1981 PORSCHE 911 SC 'RSR TRIBUTE'

This Porsche 911 SC is a custom resto-mod, which has been built as a remarkably faithful tribute to the hugely successful 934 RSR Group 4 racing cars of the 1970s. Under the engine lid is a 3.2-litre air-cooled flat-six engine from a later Carrera, understood to feature uprated pistons and a sports camshaft, coupled to a five-speed manual transmission.

An original UK right-hand drive car, it was first registered in October 1981. The log book shows 11 previous registered keepers. In 2002, the vehicle was reported as stolen to the DVLA and therefore a marker remains on its history file. It is believed that the bodywork modifications were done following this out of choice rather than necessity, as there are no markers for damage on the HPI report. The seller has owned the car for the last six months.

Rather than a common ‘backdating’ process of selecting period features from older 911s, this car was modified with the aim of producing a close replica of the 1970s mint green 934 RSRs of the Vaillant-Kremer team, raced with considerable success by the likes of Bob Wollek. It features genuine steel 934 wheel arches, a road-style front splitter, and a later model year reflector.

The substantially wider arches are filled out by five-spoke American Racing alloy wheels, which have been refinished in the period gold colour during the seller’s ownership. It also features Porsche Boxster front brake calipers and a front strut brace. The rear seats were removed, and in their place a half roll cage was installed. The seats were changed to period-style cord buckets, and the dashboard was re-trimmed in a flocked finish.

Having acquired the car six months ago, the seller has taken the bespoke look even further adding lightweight door cards with fabric door pulls, lightweight carpets, and a Momo Prototipo steering wheel. Numerous ‘sponsor’ stickers were applied to the roll cage, which are all believed to be period-correct to the original racing car. The door sill covers were changed to ‘Turbo’ branded items.

There are aluminium door locks and pins, an aluminium gear knob and pedal set, and an aluminium control gauge surround - all supplied by Rennline via Design 911. The stereo and speakers were removed, as was the passenger-side electric window switch - though both are still controllable on the driver’s side. A custom panel was made for the centre of the dashboard, housing a push-button starter, ignition kill switch, and a switch for the front driving lights.

The seller also had a straight-pipe sports exhaust system fitted, as well as the front spot lights for a more aggressive ‘endurance racing’ character. Further decals were applied to the exterior. While they are non-functional, the cosmetic enhancements of a dummy centre-fill fuel cap, battery cut-out switch, and quick-release bonnet and engine lid pins, were all designed to give the car a look much closer to the genuine 1970s racers - and they certainly do the job for show purposes.

Today, the exterior still presents very well, with good shut lines and panel gaps, and with a smooth and glossy appearance to the mint green paintwork. While there are signs of regular road use, there are no large chips, scratches, or cracks in the finish around the main outer panels. The seller does note some small cracks and scuffs in the front chin spoiler, but otherwise this 911 presents smartly. New light clusters and lenses were fitted very recently.

Inside, the bucket seats are in great shape, with no wear to speak of, trimmed in the period-style combination of black vinyl and cord fabric. There is some wear noticeable on the top of the flocked dashboard, and some minor chips around the inner door end panels, but otherwise the interior looks to be in very good condition. The only fault noted by the seller is that the odometer is not currently working, and the MOT history shows that it has not been functional for the last eight years.

Mechanically, this 911 is reported to be very strong, starting first time and running smoothly - though loudly. It pulls very hard under full throttle, and drives well through the gears. While there is no service history to evidence the precise engine specification, the seller notes that it is the quicker air-cooled 911 that he has driven. It idles smoothly and does not overheat. The last scheduled maintenance was a service in March 2020 at TW7 Motors, when the oil and filter were changed, along with the air filter and spark plugs, and the clutch position was adjusted.

The most recent MOT test was on 4 December 2019. This resulted in a clean pass, following some work on the braking system, a new CV joint rubber boot, and repairs to the offside brake light. The tyres are all reported to be in good condition, though the seller does not know when they were fitted.

This Porsche 911 SC ‘RSR Tribute’ is a head-turning homage to the legendary 1970s racing cars. Undoubtedly unique in both its appearance and specification, it is a fast custom road car that begs to be driven, and is certain to put a smile on its next owner’s face. For someone who appreciates a ‘hot rod’ 911 and likes to be the centre of attention, there can be few more conspicuous bespoke builds.

All cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no markers for damage, and has no finance owing. However, it has an insurance marker for previous theft, against the chassis number and registration, recorded on 25 May 2002.