New member - McQueen911

[McQueen911]

Hello everyone,

Back in 1981 my first car was a 1972 VW Beetle and in one thing or another, I’ve been a rear engined air cooled guy ever since.

Bought my first Porsche in California in 1990, a 1962 356B S coupe, a solid original car which I still own. I bought a 1964 356C that year too, with delusions of putting a 500 bhp turbo Subaru/VW hybrid Autocavan engine in the back, which never happened. But I’ve still got that too so we’re not done yet.

The jewel in the crown of my collection is my 1969 911E which I bought in California 1991. It was purchased new by Steve McQueen and is the first of the four 911’s he owned. Any McQueen fans out there can find it in his wife Barbara’s book, ‘The Last Mile’ (2006). Repainted silver by McQueen when she took that photo in 1979, it’s his signature slate grey underneath and I’ve got a registration for it in his name.
It’s also in the first edition of Matt Stone’s book ‘McQueen’s Machines’ (2007), described as “this mongrel 911 is a mystery”. After new research and with the help of McQueen’s best biographer Marshall Terrill, the mystery’s been solved now.

It’s been sleeping since 1998, when further use in our weather became incapable with conserving it in ‘as owned’ condition. As it turns 50 in August, the age McQueen was when he died, it seemed the appropriate time to bring it back into the light. Classic Cars magazine are doing a piece about it in their August issue, following up on a letter and photo they published about it in September 1992.

I’m better with spanners and sockets than keyboards and computers but will post some photos of it here soon. Soon as I can get my teenage son off his X-box to help me out.


Cheers
Dan Parker

[hot66]

Welcome to Ddk

Sounds great project and interesting car.

[Gary71]

Welcome to DDK. Get some photos up ASAP. (Remotely hosted and linked)

[yoda]

Welcome - pics or it didn’t happen!

[210bhp]

Welcome Dan. Very interesting cars. Looking forward to more details and pics.

Regards
Mike

[sladey]

Welcome to the forum

[Bootsy]

Welcome! Can’t wait to see the cars and hear more about them

[neilbardsley]

Welcomes.

Pictures are strong encouraged

[McQueen911]

Sorry for the delay. Gave my word to Classic Cars they could show photos first but out today so the embargo's off.

Then epic fail on me photo posting. Old bloke, who likes old cars with an old computer. What could go wrong? But you get by with a little help from your friends and a good mate who actually knows what he's doing put this together for me at very short notice instead.

www.therealmcqueen911.com

Not everything yet. The car is 50 on the 8th August, the age McQueen was when he died and all the beans get spilled then. But enough for now I hope to satisfy Yoda's healthy skepticism and I'm now calling for public scrutiny about what's gone on . Believe me, telling people that Steve McQueen's 911 has been resting in my garage for a couple of decades has been more of an an uphill struggle than you'd imagine. Sorry KS that PCGB couldn't twist my arm into giving you the story but Classic Cars published a letter about the car in 1992, so it was only right they had the option to follow up.

[Darren65]

Juicy

[Gary71]

Looks great, hope you don’t mind me posting these up from the site. Let me know and I’ll take them down if not.

[Bootsy]

Sweet

[210bhp]

I see Steve added a few updates to the car even in 1979 and there have been more since.
Looking forward to the story. Are you tempted to go back to slate grey?

Regards
Mike

[Ashley James]

Good to see you on here and to learn about your cars. You’re right to do everything you can to conserve your 911 because they were a rustrap in the UK when new. I’ve just had my 356C’s body completely rebuilt with many new panels and extensive rust treatment with modern materials for that reason.

I’ll be most interested to see the work as it progresses.

[mrk]

Not playing ‘spot the difference’, just genuinely curious as to why the radio aerial is on different front wings in the two pics?
Great looking car.