997 "Backdate" Ideas - Page 3 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Hi, I have been mulling over the idea of a 997 "backdate" for a while. Well more of a retro "personalisation". The combination of the quality of the 997 and relative affordability of the model is quite interesting to me. I was wondering what cool things could be done to the 997 without major surgery. I know "Singer-style" is now a cliche, but I am going to use it anyway... Here are my thoughts: 1. "Talbot-style" bullet mirrors in brushed aluminium (see the 70th anniversary speedster concept) 2. Retro engine grill cover in aluminium. 3. Most controversial - R-style led halo round tail lights (Singer DLS in a 997 shape?) 4. Woven leather seat inserts with polished grommets. Or maybe pepita fabric like 50th anniversary 911. 5. Centre bonnet filler (see also 70th speedster again) - realise that does involve significant work! 6. Fuchs style wheels or even a version of the original 911 pressed steel wheels updated in alloy. What do you think? Is this the road to a Frankenstein waste of money or something that would be a cool alternative to the typical backdate projects. I realise this is not for the purists out there, but as a 356 outlaw owner there is a precedent for personalising these cars.

997 CSR Retro does some retro with the ducktail, fuchs, hounds tooth or tartan etc

Have you seen this? http://www.dutchmann.co.za/porsche-series/ Not my cup of tea but its not the worst look I have seen on a 997.

As a side note, I think any water cooled cars with Singer style air-cooled addenda look a bit 'try hard'. If you have a 356 and a 997 thats probably all you need. 997 for daily and 356 for high days and dry days

The official 997 sport classic looks quite subtle albeit silly price! Ian

Been thinking of doing something similar to my Gen II 997.... Ducktail BBS wheels Skirts Corbeau LM seats Momo wheel Central stripe A few images for inspiration

Another vote for RPM 997.1 CSR Retro type additions https://csrporsche.co.uk/models/997-gen1-models/99...

http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2...

Dammit said: http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2... Each to their own. But that bumper looks utterly ghastly. Lets hope it works out when the rear wing goes on. Bert

It's not to my taste, but the quality of the work is excellent.

Thanks very much for replies. The CSR version doesn’t look distinctive enough for me but I am sure the performance tweaks are good. I have seen Dutchmann before and I like, that is along the lines I was thinking but maybe with a few more retro style parts. The build on the DDK forum looks interesting (especially the work on the mirrors) and the owner has fantastic skills, I would have to get the parts made by specialists. All really interesting food for thought - thanks again.

Porsche nailed it 100% imo

They did. The SC is a beautiful car.

The SC is nice, but what about a coupe version of this:

SCO said: The SC is nice, but what about a coupe version of this: A GT3 you mean !

LOL, a hairdresser version.

I follow someone on Twitter who is building a 997 outlaw similar to what you describe. https://twitter.com/classiccarguru1/status/1036332... https://twitter.com/classiccarguru1/status/1028684...

After much fannying around, I have now started this project. It has evolved a bit since getting the car (Gen 1 C4S in black/black), I think a full backdate is going to be too much of a jump so it will be a little more subtle. Danger is that it ends up looking like a 50th Anniversary 997 copy, but that is probably better than a backdate Frankenstein. First job is complete - I swapped the white dials for a custom black and green from Lockwood. Turned out exactly as I had hoped, had do do a bit work matching the green to OEM, but Lockwood did a great job and they illuminate well: Next stop is the steering wheel. I have sourced a Macan wheel which (apparently! will fit 997.1). The plan with that is to delete the paddles, retrim, and paint the exposed aluminium black for a 911R look. Will keep you posted for comments and thoughts as it progresses.

Doing something similar with mine. Will try to put some pics up of progress to date.

That would be good, interested to see your ideas.

Interior getting there, sourced some 911R houndstooth and had the centres done

Watching with interest I’ve often thought the 997 is the perfect base for this.

I think the Sport Classic would be a great template for some of the mods you are considering. My Flying ducktail with retro grill is a small step in that direction

Some good progress there mate. I think the 997 works well for a retro-style. A set of Fuchs wheels is an obvious choice and really sets off the car IMO

@systech Thanks for comments. Flying Ducktail is spot on! I have been trying to get hold of one. There is a company in Taiwan (Garage Classics?) advertising them but I think they may have stopped supplying, have tried them a few times by mail. Where did you get yours? There is a backdate business near me that could do a one off but would prefer something tested, especially as I don't know how it would affect engine or aero (not that I drive fast enough to worry about a few % here or there). Have you noticed any difference to the car since fitting?

@smithyithy Thanks! Wheels - I think the silver Fuchs don't look quite right to my eye, the black centre Sport Classics are better but I don't think work on a black car. Current idea is to get a set of sport classic copies that have a thinner modern style fuchs centre, then bead-blast them to get an anodised look, then paint the background bits black again, so you are left with an RSR homage. I have seen it done on some 911 outlaws. I have come to realise that you can't just put on a load of retro parts and expect it to work, but also if you are too cautious it looks like a wannabe later model. I am certainly on the more cautious side at the moment.

RPM will supply and for a ducktail without going full CSR I believe...I remember them posting on social media quite a while ago a 997 GTS that they had fitted one to. I’ve got a GTS which is why I remember it. I think your comment about the colour is a very good one....one of the great things about the Sport Classic is the colour....clever blend of retro and modern. The SC wouldn’t look anywhere near as good with a contemporary colour. Not for everyone but Meissen Blue is similar....colour from the 356 which is quite popular as a PTS colour on GT cars.

Flying Ducktail no longer for sale unfortunately. I like a retro colour but if I was going for a colour change I would probably go slate grey a la mcqueen's 911, which I know isn't very original. I wouldn't probably respray the car but maybe consider a wrap if I was feeling brave. Staying with black for now. On a smaller project - has anyone considered spraying the daytime running lights amber? I have amber repeaters and I think they look cool against the black. Not sure if you can dismantle the lights, and spray the lens from inside, leaving a clear section for the fogs. Any thoughts? I might get a cheap part off eBay and play around.

Try some orange tint film rather than spraying them. At least that way you can try it for a few £ and easily revert if you don't like it. In terms of colour I think silver and black are pretty timeless and work with backdate styling using a 2 tone side decal. Stripe colour in a subtle contrast to the bodywork with a highlight colour for the lettering (ie black car with ambers go dark grey stripes with orange lettering). The pastel blue above just does not look right on the modern shape for me. The more modern cars are far too aggressively styled to suit such soft colours. Love the retiming you had done. Could you tell me where you got the houndstooth cloth? Edited by nunpuncher on Wednesday 11th March 11:49

SCO said: Flying Ducktail no longer for sale unfortunately. I like a retro colour but if I was going for a colour change I would probably go slate grey a la mcqueen's 911, which I know isn't very original. I wouldn't probably respray the car but maybe consider a wrap if I was feeling brave. Staying with black for now. On a smaller project - has anyone considered spraying the daytime running lights amber? I have amber repeaters and I think they look cool against the black. Not sure if you can dismantle the lights, and spray the lens from inside, leaving a clear section for the fogs. Any thoughts? I might get a cheap part off eBay and play around. You can get amber LEDs for DRLs depending on the bulb / fitment, I think there's usually some on ebay

v8ksn said: Have you seen this? http://www.dutchmann.co.za/porsche-series/ Not my cup of tea but its not the worst look I have seen on a 997. Fuchs inspired wheels are beyond sexual

nunpuncher said: Try some orange tint film rather than spraying them. At least that way you can try it for a few £ and easily revert if you don't like it Edited by nunpuncher on Wednesday 11th March 11:49 Shame they don’t do the old style lucozade bottles you could have used the film off them

Nurburgsingh said: Shame they don’t do the old style lucozade bottles you could have used the film off them Hahaha. Would have been ideal.

@nunpuncher - houndstooth was from Classic FX in Surrey, expert in classic Porsche retiming and has managed to get the modern Porsche houndstooth somehow. I used 3m of fabric and had it trimmed by Auto Retrim. Very happy with the result. Lucozade? lol hadn't thought of that, but maybe I could get Iron Bru to sponsor it.

I went down the backdate route with a .1 C2S, i really love the look of the sport classic so went with a similar look but thought a direct copy was not the best idea hence the Riviera Blue. Fitted a Carbon ducktail and carbon Sport Classic rear bumper copy which required the .2 rear lights and round exhaust tail pipes and a gen 1 aero bumper on the front. So far the interior has been left alone but like the hounds-tooth idea. Not great pics and its dirty but gives and idea of the look. [url]

[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.] https://thumbsnap.com/sc/G4qbUaFT.jpg

Blooders said: Nice work. The other interior option I considered was a woven leather like the Singer cars and a bit like the Sport Classic inserts. I tracked down the supplier to Singer. In the end I decided it would be a bit too much on a black car with black leather so went houndstooth. But could look good on the right car, maybe with a black and grey contrast weave.

Update for those interested, I managed to get hold of an unused Flying Ducktail from a PH member. As I can't actually go anywhere at the moment I have test fitted it, Pics below. After a bit of messing about it went on ok and fits pretty well, and goes up and down on the button. It is in unpainted carbon at the moment which looks quite cool but will probably have it painted body colour. Also might look at stripping the paint off the black grill, it looks to be brushed aluminium underneath. I added the 3.8 badge as an additional retro touch! Only concern is that the airbox is now more open to water getting in than the original louvred design so might have to do something under the grill to direct any rain water away.

I must get some pics of my take on a backdate posted. Based on a sport classic but without the horrid brown interior!

Kettmark said: I must get some pics of my take on a backdate posted. Based on a sport classic but without the horrid brown interior! Yes please, would be great to see.

Hi... wanted to resurrect an old tread and ask about the project (as I have one that I am about to embark on).. how is it coming along?

Not a huge amount of progress to report. Carbon spoiler is now painted and I have decided to stick with the black grill for the time being. One thing I love about the active ducktail is that you can see it go up in the rear view mirror which you can’t with the standard spoiler. Although having said that I can only get it working on manual lift so I don’t know if I have messed with the sensor somehow. I tried some side stripes, went for the 3/4 length which Porsche are doing on 992 but didn’t like them. Also played around with orange indicators, got a used indicator and sprayed it (leaving the fog area clear like Singer) but the indicator paint didn’t produce an OEM finish so binned that as well. Wheels will probably be next.

There a guy who owns a gents clothes shop near me with black 997.1c4 with beige leather and a ducktail and Fuchs. It looks genuinely great. I think the 997 suits a wing. The side profile just doesn't look as good as a more muscular shouldered 991.

Hello from LA! I registered for this forum specifically to respond to this thread. I have a black 997.2 and have been thinking of ways to add my own personal touch. After seeing some of the 991s on rennlist get retrimmed with the 911R Material from Classic FX I thought that would look great in my car. Then I found this thread and you’ve already gone and done it! Looks fantastic and just solidifies my desire to keep moving forward with it. Wanted to hear your thoughts on the material you received from Classic FX? How has the durability of it been? How does it feel to sit in? Seat heater functionality? It looks like it has a nice strong hand feel to it and would love to hear your thoughts having lived with it for awhile. He mentioned I would only need two meters but you mentioned you used three. Any additional guidance there? As for some other ideas for your backdate. Coco Mats are classic addition you could make. Alternatively Car-Bone in Poland makes houndstooth mats for the 997. I was thinking of adding one of these two options eventually along with the houndstooth seat centers. One more thought, car-bone also has a really sweet shift knob kit. It’s quite pricey but the look with the brushed steel adapted shaft looks very nice with a proper vintage feel for your car. I have a raceseng weighted knob in my car now but the car-bone shift knob may be next on my list as well.

gentle bump

Ripking said: Hello from LA! I registered for this forum specifically to respond to this thread. I have a black 997.2 and have been thinking of ways to add my own personal touch. After seeing some of the 991s on rennlist get retrimmed with the 911R Material from Classic FX I thought that would look great in my car. Then I found this thread and you’ve already gone and done it! Looks fantastic and just solidifies my desire to keep moving forward with it. Wanted to hear your thoughts on the material you received from Classic FX? How has the durability of it been? How does it feel to sit in? Seat heater functionality? It looks like it has a nice strong hand feel to it and would love to hear your thoughts having lived with it for awhile. He mentioned I would only need two meters but you mentioned you used three. Any additional guidance there? As for some other ideas for your backdate. Coco Mats are classic addition you could make. Alternatively Car-Bone in Poland makes houndstooth mats for the 997. I was thinking of adding one of these two options eventually along with the houndstooth seat centers. One more thought, car-bone also has a really sweet shift knob kit. It’s quite pricey but the look with the brushed steel adapted shaft looks very nice with a proper vintage feel for your car. I have a raceseng weighted knob in my car now but the car-bone shift knob may be next on my list as well. Hello Ripking. Sorry haven't been on this for a while. I would highly recommend the material from Classic FX. It is OEM or at least OEM quality. I don't use the car heavily (particularly in current lockdown) so I can't comment on long term heavy use but I can say it feels good quality and durable. I guess it won't take on a nice patina like leather over the years but it certainly feels like it will last. It is slightly rough to touch but you don't notice it when sitting on it. No issue with the seat heater function, feels exactly the same as leather and my trimmer had no issue with that. I checked back and I did order 3m at Classic FX suggestion, not sure if any was left over to be honest. I did front and rear seats. I went for the black and "silver", but the grey and silver would look cool as well I think. I have seen the Carbone stuff and it looks good. I was thinking about their shift lever and knob but I have the aluminium shift and hand brake so it seemed a shame to change them. Would love to see pics of your car as it progresses. I have a couple of updates to my car: Sat Nav - finally decided on an unbranded android head unit that is designed to fit the car. The plan is to put a custom home screen (997 silhouette?) and use the android "dark" option to make it look Porsche like. Fitting in a couple of weeks. Wheels!!! - I have ordered some 50th anniversary copies made by a company in Canada. They are forged and scaled to 19inch to suit the 997. Very excited about these, 6 to 8 weeks delivery. Will post pics when done. Steve

Really enjoyed looking at your project, it’s looking awesome. I see you haven’t been active for a while so would be great to get an update more recently. I also had a question for you….I’ve been looking for a set of 50th anniversary wheels for my 997 but haven’t had much joy, where did you orders yours from?

[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.] https://thumbsnap.com/sc/zAHeTQmB.jpg

Looks great! I didn't realise you can use a Gen 2 metal spoked steering wheels on a 997.1 - was that a direct fit?

I do love the retro modern classic look on both cars and bikes. I think it's a good project to do this on a 996 or 997.