Crazy Brilliant Custom Porsche F1 Race Car Build: Track Time Tuesday Presented by Yokohama Tire’s ADVAN APEX
When it comes to invention, necessity can be one bad mutha. Check this build out.Â
There is no question that Porsche is a dream car that has a long list of advantages. However, some drivers need to tailor their ride to fit their interests. While Porsche has substantial options, there are always those that can’t help but think outside the configurator. And it is that need that is the driving force behind some truly epic Porsche builds.
From race cars to rally cars; many have relied on custom building to craft their ideal Porsche. Some brave souls take on the task themselves, and they turn out some home-built brilliance. Whatever road you take to customization, it often leads to new directions in performance, horsepower, and–of course–appearance.
For this week’s Track Time Tuesday, we look one such build. A member of Rennlist Forums took a busted Boxster to a new level. Breathing new life and purpose into the car in the process. His build might even provoke the spirit of DIY in your next project.
Rennlist Forum member Wesley Kagan has been working on a fascinating project to turn a Porsche 986 into an open wheel race car. And coolest of all, he has been documenting the build on the forum as well as on YouTube.
“I’ve spent a good amount of time in 986s, owned three of them, and really enjoy the platform. So I went out searching for the worst condition Boxster in the country to use as a donor. (If anyone needs some spares I have a ton by the way) I eventually found one close to me that was perfect- a 2002 S with 200,000 miles, a lot of questionable things, a spray painted rear bumper, and the evap line was plugged with a 5.5-millimeter hex driver. something that I didn’t mind tearing up….My purchase price was about the cost of the wheels if I had to figure correctly. It ran and drove great, and made it 100 miles back in traffic.”
After he removed the engine and rear subframe, he assessed the parts, and began designing a retro F1-inspired ride. Kagan himself designed and built the 1960s-era F1 car and parts–including pedals, tensioning system, throttle bodies, and front suspension.
“I’m a bored college student with a history major and never claimed to be an engineer- I usually throw things at the wall and if it doesn’t break it’s good to go. However, a few structural components get tested in Solidworks for structural rigidity and motion, with a 10% error on the weakest component- for the frame I’m using 4130 with ER70-2 filler, so therefore 10 percent error on the properties of the weld since it’s the weakest. I also overbuild things because I don’t want to die, at the sacrifice of weight.”
The process of stripping down and rebuilding is exhaustive and precise. “I know at this point it looks like I have no idea what I’m doing,” Kagan writes. “But I do sorta’ have a plan and once it’s a rolling chassis it’ll come together a bit more.”
And does it ever. This is without question one of our favorite builds. It seamlessly melds two very different cars to achieve something rare and new. We can’t wait to see more.
Check out the thread for the full build info. And definitely turn the volume up on the video. Kudos to Kagan on his amazing project. The spirit of his build is inventive, unique, and it works! Now we just want to see more of this bad ride on the track!
Join the Rennlist Forums now!
