This is Josh Lothringer’s 1974 Porsche 911. Put yourself in 1974 for a minute. The Gas Crunch, along with new safety/emissions regulations were slaughtering the muscle car era AND svelte sporty vehicle design (think impact-bumpers). Yet the G-Body Porsche 911 was carving through all that nonsense with momentum… and was about to become one of the most iconic sports cars of all time.

Present day: Josh Lothringer (and his twin brother John) didn’t have much growing up. Before they were born, their dad ran an air-cooled Volkswagen junkyard… parting-out Beetles & Buses for air-cooled trail buggies & rail buggies. He gave all that up before the kids were born. Somehow though, it still ran in their blood, and the bros set goals to own air-cooled Porsches by 30.

Before this Porsche 911 came into Josh Lothringer’s life…

He was messing with Audis, specifically supercharged Audis. But he was getting tired of losing his ass on cars. And Josh was searching for the type of car you’d keep forever.

Then scrolling Marketplace…

He came across a listing for a ’74 Porsche 911. The kind you’d normally nope yourself out of. Sketchy/short description, one photo, etc. And in this case, the photo was barely even a car… it was just the first page of an appraisal summary. Long story short, the guy who’d previously owned the Porsche (Rick), had passed away years prior. His daughter inherited the car, but she lived in North Carolina. And her stepmother (Rick’s wife) was in possession of the car in Flint, Michigan.

Red Flags everywhere…

Here’s where it really got complicated. The daughter doesn’t talk to her stepmom. For legal reasons, they don’t communicate. So in summary: The woman who had possession of the Porsche 911… didn’t own it. And the woman who owned it… didn’t have possession. OR even live in the same region of the country. Neither one of them knew anything about the car. AND they don’t talk… not even a little bit. BUT – they did have one thing in common. They both loved Rick! And they wanted his Porsche 911 to go to a good home. Here’s a quick backstory on Rick…

You can just tell Rick was cool character…

He had a very oddball, yet kick-ass collection of old cars. And this Porsche 911 was one of them. Rick always kept an old photo of a 70s/80s silver 911 Turbo thumb-tacked to his wall in the garage. Kind of an inspiration photo. So when Rick acquired this Guards Red ’74 911 sometime in the late 90s or early-2000s… he dreamt of recreating that dream car. The car was in need of restoration, so Rick disassembled it, did the turbo/widebody conversion with Euro bumpers, and resprayed the car silver.

When Josh Lothringer took ownership of the Porsche 911…

It ran… but barely. The car had been sitting dead-still for years. But it was exactly the diamond in the rough that Josh wanted, at a price-point that gave him access & options. And for Josh – it was an interesting way to start a project, because the paint & bodywork were already done! It was the mechanical that needed R&R. So Josh got the car home to the outskirts of Detroit, and got to work.

Luckily, his air-cooled family history came in clutch…

And Josh was able to dive through Pelican forums, connect the dots, & work his way through what’s essentially just a spiced-up Vee-dub with CIS injection. Keep in mind, although this Porsche 911 has the turbo/widebody look, it’s not a turbo car. It keeps the original 2.7 non-turbo flat-6 making a little under 200hp. So while it’s nothing record-breaking, it still delivers the iconic & emotional driving experience of a 70’s 911. Plus…

Josh added MSD ignition & a Wevo shifter setup with new bushings & PSJ. Along with a Fabspeed exhaust & carbon airbox cover. Once the engine was up to snuff, Josh started giving the 911 his personal-touch…

Wheels & brakes…

Josh found a set of OZ Futura wheels in 17s, and double-stepped them up to an 18×9 +0 in front, and 18×11 -36 in the rear. Tires are 255/35 front & 295/30 rear. For brakes, Josh got Rebel Racing adaptors to use Porsche 987 calipers & 911SC rotors.

911 Exterior…

As mentioned, this Porsche 911 has been converted to widebody using fiberglass front fenders & metal rear quarters. It’s also been swapped to Euro bumpers, with Euro corner lenses up front. Josh kept the American all-red taillights in the rear. The headlights are H5s with smooth-lens glass from a Porsche 356 I believe. And the little kick-out air duct on the passenger-side of the front bumper feeds a Mocal oil-cooler (with Spal fan on it).

911 Interior…

One of Josh Lothringer’s crown jewels are the seats. The seats are a set of early-90s Recaro A8s. They’re fiberglass-backed, reclinable, and extremely rare. A friend happened to have a set in his Audi. And when Josh saw them & sat in them, he said, “How much would it take for you to sell me these seats right now & drive home on milk crates?” His friend replied, “Noooo waaaay I’m selling these seats friend.” So then for Josh, it became about the chase. Josh ended up finding a set of Recaro A8s through a buddy, who knew a broker in Thailand. And just like the car they’re now sitting in, Josh is never selling them.

Beyond the seats, the interior sports a bolt-in roll cage that’s powder coated silver. And it’s got a Club Sport steering wheel, the Wevo shifter, and fresh carpet.

If you’re wondering…

Josh & John – the twins – they both succeeded in locking-down their vintage 911s by 30. And they both landed on the Porsche 911 for different reasons, but kinda because of the same undiluted spirit/grit of the car & its era. Both have been projects. Not just bought… but personally invested into. John’s 911 is on a different path… a restomod project with a Honda k-series heartbeat. You can bet we’ll be begging for photos as soon as it’s finished! Generally speaking – the 21st-century has moved away from physical driving. We’ve let technology take the wheel, and moved away from true connection, and being a true enthusiast. Not these twins though… they’re still very much in the game!