FS: Penske/Donahue '73 E Targa

[LongRanger]

At Cars Dawydiak . . .

http://www.carsauto.com/detail.cfm?V...arga&ID=369123

[Cornpanzer]

Wow! What a cool car. Would like to know more about the history though. For example, why does the COA show a paint to sample blue, while the invoice says silver and it is not Albert blue?

Why did it need a restoration after less than 2000 miles?

Whatever, still a stunning car. That blue leather interior does it for me!

[karlusmagnus]

Nice car. The whole color thing is funny, and if the factory was building a 72 with all the carrera bits, for racers like penske/donahue, why a stock E engine? I guess if i had $250 to spend, i would get good answers. Nice car.

[tfmcmahon]

From "execmalibu" on another thread. "1973 RS Targa built for Roger Penske

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chuck at Redline in AZ had a 1973 911RS Targa that had full documentation that the car cas pulled from the assembly line (originally an E) and custom built for Roger Penske into a RS Targa.

Remember Penske was very heavy into Porsche CAN-AM racing and also having all of the IROC cars built at the same time and undobedly the factory would have built just about anything he asked for.

Maybe he should have had them build him a 917 Targa!" Chuck is located here in Tucson if anyone is interested. Tom

[CurtEgerer]

There was an article somewhere on this car. An old, old magazine. I've been looking for it for years but never found the article again.

[john rice]

Unless it has been swapped this car had a correct 2.7 RS spec engine and hillclimb gears back in the day. Worse yet, I have that article....somewhere.. but cannot locate it right now.

The for sale quotes from Mark about the specs of this car from "The Unfair Advantage". However, the page xref is from the earier editions. In the revised and expanded editions from 2000 on this info is on page 320.

Didn't this car sell for about $30-35k back then? He he. I remember wanting to go after it but it was gone. Not many people knew or cared back then. [Yea. I'm sure it cost a lot to restore so they reallllly aren't making a huge killing on it.. Right. And I'm sure it won't depreciate much after the big crash comes.]

Last..not least.. If you are reading this and don't have a copy of "The Unfair Advantage" you REALLY GOTTA get a copy and read it. It still ranks as the best Porsche, racing, auto history book I have ever read. You want unflintching insight? You want to understand the basics of what makes racing cars work and how to set them up? It is all right here and extremely readable. Every few years I pick it up and find myself rereading it cover - to - cover. It is that good. Back in the 70s when I first started SCCA racing the recommended reading Alan Johnson's racing book. I was reading the book and he describes a suspension problem he was having trouble figuring out.. and I am thinking "That sounds like the common racer problem Mark described in Unfair Advantage"..... and it was.

GET A COPY. Maybe you can't afford this car but this superb book is inexpensive and well worth a spot on THE enthusiast's library. It is the literary equivalent of having a Speedster or 73 RS in a serious Porsche car collection.

ENJOY

John Rice

[karlusmagnus]

Thanks for the tip John. Just ordered a copy.

[t6dpilot]

Yes, I agree with Dave - very cool car. I too would want to know more of the history and documentation of its build, ect. Now this is going to sound crazy, but if (and that is a big if) you can substantiate all the provenance surrounding this car and its 2.7RS motor, then I think that 250 might be a good price.

OK, commence all the rotten vegatable throwing...

Allright, maybe 250 large is a bit much, but think of it in the same terms as the McQueen S. Cars with serious documented history/provenance go for a hugh premium over pedestrian cars of the same make/model. Might be viewed as a good buy down the road...

[RS Steve]

Hi there,

Do I take it that this car actually should have a correct 'RS 2.7' motor in it?
Because I have been told that it now has an 'E' motor in it with the hillclimb gears.

With the RS motor it would be really special, but with an 'E', I can't see it being worth the asking price, even with the provenance.


Steve.

[fryardds]

Update on this interesting car:

Just recieved the latest Excellence (May) and this car is featured. Great history but no mention of an original RS motor. It has an 'E' motor which is original to the car I believe.