At the end of last year, we began discussing the design specs of a car that Porsche never turned out, the 944 GTS. What initially started as excited daydreaming evolved into speculation, research and even some heated discussions over the car that
This winter was never-ending. Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me, but I feel like it snowed right up until June. The long hibernation gave us some time to get our race cars ready and to deliver some nice customer cars. I wrote a couple more articles about the evolution of the GTS dream, and I found myself embroiled in a bit of a quandary.
After MultiBriefs ran my first article, I got a ton of emails and phone calls from well-wishers and fans of the idea. So many people felt the same way I did — like we had been cheated out of a great collectible car. An important piece of Porsche's evolutionary history had been left on the drawing board of buried in a dusty filing cabinet and somehow simply forgotten.
It was, however, after the second article ran that things heated up a bit. In addition to the fans of the GTS project, I also made acquaintance of some Porsche 937 owners. These guys were hardcore Porsche enthusiasts. They take their cars seriously and hold them in high regard.
The 937 — or as the world knows it, the 924 Carrera GT — is a significant vehicle in Porsche's storied history. These owners provided me more information, records, photos and critical details than thousands of hours of Internet and telephone time could ever produce.
Before I met my new 937 friends and before my second article was published, my project was clearly defined in my mind. My car would generally resemble a 924 Carrera GT but maintain its naturally aspirated power plant. I wasn't sure if I would stroke the motor or enhance the internals, but I really never gave a second thought to keeping it a 944.
Now I couldn't help but think that I should consider a 951. The 937s are turbocharged. They are the foundation for all of the cars I love so much now. A critical part of their special allure remains the bits and pieces that make that tiny little boost gauge needle swing.
After arguing with myself, my friends, my customers and even my wife (who still holds the checkbook), I came to a painful conclusion. There was no correct answer and there was no choice. I had to build both cars.
Well, that brings us up to date. I suppose if you’re still reading, you might like to know how far along I am in my project. Exit emotion and introduce logic.
I have built many 944s. I have built some that are bone stock and showroom gorgeous. I have built others that are race cars. However, being a teenager trapped in a grown man's life, most of the cars I put together reside somewhere in between those two classes — dual-purpose cars that have the looks and legality demanded for street driving but with some performance bumps that make them legitimate track performers.
We call them "Schizos" as a light-hearted reference to their multiple personalities and bipolar attitudes. In every case, the first tool used is always the same — a pencil. These new custom cars would be no different. I was raring to start, but where?
Virtually all of Porsche's GT cars share a few common traits. First and foremost, they are lightweight. Next, they are typically powered up versions of mass-production street cars. They are also track-ready from the showroom floor. Finally, they accomplish these three traits by being stripped of many of the creature comforts that their daily-driver siblings would have as standard features and options.
I considered these commonalities, and I began my planning. It was actually a pretty simple formula, light, fast, track-ready and Spartan. The one additional touch that is important to me is that the cars remain Porsche. I will not limit my builds by excluding parts and pieces made by tuners, designers and aftermarket suppliers, but if there is an update/backdate option that was OEM to a 944 or 951, it should be my first choice.
After conversations with graphic designer and artist, Dan Winter, I already knew what each car would look like. The only stories that the renditions didn't tell was how each of the cars began their lives.
The artist rendering of the two cars.
Light weight dictated that each of the cars be early ones. In the case of the 944, I had originally planned to use a 1986 sunroof delete car but decided that since the 951 would represent the second generation water-cooler crowd, that instead I'd find a 1983 model 944 with the best foundation I could.
I located an '82 build year, '83 model with manual steering, a manual roof and a limited-slip rear. With under 100,000 miles and a clean title, it would be a great car for the conversion.
This 1983 model 944 was a good fit for converting to a 944 Carrera GTS.
For my 951 project, I didn't have to go far at all. I took a ride over to my storage lot and went through the nine Turbos that I already own and had a little chat with a black '87 car that really fit the bill. It's a single-owner car with an LSD/oil-cooler transaxle and only 55,000 miles that a jilted wife sentenced to 15 years behind the shed as a punishment to her former spouse.
Like the '83 NA, it's another car with a beautiful body and a clean title that needed a full restoration if it would ever be road-going again. But as the basis for a complete rejuvenation, it is the perfect candidate.
I had my cars.
Step 1 — "LIGHT" — Both cars got mounted up on the trailer and pulled in to the shop. The motors were pulled, the transaxles removed, the interiors stripped and the fenders were removed. Both cars have all of the interior sound-deadening removed and their interiors media blasted in prep for paint.
I am working with an FIA-approved manufacturer and having composite bucket seats made for each car. Neither car will offer rear seats. There will be additional protection in the form of a roll cage — which, like the 937, will be fabricated from aluminum and mimic the original dimensions.
The dash on each car will be maintained, albeit restored, and the wiring harnesses have been removed with all unnecessary and unused components and their associated electrical. Both cars will use factory gauges supplemented with any additional gauges necessary from VDO. I have cut patterns for a snap-in felt carpet set, but I have not ordered that yet.
In the spirit of "LIGHT," both cars will use Fuchs wheels. I have not made a final decision on the dimensions of the wheels yet. And since the 951 is a late-offset car, I will need to have a set custom modified and may go with an aftermarket alternative, but the original look and weight is not optional.
I am debating the use of fiberglass on front fenders and rear flares and a fiberglass carbon-fiber hood. I will use Lexan for all of the windows on both cars. My current spec calls for both original fuel tanks to be used. The spare tire wells will be removed and replaced with a flat galvanized deck. Both cars will have full stainless exhausts. The lightening measures will continue to the drive train, but they will be discussed later when we get to the other steps in the build plan.
In a prior article, I had set a goal to have these cars ready by year's end. It is still early to determine if that is a realistic goal, but I can say it isn't out of the question. It never fails to amaze me at how quickly things get done when I put them on paper and start at the beginning.
Hopefully by the end of summer, I will have a couple of rollers ready to whet your whistle and inspire your imagination. I will look forward to updating you then.
