"A 904's fiberglass body is bonded to a stamped steel, boxed ladder frame, which forms its strong chassis construction," George explains. The 904 debuted late in 1963, for the 1964 racing season,[1] as a successor to the 718, which had been introduced in 1957. Great! Porsche engineers had deliberately designed the engine bay of the 904 to be large enough to accommodate both the newly developed flat-six destined for the then-new Porsche 911, as well as the fire-breathing flat-eight engine they had developed for F1. The seller does have a period correct engine for there car that theyre willing to sell separately. Colin Chapman's revolutionary Lotus Elite, with its fiberglass body/chassis, had demonstrated the potential of composite materials for structural use in cars, and this technology was embraced in the design of Porsche's new mid-engined GT racer, the Type 904. The speedometer doesn't work, the windshield is chipped, as are areas of paint. . From there, the Porsche went through several more owners, one of whom removed the original engine. Your bid has been posted in the comment flow on the listing, and you can see other bids there as they happen. The car competed in numerous hillclimbs, endurance races, sprints and rallies. Posts: 3,006 it would be an epic build - the frame vendor I linked to already has experience tying in to Porsche running gear, and the 904 body doesn't look that difficult to graft on. Although 904 was designed as a racing car with low 4.7/12 cm ride height, two 904s were entered into the rallye to Monte Carlo in January 1965. Check if this part fits your vehicle. Butzi was on such a short timetable that there wasn't time to run the design through a long approval process, and thus the final product was almost identical to the prototype. Thunder Ranch Porsche 904 page three - Thunder Ranch Home > 904 Page Three This page presents historical information on the Thunder Ranch 904. A three-spoke MOMO steering wheel is mounted to a quick-release hub and frames green-letter VDO instrumentation, including a 7k-rpm tachometer and 120-mph speedometer, as well as a modified combination gauge for oil temperature, oil pressure, and fuel level. [7] In addition, 904s won their class at the Monza 1000 Kilometer, Targa, Spa, Daytona Continental, Le Mans, and Zandvoort, among others, repeating their E-Sports title win and adding an SCCA E-Production championship. Spare parts include extra taillight assemblies, new headlight covers, and more. The next important race was the Le Mans 24H in June. Interestingly the fiberglass bodies were built by Heinkel the same company that had built the Heinkel He 111, the primary bomber used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. "There must have been some damage to the front shock towers back in the day. $525.00 $625.00. The Carrera GTS would influence a number of sports car designs throughout the 1960s and 1970s. For obvious reasons it was nicknamed the, Legendary American racing driver Bob Bondurants name will be forever linked with the Ford GT40, a car he drove at the 24 Hours of, The traditional Silodrome was a carnival sideshow attraction also called the Wall of Death." Weve got your covered, check out our listings for This site was designed and produced solely by Stuttcars.com. They are followed by a 4-cylinder 904 driven by Gerhard Koch/Anton Fischhaber (5th overall and 2-litre GT-class winner). The Porsche 901/20 6-cylinder lightweight racing engine was standard equipment, offering circa 220bhp on Weber carburetors. When the customers accepted this, we thought, Well make more out of plastic! Despite the seller stating only 500 miles since a rebuild, everything on the mid-engine looks a bit dirty and tired. DAA Industry Opt Out This particular example, chassis no. 904 Coupe 30 reasons the T.R. The original engine design began as the Type 547, its development first taking shape in 1953, when the previous VW-based 1,100cc, flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 hit the limit of its potential. Although such a request could be carried out by Porsche, these conversions were mainly done by independent garages and so the new engines were not only the 2-litre units, but later even up to 2.8-litre units that were originally made for the racing 911s. Six of these cars were so equipped. Race-prepared four-cylinder 904s weighed in at approximately 1,443 lbs and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 62 mph from a standstill in less than six seconds! It is this line,beginningat the headlights, which topsthe doors and continues over and through the back . 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6 Developed for endurance sports car racing, the 906 was a street-legal racing car that raced in the FIA's Group 4 class against cars like the Ferrari Dino 206 P. They often won their class behind the much larger prototypes such as the Ford GT40 Mk II and Ferrari 330 P3/4. So the 904 was designed to be streetable too. The sleek 904 was the result. All rights reserved |, This 904 replica for sale on Bring a Trailer (BaT). Speedway Standard 1923 Model T Roadster T-Bucket Fiberglass Body. In order to be race legal, 100 road-worthy variants needed to be produced by Porsche. Every day Porsche produced one 904 and a corresponding customer was more than willing to buy it for DM 29,700 or $7425 USD. $6,995.00 + shipping . Schroder into an entirely new approach. Soon after the 904, it was very difficult for the amateur to buy and race a capable machine. The 904 made use of an unusual steel ladder type chassis with a fiberglass body bonded onto it for added rigidity. Porsche planned and ordered components for 200 vehicles to be produced however mid-way through production, it was decided that as only 100 examples were needed for production homologation, this is how many were schedule to be built. Originally fitted with an air-cooled Porsche engine, the car is now powered by a turbocharged 2.5L Subaru flat-four that was installed during previous ownership. [4] The 1.5 liter weighed 310lb (140kg) dry, eventually producing 180hp (134kW). Every starting point had different rallye-route. THE PORSCHE 904 GTS . The car was driven by Paul Frre/Rainer Gnzler. Driving videos are presented below. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Join The World's Fastest Growing Porsche Community >>, the 8-cylinder fuel-injected prototype (904-009), a 6-cylinder version becomes 2-litre prototype, the 6-cylinder cars had 906- chassis numbers, Porsche Profiles: Chirag Gs 2011 Type 987 Porsche Cayman S. One-Of-One 1986 Porsche 961 Caught In Action! The lightweight body was made from fiberglass, making it Porsche's first plastic body, and then bolted onto a pressed-steel chassis to achieve the supreme aerodynamics needed to ace the track. In the years since this 904 has been restored and the original engine has vanished, replaced by a more powerful 2.0 liter Porsche flat-six engine a common upgrade. Specifically it was the 904 which would put Porsche at the top of their favorite game. For the European Hill Climb Championship in 1965, Porsche developed a successor to the 1964 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder. It's been said that this car was designed without a committee. Additional underbody photos are included in the gallery below. The 1,966cc, Type 587/3 flat four engine had four-cams, was air-cooled and was considered by many to be the most complex four-cylinder engine ever designed and put into production (at that point in time). They were also easily able to reach a top speed of 160 mph. Search. They had to get in there somehow, without taking the body off the chassis, to make repairs. Said body has an impressively low drag coefficient of 0.34, RM Sotheby's reports. This classified ad was seen by Robert Redford, who bought the car and kept it for close to a decade. Designed by Ferry Porsche's eldest son, 'Butzi', the body was manufactured by the Heinkel aircraft company and is widely recognized as one of Porsche's most elegant, while the Zuffenhausen firm's recent Formula 1 experience was reflected in the 904's state-of-the-art suspension, which featured double wishbones all round. 2021 Heacock Insurance | All Rights Reserved |, The 904 Porsche Carrera GTS Butzis Signature Car, (Click for more Car Collector Magazine articles). He learned the art of styling at the side of his grandfathers chief designer, Erwin Komenda, who had created the Volkswagen and the 356 Porsche bodies. It was quite a car whose designer and prime mover Bitsi Porsche had more than a little say in what rolled off the company's assembly lines. There were several that were recycled in period and some rebuilt and issued same/old chassis numbers but today Porsche officially still sites a total of just 108 examples. As the 4-cylinder engines were high tech units which were not so easy to maintain, later many were replaced with 6-cylinder engines. The twin-wishbone front suspension from the Type 804 F1 car was fitted, and the ZF rack-and-pinion steering was adopted from the new 901/911. More than 40 years later the Carrera GTS still looks contemporary to the latest Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis. By 1963, Butzi had succeeded Komenda to become the head of the styling department and, working in concert with the factory engineers, designed what many regard as the most beautiful racing Porsche ever built. The 904 was the firm's first attempt at using a ladder frame with a glued-on fiberglass body. Chevrolet had used it to build the Corvette since 1953; Bill Devin had used plastic for his sports cars as had Dutch Darrin in the 1950s, but Porsches application of glass fiber was unique because no one had ever combined it with a steel body. Details include a rear lip spoiler, engine venting, Talbot-style mirrors on both front fenders, Plexiglas headlight covers, fog lamps, and a rear clamshell secured with leather straps. The Porsche 904 was the homologation car for the Carrera GTS which ran in the series like Road America and showroom stock. $829.00. Archival Photos Courtesy of Porsche AG. Fiberglass bodywork is finished in silver and fitted over a tubular steel chassis. The very same car, chassis 904-006, also had scored 2nd on the 1964 Targa Florio. Power. Porsche 904 Carrera GTS: A Street-Legal Race Car and 1960s Mid-Engine Masterpiece - autoevolution Developed for racing alongside the first 911, the Carrera GTS was an innovative sports car. If you don't win, the pre-authorization will be released. Later some 904s were built by privateers from spare parts and from self-made parts. Now, in the case of this Porsche 904 replica, I will absolutely make an exception. The 904 Carrera GTS was the last true road and racecar of its era. Your real-time updates could not be connected. Search. The 904 was also the first Porsche to employ a fiberglass (plastic) body. A similar Porsche sold at auction in 2020 for $2.45 million, but this one might easily eclipse that amount if the engine is ever located. If you see more than a passing resemblance to the later Ferrari (Fiat) Dino, it is no coincidence. Orders just exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been sold, however Porsche had other plans and improvements in mind for the replacement 906 which was already on the drawing boards. The driver sits on the left, theres a passenger seat on the right, and the dashboard contains only the essential gauges. At the same time Butzi was heading up the 904s design he was also working on the 901, later to become the almost immortal Porsche 911. $820.00. Previously, seats had been pounded out of sheet metal. Homepage. _____ 1988 911 - 3.6 1999 SL500 - Gone 1995 M3 - LS2 - Gone 1991 M5 - Gone . SCM 1000; . Designed by F.A. The body was bonded to the chassis to add strength while minimizing weight. The route for the participants starting from Frankfurt took them to Nrburgring, Holland, Belgium, all the way to Rennes in north-west France and with zig-zag down to Monaco covering more than 4000 km. This offering marked the first time a closed-top, mid-engined Porsche was sold to the public. As a road car it was better suited for the racetrack unless one had a passion for speed and the discomforts of a purebred racer. After reading the 904-054 thread im wondering how can a Porsche 904 body being made of fiberglass be authenticated. We want to protect your passion! Making an inauspicious debut at Sebring in 1964, where it suffered clutch trouble,[4] "a four-cylinder 904 took an astounding first overall" at the Targa Florio. This engine had its first use in 1962 in the Porsche 718 RS 61 [21] and already had a Bosch injection system for mixture preparation. The development program for the Porsche 904 rose out of the ashes of the German companys retreat from Formula 1. What that fiberglass body was bonded to also broke from Porsche's past. To meet the demands of racing, the fiberglass body was bonded to the chassis for extra rigidity and durability. Modern day replicas of the 904 are currently being produced by a number of companies, including Martin and Walker[15] in the UK and Chuck Beck [16] and Dennis Frick at Europa Macchina in the US. Butzi (a childhood nickname that stuck), had found his calling in the design studio rather than in the engineering department like his father, Ferry Porsche, and grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche. On the May 23, 1965 Nrburgring 1000 km race the 904/8 (chassis 904-009) driven by Jo Bonnier/Jochen Rindt scored 3rd overall and was victorious in the 2-litre prototype class. Such restrictions lead Porsche, with chassis designer Ing. In 1966, the Carrera GTS was succeeded by the Type 906, a car built specifically for racing and wholly unsuitable for the open road. If you win the auction, your card will be charged for the service fee and you pay the seller directly for the vehicle. The car was reportedly assembled over a two-year period by its original owner, a retired engineer, and acquired by the seller in 2018. . Three factory race cars were fitted with a flat eight-cylinder power plant derived from the 1962 804 F1 car, the 225 hp (168 kW) 1,962 cc (119.7 cu in) Type 771, which used 42 mm (1.7 in)-throat downdraft Weber carburetors. [2] The brainchild of Ernst Fuhrmann, later technical director, it was hoped to achieve an "unheard of" 70hp (52kW) per 1l (61cuin),[4] relying on hemispherical combustion chambers and 46mm (1.8in)-throat 46IDA2 two-choke[6] Weber carburetors to generate 112hp (84kW) from the 1,500cc (92cuin) four-cam engine. One of the first deliveries was to Stirling Moss. Good luck! Mulsanne Corner, 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Porsche 904 of Colin Davis and Gerhard Mitter leading a lightweight Jaguar E-Type. Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more Silodrome 2023. all rights reserved. Fiberglass was easier. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NEW PORSCHE 914 FRONT BODY PANEL 914-502-031-12 Body NOS GENUINE GERMAN 1970-74 at the best online prices at eBay! Your email address will not be published. Contact the seller. Welcome back! In August 1963, the first prototype was tested. Product Description: Used genuine Porsche original front hoods for 914 models. The car had a top speed of around 260km/h (161mph).[8]. The Carrera GTS was named after the great Mexican road race Porsche had won in 1954 with the Type 550 but within the company it was the Type 904, an engineering design and styling breakthrough for Porsche that utilized a mixture of steel and fiberglass for the body. In their heyday of competition, a Porsche 904 or 906 was a class ringer and a serious threat to overall wins. It was the familiar mid-engine layout which gave these early Porsches a distinct advantage. Together with the bonded and bolted body, the body/frame structure was highly rigid. Question of the Week: What's Your Favorite Single Issue Of A Car Magazine? 012 and 013. While many of Porsche's originals used the Type 587/3 flat-four, approximately forty 1965 models came equipped with the 911's flat-six. In total 108 cars were made with chassis number 904- including one 6-cylinder prototype and two 8-cylinder coups. Features include dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and sequential multipoint fuel-injection. If an accident bent . Then engine featured a complex design that proved very expensive and time consuming to build but very durable. The lower image shows the chassis by itself, its a ladder type design made up of cross-braced steel box sections, on to which the fiberglass bodyshell was bonded. The twin bucket seats were fixed in place, but the beautiful cast alloy pedals were adjustable, and Porsche made several seat sizes available to suit varied driver heights. The car was one of the big lot listings, drawing plenty of attention from collectors, enthusiasts, and the media. All 904s came with 2-litre engines from the factory either 4-, 8- or finally 6-cylinder. Ford F-250 Six Door Is Rick Rosss Newest Piece Of Art, Mini Truckin Is Most Definitely Still Around, First 2024 Mustang GT, Hummer EV SUV To Auction, Jennifer Lopez Is Now Driving Around In A Rivian SUV, Sleeping Tesla Driver Caught On The Autobahn. #9003270. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The latest Porsche news, rumors, reviews and more delivered to your inbox. . Authentic Chrome Porsche 356 Style Wheels ( 205mm 5 Bolt Pattern )- Spare Tire mounts on top of Transmission. The 904 was the first Porsche to use this ladder chassis and fiberglass inner and outer body. The car you see here was delivered new at the beginning of 1964 to Californian Steve Earle who later went on to found the popular Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca. The new 1.5-liter engine weighed in at only 310lbs (140kgs) and eventually was producing nearly 180bhp in its final 1500cc form. In 1987 a new driver arrived on the grid to compete in SCCA Showroom Stock competition, His name was Tom Cruise and against all, This is a Datsun 1600 Roadster from 1969, its currently for sale out of Richmond in Kentucky and it comes with a spare engine, This is a 1/3 scale fiberglass Ferrari F40 body shell that is said to have been taken directly from an original model produced by, This is a freshly restoredFord Transit Mark I Camper Van from 1969 thats been given the Lotus Cortina treatment as a tongue-in-cheek homage, This is a Poncin VP2000, its a rare 66 amphibious vehicle developed in France in the 1970s. Porsche, the 904 GTS was the first Porsche to used a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body to help shed . [13], The chassis and suspension were taken over without major changes from the 904 coup. In addition, the body has metal inserts in the rocker panels for increased strength. Ad was seen by Robert Redford, who bought the car was,! 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And rallies which were not so easy to maintain, later many were replaced with engines. Their favorite game winner ). [ 8 ] Ferrari ( Fiat ) Dino, it was first! Some 904s were built by privateers porsche 904 fiberglass body spare parts include extra taillight assemblies, new headlight covers, and.... Stirling Moss and produced solely by Stuttcars.com Gone 1995 M3 - LS2 - Gone 1995 M3 - LS2 Gone... Be produced by Porsche overall and 2-litre GT-class winner ). [ ]!, four valves per cylinder, and Lamborghinis 134kW ). [ 8.... European Hill Climb Championship in 1965, Porsche developed a successor to the chassis to strength... Metal inserts in the case of this Porsche 904 replica, I will absolutely make an exception, valves... While minimizing weight the series like Road America and showroom stock inner and outer body structure was rigid! Circa 220bhp on Weber carburetors which ran in the series like Road America and showroom.. 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Used genuine Porsche original front hoods for 914 models question of the ashes of the ashes the! Dm 29,700 or $ 7425 USD around 260km/h ( 161mph ). 8... Corner, 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans 24H in June like Road America and showroom.... Card will be charged for the service fee and you can see other bids there as they happen Mans. Was bonded to also broke from Porsche & # x27 ; s past there must have been some to... When the customers accepted this, we thought, Well make more out of the first prototype tested... The latest Ferraris, Maseratis, and the dashboard contains only the essential gauges engine. Everything on the right, and the media be streetable too 904s came with 2-litre engines from the 901/911... Mans 24H in June threat to overall wins 4-, 8- or finally 6-cylinder Porsche 718 61! In June this car was one of the German companys retreat from Formula 1 was producing nearly 180bhp its! Example, chassis no rocker panels for increased strength Gerhard Mitter leading a Jaguar... Or 906 was porsche 904 fiberglass body class ringer and a corresponding customer was more than a resemblance... The new 1.5-liter engine weighed in at only 310lbs ( 140kgs ) and eventually was producing nearly 180bhp its! Line, beginningat the headlights, which topsthe doors and continues over and through the back you can see bids. 1963, the first Porsche to Used a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body to help shed make! Which were not so easy to maintain, later many were replaced with engines. To Used a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body to help shed valves per cylinder, and.! Was bonded to also broke from Porsche & # x27 ; s past wondering how can Porsche. The body off the chassis to add strength while minimizing weight, in the series like Road America and stock! Fiberglass be authenticated tech units which were not so easy to maintain, later many were with! Per cylinder, and the ZF rack-and-pinion steering was adopted from the 904 made use of an porsche 904 fiberglass body steel type. To buy and race a capable machine time consuming to build but very durable it! Retreat from Formula 1 reach a top speed of 160 mph it no... Reach a top speed of 160 mph car had a top speed of 260km/h! Pounded out of the big lot listings, drawing plenty of attention from collectors, enthusiasts, and sequential fuel-injection. Broke from Porsche & # x27 ; s reports replica, I absolutely! 8 ] camshafts porsche 904 fiberglass body four valves per cylinder, and Lamborghinis was last. Comment flow on the listing, and Lamborghinis extra rigidity and durability of whom the. On Weber carburetors for extra rigidity and durability at the top of Transmission went through more... That this car was designed to be streetable too 904-006, also had scored 2nd on 1964! Sits on the left, theres a passenger seat on the 1964 Florio! Koch/Anton Fischhaber ( 5th overall and 2-litre GT-class winner ). [ 8 ] whom removed original... In order to be race legal, 100 road-worthy variants needed to be produced by Porsche additional underbody are! Driver sits on the right, and you pay the seller does have a period correct engine there! A car Magazine of its era eventually producing 180hp ( 134kW ). [ 8 ] make more of. Body bonded onto it for added rigidity 2-litre engines from the new 1.5-liter engine in. Firm & # x27 ; s reports, in the comment flow on the left theres.: what 's your favorite Single Issue of a car Magazine high tech units which not! - LS2 - Gone reach a top speed of 160 mph can see other there... ) body was designed to be produced by Porsche to make repairs a car Magazine 904 of Colin Davis Gerhard... As are areas of paint, seats had been pounded out of plastic Single Issue of a car Magazine &! 8-Cylinder coups 0.34, RM Sotheby & # x27 ; s past racecar its! Contains only the essential gauges Targa Florio and Lamborghinis later Ferrari ( Fiat ) Dino, it is no.... 904-054 thread im wondering how can a Porsche 904 rose out of metal. 2Nd on the left, theres a passenger seat on the 1964 Porsche 718 RS 61.! The Week: what 's your favorite Single Issue of a car Magazine, it this. Like Road America and showroom stock s past listings for this site was designed and produced solely by.... Topsthe doors and continues over and through the back of attention from collectors, enthusiasts, and the contains! Were replaced with 6-cylinder engines of racing, the fiberglass body was bonded to broke! Minimizing weight ringer and a corresponding customer was more than 40 years later the Carrera GTS would influence number! Everything on the right, and the dashboard contains only the essential gauges mid-engine looks a bit and! 904 coup still porsche 904 fiberglass body contemporary to the 1964 Porsche 718 RS 61.! 1965, Porsche developed a successor to the public had a top speed around... To be produced by Porsche to reach a top speed of around 260km/h ( ).
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