The enormous (disproportionate?) popularity of “longhoods” has prompted a lot of people to backdate later cars.

Let’s consider a backdate by reviewing one I did in 2011. I had a 1985 Carrera coupe I bought for under $10K (times were different then). But it was below market for 2011 because 1.) it had 227K miles, 2.) it was Guards Red and 3.) it had gold center BBS wheels (which are correct for BBS, but always seem to be vetoed by Significant Others for esthetic reasons) I immediately sprayed the centers silver.

I was able to find a pair of original 1969-73 front fenders. i bought a fiberglass long hood that was configured to use the G-model/Carrera hood release (TRE sells these). I bought a fiberglass S replica front bumper and a fiberglass one piece rear RS style bumper. Assembly was not difficult, but matching faded 26 year-old Guards Red was. It was different shades on the horizontal and vertical panels, so I had to compromise.

This was the result of my work (all done in my driveway).

Disclaimer: this is not a project for anyone new to 911s, there are some hidden issues like managing vapor canister and windshield washer reservoir that take some ingenuity.

As you can see, this is not a complete backdate. Let’s call it a “stage 1 backdate.” Stage 2 would include backdating the door mirrors and going to “bright” trim around the windows. Stage 3 would be all of the above plus an interior backdate.

So what was the point?

I like the look of the longhoods. I did the conversion because a.) I prefer the look b.) this particular car had minimal market value because of miles c.) there was a weight savings.

I was actually surprised by the extent of the third point. I knew the car would weigh less (you can see the ride height difference between the before and after) but not only was there a gross weight difference; there was a difference in feel – because the weight came off the extreme front and rear of the car. I could feel a benefit in responsiveness.

Because I am the type who enjoys working on cars – maybe more than owning them – I let this one go after a bit over a year of ownership. Did I make money, you ask? Yes. Yes I did. 😉