1974 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

I’ve featured a few modified Porsche 911s of late, something I’ve shied away from to a degree in the past due to their extremely high prices, and it has been interesting to see the variety of builds even if the referents to which those builds refer tends to remain static. Similar approaches and executions leading to different results, though all desirable in my opinion. Here we have another one, which, like yesterday’s 911E, may struggle with price given that the 911 that served as the foundation for this build is itself a fairly valuable commodity and even in non-original form that tends to generate varying notions of the car’s worth. The seller here appears to understand that dilemma given his statements in the ad, but whether that means a reasonable reserve follows is something we will have to wait and see. Let’s get to the basics: here we have a Light Yellow 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, located in Phoenix, with 112,500 miles on it. This 911 has seen quite a few modifications including the replacement of the original 2.7 liter engine with the 3.0 liter flat-six from a 911SC. But even that engine has not remained in its original form as it has been built with a variety of components from later 911s and is mated to a 915 5-speed from an ’86 Carrera. Power is claimed to be at 290 hp, a very substantial increase from where this car began its life, which should make it an extremely capable performer that can run with a wide variety of high-end machines.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe on eBay

Year: 1974
Model: 911 Carrera
Engine: 3.0 liter flat-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 112,500 mi
Price: Reserve Auction

1974 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

One of 528 US Carreras

This a unique “driver’s” car that has the authenticity of a light weight classic Luft Gekuhlt (air cooled) Porsche 911 while providing a more modern performance experience through tasteful modifications.

Equipment and Modifications:

· Non Sun-Roof Light Yellow exterior with Black Interior with rear Seat Delete (Porsche Certificate of Authenticity on hand)
· 1980 3.0L engine with a 3.2.L polished crank, 3.2L J&E Pistons and 2.7L 911s con rods. 993 Sport Camshafts, 3.2LDME Conversion with mass air flow kit (Authority) special programming. B&B stainless headers with S&S dual in dual out muffler.
· Gearbox is a 1986 915 rebuilt transmission with LSD and Centerforce Clutch assembly and Wevo Shifter.
· 1988 911 Carrera rear suspension with 26mm Turbo torsion bars, Carrera Trailing arms, new axles and Bilstein sport shocks.
· 1988 930 Turbo front suspension with 21 mm torsion bars, 930 Turbo tie rods, Delrin Bushings, new ball joints.
· Front Brakes are 964 four pot calipers with a 23mm master cylinder. Rear has Carrera Calipers
· 1988 Carrera fuel tank, fuel pump and filter.
· Wheels are 930 Fuchs 16”alloys, 7” in front and 8”in rear with Hankook V2 tires.
· Sport Interior features restored gauges with a 10k tachometer, 930 power leather seats, RSR door panels, rear seat delete, powder coated rear roll bar.
· Stereo is a Sony deck (CD/Bluetooth) with fosgate amplifier, 6 speakers including two 8” woofers in the rear seating area. Alarm and door actuators included.
· Engine is estimated produce approximately 290HP with a weight of 2400 lbs giving a power to weight ratio of 8.3lbs/HP. Comparatively, a 2004 GT3 with 381HP and a weight of approximately 3200lbs has a ratio of 8.4/HP.

Condition:

· Mileage: 112,500 on the odometer. Engine is believed to have been rebuilt at approximately 105,000 miles (at Cars Dawydiak in SF).
· Paint: The paint is fairly good but shows signs of its use as a driver’s car. Most of the chips exist along the front bumper and there are a few on the hood. There is also some light pitting on the rear passenger fender flare and exhaust tip (presumably from DE/Track days). Although this car isn’t really meant for the concours enthusiast, it still shows great at local events. From 10 ft away, it looks pretty darn good, as evidenced by the pictures. However, I want to be forthright about the reality of little nicks here and there.
· All of its regular maintenance has been performed at Patrick Motorsports. No accidents or incidents.
· Tires: The rears are brand new and the fronts are at approximately 50% (staggered).
· Use History: This has been a fun weekend car for me. I have loved driving it to they gym or on date nights but the car truly shines at the track. I have really enjoyed being a member of the PCA and participating at Driver Education events including autocross. It’s just been fantastic to learn how to drive the car fast and trust in what it can do. It’s a very clean car that gets generous amount of attention and “thumbs up.” The bright color seems to change in different light going from light to deep to almost neon inside florescent lighted parking garages. It’s impossible not to smile when driving it. Regarding its driving experience, it’s like driving a supped up go-cart, small, low and very fast. It’s a very happy yet serious little car.

An original California car, it was acquired in Studio City, California by Patrick Motorsports in Phoenix. Once in Phoenix, it went through a project transformation to maximize performance as a ’74 RS Tribute Car. It eventually found its way to Walter Dawydiak in San Francisco where Cars Dawydiak returned its aesthetics back to factory Carrera while maintaining its performance modifications. I purchased the car in 2011.

As classic Porsche 911 values seem to skyrocket, this car is an attractive value proposition. While it is a real ’74 US Carrera, it has performance modifications (ex: non-numbers matching engine) that take it out of the concours collector market. At the same time, it’s a beautiful driver’s car that you don’t have to be afraid of driving on the street or at the track for that matter. That’s partly the reason the RGruppe movement has become so popular. It offers a polished collector appeal and modern performance that, depending how the auction ends up, you can’t buy and duplicate yourself for anywhere near the same amount of money. It’s the best of both worlds: classic appeal + performance + value = great buy! That and the fact it so closely resembles the ’73 RS.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 911 CARRERA:

The H Series Porsche 911, introduced for the 1974 model year, incorporated some fairly major structural, mechanical, and cosmetic changes to comply with the ever stringent U.S. safety and emissions regulations. New were the impact-absorbing aluminum bumpers fore and aft, with inner structures at both ends strengthened to absorb impact. The hood was shortened, and the doors were reinforced internally. The front corner lights and reflectors were incorporated into the rubber bumper trim, while a new center reflector filled the space between the taillight assemblies. There were important suspension upgrades, a larger fuel tank (which necessitated a compact spare tire and air compressor), and a single battery tucked into the left-front corner of the trunk. The interior gained new high-backed seats for driver and passenger.

Bidding Details:

· Buyer to arrange pick up and any delivery or shipping fees.
· I reserve the right to end this listing at anytime should the vehicle no longer be available for sale. The vehicle is being marketed locally. The following terms of sale apply to this listing.
o To bid on this item you must be a Registered eBay user.
o You the bidder are entering into a legal and binding contract to purchase the automobile listed on this page. Please do not bid if you do not intend to purchase.
o Buyers are responsible to pay a non-refundable 5% deposit via bank wire transfer or cashier’s check within three business days. Full payment must be received within five business days from end of auction.
o Buyers must contact seller within 24 hours of auctions end via email hank@griescompanies.com . Otherwise, seller reserves the right to sell vehicle at seller’s discretion.
o Seller reserves the right to notify bidders and end the auction early without any liability to the seller.
o No bid retractions allowed 24 hours prior to auction end. Please have all necessary information available to complete transaction.
o The vehicle herein is “pre-owned” and sold as “As Is” condition.

On the surface this build reminds me a lot of last week’s Talbot Yellow ’76 911S, but under the surface the objectives of these cars appears to have shifted significantly. This one has been built to be a track car, though with a more functional interior, and the owner reports that it has seen plenty of DE events. In that regard this 911 does seem like a very interesting proposition and the overall look is quite good. Like the other modified 911s I’ve featured recently this one doesn’t seem over-the-top, but rather relies on the common formula of classic looks and more modern mechanicals. Bidding currently sits at $50,000 with reserve unmet. Back to the Talbot Yellow 911S: that car did sell though for precisely how much we are not sure. It was listed at $55K and we can assume the selling price was somewhere in that range given that the auction was ended early. That gives us some idea of how these cars are being valued though we should expect, given the additional performance modifications and the general value of the ’74 Carrera, that the example here would command more value. I’m not entirely sure how much more and I’ll have an eye on this to see if the auction pushes further north, but this 911 stands as another well-executed build that should offer a good deal of driving fun.

-Rob