RE: Driven: Autofarm Porsche 911

RE: Driven: Autofarm Porsche 911

Author
Discussion

DonkeyApple

55,312 posts

169 months

Friday 11th February 2011
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Big fan of putting modern running gear in old cars. There is a line to draw at some point as you wouldn't want to be buggering about with a genuine classic.

However, as stunning as this car is, I would personally want the original dash in there, not one that is more modern but yet no longer modern.

abarber

1,686 posts

241 months

Friday 11th February 2011
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ThreesixtyM said:
The 3.2 rust-resistant??? Thanks for that, I needed a laugh.
I drove a 1985 model from '89 to '95. At 10 years of age the body was tissue paper in places, which were inevitably very hard to get to and expensive to fix properly. These cars are now approaching 30 years old. If you dream of owning one then best of luck, they're great, but personally I wouldn't touch one now unless it had had a very recent and thorough strip-down and rebuild. There are lots of shiny ones out there and every time I see one I wince a little thinking about what could be lurking underneath....
From memory mine had an issue with the front wings rotting from the underside out, thanks to some rotten underseal, which couldn't be seen without removing the oil cooler pipes. Also there is a massive mud trap inside the rear wings, which ultimately resulted in a huge rust problem on the division between the engine and cabin. Needless to say, none of this was covered by the 10 year warranty and at 10 years old the car needed major surgery to put it right.
Happy memories though!
Lol, damm right! My '96 993 C2 was cracking, one of the last with VR and the shorter gearbox, but I already had one OPC rust repair (warrantied), plus a few other areas needed doing, so I got shot. Buyer beware, even 993s are getting on now and the rust protection isn't much cop.

rogerhudson

338 posts

158 months

Friday 11th February 2011
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thanks to hot66 for the pointer to porsche classic parts!
roger

BountyHunter

1,050 posts

194 months

Saturday 12th February 2011
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as someone who is not a 911 afficionado, what models could something like this be done to ?
for example i know the 996 was a whole new shell (bigger etc) but could you say use a 993 shell, or is it only the 2 earlier ones ? (eg 964 and 80's 3.2)

dom9

8,079 posts

209 months

Saturday 12th February 2011
quotequote all
Projects said:
Cheers Dom, its allways great to have someone who appreciates the time and effort that makes AF Project cars something special.

AHHH you see there has been a wee bit of time elapsed since that photo was taken, the seats have now been convereted to Office chairs. Im current sat on mine and yours sold on ebay for 500 Quid wink

Halvies? Cheque is in the post? wink

See you in May, man (home to pick up 'Nigel' for a trip).

BountyHunter

1,050 posts

194 months

Monday 14th February 2011
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BountyHunter said:
as someone who is not a 911 afficionado, what models could something like this be done to ?
for example i know the 996 was a whole new shell (bigger etc) but could you say use a 993 shell, or is it only the 2 earlier ones ? (eg 964 and 80's 3.2)
beuller, beuller ?

Spitelli

7 posts

198 months

Monday 14th February 2011
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This is a very similar service that Paul Stephens provides.

http://www.psautoart.com/
http://www.paul-stephens.com/

Having met Paul and some of his work in the flesh, the quality really was spot on and I’d highly recommend his classic ‘retro’ 300R.

I’m saving already! =)

Spitelli

7 posts

198 months

Monday 14th February 2011
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Apologies, just noticed PS had already been mentioned in this thread.

havoc

30,073 posts

235 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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I have to say I quite like this - and I'm 100% behind the rationale of it. Fair play to both Autofarm and PS!

My only qualm, as others have mentioned, is reducing the stock of 'original' cars. But with the 911 I guess there's (comparatively) plenty around, and there'll always be people who have to have a faithful original.

lagonder

36 posts

171 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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I don't know.. Will it be the same without that malignant rust creeping up towards the B pillar? Or that charming way the front lifts and the steering becomes distressingly light above 70? Perhaps my mistake was never to pay more than £3k.

craigbunyan

102 posts

200 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
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Anyone seen these guys work?

http://www.singervehicledesign.com/






MrCooke

796 posts

195 months

Wednesday 16th February 2011
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I've not seen the Singers up close, but the new green one looks like it's got a lot of lovely little details.

In theory, you could build an early looking car based on a 993, but it would require significant bespoke metalwork around the sills and arches to look half decent and the cost probably wouldn't draw enough benefit over what can be acheived with the 964.

The 993s do have more power but also weigh more and (IMHO) aren't as nice to steer as a well sorted 964.

crbox

461 posts

233 months

Friday 30th December 2011
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Alternatively buy a 3.2 for a fraction of this price and find out how great the original actually is.
Everone bases their replicas on the 3.2 because it's the best resonably priced all rounder, out of the box.

Alnassma

135 posts

141 months

Tuesday 10th July 2012
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Lumpit said:
964 engine ? That'll leak oil then. Why didn't they use a 3.2 or 993 lump, if money's no object ?
Does ALL 964 lumps leak oil?

rogerhudson

338 posts

158 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
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anything fast said:
wonderfully understated and utterly tasteful... worth a few bob though i bet!
August 2012 ,Autofarm want 107,000 euros !
The problem is that it is now what Sadler used to deride with the term 'bitsa', originality is what costs the real money.

rogerhudson

338 posts

158 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
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AdamPT said:
having lived with a genuine '71 2.2s (garaged, rebuilt engine, regular use) I have to say I am not with the purist brigade. Everytime I went out in it I'd hear a new squeak, rattle or whatever and shudder at the potential cost and if it was something minor or far more sinister. The alternator was a b**tard and went through 2 of 'em in 4 years....maybe I was just unlucky. I would go for one of these autofarm jobs anyday. Having said that, the 2.2s was the sweetest engined of the lot and at high revs it was as beautiful a sound as you'll ever hear, and 180bhp in something that light was plenty performance enough. Autofarm have a great rep and are not to be confused with a lot of the 'restorers/rebuilders' out there. In summary, if you love proper air cooled 911's and you don't care what purists think (and why should you) you can't do much better. The depreciation on one of these compared to a modern one is incomparable...well looked after this will still be worth similar money in 5 years whereas a modern one? No chance.....Plus you'll learn how to really control a car without the needs for abs, psm and whatever other electronic safety gizmos they throw at Porsches these days.
I have a 2.2s and agree 100%, great but horrendous to keep alive, the Bosch fuel pump in the front is now 1000 euros.
I do remember when Sadler at Autofarm used to deride modified cars as 'bitsas', it must be different now. The featured one is still for sale in August 2012 at 107,000 euros, it will depreciate a lot faster than a genuine 2,2 S. Isn't the Steve McQueen 2.2S the most expensive car ever sold at auction?