Porsche 911 RSR Tribute Car
Porsche 911 RSR Tribute Car
One of the most interesting and detailed projects we have completed is the build of a Porsche 911 RSR tribute car. This particular 911 was driven in to our workshop in 2016 and whilst generally sound the car was a bit untidy. It had American style bumpers but benefitted from a Turbo body shell.
The car changed ownership whilst we stripped it in the workshop and along with the new owner/client we began working on ideas for it. We reached agreement that an RSR tribute car was achievable as the body shell was perfect for this project. The engine would be upgraded to a 2.8 RSR style and the car would be given a complete nut and bolt rebuild with additional modifications to re-create the original 1973 RSR styling.
The project began and the car was stripped back to the bare body shell, some adjustments were made and it was re-painted in a stunning custom grey colour. During this period we had been refurbishing parts and a detailed build of the car began whilst consulting with the owner through each step. In fact we produced storyboards with illustrations to portray our design ideas and agree these with the client.
A number of key decisions were made. The client wanted a useable, drivable car that would be great fun on the open road. We had to be careful not to produce a raw, race version of the car with a peaky power band and aggressive handling. The original RSR produced 300+ BHP and we felt that it would be a more useable machine with around 270BHP and lots of low down torque. We were aiming for a weight of 1100kg (it ended up at 1105kg when complete) so this level of power seemed completely appropriate. Road holding/handling and safety were top priorities. Other key decisions included the wheel style and size, the seat choice, colour schemes, interior design, in car entertainment system etc.
There was a huge amount of part stripping, refurbishing and powder coating to provide the perfect finish. Every nut bolt, fastener on the car was pickled and passivated back to the usual Yellow / Gold finish associated with that era of Porsche. All aluminium / Magnesium parts where vapour blasted to remove the grime and bring back the natural beauty and then chromated to provide the necessary corrosion protection for the future.
The level of detail we went to on this project was immense. The following gives a small overview of just some of the detail involved. The original rear spoiler was perfect but we adapted the front panel of the car to be RSR appropriate and accept a large oil cooler with vent. We replaced the sound proofing with new material to create a comfortable road car experience. Door and window trims were kept original as chrome and decals were orange to tie in with other accents in the design.
We renewed and refurbished the suspension as necessary including installation of Koni inserts and stronger turbo steering arms. All bearings discs etc were replaced with new. The car was poly-bushed and went through a complete set-up including corner weighting, ride height and castor/camber geometry.
The wheels are Fuchs style and are Braid BZ (Stuttgart) wheels. The front are 7x15 ET+23 and tyres at the front are: Michelin TB15 215/55-15. The rear wheels are 10x15 ET-15 and tyres are Michelin TB15 270/45-15. We made mock up patterns of the wheels and tyres to check and found that this combination worked best in the arches.
We installed Wilton Black handmade carpets throughout. These are detailed with orange stitching to match the overall colour scheme. The rear has a beautifully detailed half roll cage with chrome end sections and is Powder coated orange and then part wrapped in leather and detail stitched in orange. Seats are Recaro re-covered with the addition of the RSR logo and stitching again in orange. The car has both inertia seat belts and 4 point race harness, all in orange webbing to match the colour scheme.
The door panels were re-made and covered in leather with an orange insert. We retained and upgraded the electric windows. The dash top was recovered in Alcantara with orange stitching and modern 964 centre vents were added. The headlining was new and provides some contrast within the colour scheme. The steering wheel was leather covered, with a custom made centre.
The engine target was 270-280 BHP from 2800cc twin plug. There were many combinations of parts to consider in achieving this goal and we are happy to go through the detail with future clients to ensure we meet their brief. In addition gearbox, electronics, ECU and wiring were all assessed and adapted or renewed and many hours were spent on the integration of these areas. The result is an engine that produces 276BHP
The final results are stunning and the car is extraordinary in every way. It is completely different to a concours restoration but it gave us the opportunity to engage with our client and put some flare into the car. This particular car was about the classic air cooled early 70’s Porsche with modern day performance, economy and comfort.
