porschehead

Hi, Just found this message board. I need some help finding a couple of parts for a 86 944 turbo I found a few months back.

I need a Factory fiberglass hood with pins and a "Matter" bolt in cage.
these items are the same as on any 944 Turbo cup car.

Any leads appreciated.

I found the car in a locally published trader paper here in S.C.
The add read. 86 944 turbo, sell whole car or part out.

In asking some questions on the phone the guy said it had 8" and 9"
Fuchs alloys. I said I didn't think they came with wheels that wide?
His reply...." Oh it used to be a race car driven by Al Holbert".
Yea...Right I thought.

I learned the car was in a major crash about 1990 and was retubbed
at a cost of around $27,000.00

The car still has a clear title and I now have about 90% documentation.


Well after buying the car cheap and getting 2 sets of new Michelins
thrown in with the deal my curiosity got to me. I began making calls
and after a few weeks I was refered to Tom Seabolt, X team manager
for Porsche Motorsport North America which was under the direction
of Al Holbert at that time.

Tom said he kept a few boxes of stuff from his days at P.M.N.A.
and he would see what he could find out. A couple of weeks passed
and Tom E-mailed me......I almost fell on the floor.

He confirmed my serial # as Porsche A.G.'s Test/ Development car
for run of 6 Escort Endurance cars. Later in the 86 season Holbert
Managed to get the Factory to ship this car over and he drove it
at the Mosport Park 24 hour Escort Endurace race.

It ended up being owned and campained by P.M.N.A..
I'm told the other 6 were owned by privateers ( dealers
or independant race teams)

It was one of 2 that ran the well known red white blue and gold
Rothmans livery the same as the factory 956's and 959's of that year.

It later was sold to Leroy Cannon Porsche in S.C. and after another 24 hr.
race at Mid Ohio it was stuck on the showroom and sold as a street car.

I Thought my luck could not get any better, but after a bit more digging
I have confirmed that the car ran # 14....... Al Holberts number.

I have some photos ( about 9 ) at [url]www.944central.com

I have tracked down a freelance photographer who shot the 86 Mosport
race and found 6 photos of # 14 on the track, hope to post them soon.

One guy I told this story to didn't believe me at first and said it sounds like
one of those "Urban Legends".

I'm glad to say its true.

A930Rocket

Looks like a turbo now? Lots of bodywork/retrofiting to do?

What part of SC are you in? I'm in Charleston.

ELLSSUU

HMMMM.........several months back there was a set of 944 seats on Ebay that claimed to be from Al Holbert's 944 turbo. I wonder if those belong in your car?

porschehead

Car is 90 % complete, have drivetrain...was out of car, I'm in Greenville, s.c.
the car is 90 % documented at this point. I'm told these are the original seats, all the Escort cars had standard sport seats and were considered showroom stock though they were truly more like improved touring.

they had fiberglass hood, Matter roll cage, adjustable konis with coil overs and adj. spring plates, big sway bars, no radio, no air conditioing,light weight manual side mirrors and manual windows, 250 h.p. factory balanced and blueprinted motor/ Vs. stock 218h.p. 8" and 9" alloys etc.......

keith

what parts are you needing to complete the car?

AND, are you interested in driving up to Charlotte, NC for one of our Beer Nights? I would love to see the car and see how the factory did a few things on it...

Billy W

I agree with Keith, drive that up to Charlotte so we can check it out.

porschehead

I need a factory fiberglass hood with pins and a "Matter" bolt in cage.
These items were standard on all Turbo Cup race cars.

would love to drive up to Charlotte guys but as motor and tranny are currently sitting on the floor of the garage it may be a year or so befor the car is back on the road, hopefully in full Rothmans livery.

You can see several photos at: www.944central.com
Go to Seans photo page.

iloveporsches

Wow, good thing you rescued it! It would have been a shame for that car to be parted out.

coryf

I talked to a guy named Ken Williams while I was going to school in Clemson. He mentioned a friend in greenville that had an ex 944 cup car that he was letting collect dust in his back yard. The story I was told had somehting about the car being crashed by the owners son and re tubbed sometime in the late 80's. At least this is what I remember him saying. (that is why it does not have a roll cage?) I asked him then (3 years ago) about getting the car but he said the owner was not interested in selling it. It sounds like this could have been the same car. Who knows Again it has been so long I may be WAY off base. This car just reminds me of Kens story.

porschehead

Yes Cory ,This is the car Ken told you about. Though the car was crashed around 1990 the guys son did not crash it. Ken was racing another 944 turbo at Mosport in 86 and dicussed buying the car from
Al Holbert/ P.M.N.A.. Ken worked a deal with the local Porsche dealer
to buy the car and he would run it at Mid Ohio. The guy put it up for sale in a local tradder paper. Ken dug up the photos of
him in the car at mid ohio. see them @: www.944central.com
Go to Seans photo page

simmomi

Was this car located in the Greenville, SC area when you found it?

Man, missed another one!!

Meeyatch1

Congrats on the find!! How many miles does the car have on it? Any pictures of the car 'as you found it'? Interested to see how it looked after 10 years of sitting....poor car.

Meeyatch1

...also, if he was parting it out he must have sold it pretty cheaply...what did you end up getting it for (if you do not mind saying)?

porschehead

Yes car was found last July near Greenville "Piedmont ,S.C.".
The guy was a Michelin engineer and threw in two new sets of Michilins
with the deal.

Car has about 110,000 Mi. Dont know that milage has much validity
as car was in a major crash around 1990 and rebuilt by insurance on a stripped out 86 tub. All components , drivetrain , suspinsion ,interior
wireing, Serial #s Etc...were transfered at a cost of $ 27,000.
Otherwise it would have been totaled out and would no longer exist.

The car does still have a clear S.C. title and is about 90% documented.

Picture of car in my garage after dragged over from the sellers house
( See Photo top of this page)
Or go to : www.944cental.com Go to Seans photo page for about 9
photos.

Thanks, Sean

JJayB

After Al Holberts untimely death, Vasek Polak got hold of all the "trick" race parts that Porsche developed for Holbert. I purchased some including the exhaust system, magnesium intake and oil pan, fiberglass hood. There was a set of fiberglas doors that Vasak wouldn't sell. The lightweight exhaust system had a faux cat and had part numbers welded on, to insure that it was truly a factory part to pass tech inspection.

I'm curious if your car has the magnesium intake system.