Back to News
The final third of our 2018 project reviews focuses on projects that are still in progress as the year draws to a close. The first such build is a Porsche 911 ST overhaul involving a colour change to rare Leaf Green.
12 Builds of Christmas 9: Porsche 911 ST in Leaf Green
Unlike many of our bespoke 911 builds and Porsche restorations, this ST update project arrived in our workshop under its own steam. Painted in Lime Green, it had been built to a high standard a decade ago, but the owner was keen to give it a facelift including a colour change and refresh the mechanicals with some of our highly regarded upgrades.
Built on a 1972 Porsche 911 2.4S, this car enjoyed a detailed build to ST spec including the iconic ST arch extensions in the mid-2000s. Lightweight front and rear lids, windows, race seats and lightweight trim were the order of the day at the time, but the intervening decade has seen road car tastes steer towards a more restrained aesthetic.
This project would rejuvenate the ST with a colour change to rare Leaf Green, refurbished wheels, a new interior, some changes to the drivetrain and performance upgrades including EXE-TC suspension, our adjustable twin master cylinder brake pedal box and more.
Work began with a complete strip of the shell. Parts were boxed up for inspection before potential reuse later on and the shell was put on a rolling frame. The Fuchs front wheels and Minilite rears were then sent off to be refinished. The car was moved into the bodyshop, where it was checked for rust before being stripped and sanded by hand while awaiting a slot in the fabrication shop.
When a gap opened up, the shell was moved into the metalwork shop, where we worked through a list of modifications including changes to the dashboard for an authentic ST look, moving the batteries and fire extinguisher, fitting our arch liner supports, making new seat rails and harness mounts and preparing for a new 100-litre fuel tank.
The engine and transmission were sent to the engine shop for a check over. The original flat six had been replaced by a 2.5-litre running low butterfly throttles, with a few modifications for a track-biased use which were not quite in keeping with the ideal finished product. We led things back to a more road-friendly spec, including changes to the oil coolers, air cleaners and a bigger engine cooling fan. The gearbox was stripped and checked, including the external oil cooler system, which is driven by a Sportomatic pump on the engine.
Once the paint shop had finished with the body shell, it was moved to the competition workshop, where the reassembly could begin. The wiring loom was reinstalled, along with a new fire extinguisher system. A mix of new, refinished and original parts were fitted through the fuel, oil and brake systems. A heated windscreen was installed, along with new light units and too many other parts to list.
The final pics show the current state of play, with the car awaiting its engine and transmission and the interior awaiting the finishing touches. The car has been rolled into secure storage for Christmas and we’ll get the rest done when we come back in January. We’re really looking forward to seeing this superb project out on the road next year!
