2012 997.2 GT3 and 964 C2 Dressed in Guards Red
Daily Slideshow: SpeedHunters author Naveed Yousufzai got to check out Carlo Ocampo two updated red Porsches recently and wrote a fantastic expose on the experience. The following are some of the key highlights from the article.
Who is Carlo Ocampo?
Carlo Ocampo is a long-time fan of racing and big-time Porsche fanatic. His appreciation for Porsches began in his early days of college but before that, he was an avid racing fanatic. His particular interest was the Tamburini-designed Ducati line-up, which includes the iconic 916, 996, 998, and 748 motorcycles. All of these bikes are deeply rooted in the world of MotoGP and draw influence from all types of race-winning engineering. But when the bug bit Carlo to begin exploring new ventures in racing, he immediately gravitated towards Porsche and after a few deals fell through, his ideal candidate was discovered in 2012 – a Guards Red 997.2 GT3.
Acquiring the 997.2 GT3
Initially, Carlo’s interest was in the RS variant of the 997 model, but with a recent property acquisition, he settled for the standard GT3. At the time, the newest 991 was making its way onto the market, so his intent was to get the most out of modern engineering, while not losing the classic driver feel of the 911. That made the 997 a perfect fit, as they are the last of the smaller wheelbase cars and still retained hydraulic steering. Carlo intended on keeping the GT3 as a fun weekend car, but that changed after just one day at the track.
>>Join the conversation about these two Porsche machines in Guards Red right here in Rennlist.com!
Updates to the 997.2 GT3
Carlo’s competitive driving style had him wanting more from his car, so the enhancements to make the race-rooted GT3 even better began right then and there. First, he started with the suspension. ERP tie rods and upper control arms, Tarret front, and rear lower control arms, and RSS mono-ball toe links replaced all the factory units. Thereafter, a track alignment and corner balancing were performed to ensure everything was dialed in.
Not much was needed in terms of the interior—the car’s factory-fitted with heaps of carbon, Alcantara, and a jungle-gym-esque a roll cage. Carlo opted for the GT2 factory race seats as well.
Of course, the appropriate wheels of choice were the track-oriented BBS E07, finished in a beautifully styled contrasting gold faces and polished lips. AP Racing 2-piece rotors paired with Endless ME20 race pads fully enclose the diameter in between the spokes and provide the stopping power needed for hot track days.
In terms of power improvements, Carlo took a modest approach, as the GT3 has plenty of it from the factory. A custom ECU map provided by COBB Tuning, custom exhaust with SharkWerks 88mm tips, BMC air filter, and a few cooling upgrades from BBi Autosport keep the car running well under any sort of track condition.
>>Join the conversation about these two Porsche machines in Guards Red right here in Rennlist.com!
Acquiring the 964 C2
Carlo drove the GT3 for five before deciding to add another purchase to his garage in the form of the 964 C2. At this time, Porsche tax was already in place and finding a low mileage well-maintained example was a truly difficult choice. Flippers were prominent in the used vehicle market, and so Carlo resorted to posting a ‘want to buy’ ad on the Porsche forums.
After a couple of responses, and a few deals falling through again, his hopes in finding the right car were slowly diminishing. But Carlo was patient and sure enough, a matching Guards Red 964 C2 ended up on a shipping truck headed towards his home in California.
To note: This was Carlo’s first air-cooled 911. Truth be told, it was a newfound love in the world of driving for him. Per the story, Carlo described it as follows: It was “hard to pinpoint my favorite part about the 964 because there’s just too much to love.” He goes on to explain that the 964 had certain characteristics to it that set itself apart. This brought him back to his roots with the feel of the old Ducatis he owned; a certain level of involvement required to drive the car, something that you don’t experience with the new cars on the market.
>>Join the conversation about these two Porsche machines in Guards Red right here in Rennlist.com!
Updates to 964 C2
The whole purpose of buying the 964 was to create the weekend warrior Carlo was after with the GT3. He aimed to retain the originality of the car as much as possible, but still modernize the suspension and a few small aesthetic features to suit his driving and styling needs.
So, with all of that being said, the suspension was upgraded with AST 5200 Series 2-way coilovers with external reservoirs, RS sway bars front and rear, RS strut bars, and some more Tarret components were fitted to replace the worn factory bits. Magnesium-faced BBS E26 wheels in an 18-inch fitment finished with gold faces and polished lips display a nice contrast against the otherwise perfectly maintained factory paint job.
Aero mirrors, RS brake ducts, and a rear wiper delete are some of the subtle exterior changes Carlo went with. The interior had a bit more driveability improvements needed (since it was a street car). Rennline pedals, RS door panels with red leather door pulls, a Rothsport Racing billet short shift kit, and an upgraded audio system were some of the key updates he made there.
>>Join the conversation about these two Porsche machines in Guards Red right here in Rennlist.com!
Carlo is truly living a Porsche owner’s dream
Carlo’s choices in P-cars literally give him the best of both worlds: Both offer wheelbase motorsport history, but require a completely different level of skill to drive them at their limits. The power levels have drastically increased over the years, along with weight distribution, throttle response, balance, grip, and so forth. As Yousufzai explains: “When trying to develop driver skill, you need to find a fine balance between analog versus digital, and there is no better way to bring this to life than owning this dynamic duo. And though they are drastically different cars, both retain a special type of road presence and charisma found only when driving a Porsche.”
>>Join the conversation about these two Porsche machines in Guards Red right here in Rennlist.com!
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