Purchasing a candidate to do an ST, RS clone build...need advice

[mac73s]

When I finish my 70-S, I would like to relax a bit from the fastidious grind of making everything as original and factory correct as possible as I also did on my 73-S, and do a hot rod, ST, or RS type clone where I can have more freedom and flexibility in the build. I see one of the popular choices is to pick a later model and 'back date' it in appearance but incorporating newer/improved suspension, engine, trans, etc. Are people choosing later cars (80s vintage) as their starting point because they tend to be less expensive than a 69-73 911 and/or are the later cars vastly improved in ways that they make them a better place to begin - or - is the 69-73 car always a better place to start and then update and modify. If the answer is a later car, is there a preferred year(s)? Thank you.

[RSTarga]

The one with no rust

[csbush]

Interesting idea- I guess you could calculate the difference between what you would have to pay for a 69-73, and what it would cost to convert a later car back. At least with the later car, you already have the wider rear quarter panels, and if you are going with the RS look, there are less expensive fiberglass front and rear bumpers, hoods fenders, etc. You would also not be competing for early 911 parts which as we frequently discuss here are crazy expensive. As for preferred year- I have always heard that later the year model, the better the car, so anything pre 964 that you can pick up relatively inexpensively would be good. I bet you could cost it out pretty accurately based on what you wanted from the project.-

[dirk07]

I would start with a solid 964 base like this one, but Coupe
Porsche 911 964 Rohkarosse, 8.911 € VB
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-..._medium=social

[76911S]

Interesting dilemma, I built a RS light weight tribute for a customer several years back. That was right at the point that the longhoods where starting to climb in value and we got a decent 80 SC for 10K. I sold off everything we where not going to use and almost got the 10K back. It made for a good rust free, flared fender candidate. I gotta think the problem now is they are all worth a lot of money.

I would look for a car that is not original, either early or later, maybe one that has a bad 80's look, take it back to the shell and have a good starting point. I don't really think what year matters, you will probably change or rebuild all the mechanical bits anyway. Shell condition and price would be the buying factors for me. If you are going to put ST type fenders, maybe a midyear car?

Mark..

[NickP]

No doubt that no matter what car you use as you starting point it's going to present a different set of challenges than the next. For my ST build, I wanted to start with a 72, notably because of the oil tank placement and the fact that 72's were 'correct' and used as ST's back in the day. I also wanted to retain the original color, so when I found the 72 tangerine T coupe pictured below I had my starting point. Metal work and paint were expensive, I'll leave it at that. Before and after:

[mac73s]

Thank you all for sharing your most helpful thoughts and ideas.

[Eminence Gris]

The very best choice is an abandoned project. Because projects can be had for less than $0.50 on the dollar invested. I looked at an abandoned project yesterday - an 84 Carrera wide body conversion, lacking drivetrain & most interior parts, sitting on 'roller' wheels. I think that car will be in the teens, where a longhood project in the same state would be 2x the money. There is also a religious issue for some (especially on this forum) of altering an original longhood. So you may have to contend with not only spending more, but fending off criticism.

It's arguable that the stiffer chassis and galvanizing of the later car makes a better hot rod platform.

As for ultimate value, it's hard to argue with the $220K (before premium) paid for the 84 RSR-look backdate that just sold on Bringatrailer.

[Richardnew]

That poor BaT cat got beat up pretty bad here. I was amazed how many people jumped on that car.

Part of the issues with that car was we're never sure what a clone actually is. People seemed to be critical of the car because it didn't replicate a real RSR. Then again this is a tough crowd.

Cloning is a form of reproduction. Cloning is the process of making a genetically identical organism. The key word here is identical. If a car is called a clone then we have to assume that it’s identical to the original. That’s just the definition of a clone. If it's only close then it's just one more modified car. That's not a bad thing but something to keep in mind.

Richard Newton
Garage Lighting