Across the spectrum of human endeavor it is our nature to assign dates, perhaps to compartmentalize events within the convenient bookends of beginnings and endings, starts and finishes, the alpha and the omega. Not too infrequently, such conventions ill serve to reflect the true nature of things. Take this project for example.
It started with a memory...
Objective: 2,3L ST Style Hot Rod
The search for old factory race parts began in 2005, a suitable 71S project car turned up in 2006 and finally there is something to show for the effort.
Most of the ST parts that have been collected are used items. In fact, some of them were discarded when original cars were in the process of being restored. I suppose these old bits became surplus as the original cars were upgraded with NOS parts or current FIA-approved equipment. We have nearly all of the original parts listed in the Sports Purposes Spare Parts Manual to get this 1970-71 2,3L style ST project looking period correct.
Part numbers shown in the text of my posts in this thread correspond to those specified in the Spare Parts List Type 911 S competition type, Edition april 70 as published by Dr. -Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG - Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
As the Preface to the parts list states, "This spare parts list contains all special parts for the car type 911 S to be reconstructed for a competition car."
The reader should keep in mind that the designation "ST" was just a term used internally at Porsche to describe a 911S built for sports purpose use with a lightweight tub with thin steel panels for the roof and rear seat area. In fact, aside from some minor but unique features related to deletion of attachement points for the ashtray and passenger side sun visor, tubes for the pull cables, and most notably the heater ducts in the sills, some say these tubs were nothing special, most likely production 911T tubs pulled off the line at Karmann, who used thinner (cheaper) steel in those areas as standard practice on all the 911Ts that they built.
Most privateers started with a 911S to build their Special GT Group 4 race cars, although there were undoubtedly exceptions, most notably the Kremer brothers in Cologne.
Privateers approached the task of preparing their race cars just as we will, by perusing the Spare Parts List, making their parts selections, submitting their orders and then reconstructing their cars as Special GT Group 4 race cars. These modifications were extensive and Porsche offered their racing customers a broad and deep array of special parts for engine, transmission, body and suspension.
The ST history began with the B Series and in 1969 and was limited to the narrow body single plug Group 3 car, more a collection of race parts selected by the owner to prepare his car for its intended purpose. For MY 1970 the term ST came into use at the factory to denote the "standard 911S," offered for the German domestic market together with a long list of special equipment homologated by the Werks with the FIA in order to allow competition minded 911 enthusiasts to contest events in Group 4 - Special GT. This extensive list included body panels fabricated in aluminum as well as grp and special parts to bring engines up to full race 911/20 specification. At the beginning of October 1970, the ST program was taken a step further with essentially three variants of the D Series ST being quietly announced to the dealer network by the factory . The three Werks variants offered were: the "standard 911S" with the heater delete narrow body lightweight powered by a production single plug 911/02 as often seen in Group 3; the Group 4 circuit version with GFK panels, Plexi windows and twin plug race engines to 911/20 tune; and finally, the Group 4 Rallye version to the same wide body specs but with the 911/02 engine to rally specs. These three variants were continued for the F Series ST cars. Notwithstanding the variants offered by the Werks, the truth of the matter is that far more 911 race cars were converted to wide body Group 4 specs than were ever built by the race department. Some of the "standard 911S" lightweights (essentially homologation cars built to establish minimum weight for the FiA) were returned to the Werks for conversion to Group 4 specs, while many others were purchased as used cars by Kremer and other dealer sponsored teams and similarly converted. But most Group 4 cars were converted from 911S street cars, like Richie Ginther's Snoopy II and countless others prepared by privateers. A look at any 1970-71 grid at the Nurburgring or Le Mans makes clear just how popular it was for independent teams to construct Group 4 cars themselves rather than purchase factory built examples.
The scope of the project will encompass a detailed examination of the Porsche 911 S - Racing Version and construction of a freshly built example using factory preparation techniques and all the corresponding parts as originally supplied by the Porsche Race Department.
That will be our objective for this 2,3L ST style hot rod project, to show as many of the Special GT Group 4 parts as we could find, and install them on this MY 1971 911S non-sunroof coupe, just as we would have done back in the spring time of 1971 if we had access to an S, all of the necessary factory original race parts, and the time, resources and hot rodding talent to make it happen.
The cars built by Ginther, Toad Hall, Brumos and untold others were fielded after doing exactly what we will do with this project. Just how they did it in a couple of months is indicative of keen devotion to motor sport and a willing ear at the back door of the Race Dept in Stuttgart.
Here are some images of the progress on the chassis and body work of 1971 911S #694.
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