It’s that time of year when our sports cars, and our lives revolving around sports car events, are in a holding pattern. In other parts of the country, with nice weather year-round, I’m sure that they’re still having car-related events. While I am sad that some of the ARPCA activities are in winter hibernation, it does give us time to catch up on our “to do” lists. For me, the off season provides valuable time to engage in projects like deep cleaning, polishing, waxing, changing the oil and general maintenance. Sometimes bigger projects like a repaint or an engine rebuild could be on the list. My latest major project was bringing a well-used 1993 Carrera 2 race car back to life.
It took me two years to find the right car. Everyone has their own expectations and willingness to fix up a car. I was determined to find a previously raced 964, one that needed work, but more importantly hadn’t had a hard crash, which could be restored and transformed into my dream track car. Everything else could be fixed if the price of the car matched its condition. I began looking in 2018 and, after a two-year search, found exactly what I wanted, a 1993 964 that had been raced in PCA Club Racing until 2005. It was a very worn out when I acquired it, needing an engine rebuild, new wheel bearings, and everything in between.
My grand plan was to make this my own iteration of a 1993 factory 964 Cup race car. I say “my iteration” because there were things that I wanted which were not exactly spec on the factory cup cars. For example, the car came with 18-inch wheels and big red calipers which are incorrect for the 1993 Cup. However, they offer a performance advantage, so I kept them. Another non-cup car item was the Carrera 3.8 wing that was used on most PCA Club Race cars but not on the 964 Cup. I kept the wing because I liked it.
PHOTOS
Two years ago, I focused on the mechanical restoration. This included rebuilding the 3.6l engine, rebuilding the Penske suspension including all bushings, replacing the fuel cell bladder, installing a new fire system, new clutch and pressure plate, new fuel pump system and much more. The mechanical work was completed by July of 2021 and I was able to drive the car for the second half of the summer. It was everything I
hoped for and much more! This past year I focused on the exterior look. When I acquired the car, it had a paint design that wasn’t to my liking, so my next modification was to have it repainted back to the original color, black. I had the entire exterior of the car stripped and repainted.
Another one of my goals was to “lighten” the car. While I only plan to attend open track days and don’t intend to race it, I wanted to remove as much weight as possible without taking away from the original design. When this car was raced, its class required the car to weigh a minimum of 3150 pounds. To achieve this, the original interior was left intact and 200 pounds of steel plate was bolted to the floor. Needless to say, the steel plates and interior have been ditched. In addition, I had the sunroof removed and replaced with a solid panel while car was being painted. I was surprised to discover that simply removing the mechanics of the sunroof saved 38
pounds! It now tips the scales at 2660 pounds. If doing this kind of thing interests you, I suggest lots of patience. Come up with a budget, and plan to pay twice that. It will take more money and time than expected, but in the end, you will have your dream car! Four years after beginning my search, I finally have mine.
