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Category: Porsches Past

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1979 Porsche 935 Kremer K3 Replica

Even though they don’t generally get the big headlines, arguably the Porsche 934 and 935 were the most important car in developing the racing history and reputation of Porsche. While the 356 and early 911s were certainly notable, it was in the mid-1970s with the introduction of turbocharged 911 in 935 form that Porsche developed a sizable following of independents who raced the all-conquering Turbos. In turn, it was these race successes that convinced enthusiasts that the Porsche 930 was THE car to have. The 935 was, in many ways, a development of the earlier 934. Wide flares coupled with wheels and brakes from the prototype category 917 and 936 gave a purposeful and classic look. While the roofline and doors remained effectively the same as the production cars, few other details matched what you could buy at the dealer. One of the biggest developments was the aerodynamic “Slantnose” developed with help from Kremer; it would become the signature look for not only the 935s but also the most expensive versions of the 930 in the 1980s. The 935 also helped breach the gap in between the 917 program and the start of the 956/962; while the 936s were the direct transference between the two, it would be the 935 that would carry the Porsche flag around the world. Amongst the notable wins for the 935 were around 150 international victories including all-out victory at Le Mans in 1979 and multiple wins at both Sebring and Daytona.

So it’s little surprise that there’s no shortage of replicas, and this particular ’69 911 has ended up being a pretty impressive Kremer K3 replica:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1979 Porsche 935 Kremer K3 Replica on eBay

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Motorsports Monday: 1975 Porsche 911 RSR

Let’s say for a moment that you came into an extraordinary amount of money and wanted to go vintage automobile racing. Of course, to prove your worth as an enthusiast, you’ll want to buy a historically significant car that will impress all the long bottom jaws, and few raise more eyebrows in the German realm right now than the 911. Truth told, the 911 is really the ‘new money’ of the vintage world – go try racing antique Bugattis or Ferraris, for example, and you’ll soon laugh at the budgets of Porsche racers…but I digress.

Ironically, there was a point in history where your scenario from today wouldn’t have been all that different from the past. Take the case of Diego Febles. Diego was born in Cuba under the notorious dictator Batista, but left in 1957 for “political reasons” you may have heard of at one point. Finally landing in Puerto Rico, Diego took to racing, and specifically racing Porsches. In the 1970s, this led him to be linked up with Peter Gregg’s Brumos Porsche group, and Diego proceeded to buy and build cars which mimicked Gregg’s famous liveries.

In his own right, Febels was fairly accomplished as a racer. He raced some of the most famous races in the world; of course the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring were naturals that Gregg and Brumos had excelled at, but he also raced at Road America, Mosport, Mid Ohio and finally even at Le Mans. This particular car is claimed to be his last ‘RSR’, but looks can be deceiving:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR at Atlantis Motor Group

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1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

Pablo from flüssig magazine has checked in with us once again, evaluating this 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo for sale in Denver that was sent to us from our reader Duncan.

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Porsche’s plan in 1980 was to keep the 924 Turbo’s price under twenty grand. Now if I were to tell you that in the face of a weakening dollar against a strong Deutsch Mark that USD $20,000 has the same buying power today as USD $57,115, you’d not only have to pick your jaw up off the floor, you’d wonder why the hell Stuttgart decided it a savvy move to wipe the 5-stud hubs and rear disc brakes clean off the build sheet replacing them with four lugs and a pair of drums for Turbos destined to the US to stay under that price. Let me explain.

Porsche was still a small company 35 years ago compared to, say, their neighbors at Daimler–Benz. And when you’re a David, you do what have to in order to keep that needle millimeters away from the red lest A: you get consumed by Goliath, or B: you close up shop. Simple as that. So in order for Stuttgart to continue selling its relatively new entry level product at a far from entry level price in a market that was allotted 50% of its Fahrzeug (incoming CEO Peter Schutz would change that in 1981 to lessen dependence on the US market), costs had to be cut somewhere. Unfortunately, the rear binders were it. The way they saw it, if the 50 states version was detuned to put out 143bhp @5500 RPM and 147 lb-ft of torque at 3000 RPM further crippled by a smaller turbo, catalytic converter, and oxygen sensors, a front disc/rear drum set-up like that found on the normally aspirated 924 would be more than adequate.

The 924 Turbo made its appearance on our shores in July of 1979 as a 1980 model (easily distinguished by an exposed fuel filler cap) in a limited batch of 600 cars in an effort to keep dealers and journalists from screaming like spoiled little brats since Porsche had already started production of the 1979 model year in the summer of ’78. When you figure in that the European/ROW version got 170bhp, 180 lb-ft of torque, a larger KKK K26 turbocharger with a wastegate, and disc brakes all around, who can blame anyone for throwing a tantrum? Matter of course.

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Let’s shift the subject to a more positive note and discuss more noteworthy attributes of the US spec 931. Labeled engine version M31.02, these lumps were built in Zuffenhausen and not at VW’s Salzgitter plant sporting a completely redesigned head with inlet valves that were 3mm larger (36mm) than the 924 normal allowing the engine to suck a combustible mixture of larger volume while platinum tipped spark plugs were moved closer to the inlet valves as opposed to the exhaust valves as in the 924 normal. It must noted that the normally aspirated 924 used a head of Heron design meaning that the underside of cylinder head was machined flat since the combustion chamber was recessed in the piston crown providing a “swirl effect” to the fuel/air mixture on the upstroke whereas the turbo would have the combustion chamber in the head itself. Compression ratio remained the same on all versions at 7,5:1 that increased geometrically to 10,8:1 when the turbo was spooled up to full song at 0,7 bar (9.87 lbs) beginning at around 2800 RPM. The bottom end remained the same for both the blown and unblown version, save for the new Mahle pistons, as it was robust enough to cope with the power increase.

The clutch size increased from 215mm to 225mm control hydraulically this time, cable operation was left to the normally aspirated group. Power went through a larger 25mm diameter driveshaft spinning on three bearings mating to a Porsche designed G31.02 gearbox with a revised final drive ratio of 4,71:1 used in the normally aspirated European 924 while the 0,706 5th gear was swapped out for 0,60:1, this in the name of better compatibility for our roads. While all of this may not matter one whit to one of little technical aptitude, the driver will most certainly find the Turbo’s appeal a fortiori when engaging the dog-leg first borne of racing pedigree.

Now that I’ve lain before your feet a small primer on what the 924 Turbo was about, I’d like focus your attention to this superb little brick draped in L90E Alpinweiß. The toolkit, that’s when I knew this 931 would be worth a bother…perhaps a flight in from somewhere farther. Universal pliers, rim wrench, spark plug wrench, operating rod for rim wrench, operating lever for spark plug wrench, handle and Philips/Flat head insert, and a double-ended 10mm/13mm spanner in the original tool roll pouch speaks volumes of what to expect in terms of completeness and originality with this example.

Click for details: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo on Denver’s Craigslist

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1987 Porsche 944S

Pablo from flüssig magazine is back once again to take a look at this clean, lower mileage 1987 Porsche 944S for sale in Pennsylvania.

It began with mild curiosity.

My then-future wife already knew of my close-minded, air-cooled superiority complex, but didn’t understand why I thought her 944S didn’t figure into my Porsche passion…then she took me for a ride. I was hooked. This car made me a believer; in fact, it was this very car that would inspire me to start a magazine called flüssig ten years later.

What was it about this little car that nudged, no shoved, me into the world of early water-cooled Porsches? The smoothness. This is a character trait my beloved 911 didn’t possess. In fact, that air-cooled fossil is very much like me; rough, uncouth, noisy…a little bit dangerous, a little bit friendly, but generally behaving like an oaf—a sophisticated oaf.

The S was the exact opposite. Its character mimicked that of my wife, Diane. Well mannered, svelte, elegant. Perfectly bulged hips, thin at the waist, and strong enough to shove you back when provoked. No wonder I was attracted to both.

Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I want to point out the historical significance of this car.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 944S on eBay

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1988 Porsche 924S Special Edition

Pablo from flüssig magazine is back to highlight this late model, one of 500 1988 Porsche 924S Special Edition.

I have a thing for women with wide hips.

The cars that I have in my collection reflect this. The 993, 944, and 968; each of them sensually wide at the flanks giving them a sort of feminine muscularity you seldom see on other marques.

I also have a thing for narrow hips on the fairer sex…not taking a preference for one or the other is a testament to the dual personality that’s typical of all Geminis.

You see, even though the wide hips suggest strength, power if you like, the narrow ones speak of nimbleness, agility; a sort of lightness that gives her edge in all things calling for performance. This is precisely why I fell in love with this 924S.

This is not just any old 924S, however; no, no…this one is a very special version of which only 500 were made for the US market and they’re all clothed in black. In fact, very few Porschephiles know that such a version exists, yet here is one that’s got the numbers to prove it. First let me give you a little primer on the S before getting a bit more intimate with SN450529.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 Porsche 924S Special Edition on eBay

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