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Thread: Upgrades What Is Acceptable?

  1. #1

    Upgrades What Is Acceptable?

    Now that all of our cars are worth more, what is now considered acceptable upgrades to our cars? I never understood why pressure fed chain tensioners are considered by many to be acceptable, because your adding something that wasn't there,with the extra external oil lines. What about turbo tie rods or turbo lower valve covers? What about door seals, should one go with the original solid or the superseeded hollow? How about the rivits on the door threshold, what if you use metal rivits instead of plastic? Would this be acceptable? What about adjustable springplates? Some upgrades like stock seats to period correct factory sport seats to me are a no brainer, or any period correct factory accessories(like fogs or muffler skirt,etc.). Some upgrades are not visual like taking a motor and building it to RS specs(2.4 to 2.7) or changing your clock to a quartz movement. What about running 16" fuchs? Its very interesting that alot of us want the correct steering wheel or fuch alloy wheel with the correct date on the part to the car, but at the same time take the MFI off and run carbs on their car, or talk about keeping a car the original color or not. Value is a word that gets mention alot on this board, along with the word original. I know that your car is your car, and one can do what ever one wants to it. I just would like to get the latest or current feedback on this topic from old members like me and new members also. Just so we are clear, I truly do understand: TO EACH HIS OWN, because like I said before, its your car. JIM
    Early 911S Registry #161

  2. #2
    Jim,
    Great thread starter.
    My .02 cents. The beauty of these cars is that they are like Mr. Potato Heads. I mean that in a good way. How many other cars can you retrofit a 20 year newer parts onto such as motors, trannies and suspension (i.e. a mid 1980's 3.2 Carerra into a SWB) without major modifications? Certainly not a Ferrari, Lambo or Alfa. I really like performance upgrades like engines, suspensions and brakes on the early cars, as long as the body and interior are left mostly original (with the exception of safety - such as 3 point harnesses). In my humble opinion, there is nothing more beautiful than a really clean early 911 with it's elegant body lines - and 200hp discretely packed under the hood. Based upon how well these kinds of cars do in track and rallye events, I can assume that I am not alone.
    I get a kick out of seeing the look of guys who are proud of having newer sportscars and don't know what hit them when I go sailing by in my oldtimer. I am also a big fan of leaving nice early examples (i.e.1965-73) intact whenever possible.
    I guess that explains why I have a 67 911 which I tried to keep as original as possible (albeit with the original 2.0 engine rebuilt to original 2.0S specs and the PeterZ 911R seats). That's also why I just bought the 68L with the 3.0 liter motor and running gear.
    I practice what I preach.
    Looking forward reading what others think on this subject....

  3. #3
    For many years it was common to see ads in the back of Panorama with "all factory updates". Upfixin' The Porsche was a great collection of projects and fixes for our cars. (I hope everyone got a set).
    Short of turning a car into a slantnose I don't take issue with upgrades as long as they don't ruin the essence of what the car was originally.

    Tom

  4. #4
    I have avoided doing anything that can't be undone. Hence, no flares. I believe while you have the car, it's yours to do with as you like. But, when you cut deeply on the car, it passes a certain point. Yes, even flares can be removed, but the scars will remain.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  5. #5
    Looking cool, Milt! As far as "acceptable" goes..."acceptable" to whom?
    Like Milt said, it's your car, do your thing. That said, if flipping the car & turning a profit is your goal, each thing done that isn't "as manufactured" will reduce the pool of buyers. My own car for example...rolled rear fenders, CB radio installed with antenna (truckers can give radar/laser trap warning miles before a V-1), 7" wheels, H1 lights, the Carrera tensioners. All are terrible things to do, according to some who have posted here. I should care? No plans to sell, all is "acceptable" to me. I think Rick Nelson wrote a song about this...something about you can't please everyone, so you should first please yourself.
    Paul D. Early S Registry #8 - Cyclops Minister of West Coast Affairs
    "Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have the radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. 1973)

  6. #6
    Darn..we put the engine in the wrong place!
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    710
    Only updated chain tensioners are acceptable. Everything else should be original.

    Don
    _______________________________
    1963 356B Super
    1969 911 S
    1981 911 SC

  7. #7
    Anything that Peich, or Ferry or the old man would have done is acceptable...

  8. #8

    Happy New Year

    Wow, there seems to be quite a discrepency of opinions here...

    I guess it depends on whether you plan on ever selling the car. Everything else could be seen as being irrelevant, until that decision is made. So...

    IMO there are two camps here, whose opinions are dependent on resale, and subsequently there two different markets: 1) the purists (I used to be one, so I understand) who say it needs to be as original as possible - this appears to be a more voracious market willing to pay for the privilege, and 2) the "hot rod" gruppe (I like these cars better myself) who are growing in number and are willing to overlook a few mods as long as they are relatively period correct and add to the performance experience of driving the vehicle.

    At this time, there appear to be no hard and fast rules as to what is "acceptable" regarding mods, especially for the "hot rod" gruppe. The purist group is well established, as are their parameters, and they simply need to come to an agreement on a checklist of accepatable mods, which being much smaller should be easy to satisfy. The checklist for the "hot rod"gruppe is longer and apparently still being formulated. Those most involved in the process (wittingly aware or not), are through their actions determining what is important regarding mods and the order in which to apply them. Consequently, there is a feeling among those who spend alot of time (OK, maybe too much time) thinking about such things, as to what looks "right", feels "right", sounds "right", and IS right regarding the acceptabilty of these mods for "hot rod" 911s. This evolution has already happened in the American muscle car collector world, and it's happening to us now. It is these feelings that I find most fascinating because they require all the senses to be invoved, not just a checklist of visual confirmations necessary to provide a foundation for evaluation. It requires a community of like-minded individuals intent on finding the spirit of "Porsche" in 2005/2006. This is what keeps me interested in the topic of this thread, and I'd be disappointed if I was alone. Happy New Year!
    Randy Wells
    Automotive Writer/Photographer/Filmmaker
    www.randywells.com/blog
    www.hotrodfilms.com

    Early S Registry #187

  9. #9
    Defender of the Normal John Fusco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    1,925
    Really lookin good there Milt!



    John

    Du must schwein haben

    901/05 #305701

    Bultaco Metralla 62 M8
    1968 BMW R69S

    Early911SReg #606

  10. #10
    Darn..we put the engine in the wrong place!
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    710
    Here is a list of mods going, in my humble opinion, from most acceptable to least:

    1. updated chain tensioners (good)
    2. Webers carbs (good)
    3. increasing displacement while using the same case (good)
    4. changes moving in the direction of a RS or R from an S (OK)
    5. repainting the same color (OK)
    6. color change, especially if you paint it brown (bad)
    7. engine/tran rebuild by someone without a clue (bad)
    8. using bondo to make body repairs (bad)
    9. updating early car to look like 993 or 964 (very bad)
    10. installing a Chevy V-8 (very, very bad)


    Happy New Year!

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