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Short version: friend badly crashed his 991.2 GT3 on track, and is looking to rebuild it as a pure track car. Most likely will need a "front cut" from another wreck; i.e., front of another GT3 from the firewall forward. Anybody know any leads? LA Dismantlers? etc?
Long version: the car will NOT be serviced by Porsche in this country, as it was a parallel import, and the local distributor has a policy of not accepting such cars. also the car was not insured (no track insurance available at all here). it would normally be considered a wreck-- car went into a wall at high speed, and the front right is crumpled badly, with the frame likely too bent to be pulled back into shape. notably, the doors are perfectly straight, as are the A-pillars. and if it weren't for the hood folding back and hitting it, the windshield wouldn't even be chipped, despite airbags going off.
So the idea would be to find an entire "front cut" (don't know what the proper term is, but this is what's commonly used over here hehe) from another GT3 and use that to replace the parts-- primarily the frame-- that's beyond repair. obviously it would be a bit of a hack job, but it would be purely a track car.
i'd post pics of the car, but haven't gotten permission from my friend to do so. if he says it's ok, i'll post up.
Think your going to find there is a lot more to this than is being described.
- one, there is no "frame" as the 991 platform cars are a unibody composed of three different types of steel/aluminum that is bonded, riveted, and welded in different areas.
- two, if you need a front tub section - again, there is definitely damage beyond what your seeing (ie in the floor pan, and cowl area).
- finally, these do no do well with a front tub section replacement because the high tensions as on the rails; and if you ask anyone that has attempted, they will tell you taking it apart and having parts are not the problem. It's getting things to line up and go back together correctly because the rails will almost butterfly themselves open and getting them back together is quite difficult.
Best of luck to your friend in all sincerity however.
Think your going to find there is a lot more to this than is being described.
Am no engineer... but my gut does tell me that fixing this w/o access to dealer resources, equipment and know-how, not to mention the proper parts, is going to involve a hell of a lot more than as i've described.
In other words, i think i agree with you, w/o knowing any of the details the you mentioned.
Appreciate the input, and if anybody else has some ideas or advice i can convey to my friend, it would be much appreciated!
Get a 991 flood car there will be some available after this storm and buy it at auction and transfer everything over, Big job but best bet under the circumstances. Check coparts.com
IiRC, there is a thread about the 991rs that got crashed as a joyride that was turned into a track car. Also on the 997 forum someone took a crashed 997 and did major overhaul and got it working. Sorry don't have the links offhand.
It was the solid design and construction of the GT3 that likely kept your friend from being seriously injured during what sounds like a fairly high speed impact into a wall. Given that, I wouldn’t trust a cobbled-together car with questionable structural integrity after a major wreck to protect me on track. I would consider the car “timed-out” just like harnesses or a helmet after a major wreck.
There are those who are much more qualified than I to comment regarding this—try Spencer at SpeedSport Tuning, James at GMG, Rick at DeMan Motorsport, Mike Hedlund (fleadh), or CJ Wilson (CJ Ichiban). They could give you pro advice.
Unless the owner has the time, know-how, and equipment to do most of the work himself, turning the wreck into a race car (of questionable safety and quality) will likely cost more time, hassle, and money vs selling it for parts and buying a built race car. Even in the unlikely case that I'm wrong, it won't be by much.
My friend foun the below available in Dubai. So i guess the current plan is to replace the damaged front with a whole new section and move everything over. Begs the question about how the welds will be done, but he's thinking of getting a race shop to seam weld the thing in place. Ideally he'll have access to something like a Celette to make sure everything lines up perfectly, but there's only one such rig here and it's owned by the official Porsche dealer, whom as I mentioned in my OP, won't touch the car...
09-16-2018, 06:36 PM
Rebuilding crashed GT3
