I figured the only way I will get started on a long-anticipated project it is to post a build thread. That way you guys will goad me into doing it. This build is going to be slow going with only an intermittent post that comport with my personal limitations. But first a little history.
Over 20 years ago I purchased a clean, unmolested, never wrecked, rust-free 1987 911 Carrera. It was back when they were relatively cheap cars at the bottom of their depreciation curve. Who would ever have thought they would Skyrocket in value. Perhaps I should do a cosmetic restoration but that's not in the cards. I'm sure I could get more for it if I were to sell it in that condition rather than modifying it. But hey. It's my car and I'll do what I want with it. So the Porsche purist be damned.
During the first 10 years or so of ownership my 911 was pretty much a once a weekly driver with rare autocross Ventures. But boys being boys performance upgrades began and I started increasing use of the car for track day events since it was retired from weekly casual friday duties. I lightened the car up by deleting air conditioning systems that never work well anyway. About 5 years ago I decided to replace heavy impact bumpers with fiberglass RS pieces, rear seat delete, carpet and insulation removal , Etc.
Then disaster struck. I sucked a valve in a freak failure my p car tech had never seen...valve spring cap had a hairline crack causing collett to drop valveon initial start in #1 cylinder and bend it....a week before it's first major planned DE. Thankfully didnt happen while running on track. No real damage but engine had to come apart to see results and check everything. Yank the engine and tranny and as is often the case while it was apart for rebuild might as well freshen the transaxle. The five figure Porsche tax for all this work was not the disaster. A few days later I had a major stroke which rendered my left arm and leg partially paralyzed. At that point knowing that I would have difficulty operating the clutch and would never get back on track due to my fear of putting fellow drivers in jeopardy as a result of my slowed reaction times, I kind of lost interest in it and it sat. Along with a fresh engine and transaxle pushed to the corner of my garage.
NOHOME
UltimaDork
6/19/18 9:09 a.m.
OK...on the edge of my seat wondering where this is going to go?
Pete
While recovering and going through physical therapy to teach me how to walk and talk again, life got a little depressing. I mean a lawyer who can't talk is about as worthless as one who can. LOL
In my idle moments I would g a z e out at the little 911 and reminisce of all the fun I've had in the car. I even made early efforts to get in and out of the car but the physical limitations I was dealing with made it near impossible since it was lowered so much. It was apparent the car didn't fit me anymore. I considered selling it and putting it in my past but just could not. Then it hit me. I had always loved the historic Paris Dakar rally 911 all lifted and with big chunky Offroad tires. So if the car wouldn't fit me I would build it so that it would. But like with many other things I became preoccupied with just staying alive and kept pushing it to the back burner. You guys are going to make me change that.
An recent omen. Usually the car was stored in my garage but on this day I rolled it out to work on pos challege car. Mistake! While sitting in my drive way, a torrential ran and high winds toppled a fairly large tree. Fortunately SWMBO's Tahoe proved to have a maternal protective instinct and saved major damage to 911 save for a rear glass and pie plate size ding in roof. Only damage to Tahoe was a slightly bent roof luggage rack bar.
pres589
PowerDork
6/19/18 9:50 a.m.
Before we get to into this, when you're hacking up a 911 like this, are you flying under the name "Ovid" or is it "Flem" this time around?
Definitely watching and taking it in, so far so good.
p.s. I hope you keep the -phone dials- on the car.
The car cleaned up pretty nice when I washed of all the dirt, dust, etc this weekend...
About phone dials. I know Porsche snobs put down the phone dials in lieu of f u c h s. But I snagged the PD's and a set of enki wire mesh in 15 in for less than 200 bucks. Everybody knows you got to have 15 s with big meat for rally. When I was dailying the car I used 17 inch Rota Fox RS replicas. Somewhere along its life the original wheels were swapped for a set of Boxter and spacers w/225 and 255 f/r No real off-road meat for 17 in that will fit in the wheel wells.
Need to be refinished but are in good shape. Never seen a set that were correct bolt pattern and offset for a 911.
At some point I may consider a set of braid Rally wheels from Paul on here at Team Illuminati.
That tree was sooooooo close to killing the car.
Looking forward to Porsche bravery.
Lof8
Dork
6/19/18 10:35 a.m.
I like 911s, I like rally, and I like this!
Berk the purists!
If the extra money won't change your life, make a rally 911, because a rally 911 will definitely change your life! 
In reply to Dead_Sled :
Yup.... and the great thing is I live in Mississippi and there are dirt roads and gravel roads everywhere! I always had to tow the car at least 200 miles to the nearest race track. Hell, there's a nice Gravel Road 200 yards from my driveway. I'm sure I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it if I finish it
The fun thing is going to be on a dirt back road and round a turn with the butt hung out and encounter a green tooth peckerwood in a Lifted F150.
Or better yet show up at a PCA Cars and Coffee with mud all over it and a six pack of PBR. LOL
Ovid_and_Flem said:
In reply to Dead_Sled :
Yup.... and the great thing is I live in Mississippi and there are dirt roads and gravel roads everywhere! Hell, there's a nice Gravel Road 200 yards from my driveway. I'm sure I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it if I finish it
The fun thing is going to be on a dirt back road and round a turn with the butt hung out and encounter a green tooth peckerwood in a Lifted F150.
Or better yet show up at a PCA Cars and Coffee with mud all over it and a six pack of PBR. LOL
I approve this thread wholeheartedly!
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Baby steps beginning. Going to tackle the in2terior. It's so nice working on a rust free car. Between the galvanized metal and por-15, Stuttgart knew what they were doing. It also helps his car is never been outside the state of Mississippi.
Heavy stock seats replaced with ultra Shield Rally Sport aluminum seats. mounted on stock sliders . Not quite as comfortable as stock but very supportive.
This will be fun to watch. Those Enkei mesh wheels are cool.
Finally!!
A Porsche build I can appreciate!
Looking forward to seeing where this ends up.
759NRNG
SuperDork
6/19/18 5:45 p.m.
Ovid&F, currently staying in D'Iberville working in Mobile Al. ....when you mentioned a gravel road not more than 200 yards from the house, I couldn't help but ask....are your familiar with GrandWay blvd. off of 49 the leads to the Grand Bear golf course???
In reply to 759NRNG :
No....around Mobile? Good place to hoonigan in the dirt? BTW....you're not far from Pete Gossett in Biloxi.
EDIT: Looked it up. In Biloxi
This looks like it will be a really fun way to enjoy some back roads, plus I am a big fan of rally 911s. I will be following along.
I'd caution against use of any classic wheel if you are going to drive the car in anger.
The fuch's are starting to fail on people as they are now old and fatigued. Dad was always paranoid that his would fail on him during a high speed turn.
Not sure on the phone dials as they are built differently but still a concern since they are now 30+ years old.
Torkel
New Reader
6/20/18 7:30 a.m.
I’m so following this one! Love the way you make lemonade out of lemons - tells me you are going to be just fine.
Mad_Ratel said:
I'd caution against use of any classic wheel if you are going to drive the car in anger.
The fuch's are starting to fail on people as they are now old and fatigued. Dad was always paranoid that his would fail on him during a high speed turn.
Not sure on the phone dials as they are built differently but still a concern since they are now 30+ years old.
Point well taken, MR. When I was tracking vintage z cars I used new Wheels. And fortunately the 15 inch wheels I've sourced are in structural good shape. But the truth of the matter is I likely won't ever rallycross it because the nearest one's probably 750 miles from me. I guess I'll be a bit of a poser running around on the street and back roads with a rally type car. But at least I'll be able to get in and out of it. LOL
As far as setup goes I really just wanted to handle competently with the lift. To that end I've now replaced the rear shocks with longer HD Bilstein shocks.
And I've sent a spare set of front struts off to Elephant racing to have the spindles lowered 2 and 1/2 in and a bump steer kit to raise tie rod end attachments to bring suspension geometry back into compliance. If I were to really plan on taking it Off Road in competition I would likely go to coilover set up. But as it stands now I'm going to stay with stock style torsion bar suspension.
