Dalmation Blue over a Tan interior. I can’t say I have ever come across this shade of blue on the Porsche 911, but man does it look good and the contast of the interior really sets everything apart to make for a really nice looking and inviting driving environment! I always have been a fan of blue on the long-hood 911, with Gemini Blue perhaps being my favorite. But that is a metallic shade and here we get a really vibrant shade of blue that is non-metallic and it really works well. This car, a 1973 Porsche 911T Coupe, comes from near the very end of long-hood production so you get about as refined and performance-oriented a vintage 911 as you can find, or at least as performance oriented as the entry-level 911T can be found. I say it’s nearly the end because during the 1973MY Porsche switched the 911T produced for the US market from mechanical fuel injection to the Bosch continuous fuel injection that would remain the standard up to the release of the 3.2 Carrera. This 911T appears to be a MFI equipped car from that earlier half of 1973 prior to the change.
Month: September 2015
The last 325is I posted was a lightly modified example that some of our intrepid readers investigated further and found a few inconsistencies, namely a rebuilt engine and a chassis with over 200k miles – a bit different than the 123k claimed.
Today’s 325is seems like it has a lot less to hide, with 232k original miles and no visible or claimed modifications other than a full Bilstein suspension setup bringing it a little closer to the road. Apparently it’s been mostly stored for the last two years after a major servicing. Sounds like an owner who thought they could make a little investment in a clean E30 and get a nice return after a couple of years. With great originality and outstanding condition for the mileage, it’s not a bad bet.
Click for details: 1990 BMW 325is on eBay
2 CommentsFor a few decades now Ruf Automobile GmbH has provided Porsche owners unsatisfied with the marque’s standard offerings the opportunity to have something that is quite a bit more special. In some cases, those builds look like entirely original designs where we might fail to recognize the original chassis upon which it was based, but most of Ruf’s work is easily identifiable and the untrained eye may not even realize these are any different from a standard Porsche. There has always been a serious sleeper factor to a Ruf build and it is that dedication to maintaining the refined nature of any Porsche that I think has made Ruf such a serious manufacturer and sustained its success. The example here, a 1989 Ruf RCT Evo, I think falls into that latter category of build that, for the most part, differs only subtly from the 911 from which it sprang. Under the exterior, however, lies a much more potent beast: 425 hp directed through a 6-speed manual transmission and delivered, in this case, only to the rear wheels makes for serious performance and an attention-holding driving experience. That’s a good 45 hp even above the 3.6 Turbo S! A Ruf build always has been a complete work enhancing each aspect of the car’s performance so, naturally, upgrades to braking and suspension are included to help keep that extra power under control. There are a few details of this RCT Evo that I would change: it doesn’t possess the interesting rear light treatment we see on some RCTs, the rain rails are still present, and Mint Green, though one of the special 964 colors, has never been my favorite. Those are minor niggles (well, other than the Mint Green exterior) and entirely aesthetic so we can rest assured the performance remains top notch. All together this is a special 964 and a conversion we come across much less frequently than those for the 930.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Ruf RCT Evo Conversion on eBay
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It’s been a while since we’ve seen the kind of Syncro Westy that can command the better part of a hundred thousand dollars. We’ve seen some nicely restored and modified examples, but even then they’ve struggled to break $40k. Well, folks, we caught a big one. Let’s see if we can haul it aboard.
Inside out and top to bottom, this Westy is mega. Starting with the mechanicals, there’s no Subaru imposter or rebuilt wasserboxer here – it’s a like-new, $35k 1.8T conversion putting out a very healthy 255hp with custom cooling and exhaust systems. Underneath you also get new suspension and a big brake kit, along with a rebuilt front differential and Porsche 930 axles. I especially like the dual fuel tanks for removing any range anxiety when you’re way out in the woods.
From there, we’re just looking at a no-holds-barred interior and exterior. Inside, there’s an entertainment system with a back-up camera surrounded by a custom houndstooth interior. It has everything a Westy lover dreams about, from the solar system connected to twin auxiliary batteries to an on-board air compressor and front-mounted Warn winch, though I’m rather confused as to why they put the Hella lights in a position where they’re blocked by the winch.
This van goes well beyond what is necessary to live the Van Life. It’s an exercise in how far you can go and how many dream-boxes you can check, but the resulting price tag is similarly fantastical.