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Then, my wife started surfing to look at other colours... to really make her Alfa Spider-R unique... And...
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Yes... this... Last paragraph of Jeremy Clarkson's article...
https://www.alfaholics.com/articles/...ics-gta-r-290/
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And finally...
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Various shots of final assembly...
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And finally...
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ALL PORSCHE - THE SEARCH NARROWS & NEAR MISSES:
I was casting a wide net… but thought I would keep looking and whichever car showed up first, would win…
I looked at 9114600193, a factory black 1974 2.7 MFI Carrera with factory LSD that had been backdated to look like a 1973 RS… That was really interesting… I got as far as an accepted offer, and a PPI at Tuthill Porsche… I had met Francis Tuthill back in LA through John Williamson – Otto – when Francis used to come over to the USA looking for 1965 911s to turn into historic rally cars… Francis has kind of retired, and the business has been taken over and greatly expanded by his son Richard - formidable in his own right (folks may recognise Richard from the Singer ACS - https://youtu.be/kcJO4Ugu1CA)
9114600193 failed the PPI, it had leaks at the head to cylinder seal, and potentially a lot of thick filler / rust, so that deal fell through because we couldn't agree a new price to reflect the findings…
I found the next sequential digit sister – 911460194 – that was originally Irish Green, currently in Germany, and in grand prix white wide body turbo look guise… It was not running and in need of a total restoration, but solid and all there with matching engine and gearbox… we just couldn’t agree a price…
In the meantime, I had been talking with Richard Tuthill (https://www.tuthillporsche.com), and he suggested he could build me a car from scratch… Francis, and later Richard had been buying up 1965 and 1973 cars and shipping containers full of parts from the US to the UK for years… They are all over their facility, and the cars live in a barn, just waiting their turn to be turned into a great car again… Richard was steering me to the 1965, and I came oh so close… But, I was hoping for a driver that I could have some fun with, then go all in on a restoration once my wife’s Alfa was done…
I looked at Paul Stephens shop (https://www.paul-stephens.com) and what he was up to… Some nice backdates… and he had a 1972 911S, that had a 1974 Carrera 2.7 MFI engine in it, so I went to see that… A little too rough for me for the price point…
I checked out the Rennsport guys (https://www.911rennsport.co.uk) and their backdates, but I just didn’t want to wait for a build…
I also looked at various RS clones, and always found something to nitpick…
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BLAST FROM THE PAST:
One day while searching for a suitable car… I decided to do an internet search for my old 911s – just go to Google and search the VIN numbers… I’d done it off and on over the years, but never had any results…
This time I found 9113301270… My first 911S… The original silver car that was gulf blue that I had bought in San Antonio, Texas from Bill Carder… And it was being auctioned at Historic Auctioneers! Right here in the UK! What were the odds of that?! Then I realized that the auction wasn’t coming up, but had just taken place the prior weekend… But, 1270 had been a no sale… I phoned Historic Auctioneers and asked if they still had the car, and they did, but that there was interest, so I jumped in the car to go have a look… On the way, I had all sorts of emotions and memories, and was determined to buy 2170 back again… I mean if fate had brought her all the way to the UK right when I was looking for a car, it must be meant to be… right?
When I first saw 1270 at the Historic Auctioneers facility, I was at first a little underwhelmed… It’s hard to explain really… I guess I was expecting a jolt of electricity or something… Maybe I had worked in Hollywood too long… I have since surmised that perhaps it was because 1270 was now silver metallic… I had done a respray to silver just before taking 1270 to the Monterey auction as part of liquidating my “collection” during my divorce, but all of my memories with 1270 were in gulf blue… I saw many familiar things… There is a scratch on the chromed plastic on one of the electric window switch surrounds on the driver’s side… it is still there… I wouldn’t have remembered it, but it is one of those things, that when you see it, it triggers a memory… I knew every inch / cm of 1270… although it seems it had been “restored” a few times, since my ownership… so in some ways familiar, and in others not… Maybe this is overdramatic, but perhaps it is like seeing your first love many years later, and somehow it just doesn’t generate the same emotion… That is how I felt about 1270 on that day… The guys at Historic Auctioneers also informed me while I was on my way to see 1270, someone in France had made a deal to buy her… So, just like that, 1270 was gone again…
I learned she had been bought by a guy in Seattle from the Monterey auction, and coincidentally was in the area when I moved there to take my job with Microsoft… And then found her way to the UK when I was already living there… Seems like our lives are intertwined… perhaps if the French owner ever decides to sell 1270, I’ll be re-united once more… who knows…
In the auction description for 1270, I was saddened while reading it… It seems a lot of 1270’s US ownership history was left out of the description… I’m not saying it was done on purpose, but the description made it seem like the original owner Dr Harold Luke, had kept the car all those years and sold it at Monterey around 2000… A nice tidy ownership history, and gave the illusion of being a one owner and well cared for car all those years… That wasn’t the case at all, 1270 had led a reasonable life, but Dr. Luke had sold 1270 after just a few years of ownership… I had bought 1270 from Bill Carder in San Antonio, Texas, and owned 1270 a couple of times, having traded and sold her, and bought her back from Carlo Abesamis…You get the idea… It also had no mention that it had ever been gulf blue, and indicates just a cosmetic repaint… It stuck with me, and one of the key factors in deciding to post all the cars I had previously owned earlier in this thread… So future owners / caretakers would know the history, and at least my little time and what I had done with the cars… Is that my ego talking? Perhaps. I’m not sure I can explain the feeling, but imagine others may know what I’m writing about…
For history, here are 2 PCA newsletters from 1995, where Bill Carder (who I bought the car from) had it listed in the for sale sections as blue / black…
Last edited by dwa911; 07-02-2022, 07:14 AM.Comment
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Photo's from the Historic Auctions listing
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more photos from listing
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And here is the January 2018 edition of Total 911 magazine, Issue 161, featuring 9113301270 on the cover and in an article on the 1973 911 T, E & S
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TWINSPARK, DIFFERS & THE JOURNEY:
I stumbled across the guys from Twinspark in the Netherlands – now Differs (https://www.differsgroup.nl), while reading magazines and surfing the web… They had several cars on their site that just attracted me, and in addition to being the Singer distributor for Benelux, having all the parts for RS, ST and RSR builds in an online shop… Lex, the founder, had raced Porsche cup and was racing and winning with 3.0 IROC, 3.0 RSR, and 2.8 RSR replicas in historic racing… Plus I liked the logo…
They also had a 1978 backdate ST style car in Aetna blue, that was really clean and well done… So, I called, and ended up flying out to see them, in their shop just about 30 minutes south of Amsterdam…
I met Lex, Leon, Joost and Bas… and really got along well with them… It was like a family… So, we discussed what I really wanted, and if that was something they would be up for, and after a few hours, and coffees, I flew back to the UK to think about it… I also got the feeling they were deciding if they wanted to work with me...
Last edited by dwa911; 07-02-2022, 09:13 AM.Comment
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THE PLAN:
We agreed to build a 2.8 bodied 3.0 liter RSR, mainly road car, but that would see circuit duty… I know, I know… I wanted a car I could drive until my wife’s Alfa was done, then do a rebuild / restoration… I’m not sure why I changed my mind… probably because I just am too nitpicky to live with a car that isn’t right for 4 years before tearing it apart…
In any case, we agreed on a plan, and the search for a donor was on – if we found one I could drive for a while, that would be a big plus… I was looking for a 1973 car to base it on, but was OK if we found a 1972… and then, it became any LWB car, because we were having a hard time finding the right donor for the right price…
Here are the notes from the plan we had agreed as written up by Leon at TwinSpark / Differs:
Project overview David / TwinSpark RSR style
The goal is to create a period RSR looking 911 mainly used for road and periodic track use. When the car is on the circuit it will be driven at 90% – 99% of the grip limit on circuits like Silverstone, Spa, Monza, etc. for +/-30 min sessions (circuit days – not racing).
The main target is getting a reliable vehicle for the short term and then building to an RS touring inside with 2.8 RSR body and 3.0 liter engine for the long term.
Donor search*
The conclusion of yesterday was a 1973 S would be too expensive as a donor. We need to focus on getting a 1970 – 1973 911 T for the price range 45.000 – 75.000 euros, where the 75.000 should be a car which includes a 3.0 liter engine and 915 gearbox or must be in a perfect condition.
Engine*
For the engine we need to source a 3.0 liter donor engine in case this is not included with the donor car. After purchase we will do a full inspection on this engine to give a fixed price on this overhaul / upgrade
3.0 engine MFI – the main concept is to achieve as near a race spec engine as possible, but that is enjoyably drivable on the street – basically sacrificing ultimate top end HP for streetability. Goal is RSR look.- Slide valve look is preferable, but OK with high butterfly MFI – must be in line with intended use and streetability
- double ignition - TwinSpark
- Powerful and roadable Torque curve – matching streetability desire
- Cams? – GE 60s? ‘S’? new profile?
- Desire is for as close to 300 crank HP as possible
- Exhaust 2 in 2 out underneath bumperettes (heat retained if possible – Eisenmann heat exchangers?)
- Dual oil filter to protect oil cooling system in case of a failure – front and on engine like original RSR
- RSR look for shroud - Amber
- Should we be including classic retrofit ignition here? (CDI, Coils, alternator)?
Gearbox
For the gearbox we need to source a 915 donor gearbox in case this is not included with the donor car. After purchase we will do a full inspection on this gearbox to give a fixed price on this overhaul / upgrade.
915 gearbox- short gears – determined based on intended usage – after reviewing engine torque curve, tracks, top speed desired
- RSR cooling system
- WEVO reinforcements
- WEVO Gate shift kit
- LSD ZF plate type
- Mechanical speedo (to 300 KMH)
- 7/31 pinion to discuss – maybe 8/35
Suspension
For the suspension we need to see what is included in the donor car and add the upgrade items to this standard kit- 15 inch 9 & 11 RSR finish wheels
- RSR brakes 3.5” bolt spacing (Turbo / Zuffenhaus RSR) – new and best braking
- Short RSR Trailing arms
- hand brake system
- Coil overs (964 bridge at the rear / engine compartment)
- Stabilizer bars RSR or comparable
Wiring
We need to replace or recondition? the complete wiring loom and refurbish or replace the fuse box.- Rear defroster screen
- No stereo
- Classic retrofit A/C system
- Gauges to have early 73 RS look
- Rev to 10 RPM
- Speedo to 300 KMH
- manual door locking
- manual windows
- Master switch same location as Lex’s car
- LED headlights that look as close to original as possible
- Should we be including classic retrofit ignition here? (fuse panels, CDI, Coils, alternator)?
- Rear window wiper if possible – potentially later 80s Carrera style will work
Bodywork*
Depending on costs of the donor car we need to make plans for the bodywork. Option 1 is to do this in phase 2 and option 2 is to do this together with phase 1 and do a complete KTL treatment- 2.8 RSR look in metal (front, rear bumper engine deck lid fiberglass)
- Half cage with racing harness and original belt.
- Folding seats always down to be used as luggage space.
- oil cooling in front or wing to discuss – needs to be efficient enough to keep car cool on circuit in hot weather
- 85 liter RS plastic fuel tank (Porsche part number – 911.201.010.13) with external fender fill, possible 100 liter steel tank
- Chrome trim (door handles, door mirror (rectangular 72-73 – left side only), window trim, horn grills, trim on turn signal/brake lens, headlight trim)
Interior
Depending on costs of the donor car we need to make plans for the interior. Option 1 is to do this in phase 2 and option 2 is to do this together with phase 1.
Black interior with light ivory headliner- Recaro sport or ST seats (6 point harness) – accurate replica – perforated side bolsters in leatherette with either perforated leatherette, corduroy or pepita/houndstooth cloth inserts – to be determined – see ‘Sport S’ seat in link but with headrest from ‘ST’ - http://www.deser.it
- Sport steering wheel (RS replica – 380mm double wrapped like a 914-6 wheel – if not possible, then a 370mm Momo Prototipo type)
- Square-weave (356 style) carpet (salt and pepper)- black with very light grey look
- basket weave dashboard black
- basket weave door panels black
- F model door pockets
- Dash pad with correct speaker grill (holes in rectangular pattern)
Exterior finish
Depending on costs of the donor car we need to make plans for the exterior. Option 1 is to do this in phase 2 and option 2 is to do this together with phase 1.- Chrome finish to trim
- Carrera RS decals
- Porsche emblem front – early (orange in the shield)
- Side mirror driver side 2.8 RSR look
*The Blue highlighted items are short term
*The Yellow highlighted subjects are phase 1
*The Green highlighted subjects are phase 2Last edited by dwa911; 07-03-2022, 12:16 AM.Comment
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Hell of a wish list and well organized! Waiting for next episodes.
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SEARCHING ON THE CONTINENT:
With a plan in place, I had shortlisted a few cars in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany… All within a reasonable distance from each other… So, after mapping out a logical path to look at them, my wife and I set off on a little 3 day trip to have a look at them… Long story short, there were some interesting cars, mostly imported from the USA, but none that fit the criteria for a good donor for various reasons… Some price, some too rusty, etc... Did I mention I'm "nitpicky"...
9111121235:
Eventually, we found a car - 911112125 in the Netherlands, that had been bought and imported from Beverly Hills Car Club, and was an original Northern California car… The price was right, and since it was reasonably close to TwinSpark / Differs, Joost went off to check it out… It wasn’t running, but since the plan was to replace the engine with a 3.0 SC or European Carrera donor, that was OK… The other hitch was it had a sunroof… Now I don’t mind sunroof 911s like some people, but I wasn’t sure it would suit a 2.8 RSR body style… I thought, I’d let fate decide… If the car was solid, and a deal could be made, then a sunroof it would be…
Here are pictures from the ad I found from BHCC and from the NL seller…
BHCC
Matching Numbers NL
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SUSPENSE:
Needless to say, I had a hard time waiting to hear back from Joost and Leon, as to whether we had a winner… The asking price was 39,000 euros, and the guys would try to get that down a bit, but I had authorized them to go that high if it was a really solid base to start from…
9111121235 left the factory light ivory with 1111 on the paint code tag, but had been subjected to an awful repaint… It almost looked like someone had used an interior home paint roller to just roll paint on the car, but it must have just been a bad job, as there was overspray everywhere, and they had painted the engine fan and inside of the fan housing to match… All the door and lid gaps seemed good, so we were less concerned with body photos and focused on what was underneath…
We could see that other people had definitely been in there with mixed results, care and outcomes …
Here are photos from Joost’s onsite inspection…
Body showing paint over the fender to cowl seal…
Sitting long enough for a nest to be built and painted over…
Various other photos:
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