz Smartcourtesy car.

ECONOMY ON HOLSThe heater control needed to be workingbecause we were off to Spain (the third suchmarathon for the Porsche) and a heater thatwon’t switch off when it’s 30deg C outsideand much more inside is no joke. Take theTarga roof off, you say? Not really, anythingover 70mph produces too much buffeting, soyou have to maintain a light throttle or keep

the roof on.The trip through France to northern Costa

Brava and back – all in a week this time –went as smoothly as previous journeys in thecar. At one stage we did think we had aproblem, a clunk coming from the chassisduring tight corners. Loose damper mounting,roll bar detached, I thought, rememberingthere was a Porsche specialist you can seefrom the Autoroute just beyond ClermontFerrand? In fact the noise stopped when theerrant Coke can had been retrieved fromunder the passenger seat.We left the P&O ferry at Calais

(recommend the extra for Club Loungeseating) just as French petrol tanker driversstarted to strike, but luckily only saw onestation sans essence. In fact the Porschewas on best behaviour, recording 31.4mpgfor the complete trip of just below 2000 miles.When the journey was made in 2014 we got27.0mpg; the full service I had last year atSVP (see further below) obviously workedwonders.Highlights of the trip? Driving the Porsche

on nice smooth French autoroutes of course,but also the 50kms run over the MassifCentral we had swapping places with a welldriven, Brit plated, Ferrari 348GT, and alsothe bunch of Portuguese bikers down nearNarbonne who rode alongside on theirHarleys giving us the thumbs up. Everyoneloves a Porsche!

SVP NOW OPC,NOW SVP AGAIN!Did I mention SVP earlier? Last year DomDelaney’s Midlands based outfit carried out afull service as well as taking care of a fewrust issues (new L/H sill, kidney bowl, doorshut) but when I came to get back in contactsome 12 months later they appeared to havedisappeared from the face of the earth.Then came the e-mail, SVP is dead, long

live OPC! With the name change came achange of premises, from Droitwich a fewinches right (on the map that is) to Inkberrow,Worcestershire. Only last week came yetanother message – ‘cancel the last movewe’re now at Inberrow, Worcestershire, andthe name’s SVP (Specialist PerformanceVehicles) again’.It seems the finance deal to set up OPC

(which stood for Optimum PerformanceCentre, but I always thought it was a bittricky, bearing in mind that Porschethemselves use that moniker for their ownOfficial Porsche Centre) fell through and Domhas, as he says, ‘gone back to his roots’, witha small staff doing just what he does best –fettling Porsches of all ages and buildingsome pretty quick Cayman racers as well.I’m glad Dom is back on the scene. When I

lived nearby in Gloucestershire the Carreramade many a trip to his workshop andalways came out feeling better for it. Checkbelow left for the new address. PW

Waiting to board.Not as speedy as theChannel Tunnel butP&O Ferry is morecivilised, especially ifyou opt for the ClubLounge

Just like the UK thebest price fuel inFrance comes atsupermarkets. 98octane is readilyavailable everywhere –good for the Carrera!

Folded over rockerpanel was the resultof the car slipping offthe (not so carefullyplaced) axle stands

CCR Coachworks’Aidan gets to gripswith straighteningout the bent panel

Heater control valvehides up in chassis.Regular lubrication isneeded to ensure thevent and internal flapoperate smoothly

PRACTICALPORSCHE

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Last month’s discovery of adropped exhaust valve seathad taken the wind out of mysails. I was, I have to admit, atmy wits end and contemplating

getting the engine fixed and selling the car.Quite simply, I had started to lose allconfidence in El Chucho…

I began to weigh up various optionsconcerning possible replacements, scouringadverts for anything which might tickle myfancy and not break what was left of thebank. At one end of the scale was a 996Turbo (hardly a classic by my usualstandards), while at the other was aCaterham Seven. Yes, really.

I liked the idea of a 996 Turbo, with itsblistering performance and pretty wellbullet-proof engine, but was never a fan ofthe 996’s interior or, to a lesser degree, thestyling. The Caterham was definitely a left-field choice, a car that’s been on my bucketlist for years. A Porsche-owning friend (a’73 Carrera RS-owning one at that) has aCaterham and loves it.

But, as he told me, ‘It’s not a Porsche’.Think motorbike with four wheels. Hmmm. Awell-sorted Caterham undoubtedlyrepresents amazing value for money interms of performance and handling. Buthe’s quite right: it’s not a Porsche…

I needed to get my head round this andconcentrate on sorting out poor El Chucho’sailments. Whatever I ultimately decidedupon, I had to get the car running properly– and that meant placing my trust in theteam at nearby Williams-Crawford to fix thedropped valve seat, worn guides andwhatever else might show up during thepartial tear down and rebuild.

I was busy with work for a couple ofweeks, so put the car and its problems tothe back of my mind, before finally pluckingup the courage to call in at the workshopone Friday, only to discover the car wasn’tthere. Why not? Because Adrian Crawfordhad taken it home for the weekend!

Well, to be more accurate, he’d taken ElChucho out to make sure all was OK and,as it had been booked in for an MOT at thelocal garage, he was going to drop it off onthe Monday morning.

I had guessed the car wouldn’t pass theMOT test as the headlight main beam relayhad been playing up, meaning that it onlyseemed to work half the time. I was alsoprepared for it to fail on the number plates,the front being rather, er, ‘minimalist’, therear a US-spec type, so I wasn’t entirelysurprised when I was given the news that ithad, indeed, failed. However, I didn’t expectseveral other points to be raised.

The first of these was play in the anti-rollbar mountings, front and rear. The rears Idid have my suspicions about but didn’tthink there was enough play to justify a‘fail’, but the fronts had me confused as I’donly just replaced the drop-links with newRose-jointed ones. But they were right:there was some play, but where?

After a lot of head scratching, I eventuallyfound the problem was due to the boltsused to locate the new Rose-joints beingslightly undersized. This allowed the joint tomove up and down slightly, regardless ofhow tight I did up the bolts. That was aneasy fix, but the rear bar proved a littlemore troublesome.

The way that Weltmeister chose – or stillchoose, I guess – to mount the accessoryrear anti-roll (sway) bar is to use a pair oflarge U-clamps round the torsion tube, towhich the bar is attached via rubber bushes,and then connect the free ends of the bar tothe trailing arms using drop links with rubberbushes at one end and Rose-joints at theother. The latter are fixed to the trailing armsusing a modified version of the originaleccentric adjusting bolt (the one used tofine-tune the angle of the spring plates).

The problem on my car was that theRose-joints had all but seized, placing anundue strain on the eccentric adjusters,

TECH: PROJECTS

What a year it’s been. Following last month’s shenanigans and thediscovery of a dropped valve seat, El Chucho is finally back on the roadand (don’t say it too loudly) fighting fit

ROLLERCOASTERRIDE

One last job to dofollowing a successfulMOT and ahead of along journey was toget the front wheelsbalanced again. Itseems like some ofthe stick-on balanceweights had comeunstuck. The crew atA1 Tyres in Bodmindid the necessary atshort notice…

KEITHSEUME1966 912Occupation:Editor,Classic PorschePreviousPorsches:Carrera 2.7; 928;912; 914/6; JuniorTractorCurrentPorsche:912Mods/options:Six-cylinderengine conversion,big brakes, etc.Contact:[email protected] month:Sorting engineproblems…andmore problems

keith our carsksv7 newch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:41 AM Page 122


causing them to wear. No matter how muchI tried to tighten them, they slackened offalmost immediately – clearly the threadedsection (see the photo, bottom right) wasworn. As a temporary fix, I had the threadrecut to a smaller size, which allowed me toget rid of the play sufficiently to appeasethe MOT tester’s displeasure.The intermittent headlight main beam had

been a recurring problem for some monthsbut, as the car was driven throughoutsummer more in daylight than darkness, ithad never been a top priority. The problemfirst reared its head when I was drivinghome to Cornwall one night and I had a bitof a ‘moment’ when putting the lights ontomain beam plunged the road into darkness!The headlight flash didn’t work, either,although dipped beam was fine.To begin with I suspected the column

switch and read up on-line how to dismantleit and adjust or clean the contacts. Butclose inspection (which means removingthe steering wheel) showed there to be noproblems. So, using my brilliant powers ofdeduction I came to the conclusion it wasprobably the headlight relay, which istucked away behind the floorboard underthe pedals.The relay was the original unit and

responded to a light tap with a screwdriver,

turning on the main beam with a healthy‘click’. New replacements of the samedesign (an old-fashioned metal casing withcrimped tags holding it all together) arehard to find and expensive, and used onesin working order appear to be as rare ashen’s teeth. I could, of course, have takenthe easy route and simply bought a modernplastic-cased example, but that would havemeant spending money...Gaining access to the relay is a literal

pain in the neck (and back) as it involveswriggling between the seat and the steeringwheel, while working in restricted light deepin the driver’s footwell. It pays to make anote of the wiring colours before youdisconnect the relay, too.As soon as I got the relay on the bench,

it became obvious where the problem lay:one of the terminals was loose. Untwistingthe tags which hold the body of the relaytogether revealed that the rivet used to holdthe terminal in place had worn, resulting ina poor electrical connection. Burn marksaround the terminals showed it was not arecent problem.As everything else looked fine – the

contacts were all clean – it was simply acase of squeezing the rivet tight against theterminal using the corner of the jaws of avice. Put it all back together, reinstall it in

the car and bingo! The lights all worked asthey should. Cost? Zilch – now that’s mykind of money.Two other MOT failure points were the

aforementioned front number plate – ‘fixed’by temporarily sticking a full-sized plate tothe front bumper using double-sided tape –and a non-functioning horn. The lattersurprised me as it had been working, butthe fix was easy. As soon as I removed thehorn button it was obvious that a wire hadbecome detached. Another free fix…So, back to the MOT station with fingers

firmly crossed. This time there was noproblem (although slight play in the frontanti-roll bar mountings was still noted) anda ‘pass’ was issued. Phew! Time to startenjoying the car again, even if theopportunities to drive it are dwindling as theseasons move on.There is still work to do: those front struts

still rattle, and the heated windscreendoesn’t appear to be connected up! Butapart from that, all is hunky-dory. Maybe.OK, I’ll come clean. The MOT also showedup a non-functioning windscreen washer.How? Why? Well, it appears they work bysquirting water onto the screen, for whichyou need water in the reservoir. I’ll leave itto you to work out what vital element I’dforgotten to add to the system… PW

Far left: Unsightlybut legal frontnumberplate wastemporarily stuck tobumper usingdouble-sided tape.Mysteriously, nosooner had the carpassed its MOT thanthe plate somehowdisappeared…Left: Original main-beam relay hadstopped working, theproblem being tracedto a loose terminal(arrowed) whichcaused some arcing.Squeezing the rivettight in the corner ofa vice solved theproblem at no cost

Far left: Front anti-roll bar drop link hadplay, despite beingreplaced with oneusing new Rose-joints. An incorrectlysized mounting boltwas the cause…Middle left: Rearanti-roll bar eccentricmounting bolt(arrowed) was worn,the result of seizedRose-jointsLeft: The originalswere repaired for theMOT but we havenow sourced two newones from Jon Millerof Classic Carreras inIreland. Thanks, Jon!

PRACTICALPORSCHE

CONTACTWilliams-Crawford Ltd911 Forge LaneMoorlandsTrading EstateSaltashCornwallPL12 6LX01752 840307

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TECH TOPICS With 911 & Porsche World’s consultant editor, Chris Horton

Bill Hoy from Hillsborough in County Down,Northern Ireland, has kindly written to us witha suggestion for a cheap and effective batterycut-off switch – prompted by a request forinformation on such products by Belgianreader Didier Dirckx in our June 2016 edition.Didier, you might recall, has a 911 GT3 thatspends much of its time standing idle, and hewanted a device that would provide a degreeof both overall security and protection for thecar’s electrical system.Essentially it’s a heavy-gauge ‘link’ strap

that fits between the end of the battery’snegative lead and the terminal post on theaccumulator itself. Indeed, I have had onemyself for many years, at various times usingit on one or other of my E28 BMW 5-series.To isolate the battery, simply unscrew theinsulated thumbwheel on the top of thedevice, until the metal contact on its lowerface moves away from the matching contacton the strap; for added security unscrew itcompletely and take it away with you. Thatwon’t, of course, prevent someone setting towork with spanners and removing the devicein its entirety, but it should make it just thatlittle bit harder for the opportunist thief.The version I have also incorporates an

additional light-duty link wire, which I seem toremember was designed to maintain anelectrical feed to coded radios, alarm systemsand so on, but at the same time to preventthe engine being started. The built-in fuse(typically five or 10 amps) will blow themoment the starter motor, which typicallydraws anything up to 200 amps, is activatedwithout the thumbwheel screwed down tight.So, says Bill, not very sophisticated, and

not ideal for every scenario, but at just £7.50or so plus VAT far better than fiddling withspanners every time you wish to detach thecar’s earth lead. More information fromwww.vintagesupplies.com or www.completeautomobilist.com. And many thanks again toBill Hoy for taking the trouble to remind meabout this ingenious gadget – I really shouldhave thought of it myself!

A CHEAP AND SIMPLEBATTERY CUT-OFF

Q&A is dead – or on the back burner, at least; long live Technical Topics!There has recently been a marked decline in the number of technical querieswe are receiving, and after careful consideration we have decided to reflectthat trend by using the space for what we initially termed matters arising.That situation hasn’t changed significantly over the last month or two,and the new format seemed to go down well, hence now both the new titleabove and, inevitably, a slightly different look and feel to the spread.We shall, of course, continue to answer any problems that you care to

throw at us – both on a one-to-one basis and, where possible, publishedwithin this new section – but by and large the overall rationale of the featurewill be us passing on some of the knowledge, the opinions and hopefully theexpertise that we pick up in the course of our day-to-day work with Stuttgart’s– and Leipzig’s – finest. If you have a query – and do please rememberthat we have unrivalled access to the vast majority of the UK’s mostknowledgeable Porsche specialists, and a number in the United States,as well – e-mail us at [email protected].

A NEW NAME FOR Q&A – AND A NEW LOOK, TOOSponsored by

Which is the most important single part of an air-cooled 911 engine? Impossible to say, really, since theabsence – or more likely the sudden failure – of almost any one of its hundreds of individual components couldbring it to a shuddering halt. Even so, it is difficult to overstate the significance, in either practical or visualterms, of the moulded ‘shroud’ that ducts cooling air around the cylinders and the cylinder heads. Never mindthat without it the engine will overheat; it just won’t look right, either.It’s a particular problem for those either reassembling historically significant earlier models, or perhaps now

building a retro-styled ‘tribute’. You will either have to scratch around for a set of no doubt expensive andpossibly less than perfect original sections, hoping that they will fit together neatly (which they may not if theyhave come from a variety of vehicles), or else compromise and, in order to get the engine running, fit historicallyinaccurate pieces until such time that you can find the right ones.Cue Nick Fulljames at Brackley, Northamptonshire-based Redtek. Famous for his top-quality air-cooled

rebuilds, and with a particular interest in the now highly desirable ‘S’ and RS and RSR variants, he producesas close a copy of the genuine Porsche 906/RSR shroud as you are likely to find. Suitable for all six-cylindermotors up to the end of Carrera 3.2 production (not the 964 or 993, in other words) they are made – as werethe originals – from thin, almost translucent GRP (glassfibre) which not only has the right ‘weave’, but cruciallywill also age to the correct honey colour.‘They look rather “raw” when you first fit them,’

concedes Fulljames, ‘but then so did the originalPorsche shrouds. It’s just that nobody remembershow they used to be.’ They will need a littletrimming, too, says Nick, depending on the layoutof the induction system, and whether or not theengine has a rear-mounted oil-cooler – but that’show the genuine Porsche parts were alwaysmade to fit, too. ‘Using other manufacturers’shrouds, it has taken me a day to get all sixholes for the inlet tracts the right shape, and theexternal sections riveted together neatly,’ saysNick, ‘but I have fitted these in a couple of hours.’Prices for the UK-made shrouds start at £680

for carburettor-fed engines, or £760 for cars withMFI, or mechanical fuel injection – and Nick willbe happy both to discuss potential customers’requirements and to advise on precisespecification. He will install the shrouds, too,either to engines already in customers’ carsor, perhaps more cost-effectively, as part ofone of his rebuilds. For more information call01280 841911, or e-mail [email protected].

AIR-COOLED ENGINE SHROUDS DEMYSTIFIED

What you might call production air-cooled engines had coloured‘shrouds’ (even the 2.7 RS; see photo and text below), but moreexotic 906/RSR-style motors were characterised by theirnaturally coloured GRP mouldings (above), as now availablefrom Redtek. Crucially, they age to the correct honey colour

Battery master switch, or a reassuringly cheapand simple anti-theft device? Or even both!

We dropped in on Redtekearlier this year, and werelucky enough to catch thisremarkable line-up offreshly rebuilt MFI engines,and which between themillustrate most of thecolours of the originalstandard shrouds used inproduction 911s. From leftto right: US-specification2.4-litre T/E (yellowshroud); 2.4-litre ‘E’(green shroud), 2.4-litre ‘S’(red/orange shroud); andthen not just one but apair of 2.7-litre RS engines,again with their iconicred/orange mouldings. Theonly colours not illustratedare plain black, for the ‘L’and ‘T’ models, and the rareburgundy that was used forthe 1967 model year alone

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One of the great pleasures of my working life is, well, watching other people working on Porsches. Don’t getme wrong: I am more than happy to wade in and get my own hands dirty, but I still derive immense satisfactionfrom following a job from start to finish with my camera, and then explaining the process for the benefit of911 & Porsche World readers.Inevitably there are periods during any such exercise when there is not a lot to see of the task in hand,

and no less inevitably I like to have a nose around the workshop – just in case there is anything else worthreporting on. (With the permission of the management, of course.) And so it was during my visit toCavendishPorscha for last month’s how-to on replacing a 928 sump-pan gasket. Over on the next lift was a993 with its engine and transmission removed for a new clutch to be fitted, and I couldn’t resist the opportunityto illustrate its so-called LSA (for Light, Stable, Agile) rear-suspension arrangement. It is, after all, somethingthat you don’t see in isolation that often.Before the 993, all 911s had at the rear a semi-trailing-arm set-up which was famously susceptible to lift-off

oversteer – and not least thanks to the pendulum effect of the heavy rear-mounted engine. Here in the 993,though, that rather cheap-and-cheerful system was replaced by a substantial cast-aluminium subframe, boltedto the underside of the body, and from which could then be hung four strong arms per stub axle to create upperand lower wishbones. A similar set-up had first appeared in the 928 in the later 1970s; that came to be knownas the Weissach rear axle, after Porsche’s R&D centre of the same name, where it had been developed.Springing and damping in the 993 were handled not by the earlier torsion bars, mounted transversely across

the body, but by combined coil spring and telescopic damper units (much as at both ends of the 964, of course,and also as at the front of all previous 911s – and the 993). Today these are known generically as MacPhersonstruts, after Earle Steele MacPherson, the American automotive engineer who pioneered the principle atChevrolet in the 1940s, although strictly speaking it is only when the top of the device has a pivot to allowsteering movement that you have a true MacPherson strut.One of the advantages of any such double-wishbone system is a reduction in camber changes as the car

passes over undulations, and thus improved contact between tyres and Tarmac, but in the 993 there is also anelement of what is known as roll-steer, with the outer wheel toeing in by up to two degrees during cornering,and reducing the tendency to the dreaded lift-off oversteer. Somehow, and for reasons that I can’t even beginto comprehend, the rear end of the 993 was also claimed to squat less noticeably during hard acceleration.For Porsche itself there was also the huge benefit of the reduced manufacturing costs that came from beingable to build up the system as a separate sub-assembly before fitting it to the vehicle.Anyway, there it is: LSA in all its glory (below left). As for this particular car’s clutch, sadly that brought – for

the owner, anyway – the added expense of a new pressure plate, after the old one was found to have a crackeddiaphragm spring (right). In fairness that had been showing no sign of impending failure – the clutch was simplyslipping under load – but it would have been false economy in any car, never mind one now as inherentlyvaluable as this, not to fit a replacement when given the chance.

HOW THE 911’S REAR SUSPENSION GREW UP

Key to the 993’s surefootedness is (among other things) its LSA – for Light, Stable, Agile – rear suspension, first seen asthe 928’s so-called ‘Weissach’ rear axle: upper and lower wishbones and coil-spring struts attached to a substantial cast-alloy ‘bridge’ running up and over the power unit, and bolted to the underside of the body shell. You will probably needto be an experienced chassis designer to understand precisely how, and why, it works, but essentially it allows one rearwheel to toe-in very slightly as the car enters a corner, providing an element of what is known as roll-steer. Engine andgearbox had been separated for a new clutch friction plate; turned out car would also need a new pressure plate (right)

Another day, another independent specialist,and another Porsche up on a wheel-free lift –this time a 987 Boxster for servicing. Here theunexpected additional expense for the ownerwas not just a new right-hand front tyre,after the old one was discovered to becatastrophically worn on the inside edge, butalso the suspension alignment needed toprevent the new cover rapidly going the sameway. And that, in turn, incurred an hour’slabour charge simply to free off all the seized-up adjustment points, front and rear, theirstiffness strongly suggesting that they hadn’tbeen touched since the car was assembled.Better that, though, than the potentially

£2500 fine and three penalty points (for eachsimilarly illegal tyre) on your licence or, worsestill, being involved in an accident. And whileit is certainly not easy routinely to checkevery square inch of your modern Porsche’streads, it is not impossible, either. Best way,I reckon, is to jack up one corner in turn toallow the wheel to drop away from the all-enveloping bodywork, and then to spin itslowly by hand, at the front perhaps turningthe steering to full lock. And what better timenot only to pressure-wash the inside of thewheelarches but also thoroughly to cleanboth the wheel spokes and even the tyresidewalls without worrying about whetheryou might have missed a bit.

CHECK YOUR TYRESBEFORE THEY BITE YOU

It is all too easy to miss tyre wear like this onmodern cars, especially when the damage istucked away on the inside edges, but no lessinexcusable for that. And the sad fact is thatyou could still end up with a hefty fine andpoints on your licence – or worse

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2006 997 C2 3.9 GT3 clone ex feature carSadly selling as had surgery and unabledrive for over 2 months. Highly spec’dCarrera 2 with extras such as SportChrono pack, interior carbon pack, satnav, cruise control, sunroof, Bose soundsystem and PCCB, email me for full spec.Featured in Nov 2015 GT3 clones edition,SVP 3.9 conversion and engine rebuilt79K miles, now on 84K, over 20K spentlast 18 months, black. Tel: 07803 088403.Email: [email protected] (Surrey).£27,500 P1216/023

Carrera 996 4S(2004), Basalt Back with 18-in blackgloss wheels with red calipers, blackleather interior (the leather has just beenreupholstered) the two front seats havethe 4S logo embroidered in theheadrests, the bodywork been fullydetailed and looks as new, aluminiumtrim pack, climate control, factorysecurity system, Bose sound system(DAB has been fitted to original radio), 6stack CD, heated seats, dash camera, inbuilt phone (complete with SIM), sat nav,Porsche Communication System (PCM),Litronic lighting, sports exhaust system,top tinted front window, Porsche logo onthe two front mats, service history andall receipts for work carried out (allbrakes and disc renewed) etc. This hasto be one of the best 996 4Ss on themarket, it is immaculate inside and out,and one of the last to be produced andcomes with the Porsche Certificate ofAuthenticity, any inspection welcome,test drive with proof of insurance. Thiscar has to been seen, lots of photos onrequest, please phone if furtherinformation is needed. Tel: 07759378007. Email: [email protected](Kent).£23,499 P1216/025


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1994 911 (993)Superbly refinished in its original Iris Bluemetallic, this car has been maintainedand cared for regardless of cost, a fullservice and MOT has just beencompleted by Tom Ferguson therenowned independent Porschespecialist. The car features a Toad alarmsystem, nearly new Pirelli P Zero tyres ofthe correct speed rating, 17” Cup alloywheels (also refurbished), sunroof, tintedfront screen, HID Xenon headlights,teardrop door mirrors, Dansk stainlesssteel mufflers, panel filter, Becker MexicoCD radio with telephone/iPod soundinterface, new clear front indicators, whitedial gauges, tail spoiler and a fittedTracker. The light grey interior has alsobeen professionally refurbished to thehighest standard by a local specialist. Fullservice history up to 139,000 miles withowner servicing up to the presentmileage, as part of the routine servicingwhich always included both oil filters andMobil 1 lubricant, the car has had aninjector clean and service including newseals to both the injectors and intakerunners, new mass airflow meter, fan andalternator belts, Lambda and temperaturesender. A new clutch, dual mass flywheeland clutch master cylinder were fitted atjust over 35K miles ago, together with analternator and starter motor service, newplug leads and distributor caps. There isa very comprehensive service history filewith old MOTs. Tel: 07738 101786. Email:[email protected] (Co.Durham).£32,995 P1216/032

1983 911SC LHD58K original miles, stunning beautiful timewarp example and a true collector’s car,non sunroof with factory air con, rare nonSport model, mint black leather interior.Drives like a dream with excellent engineand box, SS heat exchangers, turn keyperfect and ready to drive, worldwidedelivery no problem. Tel: +44 0 7908588962. Email: [email protected].£43,950 P1216/031

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997 C2S Cabriolet '07. V/high spec £30995996 GT3 RS '04. L/miles. Original £139995996 C4S Cabriolet '04. Silver £25995981 Boxster '13. L/mile Black £29995Cayman S 3.4 '06. Colbalt Blue,new brakes £17495991 C2S '12. Red with Black. G/condition £58495928 S4 Auto '91. V/l/miles. Collector quality

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£37995944 Turbo SE '89. Ultra rare v/l/mile £29995993 C2 Targa '96 Tip S. Basalt Black, G/condition,1 owner £69995993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet. Great condition £POA

993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet. Varioram £POA993 Carrera 2 '95. Manual, Super maintenance

£47995993 Carrera 2 '95. Manual V/G/C, GP White £49995911 3.2 SuperSport Cabriolet ’87 £79995911 Carrera 3.2 '89. V/l/mile, Diamond Blue

£64995911 Carrera 3.2 '88. L/mile, GP White £54995911 Carrera 3.2 '89. Black with Black £49995911T 2.4 ’73. Restored, Sepia Brown £89995911 Carrera 3.0 '77. Original, matching numbers

£84995930 Turbo '85. Very special. Continental Orange, 487hp £POA308 GTB '77. Lhd. Lovely original example £69995

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Classified pages December.qxp 20/10/16 18:38 Page 129


AIR-COOLED STARTERAside from the earlier narrow-bodied impact bumper air-cooled 911s, the 911SC is still considered to be theentry-level classic 911. Indeed it is, but that ‘entry-level’ has increased somewhat in recent years, which meansthat you need to be even more vigilant when buying one. Here’s what to look for

Those who have not delved intothe history of Porsche mayfind it hard to believe that the911SC, the subject of thismonth’s buyers’ guide, was

intended to be the last ever 911. By Autumn1977, when this model was launched,Porsche bosses had concluded that thecompany’s future lay in front-engined,water-cooled cars such as the four-cylinder924 and V8 engined 928 – but rather goodsales of the rear-engined car changed theirminds and the 911 is still with us today, sixmodel generations on.Another possibly interesting aspect for

those yet to research their air-cooled 911sis that the 911SC is a different model fromthe Carrera 3.2 which replaced it in 1983.People quite commonly think that the samemodel ran from 1977 until 1989, and whynot, because they look the same. Butunderneath the skin, so much is different.So let’s spend the following pages

exploring what this Porsche actually wasand what it offers. And probably mostimportant of all, what to look for whenpurchasing one and what to pay for it.

DESIGN, EVOLUTION

At the time of its launch, and for years after,the SC was considered to be among the“modern” rather than “early” 911s. It was

the second generation to featurethe larger “impact bumpers”, and it wasone of the first 911 series to benefit fromgalvanised body panels. These twofeatures alone helped move the 911towards a wider market rather than itremaining an esoteric sports cars strictlyfor enthusiasts.With two water-cooled models added,

Porsche wanted to rationalise the 911range, hence the SC (standing for “SuperCarrera”, it’s said) replaced the 2.7- and3.0-litre Carrera models for the 1978 modelyear. Its flat-six engine was from the latter,a lesser capacity, normally aspiratedversion of the 3.3-litre 911 Turbo engine.For the SC the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected unit gained a new crankshaft withlarger bearings, redesigned cam chaintensioners and electronic ignition, amongother things. It produced 180bhp, whichwas 20bhp less than before, the shortfallsaid to be due to emissions tuning,including a crankshaft pulley-driven airinjection pump to mix fresh air with exhaustgasses, to meet new regulations.But some reckoned the output was

lowered to ensure the 911 did not come tooclose to the 928, and upset the Porschepower hierarchy. However the SC’s torquewas 196lb ft, compared to the previousengine’s 184lb ft. With a low compressionratio for a sports car (8.5:1), the Porsche

famously ran on 91-octane “two-star” petrol,when its rivals would consume four-star oreven five-star.The same 915 five-speed manual

gearbox was carried over but with higherratios, the alternative being, for a year orso, the Sportomatic “clutchless”transmission. One important developmentwas the addition of a brake servo,something that had also been added to thesecond-generation 911 Turbo of 1978.The SC could be ordered in base form or

with Sport equipment, the latter probablyaccounting for the majority of cars deliveredin the UK. These models have the Turbo’slarge tail wing (’82 on), a front spoiler,uprated shock absorbers and 6Jx16-inchfront and 7Jx16-inch rear wheels of theclassic Fuchs design wearing Pirelli’s thennew “low profile” P7 tyre in 205/55 and225/50 sizes (standard cars ran 15-inchrims of these widths, the ‘cookie cutter’style, with 195/70s and 215/60s).Besides the coupe, a Targa was offered,

which at the time was regarded as ratherugly, due to the stout, slabby roll hoopengineered into the body. But it workedwell, easy to remove and store in the frontboot, and usually waterproof. And almostfour decades on, maybe the Targa isn’tsuch a bad looker after all.For the 1980 model year the SC’s engine

power was increased to 180bhp, and then

BUYERS’ GUIDE: PORSCHE 911SC

The classic ’80s 911look: Guards Red andwith a big Turbo wingtoo, and thosegorgeous Fuchswheels. You knowyou want one!

Buyers Guidech.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:38 AM Page 130


BUYERS’GUIDE

Above: Engines camein various states oftune, but the 204bhpversion is the morecommon. It’s a toughand revvy unit andmost will have had atleast a top-endrebuild by now.Right: Interiors arerelatively simple andhard wearing, butdoor cards and seatsgradually sufferthrough wearand tear

in mid 1980 it rose to 204bhp, but this,facilitated by a raised compression ratiobrought with it a need for higher-octanefuel. At this point a number of detailchanges took place: side flashers appearedon the front wings (a good aid to identifyinga 204bhp car, although the wings couldhave been fitted to an earlier car), thepreviously optional blacked out rather thanchrome window surrounds becamestandard, the original standard-fit tartancheck seat material gave way to the eye-catching Pasha cloth (but was only used fora short while before being replaced by amore sober material), and a centre consolewas fitted.The final change was the introduction of

the third body shape, the Cabriolet, a fullconvertible, good looking and with theoption of electric opening and closing. Itappeared in Autumn 1982, although right-hand-drive cars did not reach the UK untilJanuary 1983, just six months before theend of SC production.

DRIVING THE 911SCIt’s likely that many prospective buyers will bekeenly interested in how different the SC is todrive to the Carrera 3.2 with its extra powerand torque. Obviously the two cars do feelsimilar, both with the uniquely emotive wail ofthe air-cooled flat-six, and both requiring totaldriver involvement to maximise theexperience. Both have the same flawed butnonetheless appealing instrument and controllayout, the same difficult to regulate heatingand ventilation.However Robin Mckenzie of Bedfordshire-

based impact bumper Porsche specialist Auto

Umbau, who is very familiar with both models,feels that the SC is far from the underdog. ‘Ithink that if driving the cars back to back,most people would prefer the SC, assumingthe 3.2 was an early model with the same 915gearbox as the SC,’ he says. ‘It is theforgotten hero – the 3.2 was strengthened upconsiderably in the body and is heavier, andfeels lazier to drive. The SC is much livelier.’Note that after so long, there is unlikely to beany noticeable difference in the performanceof 180, 188 and 204bhp engines, as outputswill vary according to the health of the motor.One aspect of this era of 911 that has

become notorious is the gearshift, which

some have likened to stirring cobbles.However this may be due to an out of kilterlinkage, with proper adjustment bringing a bigimprovement.

WHAT YOU’LL PAYTime was when 911SCs were worth lessthan the Carrera 3.2s that replaced them in1983, on the basis that the 3.2 wasimproved across the board. But as prices ofair-cooled 911s have soared, that is nolonger the case, according to RobinMckenzie. ‘There’s not a lot, if anydifference now,’ he says. ‘Everything is

SPECIFICATIONSPorsche 911SCEngine: 2993cc water-cooled flat-sixMax power: 180bhp at 5500rpmMax torque 195lb ft at 4100rpmTransmission: 5-speed manual/3-speed Sportomatic semi-automaticBrakes: Vented discs front and rearWheels (front, rear): 6Jx16-inch, 7Jx16-inchTyres (front, rear): 205/55 VR16, 225/50 VR16Weight: 1123kg0–62mph: 6.5secMax speed: 141mphFuel consumption: 16.1–23.3mpgPerformance and fuel economy figures from Autocar, and for an early, manual car;wheel and tyre sizes for a Sport; weight quoted is for the coupe

Maintenance costs, Porsche 911SC/Sport6000-mile service £18912,000-mile service £467Renew front brake discs and pads £352Renew clutch £834Dansk stainless steel exhaust/heat exchanger £17314 Michelin SXMXX3 N2 tyres (front 205/55 ZR16, rear 245/45 ZR16) £960Servicing, brake and clutch prices from Auto Umbau; exhaust price from CarParts 911; tyre prices from Longstone Tyres

911SC/SPORTTIMELINESeptember 1977911SC replacesCarrera 2.7 and 3.0

September 1979Power rises from180bhp to 188bhp

July 1980Power increased to204bhp, and otherdetail changes made

September 1982Cabriolet modelunveiled

January 1983Cabriolet on sale inthe UK

July 1983911SC replaced by 911Carrera 3.2


down to condition and service history. A lotof people don’t know the differencebetween the SC and the Carrera 3.2.’Robin tells us that, if you really want, you

can find a car for £5000 to £10,000 but it willbe strictly a basket case, and nothing more.Broadly, prices for running SCs start at£20,000, ‘but even at that price it will cost atleast another £20,000 to get it right, becausethey all have rust,’ he warns. He says thegoing rate for a decent example is £30,000to £40,000.

WHAT TO LOOK FORENGINEThe 911 air-cooled engine is extremely toughand durable, but it does suffer a collection ofwell known problems. ‘The most commonissue with these engines is the likelihood of oilleaks, usually from cam covers, cam chaincovers, the four oil tubes or the pipeworkgoing from the engine to the oil reservoir,’Robin explains, ‘and unfortunately SCs don’t

have an under tray to catch the oil drips.’Don’t be surprised if the engine doesn’t

start easily. ‘This is fairly common, as the coldstart and warm up regulators do fail, andalthough Bosch state they are non repairable,they actually are, and anyway Bosch nolonger make them,’ Robin insists.Once running, the engine may smoke

considerably, which may or not be serious, asRobin explains: ‘The SC engine will smoke onstart up, which is normal due to oil seepingpast the pistons and being burnt away, andon cars unused for a long time the oil caneven take a few hours to burn. Once theexhaust smoke is clear, drive the car. If it thensmokes under load, it has worn valve guidesand or piston rings, and will need rebuilding.’A full rebuild can cost up to £12,000.

TRANSMISSION

The 915 gearbox is seen as inferior to theG50 ’box fitted to the Carrera 3.2 in 1987, butRobin feels it is underrated. ‘Worn bushes in

the linkage between the gearstick and thegearbox, along with worn synchromesh rings,especially on first and second, and brokendog teeth have given the 915 a bad name,’he points out. ‘But having the gearbox rebuiltand set up properly transforms the drivingexperience and is well worth the investment.’

EXHAUST

The SC’s original exhaust was mild steel andwill have rusted away by now, the back boxesrotting from the inside out due to the waterformed when the engine was started. Theheat exchangers are known to rust, and allowthe oil dripping off the engine to get inside theheat exchanger, and the smoke from the


WHAT THE PRESS SAID‘The addition of P7 tyres to the Sportspecification has given a new dimension to thehandling and roadholding which are now of thehighest standard. It remains one of the mostdesirable of cars to the enthusiast.’Autocar, Porsche 911SC Sport road test,17th December 1977

‘The new 911SC is faithful to tradition. It is thefastest normally aspirated Porsche, 0–60, thatwe have ever driven. It does the quarter-milein 14.8 seconds and the factory (which isusually conservative in these things) rates itstop speed at 136.’Car and Driver, Porsche 911SC roadtest, March 1978

WHAT YOU’LL PAY£5000–£10,000: Basket case, perhaps even for spares only£10,000–£20,000: The price for running but scruffy coupe and Targa SCs£20,000–£30,000: Average condition but will need work to bring up to scratch£30,000–£40,000: If you want an issue-free car with minimal rust, this is what you pay£40,000–£50,000: Sub 50,000-mile cars, near pristine, offered by classic specialists

This studio shootexample sits on ‘fat’16in Fuchs. Theylook the business,but we would arguethat standard 15soffer a better balanceand ride



BUYERS’GUIDE

burning oil to be blown into the cabin.Many cars now have an independently

made stainless steel system fitted, and oncethis is done there should be no furtherexhaust problems. ‘The easiest way to checkif the exhaust is stainless steel is to put amagnet on it,’ says Robin. ‘It should not stick– if it does, the system is mild steel.’

SUSPENSION

Little goes wrong with the SC’s suspension.Bushes wear in the trailing arms, but it ismuch more likely that if the car does not sitcorrectly it is because the suspensionsettings have been messed about with. Morecommon problems are worn out shockabsorbers, which are relatively cheap andquite easy to change.

BRAKES ANDWHEELS

Brakes are more than adequate and veryreliable. They use steel calipers, which arecheap to have reconditioned, and discs andpads are also inexpensive and easy tochange. ‘Check if the car pulls to the left orright under braking,’ Robin suggests. ‘If itpulls to one side, it is likely that you willsimply have to take the pads out of thecaliper on that side and clean up the pin set.’

Fuchs wheels in poor condition areexpensive to refurbish. ‘This is because fewcompanies can restore them to the correctanodised finish,’ Robin reveals. ‘Many haveinstead been turned on a lathe, polishedand lacquered, but while this is muchcheaper, it does not last, because thealuminium oxide lifts the lacquer and thewall thickness is decreased and thereforeweaker.’ For a set of four secondhandgenuine 16-inch Fuchs, budget £1600, andbear in mind that tyres can be difficult to

source, as Pirelli, the main supplier,currently does not make the P6000.

BODYWORK

Unsurprisingly, corrosion is the SC’s biggestproblem. ‘Although the body is galvanised,the build up of dirt has caused areas ofserious corrosion,’ Robin says.

The main areas to check are the frontinner wings, the outer wings, the door catchplate on the lower B posts, around the frontwindscreen, especially at the bottom, therear screen at the lower outer corners, andthe inner rear wings. Also, lift the engine lidand check the inner wings above the lightclusters. ‘Take a torch with you, even inbright sunlight you’ll need it,’ Robin advises.

Check the small brackets that hold the oilcooler pipe down the length of the side sill,because the corrosion doesn’t just affect thebracket, it also means there could be holesin the middle sill panel. ‘If most of theseareas are corroded, expect to see a bill foraround £10,000 to repair the metalworkalone, and it is likely you will spend anothersimilar amount on re-spraying the whole carif it is done properly,’ Robin estimates.

VERDICT

It was once the last of the cheap air-cooled911s, but now that collectors are chasingthem, that’s now just a happy memory.Hence you’re going to need at least £30k fora decent one – you can pay a lot less, butexpect to pay probably more than the askingprice putting things right. However, the risingvalues have meant that you’ll be unlucky tolose much on a 911SC. And one furtherpoint: don’t assume that the SC isn’t as goodas the 3.2 Carrera that replaced it –some even feel it’s a better car. PW

USEFULCONTACTSAuto UmbauPorscheA Bedfordshire classicPorsche specialist for anumber of years, andsteeped in earlier 911s.Offers sales andservicing/repairs, andis our technicaladviser for this Buyers’Guideclassicporscherepairs.co.uk

Shirleys GarageBased in Meriden, thisfamily business hasbeen dealing inPorsches since the late1970s, and, throughan associatedcompany, also haslong experience ofservicing andrepairing air-cooledand other models.shirleys-garage.co.uk

Paul StephensAir-cooled specialistthat very often hasgood SCs in stockpaul-stephens.com

Euro Car PartsOffers a wide range ofparts, includingindependently madeitems, for Porsches atvery reasonable priceseurocarparts.com

SPOTTED FOR SALEPrivate seller1982/X 911SC Sport, left-hand drive, white, blackleather 164,000 miles, three owners, £25,000,Northampton

Sports car specialist1983/Y 911SC Targa, black, grey cloth interior, fullservice history, 106,000 miles, £24,995,Buckinghamshirethemotoringteam.co.uk

Classic car dealer1983/A 911SC Cabriolet, Kiln Red, cream leather,35,000 miles, restored, £44,995, Londonhexagonclassics.com

BUYERS’ CHECKLISTSmokey engine may mean a rebuild is necessaryOil leaks are inevitable in this enginePoor starting causes by failed cold start and warm up regulatorsThe gearbox is likely to crunch in first and second, due to worn synchromesh ringsIt’s good to see a stainless steel exhaust rather than a mild steel original systemBounce the wings up and down to check the state of the shock absorbersCheck the condition of the Sport model’s Fuchs wheel, as they are expensive to refurbishCarefully check the bodywork, as most SCs are rusty

The all-time classic911 profile. For aneven purer look,remove the aeroappendages


WINTER TYRESIf you want winter tyres, now is the time to fit them. Modern“cold weather” tyres are sophisticated compounds that give thesame level of roadholding and refinement as normal tyres, butwith their more flexible sidewalls (to prevent the cold makingthem stiffer) and special treads give extra grip in ice and snow.They’re meant for temperatures below 7C, so you can fit them inNovember and forget about them until March.If you have a 991, Porsche Tequipment supplies a 19-inch, five-

spoke wheel-and-tyre set for £3000, and Porsche Centres will fitthem, store your normal tyres and refit them for around £300.For earlier cars, say a 996 with 18-inch wheels, we’d suggestbuying a set of relatively inexpensive rims, seeing as they’re goingto get covered in salt, such as Design 911’s Turbo Cup 3 alloys inblack (a good colour for a winter set up, as it has a tough, utilitylook about it), with a premium brand tyre, such as the MichelinPilot Alpin PA4. The total cost will be around £1500, which is stilla lot, but you can get years of service out of them, and wear onthe normal tyres is halved.


TECH 9This Liverpool-based specialist is best known for its GT racing Porsches, and asTechArt’s UK importer. But as proprietor Phil Hindley explains, it also sells Porschesfrom classic to current

How long have you been inthe Porsche business?Since 1993, some 23 years andlots of great memories!

What Porsches do youspecialise in?We sell 356s right through tobrand new cars with TechArtconversions. We are also knownfor sourcing rare classic andmodern Porsches for collectorsworldwide. We do a lot of trades“off-market” – collectors like totrade cars that have not beenoffered for sale, and we havesome lovely cars that passthrough our hands that only ourvisiting clients get to see.

What’s your cheapest, andmost expensive Porschepresently in stock?We have a 2014 Cayman S withTechArt equipment and otherhigh value options for £64,950.At the other end of the scale wehave one of only 36 UK-spec,right-hand drive 3.0-litre 930Turbos, from 1977. It has had afull nut and bolt restoration byus, just over two years’ work, andis £225,000

What would yourecommend as the best “firstPorsche” to buy?A first Porsche can be manythings. For the family man, itmay be an opportunity to get intothe brand with a larger car suchas a Cayenne, Panamera orMacan. For the middle-agedbuyer, once the kids have lefthome and a bit more time andmoney are available, it could be aclassic from the 1980s or ’90s, orfor the young buyer wanting tostart on the ladder, a 924 or aBoxster/Cayman. Buy the best

you can afford – the cheapest isusually cheap for a reason.Someone new to the brandshould rely on a specialist dealerto supply a quality car. If buyingprivately, then insist on aprofessional inspection.

Where do you get yourstock from?We get offered cars from othertraders, and buy and resell carssold to clients in the past. Pluswe have a keen eye and regularlyscan the classified adverts forcars.

What warranty do you give,or sell?This depends on the category ofsale. We sell quite a few cars thatare still within themanufacturer’s warranty. Onclassic cars, we offer between sixand 12 months. We would like tothink that our door is alwaysopen for discussion to assist aclient who may have anunforeseen problem.

What’s ‘hot’ at the moment?It’s interesting to observe thefrenzy surrounding the latestlimited edition models, 911 GT3RS, 911 R, GT4 etc, and the“overs” they command.

What’s best value at themoment?I think the “transaxle” cars willcontinue to appreciate nicely. Wesee plenty of interest in manualgearbox 928s, and low mileage944s and 968s, especially Turboand Clubsport.

Name a car that you recentlysold, that you would happilyhave kept for yourselfI torture myself regularly wishing

that I had kept certain cars, butwhen you are an enthusiast, youwant to keep them all. Financialrestraint and cash flowmanagement generally focusesmy attention to move a car on fora profit!

What car do you driveevery day?My daily driver is the worksMercedes Vito van, as I amalways travelling to see varioussuppliers. But I have a 1988928SE and a 1975 911 MFICarrera that I like to use ifattending a show or event.

What are your plans forthe future?We deal with some really goodclients and every year theserelationships build and develop.We will continue to do what wedo best, providing a qualityservice for our clients. As aPorsche specialist, our range ofservices is comprehensive:vehicle sales, engine and gearboxrebuilding, service andmaintenance and our on-lineshop for classic and rare “new oldstock” parts. Our partnershipswith TechArt, JP Group, Dansk,Öhlins and other niche specialistsuppliers sees our stockinventory of stock prettycomprehensive.

ContactTech9Hale GarageHale RoadHaleLiverpool L24 5RB0151 4255 911tech9.ms

DEALER TALK:

HELPING YOU RUN YOUR PORSCHE:

MARKETFORCES

USEFUL ACCESSORYOF THE MONTH:DOOR PROTECTORSMost single garages are too narrow to allow a car door,especially the longer doors of a Porsche sports car, to beopened fully, making it tricky getting in and out of the carwithout bashing and damaging the edge of the door overtime. One very neat solution we’ve just come across is theDoor Protector from Shropshire-based accessoriesspecialist Classic Additions.It is a thick foam pad with an adhesive backing

allowing it to be stuck to almost any kind of surface.Simply position the pad at the right position on the wallto cushion the door edge when it’s opened; it’s seen hereprotecting the 993 belonging to Classic Additionsproprietor Adrian Boyce. They are available singly at £22including delivery, £38.57 for a pair or £53.30 for three.More details at classicadditions.com

TALK&MARKETch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:42 AM Page 134


Porsche 911 (996) 40th Anniversary2004‘40 Jahre’ limited edition number 1191 of1963 made, less than 200 right handdrive, 57K miles with FPSH and MOTuntil June 2017, last serviced June 2016.This edition was hugely spec’d butnotably with the X51 Performance Pack(345bhp), lowered uprated suspensionwith a LSD and PSM. At 41K miles a newclutch was fitted and at same time a newIMS bearing and RMS was fitted. Tel:07920 812861. Email:[email protected](Middlesex).£29,995 P1216/033

1970 911E CoupeWell maintained and properly taken careof, unrestored and astonishingly original,low original miles of 69K. Rust free withno accident damage, paint is beautifuland retains an excellent shine, the interioris completely untouched, great to drive,pulls from low down to red line with lovelygear change, comes with its original 5speed manual transmission. Cosmeticallyand mechanically superb! Tel: 754 2236850. Email: [email protected](Florida, USA).$53,200 obo P1216/034

1968 LHD 912/6RS body 2.2, flat 6, triple Webers, Scams, 5 speed box, non sunroof coupe,MOT June 2017, car drives very well,sounds great, I have had the car from2012, it's had lot of new parts fitted. Tel:07506 299333. Email:[email protected] (Devon).£23,000 P1216/018

944S2Guards Red ‘91 model, 157,000k, FSH,MOT and service May 2017, full Linenleather, RS steering wheel, electricsunroof with removable panel, originalcover for panel, Janspeed rear silencerbox. Won and been placed in the PCGBSW regional concours, photos onrequest. Tel: 07754 450822. Email:[email protected] (Devon).£9000 P1216/035

968 Convertible 6 spd, 17”, full history968 Convertible 1993, 88,000 mls,original UK, black/leather TT, powerseat/roof/door lock/steering/windows, airbag, immobiliser, 993 rims etc, newContinental Sport tyres 225/45 17, starteretc, orig tooling, compressor, cover for thehood etc. Repaired accident, Englishdocuments and licence plates, picturesavailable, close to Munich airport, privatecollection clearance, www.911-f. Tel: 004915 151 829774. Email: [email protected] (Germany).£11,500 P1216/036


PRACTICALPORSCHE

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968


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944


912

1987 944 AutoOnly two previous owners with a genuine80,000 miles (all the old MOTs areavailable to confirm), this car has hadover 10K spent on it in the last few years.Electric windows, sunroof, mirrors, digitalclock all work, alloy wheels have all beenrefurbished and are unmarked and arefitted with Dunlop 195/65/15s all round.The car has been subject to AugmentPorsche tuning and has been fitted withan upgraded ECU, roadrace camshaft,Koni adjustable shocks both front andback and replacement springs, new discsand pads were fitted about 1000 milesago, it has also had a new oil cooler,lots of other bits done as well, I have avery thick history file to support all thework. The interior is burgundy and veryclean, repainted three years ago, this is asolid car. David Barker of AugumentPorsche knows this car and has driven it,he is of the opinion this is one of the besthe has seen in a long time and willconfirm the condition of the car to anyonewishing to purchase it. Tel: 07551 986843.Email: [email protected] (Kent).£3900 ovno P1216/047

944



MARKETFORCES

MARKET WATCH

Some owners buysecondhandPorschesbecause theycan’t afford a

brand new one. But others,who could raise, say, the£85,857 necessary to driveout of the showroom in anew 991-series Carrera S,will still buy used becausethey feel a “pre-owned” car ismuch better value, based onthe premise that as soon asa new car has a numberplate attached to it becomessecondhand and its valuedives steeply – in somecases by a third of its newprice.This level of instant

depreciation does not applyto Porsche’s sports cars,although you’d still lose a fairamount if for some reasonyou wished to unload aBoxster or Cayman very soonafter buying it (the exceptionsare of course the GT modelsbuilt in limited numbers suchas the 911 GT3 and CaymanGT4 which are snapped upby on-the-ball investors andresold for above list price).You would only get the ‘trade’

price, which tends to be verysimilar to a private sale price,with any dealer buying itadding a mark-up that wouldprobably take it halfway backto the list price.But it wasn’t always like

that with Porsches. At anypoint before 1996, whenPorsche’s water-cooledBoxster/996 revolutionoccurred, the values of 911sbarely changed (this did notapply to the 944 and 928, butthat’s another story). Domodern 911s lack somemagical, value-preservingquality that the air-cooledcars radiated?Maybe, but supply and

demand had much more todo with it. In 2015 Porschesold 12,167 new cars in theUK (up a third on theprevious year), but back inthe 993’s day, in 1994–1995,the total was just a tenth ofthat. Therefore, and this alsoapplied in the decade before,you could buy a Porsche atfull list price (then, as now, nodiscounts were given on911s), and three years laterpresent it to the same dealerand, assuming it had been

looked after, expect to beoffered the original list priceas a trade-in against a new911. The price of the newmodel would have increasedin the meantime, but you stilltechnically enjoyed zerodepreciation.It was the introduction of

the 996, and expanded sales,that marked the softening ofthe 911’s previously granitehard values. So, withPorsches’ depreciation curvemore in line with mainstreammarques, which is the bestage of used Porsche to buy –and, equally importantly,when should you sell it?Mark Sumpter of

independent specialistParagon Porsche in FiveAshes in East Sussex has asimple, if not unbreakable,rule: ‘If you want a Boxster orCayman, buy at three yearsand sell at five,’ herecommends. ‘Most ownersof new Porsches, many ofwhom always want the latestspecification, run them forthree years. At that stageyou’d be able to buy themfrom a specialist for abouttwo thirds of the new price.’

Thus, a 2013, 13-plateBoxster S priced at £43,800when new would now sellfrom a forecourt for around£30,000. A 911 would retain agreater proportion of value,but a 13-plate Carrera S withPDK would still be some 15per cent below list, at around£65,000 retail. However,should a Panamera appeal,you can get these verycheaply, a three-year-old,once £75,000 S now retailingat £42,500, a drop of over 40per cent.Mark believes that two

years is the ideal ownership,assuming 10,000 miles peryear, after which you couldexpect to get 50 per cent ofthe price back if trading in orselling privately. But he alsopoints out that depending onhow the car has been treatedinfluences the optimumownership period.‘If you’re very hard on a

car, say you take it to trackdays, then you shoulddefinitely sell at two years,but if you treat it well anddon’t do many miles youcould keep it for four years,’Mark explains.Like virtually all modern

cars, any Porsche will easilyknock up a six-figure mileagewith little if any trouble, butmileage is still a key issue forcustomers, so to maximisevalue when the time comesto resell, consider what Marksays on the subject. ‘If youbuy a Porsche with 25,000miles and put on another20,000 miles in two years,that’s fine. But once it goesabove 50,000 that’s animportant milestone – we arealways being asked for carswith under 50,000 miles. And80,000 miles is also animportant psychological thingfor buyers.’The perceived wisdom is

that basic spec Porsches arebad news residually, but thisaspect tends to be oversimplified, Mark feels. ‘Noone wants a Boxster withcloth seats and small wheels,but that car is going to becheaper to buy in the firstplace. In any case, thesedays most Porsches aregoing to have the options youwant.’Nonetheless, to keep a car

as saleable as possible, herecommends buying one withthe following if these weren’tstandard fit items: PDKtransmission, full leatherseats, sat nav, larger thanstandard wheels, and a‘sensible’ colour combinationsuch as gunmetal grey withback leather.While the foregoing is

hopefully a recipe to minimisethe amount you lose on aPorsche, there will always beexceptions, and one thatMarks sees appearing on thehorizon is the late model 981-series Boxster and Cayman,superseded by the presentfour-cylinder 718 Boxstersand Caymans. ‘I think the lastof the six-cylinder Boxstersand Caymans are going tohave very strong residuals,because the new cars justdon’t have the same feel,’ hepredicts. ‘I think that in fiveyears’ time people will becoming to us and asking,“Can you get me one of thelast six-cylinder cars?” I thinkthat you would then be ableto keep that for five yearswithout any depreciation.”It’s arguable that the

outright cheapest method isto buy the car and keep it formany years. But then thedwindling equity could lockyou out of the replacementcycle – and most people lovea new car every so often,don’t they? PW

AUCTION/SHOWROOM/CLASSIFIED

For ultimate value in the Porsche market, go for a pre-owned car

Boxster S still worth £30k after 3yrs911 Carrera S still valued at£65,000 after 3-years

Panamera S depreciates fast.

£42.5k after 3-yearsSupply and demand meant

the 996 depreciated fast

It’s an age old question for the used Porsche buyer – what is the best age of car to buy,and how long should you keep it? To find the answer, David Sutherland looks at somefigures and took expert advice

Classics like the 993 sufferminimal depreciation

TALK&MARKETch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 10:43 AM Page 136


Cayman RPlatinum silver, Sport chrono package,full Porsche service history, reg April2011, one careful private owner and only5000 miles of summer use, a futureclassic. Tel: 01395 514820 (Devon).£45,000 P1216/037


PRACTICALPORSCHE

CAYMAN

CAYENNE

REGISTRATIONSREGISTRATIONS

Tel: 0049 - 40 - 35 19 47Email: [email protected]

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Thanks to the special silver coating, virtually all solar radiation is reflected,keeping the interior of the car pleasantly cool. Includes a unique all-roundelastic hem for a firm snug fit, 4 tie-down eyelets, a set of Storm Straps,Cable & Lock for security and a practical zip-up Carry-Bag.

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REGISTRATIONS

PORSCHE RELATED CHERISHEDREGISTRATION NUMBERS

All on retention certificatesfor immediate transfer

PCGB MEMBER TEL: 07711 349182EMAIL: [email protected]

CAB 911XREG 911ES911 LERPOR 996TPOR 997TPOR 911K1974 RS993 G

993 POR993 RUF

X993 PORVNZ 911964 MC964 GC

RSR 911KRSR 911T

RUF 911T911 HDL911 WVS911 SCR911 TYR911 FEG911 MSD911 SHECAR232A

930 FFXXX 911C

991 PD911 RWSB911 RSRA993 XXXP993 POR

SWANN or SWANSuper number plate for anyone namedSwann or Swan, it isn’t often that you canget a perfect name plate, so grab thiswhilst you can, on retention certificate, atjust £1999 it is a real bargain. Excellentinvestment for the future, pass it on toyour children, can be used on any vehiclemanufactured after 1994. Tel: 07020923542. Email: [email protected].£1999 P1216/003

‘FRY 911J’ cherished registrationOn retention certificate for easy transfer,please leave a message if I can’t answerthe phone. Tel: 07733 268700. Email:[email protected].£1950 P1216/014

JACKSON, JACK, JACKO, JAXXOExcellent personal number plate foranyone named Jackson, Jack, Jacko, etc,etc, ‘JAXXO’. Overseas move forces thesale of this cracking plate, I have now putit on to a retention certificate to make thetransfer of ownership simple, you can putit on your vehicle now or keep it until youwant to, absolute bargain and sure toappreciate in value, £1500 or very nearoffer. Tel: 07020 923542. Email:[email protected].£1500 P1216/020

Andrew, Andrea, Andre, Andy??This number plate is A1 for anyonenamed Andrew, Andre, Andrea or Andy,absolute bargain buy and will continue torise in value. Imagine this on your motor,get in touch if you want it, it is on aretention certificate so a very simpleoperation, send me a message now. Tel:07779 767605. Email:[email protected].£1950 P1216/001

Porsche registration ‘A13 POR’Held on retention certificate. Tel: 07803122312. Email:[email protected].£700 P1216/002

Registration for sale‘JJI 9115’, number on retention. Tel:07810 058297. Email: [email protected].£2000 P1216/015

JJI 9II5

Cayenne V8 MagnumBasalt Black with Havana Beige leatherpack interior, new 0 miles engine 2014,many new TechArt parts from Tech9, 22”Piano Black wheels, amazinginfotainment surround sound systemincluding every conceivable extra (rearand front TVs), colour reversing camera(this installation cost in excess of£15,000), owned by me last 5 years,immaculate, please call Neil for furtherinformation. Tel: 07495 919103. Email:[email protected](Middlesex).£16,500 P1216/005

‘XXX 911 X’On certificate, ready for immediatetransfer, Porsche number plate ‘XXX 911X’. Tel: 07713 469911. Email:[email protected].£6000 P1216/009

XXX 9IIX

‘YIA993’Perfect for your 933-911, will be onretention cert ready to assign. Tel: 07919561993. Email:[email protected].£1490 P1216/022

YIA993

‘P911 TJB’Private plate ‘P911 TJB’. Tel: 07759378007. Email: [email protected].£1000 P1216/026

P9II TJB

Cherished number plate ‘CA13RRA’ forsaleAs I am Porscheless, I have decided tosell ‘CA13RRA’ which is as close toCarrera as you will get! Reg is onretention so immediate transfer available.Tel: 07768 182403. Email:[email protected].£3500 P1216/048

REGISTRATIONS

Cherished registration‘P911 SAB’. Tel: +44 1628 633745.Email: [email protected].£9950 P1216/030

P9II SAB


Gen 2 Boxster?Skiing in the Alps or Scotland? Set of 18”S2 alloys c/w winter tyres. Tel: 07922335060. Email: [email protected].£650 P1216/007

Gen 2 BoxsterWith body coloured front air grilles or S inblack? Enhance your car with Porschealuminium look front and rear side airgrilles, as new. Tel: 07922 335060. Email:[email protected].£250 P1216/008

Pirelli P Zero N rated tyre235/35/20 (88Y), N rated, very goodcondition, 6mm of tread. Tel: 07977132969. Email:[email protected] (Staffs).£75 P1216/027

996 sports coil springsSet of 4 genuine Porsche sportsequipment coil springs for 996 gen 2,brand new, lower car by 10mm andapprox 20% stiffer. Tel: 07766 160594.Email: [email protected](Derbyshire).£145 P1216/038


ADVERTISE YOUR PORSCHE FOR FREE - ON THE PAGE AND ONLINE AT WWW.911PORSCHEWORLD.COM

REGISTRATIONS REGISTRATIONS

CLASSIFIEDSREGISTRATIONS

‘W22 RED’On certificate, ready for immediatetransfer, ‘W22 RED’, ideal for anyone withRED initials or football fans! Tel: 07713469911. Email: [email protected].£1000 P1216/058

W22 RED

Cherished registration‘P911 BUD’ registration for sale, currentlyon retention. Tel: 07759 691292. Email:[email protected].£1500 P1216/057

P9II BUD

REGISTRATIONS

GT3 reg no ‘G13WOW’Cherished number plate suitable for anyGT3 owners out there, on retention. Tel:07912 371465. Email:[email protected].£3995 P1216/056

Boxster S plate for sale: ‘P 80X S P’Please allow 2 weeks for transfer ofregistration, email enquiries preferred.Tel: 01327 352711. Email:[email protected] £4000 P1216/055

P80XSP

Porsche Turbo plateYou drive one of the best cars in theworld so why not have a number plate tomake it even more special? ‘TU12BO P’is currently on retention certificate andavailable for immediate transfer. Tel:07840 090040. Email:[email protected].£3950 ono P1216/054

TUI2BO P

C’mon you SPURS!!Fantastic vehicle number plate for anyTottenham Hotspur FC supporter orplayer, ‘YES THFC’, held on a retentioncertificate right now, so a very simpleprocess to become yours. Keep it onretention for future use or put it on to yourcar now, get in touch by email for fulldetails. Tel (not text): 07040 209029.Email: [email protected].£2500 or very near offer P1216/053

‘GT03 DKT’On retention. Tel: 07711 713479. Email:[email protected].£350 P1216/006

GT03 DKT

‘W22 RED’On certificate, ready for immediatetransfer, ‘W22 RED’, ideal for anyone withRED initials or football fans! Tel: 07713469911. Email: [email protected].£1000 P1216/010

W22 RED

‘B9XST’ Porsche Boxster plateSuperb number plate for Porsche Boxster,on retention and available for immediatetransfer. Tel: 07779 125828. Email:[email protected].£1000 P1216/024

B9XST‘LES 190’ registration for saleUntil recently on my 964 but have nowdecided to sell the registration, onretention certificate until 3/2/2017, no VATor other charges to pay, telephone withoffers. Tel: 07425 153194. Email:[email protected].£3500 P1216/052

LES I90

‘GRE 16Y’ cherished plateValued at £5695 by number plateswebsite, currently on car but easilytransferred. Tel: 07845 596925. Email:[email protected].£4500 P1216/051

GRE I6Y

‘JAZ 4911’ private number platePrivate number plate, dateless numberplate currently on a car, can be movedonto retention or onto your car, (JAS, JAS911). Tel: 44 7944 494840. Email:[email protected].£1000 P1216/011

Porsche 911 Arsenal plateGreat plate for any Porsche 911, lovelyplate for any Arsenal fan, the ultimateplate for any Gooner, player or fan with aPorsche 911, ‘P 911 AFC’, it doesn’t getany better. It is on a retention certificate,so very easy process to become yours,imagine this rolling up at the Emirates! Ifyou want it, get in touch now. Tel: 07779767605. Email: [email protected].£3500 P1216/021

Private plate ‘T321FLY’Easily transferred. Tel: 07883 466133.Email: [email protected].£1000 P1216/050

T32IFLY

‘B911 WOW’ plate for saleSuper number plate for any Porsche 911owner, currently held on retention andavailable for immediate transfer, anyquestions please contact. Tel: 07716998397. Email: [email protected].£2000 P1216/049

B9II WOW

PARTS


Buying a modified Porsche – or anymodified car for that matter – can be arisky business. First of all, can you besure how well the modifications havebeen carried out? Secondly, how can you

be sure that one man’s idea of the perfect Porsche isgoing to match yours?Well, they’re valid questions, of course, and most of

us have probably experienced at some time in our livesthe results of a poorly planned conversion – a car that’stoo temperamental for everyday use or which is, to putit bluntly, simply a pain in the backside to drive. Tooloud, too hard, too uncompromising to be fun anywherebut on a race track.But then there are cars like this: a 993-based Roock

3.8 Blackbird. We tracked it down at Cornwall-basedmarque specialists Williams-Crawford where AdrianCrawford was enthusing over it, pointing out what greatvalue it was compared to a genuine 993 RS, whichthese days change hands for £200–250K.Roock is one of the most respected Porsche tuners

in Germany, founded in 1984 by brothers Michael andFabien Roock. With Le Mans successes in the GTcategories behind them, the brothers have earned areputation for carrying out very high-quality conversionsfor both road and race use, picking and choosing thevery best components from the factory options list andadding their own special brand of engineering magic.This car started life as a 1995 993 Carrera 2 and

cosmetically has the look of a 993 RS, with the frontspoiler and splitter, side sills, rear spoiler and analuminium bonnet all contributing to a menacing yettasteful look. That lustrous Slate Grey paintwork doesthe lines proud, too.Look inside and you’d be forgiven for thinking this

was a factory-fresh conversion, for there’s not ablemish to be seen on the leather-clad Recaro PolePosition seats – complete with their embossed Porschelogos – or the RS-Roock logo’d rear seat delete.There’s no roll cage to get in the way, nor the fullharness seat belts you’d expect to find on an RS, so it’sbeen built with road-going practicality in mind. But that’sabout as far as any compromises go.There are lightweight RS-style door panels, with tiny

strap door pulls, manual windows, lightweight dashknee roll, lightweight carpets and lightweight (that wordagain!) seat runners. The interior trim work was carriedout by UK-based Southbound, so you can be sure ofthe quality.This is all well and good, but it’s what’s underneath

that counts – what can make or break a conversion.And here the Roock brothers clearly know their onions.

The engine has been taken out to 3.8-litres, with theheads machined to raise the compression. There arehotter camshafts, solid valve lifters and lightweightrocker arms which, with a larger Roock throttle body,ECU remap and Roock exhaust, combine to give apower output of 305bhp, with 286lb ft of torque. Afactory-stock RS ‘only’ produces 300bhp and 262lb ft,so you know this baby will fly.And fly it does, as our all-too brief roadtest

confirmed. But does it stop, or go round corners, too?Simple answer to both questions is yes – and how. RS-spec brakes all round, along with Bilstein PS9 dampers,uni-ball top mounts, urethane bushes and a Roock strutbrace mean that the Pirelli P-Zero tyres can be pushedto their limits with aplomb. Mind you, on a damp road,you’ll need to take care – as we found out, gettingsideways out of a roundabout was all to easy. But fun…This is such a well-conceived conversion that it’s

almost hard to imagine it’s anything other than afactory-built car. It’s so cohesive – everything iscomplementary, nothing jars. It’s a firm ride, for sure, it’sloud and visceral, definitely, but it all works. And wewish we could drive it more, but we can’t.And why not? Because as we were going to press a

customer decided that this was the car for him. It wassold for an undisclosed price, but just let’s say that analternative might have been a tidy older 930 Turbo.Considering how much this Roock converted rocketshipmust have cost the original owner, that seems like agood deal to me. Roock on, Tommy! PW


TRIED&TESTED993 3.8 ROOCK BLACKBIRD 1993 61,000 MILES £ SEE TEXT

CHECKLISTBACKGROUNDHighly-modified 993 C2 built byrenowned German tuner, Roock. A well-planned conversion that respresentsgreat value compared to a 993 RS.

WHERE IS IT?Williams-CrawfordForge LaneMoorlands Trading EstateSaltashPL12 6LXTel: 01752 840307Email: [email protected]: 07768 555855Close to Plymouth and its mainline railconnection. Located just off the A38, soan easy trip down the M5 to Exeter andthen south on A38 to Plymouth, over theTamar Bridge and you’re almost there!

FORHigh-specification conversion by one ofGermany’s leading tuners. Stylishunderstated looks allied with simplyblistering performance.

AGAINSTModified cars are not always toeveryone’s taste. It might be wise tocheck with your insurance companybefore any such purchase. Oh, and it’salready sold…

VERDICTAn incredible machine with superbperformance. Built and maintained to avery high standard, it is arguably the bestnon-turbo 993 we’ve driven.

VALUEATAGLANCECondition ��

Price ��

Performance ��

Overall ��

PRACTICALPORSCHE

With 911 & Porsche World’s Features Editor, Keith Seume

T&T Roock993v7ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 12:04 PM Page 139

Porsche Cayman exhaustCayman 981 exhaust system, completeand recently removed by franchisegarage following upgrade, in goodcondition as car has only done 4K miles.Tel: 01793 530933. Email:[email protected] (Wiltshire).£100 P1216/039

Porsche Cayenne 958 18” wheels/tyresNew condition 18” 958 Sport wheels, andvirtually new tyres. Tel: 07881 335483.Email: [email protected](Glamorgan).£390 P1216/040

Cayman 2.9 GenII OE exhaust systemPorsche Cayman 2.9 GenII OE exhaustsystem with round sport tips, system inexcellent condition, car having coveredonly 19K miles when replaced with newRemus sports system, buyer to collect.Tel: 07815 187533. Email:[email protected] (Powys).£300 ono P1216/041

1974 Carrera partsTwo Fuchs wheels, 7x15 OEM, £700;two Fuchs wheels, 7x15, reps, £150;short bonnet, white, £100; SSI exhaustsystem, small patch in heat shieldrequired, £100; washer bottle, £30; RSRL/weight engine mount cross member,£75; starter motor, used, £25; torsion barend caps, new, £30; steering wheel,original, £300. Tel: 07900 780250. Email:rob.packham@ live.com (Oxon).P1216/042

Early 911 parts911 SWB dash top: original padding andvinyl, good condition, two small splits,some non-original screw holes, wouldrecover perfectly, complete with plastic airvents, £250; clock, original VDO/Kienzle,dated 4/69, good original condition andworking order, with bulb holder, bulb andmounting clamps, £100. Tel: 07766160594. Email: [email protected](Derbyshire). P1216/043

Porsche script seats: 911/924/944/928Porsche script front seats, black clothcentres, black vinyl bolsters/backs, invery good overall condition, driver’s seathas one small cut in the vinyl back (1.5inches), passenger seat has one smallcig burn in bolster, both easy repairs (orreplace with leather?), getting harder tosource, especially in this good condition.In my VW Camper, will be removedshortly, please email for pics. Tel: 07743806557. Email:[email protected] (Suffolk).£750 P1216/044

Porsche Boxster S car coverI have a Classic Additions car cover forsale to fit a 986 Boxster S, it is only 1year old approx which includes thepiping/Porsche logo and a separate innercover that protects the hood fabric fromany fluff that might get generated by thesoft fleece inner of the fabric, cost new£285, will accept £180 plus post cost. Tel:07803 122312. Email: [email protected] (Derbyshire).£180 P1216/045



PARTSPARTSPARTS

Boxster hard top for saleTo fit a 987 model in Seal Grey, collectiononly from Brackley, perfect condition. Tel:07711 182888. Email: [email protected].£995 P1216/029

Genuine 944 removable tow barGenuine original accessory 944 tow barwith removable swan neck tow ball,complete with original bag, all partspresent. I know, not your standard itembut will no doubt prove useful to someoneas it did me! Tel: 07747 630611. Email:[email protected] (Suffolk).£95 P1216/61

Great stereo for 911Stereo taken from my 911 Carrera, 6 discradio cassette with remote control,special speakers for parcel tray which are£300 to buy, brilliant sound. Tel: 07872490760. Email:[email protected].£200 P1216/060

MISCELLANEOUS

CMSPORSCHEtel 01952 608-911 mob 07831 711-609 email [email protected]

Hortonwood 66, Telford TF1 7GB

We repair and service (diagnostics) Porsche.We sell used vehicles, new and used parts, and project prestige salvage forPORSCHE 911, 924, 944, 968, CAYMAN, CARRERA, CAYENNE and BOXSTER.

An independent business, est. 1997, that provides a personalised servicewith labour rates from only £54.99/hr.

CMS stock 1000s of used parts for all Porsche, from 1984 onwards.These change on a daily basis.

Collection or Delivery can be arranged if required.

cmsporsche.co.ukTelford, Shropshire

Complete Becker stereo upgradebundleAll parts are brand new and unused,bundle includes the following: Becker/Porsche radio cassette player CR21 (newold stock), storage case for removablefront face, original handbook, code card /decal, Alpine SXE-4625S 6x4 speakers,Hirschmann HIT AUTA 60 EL antenna,installation frame, radio removal tools,aux audio cable, power cable connection,price does not include postage/delivery.Tel: 07854 685516. Email:[email protected] (Herts).£260 P1216/016

Porsche 997 Gen 1 C2S exhaust boxesPorsche 997 Gen 1 Carrera C2S mainexhaust mufflers/back boxes, have onlydone circa 3K miles, these items aregenuine Porsche parts, they wereremoved from my car after 3K miles, theywere professionally removed by ZentrumPorsche and have been dry stored bymyself since then, would accept £200 forboth boxes, this would be collection onlyor you arrange courier pack and collect.Tel: 07803 122312. Email:[email protected](Derbyshire).£200 P1216/019

Porsche 924/944 garage clearout New Porsche 924 / 944 dashboardoverlay, £125; Porsche 944S2 or Turbofront splitter, £85; Porsche 968 sills madefor 944, £150; Porsche 944S2 Turbo frontbadge panel OE, £90, for any queries orother images please contact me, I haveother bits lying around. Tel: 07966499870. Email: [email protected](Staffs). P1216/059

PARTS


We’re almost tempted to keep thisone a secret in the vain hope thatour numbers will come up on thelottery and we can bag it forourselves. After all, this car would

have cost the original owner close to £100K when newand can whisk you to around 190mph in mere seconds,yet will feel perfectly at ease in heavy city traffic, thanksto the Tiptronic transmission.

The car in question is on offer at Saltash, Cornwall,based Williams-Crawford. It’s a 2002 model andbenefits from an impressive service history dating backto day one, with the latest full service taking place at56,000 miles, or just over 3000 miles ago, although itwill pass through the workshops prior to sale.

While there will always be those who turn up theirnoses at the very idea of a Tiptronic transmission on aTurbo, our suggestion is not to knock it until you’ve triedit. In fact many specialists will tell you that the marketremains pretty equally divided on the benefits, orotherwise, of manual or Tiptronic gearboxes. Butwhatever your preference, with 420bhp and 413lb ft oftorque available, there is no way this is ever going tofeel like anything other than a supercar, Tip or no Tip.

The 996 range as a whole has had some bad pressover the years thanks largely to the long-running sagaof the M96 engine and its many foibles. But rememberTurbos, as is well documented, don’t suffer from thesame recurring problems, being fitted with what is oftenreferred to as the ‘Mezger’ engine – a 3.6-litre directdescendant of the original air-cooled flat-six andgenerally regarded as being as close to bulletproof asyou can get. As for the overall build quality – an areawhere early 996s and Boxsters let the side down – themoment you immerse yourself in the sumptuousMetropol blue leather-trimmed interior, you’ll wonderwhat all the fuss was about.

The 996 Turbo has a stylishly brutal look about it –the deeper front airdam and rear valance, allied to theintakes set high into each rear wing, give this model afar more aggressive appearance than its lower-poweredsiblings without being as ‘in your face’ as thecontemporary GT2. It’s (almost inevitably, one mightsay) finished in silver and arguably looks all the betterfor it – the metallic hue certainly flatters the 996’s lines.

There is not a blemish to be seen – and I lookedpretty hard – so whoever’s enjoyed this car over thelast 14 years has clearly looked after it. Mind you, thoserear parking sensors have undoubtedly helped there.

But no matter how appealing this, or any, Porschemight look standing in the late summer sunshine,there’s only one question that really needs to beanswered: what’s it like out on the road?

When pushed hard, the 996 doesn’t feel quite as well‘planted’ as, for example, a well cared for 993 Turbo,with a slightly jiggly feeling on rough surfaces. Road

noise is higher than one might expect, too, but thatcould simply be down to the fresh set of Continentals allround. But those two observations aside, it’s whathappens when you plant your right foot that counts.And, boy, does it impress.

It’s tempting to leave the five-speed Tiptronic in fullauto mode and let Porsche’s engineers take over, butyou’ll get the most out of a Turbo by taking control,using the switch gear on the steering wheel to manuallyshift ratios. Damn, it’s fast – and turbine smooth – yetcan be amazingly well-mannered when traffic andspeed limits dictate. The perfect all-rounder? Could be.

As for handling, with permanent four-wheel-drive,you’d expect it to be sure-footed. In normal conditions,and on a straight road, only five per cent of the torqueis sent to the front, so you’d never know it was an all-wheel driver. But boot it hard out of a damp roundaboutand you’ll feel the front end grip like glue, while the taildigs in, propelling you to warp speed in the blink of aneye and the howl of a deep exhaust note.

This is a high-spec example, and is one of the finestwe’ve seen. Yes, you can buy early Turbo Tips in thelow-£20k range (although such cars are increasinglyhard to find), but they’ll be high-mileage ones withquestionable histories. This one is about as perfect asyou’ll find, and the price simply reflects the quality.

But look at it this way: you’ll be buying a car which,when looked after in the manner to which it’s clearlybeen accustomed, will last a lifetime. It’ll see you onthose long transcontinental holidays you’ve alwayspromised yourself – even the occasional track day ifyou really want to let your hair down. Whatever you do,though, treat it with respect. It may be docile, but it’sdefinitely no pussycat… PW


TRIED&TESTED996 TURBO TIPTRONIC S 2002 59,630 MILES £39,995

CHECKLISTBACKGROUNDWell-maintained and well-spec’dexample of a rapidly appreciatingmodern classic. Perfect for crossingcontinents effortlessly and in style.

WHERE IS IT?Williams-CrawfordForge LaneMoorlands Trading EstateSaltashPL12 6LXTel: 01752 840307Email: [email protected]: 07768 555855Close to Plymouth and its mainline railconnection. Located just off the A38, soan easy trip down the M5 to Exeter andthen south on A38 to Plymouth, over theTamar Bridge and you’re almost there!

FORA superb example of this well-manneredsupercar. With unmarked bodywork andinterior, and impeccable history, it’s hardto fault.

AGAINSTTiptronic transmission won’t be toeveryone’s taste and long-term runningcosts can be high.

VERDICTWhat’s not to like? Although not thecheapest on the market, it’s still afraction of the price it cost the originalowner when new. This is one to driveand enjoy – and enjoy it you will.

VALUEATAGLANCECondition ��

Price ��

Performance ��

Overall ��

PRACTICALPORSCHE

With 911 & Porsche World’s Features Editor, Keith Seume

T&T 996 Turbov7ch.qxp:PW Template 10/20/16 12:08 PM Page 141


Covercraft Noah all weather car coverFits Boxster 986/987/981, very goodcondition, just a little grubby around theedges, £100 includes storage bag,security wire and padlock. Tel: 07977132969. Email:[email protected] (Staffs).£100 P1216/028

Porsche 959 official factory technicalreport 1986Excellent condition, extremely rare, 24pages with superb illustrations, Germantext, factory publication code WVK 104710, an essential addition for the seriouscollector/owner, p+p free, will be carefullypackaged and sent Royal Mail recordedsignature, £150 secures. Tel: 07470447017. Email:[email protected].£150 P1216/046

Porsche enthusiast requires Porsche997/991 Cabriolet, automatic with electricheated seats and full Porsche history,straight purchase or would part exchangelow mileage 996 Coupe automatic withexceptional full list of extras. Summer usehence low mileage of 30,500, carsupplied by Porsche Tonbridge andmaintained by them. Tel: John Proctor,01732 700310 (north west Kent).

P1216/017

MISCELLANEOUS SITUATIONS VACANT


YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR PRIVATE ADVERT AT:

www.911porscheworld.comOR YOU CAN EMAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTS ARE FREE! YOU MAY INCLUDE A PHOTOGRAPH ANDUP TO 400 CHARACTERS OF TEXT. Copy can be submitted

online or by email, fax (+44 (0)1883 740361) or post, to: 911&PWPrivate Classifieds, CHP, 1 The Alma Building, Brewerstreet Dairy

Business Park, Brewer Street, Bletchingley, Surrey RH1 4QP,United Kingdom. Don’t forget your contact details!

Deadline for inclusion in the January issue is 10th November(February issue deadline 8th December).

INSPECTIONS

Probably the largest independentPorsche inspectors in the UK

We provide a bespoke, individual Pre-Purchase Inspectionservice on any Porsche, nationwide, including

Cat C, D and repair inspections. We’ll thoroughly check all aspects of the car, inside, outside, underneath and by

road test. Avoid lemons, get faults fixed for freeand reduce asking prices!

Our fee is £320 inc. VAT and travel01780 749449

www.carinspections.co.uk

WANTED

WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

Porsche 911/930 wanted!!!We urgently require your Porsche911/930 Turbo! Professionally buying andselling Porsche for over 30 years! Forbest price and polite old fashionedservice call Paul on 07836 617916.Email: [email protected].

P1216/062

Porsche magazines911 & Porsche World magazines, over230 from the original first copy, completesets in binders, all mint, also GT Porsche,55 copies from 2006-2010. Tel: Kev,07860 700486. Email:[email protected].£160 P1216/012

Porsche repro garage wall signs2ft repro garage wall sign for display onyour garage or showroom wall, I alsohave the same in 3ft x 28-inch. Tel: 07704466754. Email:[email protected] (Leics).£50 P1216/004

Luke 6 point harnessExcellent condition. Email:[email protected].£45 ono P1216/013



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THE WAY WE WERE

The best £5000 Porsche you’ve neverheard of! That’s how we described thePorsche 914 on the front cover of theDecember 2000 issue. And to back upthe claim, we made sure you absolutely

had now heard of the 914, with a full 12-page Buyers’guide, extolling its mid-engined virtues. Naturally 914enthusiast and then owner, Keith Seume, filled thepages, while Editor, Chris Horton, took one for a spin,and decided it wasn’t for him. A lively debate ensued,with Keith questioning Mr Horton’s credentials andtaste because he owned a Rover P6! Actually, suchlively debate is still very much the conerstone of911&PW – no not Chris’s Rover P6 – in the form ourregular team get togethers to champion, or defend,our chosen Porsches, whether our own, or in grouptests like ‘Your first Porsche.’Also on the cover was a rather dramatic picture of a

996 Turbo, with its brakes glowing red-hot, as weflagged up the ‘First test of Porsche’s revolutionary newbraking system.’ Can it really be 16-years since thelaunch of Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brakes(PCCB)? It can. And Porsche certainly made a big dealof the whole thing, flying journalists out to Pirelli’s testtrack and setting up various back-to-back braking testsbetween 996 Turbos equipped with cast iron discs andPCCBs. Of course the PCCB equipped Turbos lived upto Porsche’s promise of significantly improved braking forrather less effort too, although we baulked slightly at theoption price of £7000.Elsewhere in the issue, we reflected further on

Porsche’s shock revelation to build a mid-enginedsupercar in the form of the Carrera GT. The GT was, of

course, born of the remains of Porsche’s cancelled LeMans programme to replace the GT1. The challenge,Porsche said, was to build a racing car suitable foreveryday use. Well, they sort of succeeded, but thatclutch is still a bugger on the road!As ever there were some bargains in the classifieds.

Autofarm was knocking out a 2.7 RS Touring for £49,000and a 964 RS Clubsport in Maritime Blue for £32,000.RS guru, Mark Waring, had for sale ‘The best originalRHD ‘’73 RS in the world’ at £65,000.

Amouth watering selection ofPorkers on the cover of theDecember 2007 issue and allbelonging to one Belgian911&PW subscriber who

wanted to remain anonymous. Fair enough,we were just happy to get an invite to thesmall Abbeville track in Northern France forthis gathering, which is just a short one-hour hop from Calais.Nine years on and we’re still making

regular trips to Abbeville and our mysterysubscriber isn’t quite so much of a mystery,although he’s no attention seeker either.Regular readers will know of him asPorschephile and collector, Johan Dirickx.Johan’s Porsche collection is everexpanding, but unlike many he’s not afraidto use his cars and he is an exponent of theart of sideways driving. Want to see a fewmillion pounds worth of ultra-rare Porsches,with their rear tyres on fire? Johan is yourman. Indeed, as you can see in this issue,he’s set up his own drift school. Admitedlynot with some Porsche exotica, but a trio of944s. Still good fun though.As ever in 911&PW there was plenty of

room for the columnists to have their say.‘Are Porsches too common?’ mused KeithSeume, particularly in relation to theirpostion within the Holy Trinity of Porsche,Ferrari and Lamborghini. Increasedproduction, entry level models, 4x4s allconspired to take the gloss off Porsche’simage, reckoned Keith.In London the Congestion Charge had

just been introduced. Bad news for Porscheowners in the main, but not with a 2.7-litreBoxster or Cayman, which sneaked in atthe lower cost of £8 per day. We paid theprice and went for a drive in the City.

911 RSR, ST, R AND RUFIN ULTIMATE TRACK DAY

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Uunderrated.’ That was the very simplecoverline adorning the front of theDecember 2012 issue, with a collectionof varying 911s underneath. The point?To gather together the 911s that we

thought deserved more attention and, as such, wereflying under the radar in terms of values. Did we get itright? Yes and no.In terms of air-cooled values, we couldn’t have seen

the incredible rise in values, but we did argue the casefor the 911SC emerging from the shadow of theCarrera 3.2, which has proved spot-on. We bigged upthe Targa, too, in varying forms and lo and behold therehas been a significant Targa turnaround, but that’smore thanks to Porsche for rebooting the classicrollhoop Targa concept. The 911T got a mention, too. Intime folk won’t care whether it’s a T or an E, or even anS. They’ll just want it because it’s a classic pre ’74Porsche. Correct!Base models are underrated we said, and they

probably still are in terms of the 996 and 997, but notso much the 993 non-Varioram models. Another victoryfor the crystal ball.

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PLUS: OUR CARS, YOU AND YOURS, HOW TO, TECH TOPICS, TRIED AND TESTED, MARKET WATCH AND CLASSIFIEDS

JANUARY 2017 ISSUE OUT: DECEMBER 1

ADVERT INDEX

9Apart 58Addspeed 20Autostrasse 32Auto Umbau Porsche 82Bonhams Motoring Dept 23Braunton Engineering 20Brey-Krause Manufacturing 4Car Bone 82Cargraphic/Parr 147Carole Nash Insurance 143Cavendish Porscha 58Classic Line Insurance 143Classic Retrofit 112Clewett Engineering 121D9 Autotech 125Dansk (Design 911) 81Design 911 71Design 911 Service Centre 70Douglas Valley Breakers 106Dove House Motor Co 93Elephant Racing 29Elite Garages 25Elite Motor Tune 100Engine Builders Supply 69Euro Car Parts 101Euro Cup GT (Porscheshop) 116Evans Cooling Systems UK 127FVD 2Gantspeed Engineering 100Gmund Cars 57

Greatworth Classics 128GT Racing 32Guard Transmission 92Hartech Automotive 28Hayward & Scott 106Hendon Way Motors 83Hexagon Modern Classics 12Hillcrest Specialist Cars 120Historics, Classic & Sportscar Auctions41Jasmine Porschalink 92JAZ Porsche 117JF Stanley & Co (AutoStorm) 137JF Stanley & Co (Permabag) 135LA Dismantler 28Lakewell Porsche Interiors 128Laponie Ice Driving 65LN Engineering/Fast ForwardAutomotive 20Lodge Service Station 106M&A Coachworks 77Marque 21 Racing 125Nine Excellence 46Ninemeister 8Northway 32Ohlins (Design 911) 19Paragon GB 59Parts Heaven 92Patrick Motorsports 125Paul Stephens 117

Pelican Parts 39Pie Performance 112PMO 112Porsche Cars GB 5Porsche Cars GB Winter Wheels 9Porsche Centrum Gelderland 13Porsche Club of GB 107Porscheshop 21Porsche Retail 8Porsche Torque 120Portiacraft 128Precision Porsche 40ProMax Motorsport 120PS Automobile 82Racing Models 121Reap Automotive 125Rennline 47RGA 40RM Auctions 53RPM Specialist Cars of Harrogate 100RPM Technik 4RSJ Sportscars 33Selection RS 27Specialised Covers 46Specialist Cars of Malton 116Spencer Racing Inc 45Sportwagen Eckert 91Stoddard Parts 15Stomski Racing 12STR of Norwich 121

Strasse 17, 125Tarett Engineering 46Tech9 148The Octane Collection 113The Porschaholic 121Tipec 140Total MX-5 magazine 145Toyo Tires 35Twinspark Racing 121Woolies 120Yorkshire Classic Porsche 128Zims Autotechnik 120

CLASSIFIEDSCar Inspections/Car Cover ShopCarnoisseurCMS PorscheDSD MotorwerksEisenbrandtEric HallKarmann KonnectionPrestige & Performance CarsRoger Bray RestorationWilliams Crawford

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Wide body 993, 996and 997 driven

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TECHART in Liverpool:

Tech 9 Motorsport LtdHale Garage, Hale Road, Hale, Liverpool L24 5RBTel: +44 (0)151 4255 911, Email: [email protected]://www.tech9.ms

Waiting in the wings.The new

The new TECHART GTstreet R. Since the presentation of the first TECHART GTstreetgeneration in 2001, the TECHART GTstreet range is world-renowned as thesymbiosis of everyday use capability, distinctive design and increased track performance.

Coming in late 2016, the new generation of the TECHART GTstreet R, based on thePorsche 911 Turbo models, once again is nothing less than the embodiment of theultimate individualised street-legal race car.

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£1.5M 993 GT2 - Porsche cars history

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