Another Lightweight Build

[CamBiscuit]

Thanks for sharing Nick, great photos. I suspect they might be very helpful in the future!

[super9064]

This thread is a perfect example of why good early 911s are not in a price bubble. The cost to buy a project car, then restore, still exceeds the current market price.

Great build looking forward to watching this one.

[nickR]

Thanks Gib. Your Kremer build was one of my first inspirations. I remember seeing it in your garage before it was completed and feeling like I was in a time warp back in ‘72 at the Kremer race department. The journey is an emotional one loaded with so much expectation and staying true to one’s vision is the only way to get through the rough spots. On days when other parts of life seem humdrum and mundane thinking of the progress and seeing the vision complete in my mind brings a great deal of joy as you realize you’re doing something special. I feel fortunate to be able to do this.

Rob, I forgot to mention your ST which was another inspiring build for me. So many nice details and always such a crowd pleaser.

[super9064]

[QUOTE Rob, I forgot to mention your ST which was another inspiring build for me. So many nice details and always such a crowd pleaser.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Nick, Doing one of these builds is a very satisfying and rewarding experience. Enjoy the journey that is really what it is about.

[nickR]

As the waiting begins the first signs of color I decide to take stock of the situation.

As with any build there are times when you realize you might not be able to do everything all at once, usually not for lack of will or desire but available funds. The extent of the rust repair had been more than both me and John had anticipated with the result it had put a giant hole in my engine budget. While the photos here show the bulk of the repair there were many tricky areas where the sheet metal was simply junk and John just had to keep fabricating new parts to weld and grind seamlessly in place and make the car structurally sound and whole again

The priority became to get the car finished, on the road and running, which meant shelving the 2.5SS motor build. The car would go back on the road with its matching T engine at least for the time being.

[Mark Morrissey]

>>>>> Like!!!

[nickR]

Mark, you definitely know what this is all about. Yours was another inspirational build for me. Sorry we didn't get time to chat at Treffen. Hopefully I will be able to stay longer next time.

[nickR]

Having gotten over the initial disappointment with the engine – don’t you just hate it when you have to face reality - it was time to move on with the project. There were still lots of details to figure out.

At this point I should state I wanted the car to retain all steel panels. I wasn’t prepared to source or fabricate aluminum ones like the Marathon de la Route GTS car. In the B&W factory pics of the early narrow bodied ST it’s hard to know how many aluminum panels were on the car if any. From the photos you can see the holes in the rear decklid from the script delete which means it was still the original steel decklid. To be sure aluminum panels could be ordered by customers if they so desired.

There were other little things to consider such as whether to leave the holes from the trim delete like the factory did. Personally I prefer the clean look so went ahead and had them all welded shut. Likewise I opted to fill the gap on the rocker panel where the factory omitted the use of lead in an effort to save weight and since this was going to be a road car I opted to keep the stone guard for longevity and protection. Some compromises were necessary in my mind to make it a streetable car while still staying true to the overall vision.

[nickR]

Paint day! This is when it all starts to make sense. All the months of endless cutting, welding, grinding, sanding and blocking, all pay off. John inspecting the paint. Nothing like a freshly painted long hood.

[nickR]

I can appreciate a nice purposeful black trunk but I really like color in mine. As for the engine bay, 1970 cars are supposed to have black engine bays but John convinced me painting it would be a good choice. I think I can live with it.