Another modified Porsche 911 road car in progress

Here’s another interesting modified road car project currently under way at Tuthill Porsche. On the face of it, this is a mid-’80s 3.2 Carrera Turbo-Look Targa in Dark Blue. But a quick look at the chassis number tells a different story.

This 911 actually began life in 1968. One of just 282 Porsche 911 T Targas manufactured in that year, it was originally fitted with a 2-litre engine producing 110 bhp. As our photo shows, things are slightly different nowadays.

Early cars were not always the uber-collectibles they are today. Our business was built in a time where Porsches were easy to come by and, as the basic components were interchangeable across many model years, we often modified cars to suit owners who wished to have 911s built to their tastes. Many years later, building bespoke Porsche 911s to owner specifications remains our main line of work.

Over many decades in business, we have modified hundreds of early cars to take later, more powerful 911 engines. A popular choice are the 2.7 and 3-litre flat sixes from 1974-1979 911s, which were once plentiful and easily obtained. A steady 200bhp (or more) could be liberated from these engines with a rebuild, so a quick engine swap was the simplest way to add more power to the chassis, but not so much that would make the car dangerous or difficult to drive.

Following many changes to the appearance and technical specification of this 911T Targa in almost fifty years of existence, we have just rebuilt a later engine for the car, including fitting new carburettors and an upgraded exhaust system to add more power. We’ve also serviced the suspension and brakes, which will make a big difference to how the car handles. The Targa is now destined for Malta where this 911’s new owner will greatly enjoy the increase in power and torque in a wonderful driving environment.