Speedster?

graham tompkins · Aug 31, 2005

At Brands on Sunday there was a silver Speedster in the Speedster register section(stating the bleeding obvious), however this car was not an 89'er.
I chatted to a nice chap with a red one and we concluded that it was a targa conversion, retro'd and obviously well done.
Anyone else see it or know anything about it.?
Stupidly, I didn't take a photo.

Greg Park · Sep 1, 2005

Didn't manage to get to Brands Hatch, but it sounds like it could be the "Jaz Speedster" based on a LHD 1972 2.4l Targa.

The featured in November 2001 (No.92) 911 & Porsche World was called Art Attack.

Alan_Armstrong · Sep 1, 2005

I also saw it and took it to be the Jaz conversion.....cost was about £20,000 I recall...

Greg Park · Sep 1, 2005

Did it look something like this?

Chris Davenport · Sep 1, 2005

Hi,

The car belongs to Russell Cook who had purchased it a couple of days earlier from JAZ. It was an early Targa that has been converted to lool like a retro 911 Speedster with the early bumpers slim rear wings etc. etc.
The interesting bit is that it weighs just over 800 kilos and runs a 3.8 litre engine from a 993RS tuned to give 450bhp!!!
I first saw the car four years ago approaching the ferry terminal at Calais on the way back from Le Mans, I tried to keep up with it to get a closer look but I may as well have been following an F1 car - it is incredibly quick.
It certainly attracted a lot of attention over the weekend.

Chris Davenport
Speedster Register Secretary

graham tompkins · Sep 1, 2005

Thanks Chris,
It certainly looked the dogs doodies and was a really well done conversion with fantastic deail including the dash. I went back a few times hoping the owner would be there but didn't see anyone about.
I thought that it's just how Porsche should have done it themselves before 89
Yes Greg, that definately looks like it. I had my camera but didn't take a picture of it!
Hope to see it again at a future event.

I've sussed out how to replace my back window with the hump...whip off the targa bar, weld a brace across to replace the bar strength...doors, windows and windscreen. next..where's the angle grinder?

cheers

Yoda · Sep 5, 2005

Give Steve Winter a call at Jaz if you want more details - car also sounds fantastic for those interested.

Guest · Sep 6, 2005

Hint, it didn't have a 3.8 litre engine 4 years ago. The old engine was buzzed on the run back from LM trying out v-max a 355. Circa 175mph on a std 5th gear equals a lot of revs and it was still pulling. BTW, it wasn't Steve driving it that day either, but that's the story he tells.

I would love to know how a 3.8 makes 450hp when a factory race 964 3.8RSR makes 350hp with 6 throttle bodies, bespoke exhausts and some massively unfriendly cams. Maybe a typo?

Guest · Sep 6, 2005

Its a 993 engine with cams so actually circa 320hp. The trick is it weighs about 1000kg, so that's why it flys.

By comparison, I was in a very light 73RS replica with a 993 varioram (285hp) and short gears a couple of months ago and it would hang on the bumper of a 993TT uphill no problem to 140mph. The Speedster should be a little quicker again. Top stuff [

]

Chris Davenport · Sep 6, 2005

Maybe a typo?

More likely it's me going deaf [

], but I'm sure he said it was in the 400's

Guest · Sep 6, 2005

..well, I asked the boys at JAZ this morning. They may have told the owner something a little different, but the fact remains, that its a 993 engine with hot cams. If it has 320hp, that is actually very good compared to 285hp std. Assuming its got a 915 box, that's all you can run thru a 915 and even then it should have a gearbox cooler (maybe it does) for longevity.

I am not saying that 450hp is impossible from a 993 engine but just think about it for a moment. A Manthey tuned GT3RS can make circa 405hp. A race spec GT3RSR can make 450hp and needs a rebuild after 24 hours. These engines have the benefit of water cooled 4 valve heads. How can a street, air-cooled 993 engine make 450hp? Nothing short of turbo/super charging will get you those hp numbers.