Chassis No. 11830426
The early short wheelbase Porsche 911 often means something different to nearly everyone that encounters one. It can be a collector car, a race car, a cherished family heirloom, and even all three at once! Many find the 1965-1968 911 as an ideal platform to create a sporting road/rally Porsche. Commonly known among aficionados as “sports purpose” builds, these modified 911s are guided by the famous Porsche Race Department-issued “Information Regarding Porsche Vehicles Used for Sports Purposes” manual. 1968 Porsche 911 Coupe chassis number 11830426 hews tightly to this ethos of a lightweight body, a healthy dose of additional power, and competition looks.
Originally delivered as a Green Metallic Sportomatic Coupe, the car was later discovered in 2005 as a solid project ripe for a sports purpose build by former Brumos Porsche Sales Associate John Schaefer. Powering the short-wheelbase 911 is an enlarged 2.2-liter flat six from a 1969 911 S breathing through Weber 40 IDA carburetors with tall PMO intakes and exhaling through SSI heat exchangers and a sport exhaust. The Sportomatic transmission has been exchanged for a Type 901 five-speed manual transmission and both the engine and transmission are suspended by Wevo mounts.
The simplicity of the exterior masks the numerous decisions balanced to achieve the “right” look. Light Ivory paint, Porsche’s normal choice for the 1967 911 R, now covers the steel body panels. A touch of Tangerine covers both the engine and trunk lids, and Porsche side stripes further emulate the effortless style of the Hart Ski-sponsored 911 T/R of the late 1960s, perhaps the ultimate sports purpose model. Furthermore, the car is lowered with Koni shock absorbers and rests on eight-spoke staggered width 6 and 7×15-inch Minilite-style wheels from Performance Superlite. Inside, the build features Scheel sport seats with corduroy inserts, a flat three-spoke MOMO Prototipo steering wheel, RS Lightweight-style door panels, and Heuer Master-Time and Monte-Carlo timing equipment.
Since the initial restoration, the 911 has traded hands among those who not only value the build for its sporting ethos but are able to maintain such a machine. In 2021, the car was acquired by the consignor, and under their care, the car has been treated to a fresh coat of Light Ivory and Orange paint, new Koni shock absorbers, Elephant Racing bushings and improvements and sorting by specialist shops with invoices on file and available for review. Subsequent appearances at Luftgekühlt 7 in Indianapolis and PCA Werks Reunion Amelia Island in 2021 and regular Southeastern mountain drives and tours reveal that this sport purpose 911 is equal parts show and go.
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