Birth of an Oil Cooler... Options

[Darren65]

Hi All,

I was recommended to 914World by a guy in the UK who purchased a GT oil cooler from me who suggested I mention the coolers on here.

He rates 914World as the best forum around and knowing me from my DDK restoration threads he also said I'd enjoy some of the really cool builds on here as I love a bit of detail! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

Not hard to guess that I'm really a 911 guy however I appreciate all things early Porsche, especially period sports purpose cars and have found myself attracted to all the cool details of the GT lately so that may well become a future project!

Getting the sales pitch out of the way, a friend and I do have a few GT oil coolers for sale. Obviously it would be great if my presence here attracted a couple of enquiries but I only have a limited number which will sell in time, it's not a commercial venture and, like you guys, we're just early Porsche enthusiast that got carried away so highly unlikely we'll commission anymore.

The coolers did turn out pretty good and respected 914-6 guys who know have rated them as the best reproductions produced and have even purchased them for their own cars.

I won't place a sales ad on here but if anyone is interested you can see details here - https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-914...oil-cooler.html

Sales blurb sorted I thought you guys might be more interested in how these coolers came to be as no doubt it's a slippery restoration slope many on here have been caught by!

When this started I knew nothing of racing Porsche oil coolers, or indeed of how you'd get one fabricated, I owned a 914 Dinky toy as child but that's where my interest in these cars stopped and I wasn't prepared for the thousands of hours of commitment that followed.

But then I was offered this ugly duckling....

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/live.staticflickr.com-28677-1752181261.1.jpg)

Indeed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) ....

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/live.staticflickr.com-28677-1752181262.2.jpg)

[Darren65]

At the same time I was approached by my friend, long time early Porsche enthusiast and racer Paul Howells. Paul is lucky enough to own an original 911 2.8RSR #1054.

Paul had some years previously purchased an untouched NOS 2.8RSR oil cooler and suggested that as the 3.0 coolers had turned out so well we do the same and use his cooler to help fabricate a batch of reproduction coolers for the 2.8RSR and 914-6 GT.

I had now developed good relationships with the anally obsessive engineer draughtsman, the precision casting company and core supplier as well as the company that applied the Alocrom protective coating. I had made good friends with the guy that helped with machining and made the relief valves and Paul is long time best friends with Clare and Bob at Concept Racing and therefore it would have been mad not too!

Whilst Paul wanted to use one in his real RSR I obviously didn't need one so offered to help Paul with the contacts for him to complete the project. Paul suggested a partnership and this is the way we went....

This is what we hoped to copy exactly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif) ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/live.staticflickr.com-28677-1752323199.1.jpg)

....although this project took a little longer!!!