Matthew Forte (of Motor Werks Racing) has a question he asks a lot of his customers before starting a new build.
What do you wanna be when you grow up?
Text by Wooley Photos by Tony J. Serna
Meaning… what’s your end-goal for your car? What are your REAL intentions? And what’s most important to you?
No wrong answers, but be aware that as car enthusiasts, we tend to tell ourselves little white lies to get/keep that ball rolling.
For example – you’ve got people who think they only want a mild build, when deep-down, the devil on their shoulder wants to break records.
You’ve got others who say they want ALL the horsepower… when they haven’t fully considered the headaches, trade-offs, or expenses.
Some say they’re definitely going to track the car, when they’re really just looking for an awesome all-around street build. And others say they’re definitely not going to track their car, when they totally are.
…And the list goes on and on. Car guys are weird like that.
So be honest with yourself. What do you really want to be when you grow up?
That question weighed heavily into the storyline of this 930.
Backstory: The car was due for a restoration, and the owner was going to be out of the country working for an extended period of time. Before he shipped out, he took the 930 to some another shop to start the resto process… but things didn’t go according to plan. The business hit troubled waters, and the 930’s owner came home to a disaster. The car was about a breath away from a total loss, and desperate for a lifeline.
This is where Motor Werks Racing comes into the picture.
Matt Forte spent some time with the car assessing the situation. Then he made the call…
“Hey it’s Matt……. so what do you want to be when you grow up?”
Option 1: The car could certainly be restored back to original. But it would take a lot of time sourcing the missing parts, and it would take even more expense.
Option 2: This could actually be seen a twisted ‘opportunity’. A chance to do something really cool. Truth is – most 930 owners don’t get that chance. They have to stay in script, because they’re chained by their investment. Options were weighed, and inevitably, curiosity for the unknown won over.
He chose Option 2.
Finally, the tides began to turn on all the previous headaches. And Motor Werks Racing was unleashed to do what they do best.
No longer tied down, the 930’s deeply contaminated & disturbing ‘period’ shag carpet was one of the first things to go… replaced with a tighter/lighter/cleaner carpet that is more reminiscent of earlier-model Porsches. At some point (probably the late 80s), someone thought it would be a good idea to dye all the interior pieces in an ivory white… meaning it had 30+ years of human oils browned-in to the headrest & armrests. So the original 930 door panels were sanded back down to raw hide, and then dyed & polished repeatedly back to an acceptable black.
When it came to seats, Motor Werks Racing ordered roughly 5 different models, kept them all in the plastic wrapping, and let the car’s owner sit in each one WITHOUT ever discussing/comparing the prices. In other words, taking price out of the equation. The car owner made his choice based on feel alone, and ending up choosing the Recaro Sportster CS’s. The seats that didn’t ‘get the rose’ were sent back, and the matching passenger seat was shipped in.
The 930’s 4-speed gearbox is a bit ho-hum by modern standards, so a short bell housing 5-speed G50 out of an ’89-Turbo was sourced & installed.
The air-to-air intercooler was replaced with a water-to-air design. Reason being: The air-to-air works great in track applications where the car is constantly moving & has constant airflow. But in the real world when you merrily round a corner & all the sudden hit gridlocked traffic, it will bake in it’s own heat located right above the engine. So Motor Werks Racing relocated a water fed heat exchanger to the nose of the car, and stealthily ran lines where the original AC lines had been routed.
Composite RSR front & rear bumpers replace the originals. They save weight, and the opening in the front bumper allows airflow to the relocated front-mount intercooler. The car also sports a composite RSR wing.
The 930 torsion suspension can end up ‘twisting’ minimally under hard cornering + throttle-load. But the result of that yaw can be a momentary change in alignment/toe. And that momentary ‘toe-out’ can actually be the catalyst causing the back-end to snap around, which 930s have an infamous reputation for. That being said, Motor Werks Racing did a 934 coilover conversion – from the race version of the 911 turbo.
The front braking system is from a 993 twin-turbo, chosen because they perform well & are fairly easy to source. The rear brakes have been converted to a 964 Turbo 3.6 system.
Finally the ENGINE!!! The 3.3-liter 930 engine is a complete build by Motor Werks Racing. It’s got Elgin cams, a 3.2 intake, and a Wilson throttle body. It runs on a Motec M600 with sequential injection & coil plugs.
Motor Werks Racing built a custom equal longtube turbo header, feeding into a Schwitzer turbocharger. Then there is only 19-inches of custom exhaust before it dumps side-by-side with the Tial wastegate… making for a spectacular fire show. At night, the whole exhaust system will begin to lava-glow under boost.
The car makes 450 crank. Not a record-breaking number on paper by modern comparisons. But you’ve gotta realize – that’s 450 UNcomputer-controlled, completely barbaric, rear-mounted horsepower.
The only time you’re safe in this car is when you’re sitting still.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks