My new project.........

[Mike]

Oh Lord, that's simply stunning.

thanks Keith, maybe we could drop it in the back of the green targa, that should blow the cobwebs away!

I bet you are really looking forward to driving her

John, you just don't get it do you, haven't you realised yet...?

John, in all seriousness you raise an interesting point here!

All the p155 taking aside it should be finished this year and the driving of it has been in the back of my mind. Over the past few years
the planning and managing of the project has taken on a life of it's own, it's been the making of parts, the sourcing of original bits to
copy, the research and liaising with craftsmen of all trades, that's where I've got my kicks. Neil Bainbridge summed it up a while ago
when he said I'd turned into Ron Dennis and who was I going to get to drive it.........

[johnM]

Oh Lord, that's simply stunning.

thanks Keith, maybe we could drop it in the back of the green targa, that should blow the cobwebs away!

I bet you are really looking forward to driving her

John, you just don't get it do you, haven't you realised yet...?

John, in all seriousness you raise an interesting point here!

All the p155 taking aside it should be finished this year and the driving of it has been in the back of my mind. Over the past few years
the planning and managing of the project has taken on a life of it's own, it's been the making of parts, the sourcing of original bits to
copy, the research and liaising with craftsmen of all trades, that's where I've got my kicks. Neil Bainbridge summed it up a while ago
when he said I'd turned into Ron Dennis and who was I going to get to drive it.........

I will quite happily have a go.

[964RS]

Not putting some serious miles on this car around Europe and some race tracks would be utter sacrilege

To never enjoy the fruits of all the labour in achieving what you have would be a trick well and truly missed imho.

Porsche did not build their prototype RSR race car to sit in a garage all clean and shiny now did they....they built it for a purpose and using it was 100% of that purpose.

You only live once and you don't want one of your regrets to be sitting staring out of a window thinking 'Damn! I wish I had....'

You know you have to Mike!

People want to see this car finished and more importantly they want to see YOU driving it when they see it.

You know it makes sense

[jtparr]

Mike

Good to see you at Essen, and very glad to hear this WILL be the year....I also have to agree with Jason, that I want to see you driving this gem of yours.......hopefully sooner than later

Best
Jonathan

[911hillclimber]

This kind of activity certainly does take over or assume a whole life in your days, and as ever the conclusion can lead to something of a 'void' feeling when it is done, it is finished.
'Finished' being it stands there in the garage all 'perfect', the pressure has dispersed, the contact with new friends and supporters has started to diminish and you really do think 'what now'.

It is obvious to many to drive the car which then starts to unpick all that perfect work, the dirt, the stonechips the scratch where only you can see it because you are so intimate with every part!

Somehow building the car to drive is secondary, the prime purpose has become to realise a dream and that is the reward.

I, as many, wish to see this car in all it's glory and to be amazed at the determination and skill to get this all to come together and work. I think we all know your eyes will soon wander about for the next thing to do as driving is simply not enough.
Let's hope it is another Porsche.

That engine will pop into my Lola a treat....

[Mick Cliff]

For the want of something better to do I've just been re-reading the whole of this post, all 4 years' worth!
Truly a work of art and a concientous recreation of one car.
Interestingly, and now that the (remote?) possibility of actually driving the beast has come to the fore, I found this quote from MIke dated February 13thh, 2008

....it's what I enjoy the most, making it just right.

Was there ever any intention of driving the finished article Mike?

[Lightweight_911]

I'm sure Mike takes all the 'ribbing' in his stride as, deep down, he knows that there is more than an element of truth in all of the comments ...

I'm afraid that I am quite similar (albeit to nowhere near the same degree/standard !) - I get a great deal of satisfaction out of doing the research, identifying the source for parts used on the original cars, scouring the world tracking down such parts, having unobtainable parts fabricated, etc & getting all the details (many/most of which will not be noticed by anyone but the owner/builder) correct.

Once the project is nearing completeion there's almost a sense of disappointment & the mind starts thinking about what could be next ...

Having said this Mike, you need to have at least one epic drive/adventure in this car - after all, that was the original intention ... & my car will be ready this year too - & I'd panned on running it in the same event .......



The Targa Florio !!!

[23e Heure]

who was I going to get to drive it.........

Well I have driven more than 10 laps of the Targa Florio circuit, and in a 911 to boot.

So do I qualify, at least as navigator?

[Mike]

thanks all, of course I'll give a try when it's finished but this will be a proper racing car so I think I need a proper driver!

It's probably a good time to recap, perhaps for those new to the thread who might not know what I'm trying to do. The car
obviously will be special in it's own right, but really the intention right from the beginning was to recreate a very special
Porsche that's no longer in existence, to fill a gap in the 911 history with a car as close as possible to the real thing.

The missing prototype RSR 0002 was unique in that it marked the transition from the narrow bodied cars and the ST
through to the wide bodied turbo look, and as all things Porsche it was done to succeed in racing. So not only did I want
to show the 'missing' transitional shape of those wheel arches but I wanted to do it as the race car it became, and it's
part in Porsche's great success in the 1973 Targa Florio is one of the great racing stories.

0002 went through many guises in it's hard life as a factory mule but to cut a long story short it arrived in Sicily for the
1973 Targa Florio as the team 'recce' or 'T' car, distinguishable from the others as a 72 car with it's wing oil filler flap.
Then on the eve of the race the Pucci/Steckkonig 'werks' car crashed heavily and overnight the old prototype mule was
transformed into it's replacement becoming one of the Martini team cars and going on to a fantastic 6th place with local
Sicilian driver Count Pucci at the wheel.

So that briefly explains what it's all about and for those new to the thread it also explains the Targa references by fellow
aficionados such as Andy lightweight and James 23heures, so of course the car will go to Sicily, I just don't know who will
be driving it to show it off in all it's glory!

[Gary71]

Mike, You must drive it! Even if you can't push the edges of it's envelope it's you that have supplied the passion to get the car to this stage so you must take the glory of steering it round that historic course.

[PhilipB]

Vic Elford would be my vote. Think he will be at Hedingham this year so what better opportunity to ask?!

[mrg3.6]

The mfi pump as well has having the RSR internals fitted, now actually looks the part with it's new front casing which has taken the best part of two years to come about.

Mike,

Every time I look at your car it inspires me to spend some money on mine - you are a particularly bad influence!

Can you let us know a little more about the evolution of that new front casing to the MFI pump?

Thx

Martin

[Mike]

Hi Martin, the casing is very much a one off I'm afraid and it did take two years of pulling teeth to acquire.
Having said that I know that nice Mr Freisinger has one available, NOS and just the 2 grand to you sir........

[mrg3.6]

Having said that I know that nice Mr Freisinger has one available, NOS and just the 2 grand to you sir........

All that inspiration has just completely drained away

Martin

[brembo]

Good to see all your hard work coming to fruition Mike. Downside is,this thread will soon end,unless you have another "new project"on the go.
Regards,