Porsche Bastardry

I hope I’m not alone here, but even if I am, I don’t really care. What is done to Porsches sometimes is just plain WRONG. I can handle the gold accents on the Mirage GT. Heck, I can even handle the gold plated Porsche 911. Different people have different ideas of what looks cool on a car, I don’t have a problem there. Cram a 911 Turbo engine into a classic 356 if you want.

BUT…….

I do have a problem putting a FREAKIN CHEVY 350 V-8 into a Porsche 911. I have nothing against Detroit and the machines they’ve turned out over the years. Some great American muscle coming our way. But for goodness sake, that’s one marriage of opposites that shouldn’t happen.

I came across a 1969 Porsche 911 being tagged as a 930 (WHATEVER!!!) with a small block Chevy 350 V8 slammed into it. Looks like he’s sufficiently bastardized the interior as well. The clincher line in the ad for me is the last one of this paragraph:

I’ve owned the car for five years, I have over $25,000 invested in the purchase and upgrades…..I never planned to sell, so my loss is your gain.  I just hope it goes to a Porsche enthusiast who appreciates all the work that goes into these conversions.

So, tell me what you think…Am I way off base here? Am I being too much of a Porsche snob?

Here’s a link to the auction in case you want to feast your eyes on the beast: Porsche V8.

Comments

  1. I agree this is gross…a chevy 350, in a 911! Its downright bad
    taste, and it defeats the purpose of a 911.

  2. I have an intense passion for cars and they include Chevrolets. I have built Chevy 350`s from nothing more than a block and believe it is one of the greatest engines to ever sit in between the frame rails of a vast array of vehicles. There are some who argue a Chevrolet engine does not belong powering a Ford vehicle such as what happens sometimes in the hot rod scene and i say ” so what” there… BUT …As great as a motor it is in all its incarnations, IT DOESNT BELONG IN A PORSCHE!!! I`ll bet easily ,NO Porsche enthusiast appreciates this…What kind of vapor has that dude been inhaling? !!!!

    You got your peanut butter in my chocolate doesnt work here!!!

    To me personally, and some may find odd (whats new with me lol) I find the Porsche engines to have a mystique…and that contributes to drawing me to the marque among many other attributes. That mystique is gone in this butcher job.

    • Brad, the funny thing is, I’ve never had a problem with the V8 conversions in the 80’s Jags. Course the Jaguar engine sucked early on. Guess it’s a bit hypocritical, but this is a Porsche blog afterall. So I suppose it’s okay. 🙂

  3. Inglorious Basterdry!!

  4. this is disgusting. I had a Jag XJ6 w/ a 350 conversion, but this crosses the line.

  5. Yeah Ryan you reminded me of those! And you`re right, It was just sheer necessity with the Jag just for the oil leaks and weekly replacement of the ignition module lol ……But we are talking Porsche here and is there any logic to that swap?… no way 🙂

  6. That thing is so horrible I’ve decided to throw an offer out there. I just don’t think I can let that thing keep rolling the way it is. It does have some valuable components though.

  7. Yeah, that is just wrong.

  8. Andrew, I hope you get it so you can rip out the 350, stick it on a Harley, then slide a 3.6 litre into the Porsche

  9. According to the ad the car is actually a 912 which came with a four cylinder engine.These car are now becoming rare, after all whats the point of a 911 with less power? I cant imagine that adding that much weight to the back of an early Porsche would improve the performance, maybe at the drag strip. and for $25000 you could put a nice 911 six cylinder engine with less work. It is a good looking car though, it has that RSR look.

  10. This conversion was popular in 914’s for a while. I think that the mid engine design made it a better candidate as the weight was more balanced.

  11. wouldn’t think it would handle as well,with extra weight in rear.

  12. @ Ryan,

    Thats a no no aswell

  13. Ryan & rb – Yes, I did shoot him an offer. I believe his asking price also dropped $3k since yesterday, but I may be mistaken. If I get the car I will definitely pull the 350 and slide a turbo in there. Could make a nice/fun little track car. Doubt it will happen, but if it does there will definitely be pics + a write-up. Maybe a series following the journey (dreaming here). 🙂

  14. Andrew, now I REALLY want you to get that car

  15. I can see it now a Boxster with an LS2.

  16. hmm… it says it sold. I never got any feedback on my offer though or update saying the auction had ended. Weird.