Welcome to my Porsche 911 Backdate project! Here’s what the beginning looked like. Bring A Trailer, ha ha.
I haven’t really named this car yet because I want to wait until I drive it for the first time, but if I had to name it today, it would be “Scrappy”
Have you ever looked at scrap like this and said, “I can fix that!” or would you just run away? The seller told me that several people looked at it and ran, “That’s too much work even for a race car.” My take on it was, “It’s only metal!”
This is a low budget build with a target cost of $10k all in to driveable condition. YES, bare bones…but driveable under its own power and street legal. And YES, that includes the price of the car. Crazy right?
It Won’t Be Easy!
No one said classic car restoration is easy, but that is why you should do it. Many folks like me need to fix stuff to feel satisfied. This is just an adult puzzle that requires thought, research, grit, and skill. If done correctly this can be a very satisfying journey. If done incorrectly or hurried, then you have a headache and grimy hands. Below is the intro video to my YouTube channel that kind of describes my DIY philosophy. I don’t deviate much on this. You will see me put in hard work and restore stuff that most other guys replace with high dollar catalog parts.
How Did I Find a Porsche 911 Backdate for Sell For Only $4k?
I found this car advertised on Craigslist for $5500 in late 2017. The car was just plucked out of the Nevada desert by a shop that specializes in air-cooled VWs. They didn’t want it but I’m guessing they grabbed it for a quick flip. I wasn’t the first one to make an offer, but I ended up taking it home for $4000.
Now, most people will say I’m crazy for buying a Porsche that needs everything because it’s no secret Porsche parts are expensive.
My response is “Don’t buy new Porsche parts when there are plenty of extra parts to go around” And Porsche has a history of charging more for a car that comes with less. RS, ST, RSR, GT, you name it…all come with less parts.
So, I’m building a spartan car that will be fun not luxurious!
Here are the main reasons why I bought it:
- Pre-1975 Cars are smog exempt in California which opens up many engine choices with more horsepower.
- It had a clean non-salvaged title. I checked before I bought it.
- This 911 was mostly rust free. Only the suspension pan was rusty. The battery probably leaked at some point.
- This is the perfect low cost candidate for a backdate that will be highly modified
Too Good To Be True? This Air-Cooled Porsche Was Cheap For a Reason
Unfortunately this car had some significant accident damage on the right front which is how I was able to get my 911 backdate project so cheap. The front tire was pushed hard into the inner fender area. The ball joint was ripped out of the suspension arm.
Prior to starting my documentation adventure on YouTube, I began straightening the chassis. As pictured above, I had to cut all the wrinkled metal out, move the suspension mounting points back to factory locations, and then weld it all back together. This was quite the endeavor and I thought, “I should show people how to fix stuff on YouTube.”
There’s no better way to learn how a Porsche 911 is constructed than to rip into it with a saw. The layered and boxed sheet metal construction can be very strong. Hydraulic power was needed to push/pull metal back into shape. I don’t have a frame machine, but I did use some heavy lumber and iron to brace and pull from.
I Made My Own Porsche 911 Backdate Kit
Once the chassis was repaired, I decided that I prefer the early longhood look of the Pre-1973 models. (Yellow car below).
I sold all the 1974 front end parts except the hood and fenders. Well actually my car didn’t come with a hood, so I bought another used short hood for cheap! $200.
Then I made the necessary steel parts to extend the short hood to the longhood look. I did the same for the fenders. This involved hand shaping the steel to add to my existing short hood parts. Everything was made by hand in my small garage workshop
More detailed fabrication articles and videos on the fabrication of the front and rear bumper backdate parts here:
Front Porsche 911 Backdate Article Rear Porsche 911 Backdate Article
The entire front and rear backdate conversion was done for less than $500 and that includes the price of the bumpers and front end signals/grills.
There are numerous backdate kits available in steel and fiberglass that start at $5k and go up, plus installation. My DIY method requires hard work and time, but it’s much easier on the wallet. This website is all about showing you how to learn the skills, save money, and enjoy the process.
My Phased Restoration Plan
As I said above the plan is restore the car to driveable condition in phase 1. Phase 1 can be described as a platform to continue to build and evolve as time and money permits.
Phase 1
- Remove all rust
- Strengthen known weak chassis points
- Prepare for moderate track use, roll cage, racing seats, etc.
- Add provisions for extra oil cooling in front for more horsepower
- Install temporary 912 engine and drive the car
- New In-Tank fuel system and lines throughout
- New brake lines throughout
- All paint and body work inside and out.
- Weld DIY Carrera RS flares on rear
Phase 2
- Replace worn out suspension components
- Improve aesthetics, maybe new wheels
- Fix all non-working items such as guages and controls
- Put miles on the car to see what needs improvement
- Adding some interior elements to reduce noise and improve aesthetics
Phase 3
- Build dream 911 engine
- Move oil tank, add oil lines, add front oil cooler
- Start testing on the track
- tweak suspension and alignment settings to really enjoy the car
The $10k budget target is for phase 1 only. Phase 2 onward can be spendy as engine costs and go fast parts can be spendy. I will be doing as much work as possible myself on all phases of the this car project.
Is it an Outlaw, Track Car, Restomod or Show Car?
Yes, it’s a little bit of all the above. Let me explain. I believe in high build quality so expect the paint and panel fitments to be good. Now that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy the car every weekend at the local autocross. Sure, it will get some scratches and rock chips and that is okay. Its one thing to have road inflicted damage, but I won’t tolerate poorly fitted parts. That may sound weird, but that is how I see it.
It’s a restomod in a sense that I plan to use modern brakes, forward dated engine components, motec managed Individual Throttle Bodies, ITB’s, etc.
It’s an outlaw in that the car will have a vintage backdated look with several custom touches to it.
Please join me in the restoration of what started as a pile of scrap to something that will be a force to be reckoned with on the track or show! It can be done, but expect to put the time in and enjoy your garage time!
