Upgrades What Is Acceptable?

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Originally Posted by Frank Beck

I submitted this question to Beverly Hills Car Club and they said flares, tails, VW motors, and aftermarket seats, especially any OEM seat from an AMC product was acceptable.

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Sure destined to be my favorite bit of writing this night, a night spent editing…

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Originally Posted by gulforange

After seeing Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale AZ with all the resto-mods and the prices they are now getting, and how some even got more than an restored original car of the same make. Do you think our Porsche could ever do the same?

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A well and tastefully done hot-rod 911 (or 356 or 914! or 912) is far more appealing to me than a perfect stocker. YMMV, but I'd pay more for the hot rid if it's right and to my taste—so I can see where others would too. It has to be goooooood, though, and I suspect the ones that pull the prices are not only done well, but have broad appeal. They usually look "right," but still like something the factory could have or would have done.

Ahh but in the end you have a car Porsche never built. A fantasy no matter how well done. As far as acceptable upgrades goes, well obviously, that is up to those individuals that make up the market. For me clean classic lines are a requisite. Flames and stripes and sponsor stickers are not. I don't want a car that screams look at me I got lost on my way to the track. A poser (poseur) wagen. Mechanical upgrades for me are the most appealing. But its all in good fun.

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Originally Posted by steve shea

Ahh but in the end you have a car Porsche never built. A fantasy no matter how well done. As far as acceptable upgrades goes, well obviously, that is up to those individuals that make up the market. For me clean classic lines are a requisite. Flames and stripes and sponsor stickers are not. I don't want a car that screams look at me I got lost on my way to the track. A poser (poseur) wagen. Mechanical upgrades for me are the most appealing. But its all in good fun.

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Flames and sponsor stickers? Not my bag. I'm not much one for stripes, either, and am with you on the mechanical upgrades > visual "upgrades."

But...there is something to a well turned out car, and dead stock Porsches rarely do it for me. Done right, the details always get me: Sugar Scoop delete, right wheels/tires (as in, the customer sport dept might have sold those in the day), sport muffler, ride height, etc. Show me a 1971 911 with those four things done next to a stocker, and all other things being equal, I'll take the "mildly optimized" car every time—and would probably pay more for it. This move back to sugar scoops may be the death of me...the US 911 was a car the factory never wanted to build but had to. Ditto for US ride height and other items, such as US lenses, bumper guards, etc.

Ferry Porsche said he liked to see Porsches modified.

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Originally Posted by stout

. . . the US 911 was a car the factory never wanted to build but had to. Ditto for US ride height and other items, such as US lenses, bumper guards, etc. . . .

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Hm

The US has been Porsche's biggest market since at least the 50's. So I would think that Porsche will 'want to build' whatever it can sell . . . and if that means cheaper lights or a few mms of ride-height, then so be it

Same goes for AC + automatic transmissions, power windows + cup-holders . . .



. . . or air-bags + emission controls


As far as Porsche is concerned --- the 'best' Porsche? . . .



. . . is the one that they can sell


:rolleyes:


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Hey Stout I like your mild approach. My current favorite is the 2.4S Grundmodell leight-bau M471 done by the factory. I think Monaco 1 owns it. At first glance it looks stock; all upgrades look easily reversible but for the lid latches. Would be a good car for 000, way more rare than an RS. I have another suggestion for an article as well. It goes to the roots of Porsche and would have stunning photography. Should I reup for 2018?
]

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Originally Posted by Frankr

Tastes are changing and I saw this resto-mod thing coming a few years back. I think the old numbers/date codes slaves are a dying breed.

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Singer saw it too and have been able to get a lot of money for their revisioning of the 911. All factory cars are compromises, to make the car appeal to the largest audience. If you race your car, you want a different engine and suspension setup than if you commute to work in it or if you enjoy weekend hooliganism on your favourite back road. The resto mod approach preserves the essence of what people love in the old cars (primarily nostalgia at this point) and improves them to modern standards so they are more robust and practical and can handle better than "in the day". Sometimes it is a relatively invisible part like a bushing or steering rack tie rod. Other times it is a whole suspension, flares or radical engine.

A well done resto mod is a thing of beauty and if it captures the essence of the old car and improves upon it, I can see why many (including me) would see value in that. The matching number craze has its place too, but obviously it would be foolish for me to mod my '73S into a hot rod. But for other less valuable 911s, why not hot rod and improve the breed? Clearly a lot of people are beginning to see the wisdom of that.

Ravi

I think we may have settled on the new moniker..... resto-hot-modAttachment 447844

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Originally Posted by LongRanger

Hm

The US has been Porsche's biggest market since at least the 50's. So I would think that Porsche will 'want to build' whatever it can sell . . . and if that means cheaper lights or a few mms of ride-height, then so be it

Same goes for AC + automatic transmissions, power windows + cup-holders . . .



. . . or air-bags + emission controls


As far as Porsche is concerned --- the 'best' Porsche? . . .



. . . is the one that they can sell


:rolleyes:


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Yeeeeah, now we are getting into semantics—aren't we?

I don't believe U.S.-spec 911s were the 911s Porsche that wanted to build—they were the 911s that Porsche had to build if it wanted to sell 911s in the U.S. market. And of course it did, for the reason you state above—though we are no longer Porsche's biggest market. If Porsche KG or AG could build one car worldwide, it would have—just as PAG would now. But various markets require various changes, which cost more, reduce profit margin, and may make the car lose power, handle worse, weigh more, or look uglier. Even today, executives tisk-tisk about the orange front side markers required on new U.S. Porsches. I can only imagine what they thought about smog controls, raised ride height, giant bumper guards, DOT speedometers, etc. (I think we are more or less skinning the same cat.)

And there are plenty of cars those within Porsche wanted to build but couldn't for any number of reasons. I've been learning about more and more about these lately.

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Originally Posted by steve shea

Hey Stout I like your mild approach. My current favorite is the 2.4S Grundmodell leight-bau M471 done by the factory. I think Monaco 1 owns it. At first glance it looks stock; all upgrades look easily reversible but for the lid latches. Would be a good car for 000, way more rare than an RS. I have another suggestion for an article as well. It goes to the roots of Porsche and would have stunning photography. Should I reup for 2018?
]

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PM sent! ;)

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Originally Posted by stout

. . . Yeeeeah, now we are getting into semantics—aren't we? . . .

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Nope --- not me, anyway

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Originally Posted by stout

. . . I don't believe U.S.-spec 911s were the 911s Porsche that wanted to build—they were the 911s that Porsche had to build if it wanted to sell 911s in the U.S. market . . .

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'Believe'? . . . huh? Well/then . . .

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Originally Posted by stout

. . . And there are plenty of cars those within Porsche wanted to build but couldn't for any number of reasons. I've been learning about more and more about these lately . . .

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Meanwhile --- back at the car lot . . . here's another set o' products that Porsche sells, now . . .


Wonder why you 'believe' these were built?


:rolleyes: