Porsche 911 Backdate

The vehicle in detail

Background

Restomods are definitely in vogue at present, and it would be easy to believe it’s a recent craze, however, this 73 tribute has an interesting story that must make it pretty unique in the marketplace.

Originally supplied by Heddle & Deeks in November 1984, this genuine C16 Carrera enjoyed a continuous ownership and service history into the 90s but by now the styling was looking very dated compared to the car that replaced it, the new 964 Carrera. The 964 however, was still reassuringly expensive, leaving a gap in the market for companies to forward date the 3.2 Carrera with more modern 964 styling, making them externally virtually indistinguishable from the newer model. Stuttgart Connection of Southend were tasked with the complete makeover of this particular car, before repainting in the original silver metallic.

Pictures in the history file do indeed confirm its convincing appearance, and a letter confirms it was subsequently purchased by Mark Sumpter of Paragon Porsche in 1995 for his wife to use, before being sold onto to one of their existing clients.

It continued in this guise for several years, however fashion and trends never stay still for long and in 2009/2010 it was the subject of a second transformation into the 73 tribute that you see today. There are several invoices from familiar Porsche parts suppliers such as Design 911, Roger Bray, Early 911 and Rennsport, but unfortunately nothing confirming who actually carried out the conversion. However, a full gearbox rebuild and engine work were carried out by Rennspeed of Nottingham for £7,913.51.

The car was purchased by its last keeper on the 7th April 2014 and has enjoyed considerable expenditure since.

It appears the original backdate conversion that was carried out could have been to a better standard, so Paul Mallen was entrusted to strip the car and do the work again. This time any corrosion was professionally rectified before the external panels were refitted and painted. New seals and rubbers were fitted throughout and refurbished 15” genuine Fuchs alloys shod with new Pirelli P6000 tyres completed the look. Once completed, it received a complete suspension rebuild with new Bilstein sport dampers and bushes throughout before a full set up by Ninemeister. Ninemeister also replaced the collapsible drain tubes, fuel lines and wheel bearings, as well as giving the car another full service in 2020.

On The Road

The price is to reflect that we cannot find any conclusive evidence in the cars history file of an engine rebuild, however the car is certainly strong on the road and the performance lead us to believe this has been carried out at some stage too.

In Summary

This car has certainly led an interesting life; however, it is still matching numbers, has clearly had regular servicing and money thrown at it over the years, which is reflected in the crisp driving experience. Put this together with a recently restored bodyshell, that is now presented with a cool yet understated 70s vibe, and you have a car that not only out performs an original, but is an alternative to a more modern 911, for that daily drive as well.