found these surfing & was wondering about the history of this car... anyone?

I know this car
where did you find these photos - I took them back in May 2003 at the "Salzburg Ring" in Austria

there's a really weird story among the car and it's owner ...

unfortunately it's a pretty complex story and so I can't give you all details (too difficult for me in english - it took me about one hour to tell it a friend in german )

short summary: the owner is one of the most honored Porsche guys here in Austria, he has a Porsche-Museum. He claims this car to be an original race-916. Factum est: this is not a 916 - it's a '72 914-6 which got converted to a 916-clone. The work is done brilliant, because the guy who did all the word had a factory 916 and some factory 916 parts for the conversion.

Gustl

Gustl- I don't remember where found them, I just did a search on Google Immages for the 916 & found all sorts of stuff. A GT upgrade makes sense but it has a steel roof? I can also understand the factory badge & fiberglass, but did he build the roof as well? If so, out of what?

I suspect any decent body shop could do the fixed roof.

Skip

Why! Why post such tempting pornography? Why! I have all them parts and can't stand it anymore.

the car has a factory original 916 steel roof
the guy who did the work always had brilliant connections to the Porsche Factory,
so he always got these parts
he was well known for building race cars for Walter Röhrl
it's hardly visible, but Walter Röhrl signed the front hood - once he raced this car

unfortunately we can't ask the guy for more details because he passed away in 2003 ...

another strange thing I noticed when I watched the car: it has 2 calipers per wheel

Gustl

Gustl- 2 calipers per wheel!?!?!? WOW ! If it had a steel roof from the factory I suspect it might have been an unfinished, unreported 916 prototype. From your description of this guys' factory connections, I don't find it too much of a stretch to presume this. The lack of any consistent records from the factory regarding teeners also fuels my suspicions. A 916 GT... wow! Any idea what engine is under the "bonnet" ? Any more pics of her? Thanks.

So get off your butt like I am & build yourself one! Evil little car ain't she? Wonder if anyone here has gone the double caliper rout?

I've never seen something strange on a teener before or later

the car left factory as a standard '72 914-6
the conversion took place somewhen later - probably about 1975

2.7 RS

unfortunately not - these days I didn't have a digicam, and after the few overall shots the celluloid film was full - and no additiona film available
but - AFAIK this car can be seen in a Porsche museum in Corinthia / Austria

Gustl

Just what I needed... another reason to go to Europe again .

The one in Gmund?

Thanks!

pete

Man thats the best 916 I've seen. It looks like its ready to rip up some asphault.

Makes me want to do the 916 look...

yepp - that's it

here's a photo from a german guy - he took it at Pfeifhofer's Porsche Museum in September 2006

Amazing job on that roof!

SWEET! What else can be said.

today I got some additional photos from this car at the Pfeifhofer-Museum

more ...

Gustl:

Whats the matter with those people at that Museum, they have way to many

nice cars on display. Tell them to send a few to me and I'll cladly display them

in a lest crowded invirowment . Also that 916 belongs on a slowly revolving

turntable with lights. WOW Dave

I can't share this opinion

this is not a real 916 - and the ower knows
but for any unknown reason he want's to make everyone believe it is a 916
there's no way that he would give any info on this car, speaking of VIN, Karmann body number, engine number or tranny number
this owner is one of the most honored Porsche guys here in Austria, maybe in Europe - but he lost all of my respect with this misinformation he is sowing
it just makes me angry

I know that he was very close to buy a geniune 916 - but he offered too little money
this car is a brilliant clone, made of geniune 916 parts - and everything would be fine if he would tell this - but he claims this one to be a genuine 916; that's a big mess, IMHO

Fully agree, it'd be like people on this board claiming their converted 914-4 is a real 914-6 GT if they installed some factory parts. Cool car none-the-less, same can't be said for the owner

Putting a steel roof on a 914 is a very long and difficult task. Here is a shot of my 914 with steel roof. Car is driven daily.

So, if all 916's started life as 914-4 or 914-6's and then were converted, would that make mine a 916 now?

I'm sorry to hear the car is not a factory 916. I agree that it's bogus to misrepresent the history of the car. Too bad it's not a genuine factory concept- a 916GT would have been radical & cost prohibitive. A genuine 916 could be had for $300k, a 916GT would have approached a much higher number, IMHO. Beautiful car none the less. Way to research G!

Welding the roof on makes it too damn difficult to take it off.
Elliot

I do find it interesting that the car, with all of the emphasis on "correctness", has a Porsche badge on the hood.

I keep hearing that this wasn't a factory install on 14's. Did the 16's come with the badge?

definitely not

Gustl

Root, Have you got a 916 badge on your car -I think it needs it