Building my 1972 to a ST?

[a911s]

All the parts necessary to convert a 1972 911 into a ST replica are available as reproductions. The real STs pretty much all used 2.5L motors by 1972. By then they were also switching from fiberglass front fenders to adding steel front flares to stock fenders, although there are exceptions. The rear ST flares are unique and should be steel. The rear deck lid should be aluminum. The front lid can be steel (or aluminum) or balsa reinforced fiberglass. Doors are normally steel, although aluminum skins were available. Bumpers are fiberglass or steel. Most '72 STs used 100L and 110L plastic fuel tanks.

[mac73s]

I am looking to build something close to a ST. (Not over the top or exact copy.)
I want to maintain the original Royal Purple color and the numbers matching engine and transmission.
But, I would like to have ST front and rear flares with bumpers to match.

So to look the part, i want to make sure i source the best flares available.

I purchased steel ST flares from Restoration Design but stupid money in my opinion for ten dollars worth of sheet metal. Front flares required more work to fit properly, but after many hours of butt welding and massaging they look great. I also kept the original steel front and rear bumpers and 'curved' the ends to flow into the flares...again, lots of work but I just did not fiberglass on the car. I too was not chasing a perfect ST clone (whatever that is), but had a vision in mind for a hot rod build and the ST flares fit the bill.

[tcsracing1]

I purchased steel ST flares from Restoration Design but stupid money in my opinion for ten dollars worth of sheet metal. Front flares required more work to fit properly, but after many hours of butt welding and massaging they look great. I also kept the original steel front and rear bumpers and 'curved' the ends to flow into the flares...again, lots of work but I just did not fiberglass on the car. I too was not chasing a perfect ST clone (whatever that is), but had a vision in mind for a hot rod build and the ST flares fit the bill.

Is butt welding the common practice for originality?

[Longballa]

Is butt welding the common practice for originality?

But welding is the quality way to do it. Lap welding can cause rust down the road and is a cheese ball way of doing it.

[Slcarr]

Butt welding is the only way to do it and yes overlap them on will be trouble later on with rust forming and bubbling up in those areas. I have always gas welded (oxy/acet) them as you first tack weld them every 1 1/2- 2 inches and when they are hot you hammer and dolly that area back to original shape. MiG or Tig just don’t let you do that and way to much filler metal to grind on both the front side and back side, MiG will probably have wire sticking out the back side.
I got involved in a real ST build years ago and was going to use 930 flares front and rear but the squared off lip will need to be shrunk up and metal finished back to a rounder looking opening.
65-68 911/912s have narrower front hubs for larger wheel but backspacing is important as you don’t want the tires rubbing the fender inner skirt. I have the hubs if interested.

[union]

I got involved in a real ST build years ago and was going to use 930 flares front and rear but the squared off lip will need to be shrunk up and metal finished back to a rounder looking opening.

Can you explain how this is done? I read somewhere but can’t find now a ST built by Esposito using SC flares but shaped/rounded out to look more like the ST.

[Slcarr]

Shrinking with a oxy/acet torch is done by (on a turbo or SC flare) using a neutral flame and heat the ridge so the orange part is the size of a dime or less and using a hammer and dolly that is shaped the radius you want and forming that small area the shape you want and do it every inch, 1 1/2 inch the entire flare lip. Don’t hammer on dolly to much though as this will stretch the metal. Next is to metal finish the area and that is done with a body file, in this instance both a flat and a curved adjustable body file, and use a bulls eye pick to raise where needed. The body file is just used to mark the low spots and not to take metal off. It requires a lot of experience and a feel for what you are doing. Been doing this kind of work since 1969. If anyone thinks about doing this to Porsche parts that are galvanized the glavinizing has to come off before it is heated other wise very toxic, do this with removing all primer and then using muratic acid, nasty stuff.