Classic Longhood 911 Lives Life on the Track Not in the Garage
Many of the longhood cars now compete on the show circuit. It is refreshing to see one that is still hammering around the track.
The air-cooled Porsche 911 to many enthusiasts is the true essence of Porsche. That is especially true of the pre-1974 cars. These cars, affectionately referred to as longhood cars, due to their, well longer hoods, mark the very beginning of the 911 story. As a result, these cars are highly sought after, and their prices remain out of reach for many. So, it will come as no surprise that most of these cars spend their time sitting in garages. Although there are some exceptions. Most longhoods just wait for that perfect day when their owner will gingerly drive them to a local car show. There is nothing wrong with having a low mileage, garage queen 911. Heck, we have some of those ourselves. However, a Porsche was meant to be driven, and that includes the older 911 models.
Thankfully, some of these cars are still being driven and driven hard. The folks over at Autoevolution have reported on just such a car that recently sold at auction. The car for sale was a 1971 911T. The car has a little over 108,000 miles. Technically, for a 50-year-old car that is low mileage. However, this car is more track rat than garage queen. The car is setup as a track day toy, and it has the battle scars to show for it. Don’t expect this car to win an award in the full preparation class at the next PCA Concours event. However, it does win our respect and has certainly provided many thrills to its owner.
The car is powered by a flat-six engine from a 911E. This E-spec powerplant was rated at 155 horsepower, which is a 30-horsepower boost over the stock T-spec motor. The engine is not the only thing that had been changed in this D series car. The original color was Crystal Blue. That was a special-order paint color back in the day. Paint code 7373 for those of you into such detail. As you can tell by the photos, the car wears a yellow and green paint scheme today. It also wears the battle scars of track duty. That lends the car a lovely patina. It has a well-used look to it both inside and out. Inside you see original door pockets in good shape and rear seats with original luggage straps. You will also have the added protection of a roll cage.
According to the seller the car runs great, with no smoke and has plenty of power. The owner should know has it has been with the same person for the last 30 years. It is refreshing to see one of these early cars used for wringing out every drop of performance they offer. Even with the upgraded heavier duty torsion bars and anti-sway bars, this is a lively car. Winning a car show is nice but whipping an old 911 around a road course is tough to beat. We hope the new owner continues to push this old 911 to its limits.
The car sold for $42,661. If this was an all-original, numbers matching, pampered car, it may have fetched twice the price. So, the seller would have gotten more money, but they would have sacrificed some fantastic driving experiences. What means more to you? If you had one of these early air-cooled marvels would you flog it on the track? Let us know your thoughts in the Rennlist forums.
Photos: Autoevolution
Join the Rennlist forums!
