The idea started sometime around the same time that the Porsche bubble went ballistic. I have always been an aircooled Porsche enthusiast. I wanted to restore and modify a classic Porsche, but there were none to be found. At least, none within my budget. Certainly not something that I would have the heart to modify. The hankering for a stripped out aircooled race car from the mid twentieth century would persist. It needed to be something that wouldn’t look out completely of place in the Parc Fermé at Le Mans Classic
There was only one thing to do. Embrace the fact that the humble VW Beetle shares almost half its DNA with the 356. It’s not like I’m converting a Fiero into a Ferrari. Get over the fact the body wont be metal. The 917 wasn’t either! Relish the fact that years of unabated development of Porsche’s own original Type 1 VW engine design makes for a cracking motor. Realise that much fun can be had by using the same approach as the pioneers of sportscars many decades ago.
The intention of this build is not to replicate or pass it off as a real Porsche. Instead, I am trying to capture the spirit of an era. Perhaps we may call it a faux look but a real car? The idea was to build something fun and exciting, while also of reasonable quality. Once a car like this is built, it can be driven without the worry of expensive repair bills or the fear of depreciation.
I’m happy to share this distinction with a good number of like minded individuals that have built some some epic cars in recent years. I have drawn a lot of inspiration from them.
With this build blog, I’m hoping to add to the collective of passionate people in sheds and garages building interesting things. While tastes may vary, I don’t think there is any real right and wrong, provided it is safe of course. Herewith then my own attempt at having some automotive fun.