Not As Planned But So Good: ’87 Porsche 911 Carrera
A Scottish poet once said, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Philip had no idea what the mouse was planning when it buried a pile of moldy orange peel and half-eaten nuts under the driver’s seat carpet—but upon acquiring this ’87 Porsche 911 in 2012, Philip knew he had a plan in mind for this car.
“Back then, I was dead-set on owning a 964-generation 911,” recalls Philip. “To me, the earlier impact bumper cars look unfinished and I’ve always felt that they are bit underpowered for how much the cars weigh. The goal for this car was to do some minor restoration work while keeping it original. I planned that the increase in collectability would let me trade it up to a 964-generation car in a year or two.” Five years later, judging by what the car looks like now, it’s safe to say that either Philip had no idea what “originality” means, or that any attempt at adhering to his original plan had all been abandoned.
Under the carbon fiber decklid, a myriad of engine modifications were introduced to support the increased displacement and compression ratio from the aftermarket pistons and cylinders. The 30-year-old, off-white, rodent damaged carpets took a hike to the trash, accompanied by the factory power seat, center console, bumpers, heater, AC, back seat and all the stereo components. Suspension was brought up to modern standards, added to with KW’s V3 shocks. The classic Fuchs rims were also replaced with Forgeline’s GA3Rs wrapped with Nitto’s competition performance NT01 tires.
The end result is a canyon-carver with 80 additional horsepower, 450lbs of weight reduction and an inspiring reserve of grip that makes the car fun and exploitable in any situation—all the while, amplifying the essence of an air-cooled Porsche. Philip describes it as, “A wonderfully tactile driving experience that rewards precision—with the ability to put an idiotic grin on anyone’s face.”
Read on to find out how Philip’s original plan went awry…
So, where did it all go wrong?
I found myself driving this car very frequently, and the possibility of any rat-related surprise was always present at the back of my mind. I convinced myself that it was best for the value of the car if I replaced the moldy white interior and removed the torn back seats. It might have been the effect of breathing in too much of the contact adhesive when I was gluing in the new carpets, but the car just felt more eager and lively with this minor weight reduction.
I think this sparked my addiction to striping ‘unnecessary’ bits from the car, which I heard is a common affliction among the Porsche crowd. It was all downhill from there—the weight reduction made the car stand tall, which meant suspension upgrades had to be next. The U.S. spec engine was also a bit lazy, so the power mods were an attempt to get the engine matching the personality of the rest of the car.
Is there a theme or a particular inspiration for how you’ve built your Porsche?
Not really, I didn’t have a goal in mind when I got started. If anything was broken or wasn’t performing as well as I wanted it to, I’d delve into how to tweak that part of the car to my liking. The only thing I was adamant on was choosing the parts which made sense to me, rather than blindly going with the popular aftermarket norms.
Favorite roads to drive?
I really enjoy driving a car quickly around a corner, so I try to get my fun wherever I can. When I was living in San Diego, I always liked driving to the Palomar State Park area—it’s usually pretty deserted, the scenery is gorgeous and the tight turns are perfect for a classic car. Now that I am in Orange County, it’s mostly Ortega Highway right before the sun comes out.
What’s next?
I am pretty happy with the car now and looking forward to driving it as frequently as possible. If California’s emission standards relax, which will probably never happen, I will switch to an individual throttle body setup with modern ECU.
My next project car is a Datsun 240z, I’ve already driven the car a bunch and it’s probably going to be a similar process as the 911—conservative power mods with a healthy dose of weight reduction. I already have a few parts ready to go, I just need some free time to get to the installation.
How about that 964 you originally wanted?
Maybe eventually, but I don’t see it providing a better experience than this. Plus, all the rich kids these days are slamming 964’s on airbags and putting hilariously stretched tires to be “cool” on social media. A clean, un-molested example is going to be way too expensive for my budget.
SPECS: 1987 Porsche 3.2 Carrera
| OWNER | Philip Cheng |
|---|---|
| HOMETOWN | Southern California |
| ENGINE | Mahle 3.4L cylinder and piston set (10.5:1CR), 993 SS profile cam shaft, extrude honed intake manifold, over-bored throttle body and butterfly, twin plug conversion with 935-style distributors, titanium valve retainer and HD valve springs, lightweight flywheel and pressure plate, WEVO engine mount, Scart “Riva” muffler |
| SUSPENSION | Custom KW V3 shocks with +25mm raised spindle and Clubsport camber plates, Up rated torsion bar front and rear, Rebel Racing semi-solid bushing and strut bar, JWE motorsport sway bars |
| EXTERIOR | Fiberglass “Ruf Yellow bird” style front and rear bumper, carbon fiber hood and rear deck lid, H4 headlights with LED conversion |
| INTERIOR | Recaro Speed M seats, WEVO G50 shifter with PSJ shift linkage, Schroth Racing Rallye Harness, MOMO Indy steering wheel, Works Bell Rapfix II Quick Release, D-Zug Throttle Pedal |
