Review : I just bought a fabulous RS 3.0 replica!

[alexwagner]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to share my latest toy with you - because I'm very excited! :-)

Last week, a good friend of mine who deals in classic 911's in France called to let me in on a very special 911 that he had heard was about to come on to the market...

It was a 1972 911 2.4S updated to 1974 Carrera RS 3.0 spec. I've always loved the RS 3.0, because it combines vintage delicacy and charm with unashamed brawn and menace. This was the first butch-looking street 911 remember, the very first to have what later became known as the "turbo-look" wide body and the very first to sport the now mythical whale tale.

It must have been very striking indeed back in 1974... :-)

Some photos:

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*** INSPECTION ***

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To cut a long story short, once I saw the complete spec and photos, I asked my friend to quickly inspect the car. He put the car on a ramp and spent 2 hours poking around. His verdict : well preserved in and out, clean and perfectly rust free, very straight chassis and tight body alignments, well upgraded and with all the original 2.4S bits present. :-)

Based on my friend's inspection, I reserved it over the phone, went over to drive it and bought it - before it got a chance to come onto the market! :-)

Now, a bit about this special car:

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*** HISTORY ***

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This 1972 911 2.4S was comprehensively upgraded in 2000 to full Carrera RS 3.0 spec. The car personally belonged to one of Charles Rupp's mechanics, who upgraded it using parts supplied by Rupp (Rupp is THE classic RS specialist in France, who also happens to own one of the 55 real road-going RS 3.0!).

Here is a photo of Rupp's real RS 3.0:

Later, when Rupp's mechanic (the owner) needed cash, Rupp sold it complete with waranty, as one of his approved classic cars.

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*** SPEC ***

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Not only does the car have all the original 2.4S features, it also has all the proper factory upgrades to RS 3.0 spec, including:

- Factory steel RS 3.0 front and rear wings

- Lightweight fiberglass bumpers, bonnet, engine cover and spoiler

- The whale tale is the correct (and rare) rubber lipped one, complete with secondary grill

- Polished Fuchs wheels

- The fuel tank is the lightweight plastic RS tank

- The fuse box was moved to the left of the front compartment, as per RS 3.0 spec

- A polished aluminium full Heigo cage

- Nomex bucket seats, with shells painted silver and Schroth harnesses

- RS 2.7 brakes

- Front-mounted oil cooler

- Lightweight low-inertia crankshaft as per the RS 3.0 (unlike the SC 3.0, 930 Turbo or 911 3.2)

- Bosch #19 mechanical injection pump as per the RS 3.0

- 3.0 cylinders with 10.3:1 high compression pistons (up from the 9.8:1 RS 3.0 pistons, made possible thanks to modern 98RON fuel)

- Power output of 250BHP

- Weight of about 980Kg (the same as an RS 2.7 Light, while the real RS 3.0 was a bit lighter still...)

Oh, in case you're wondering, the features that a real RS 3.0 has over and above this replica are:

- 917 brakes

- thin-gauge steel for doors and roof

- thin-gauge glass

I've gotta run right now, so next time I'll tell you how it drives! (hint : very impressive and exciting, but with one disappointment...)

Cya,

Alex

[alexwagner]

Oh, I'd like your opinion on classic 911 replicas in general (RS, RSR):

I'm all for faithful recreations that give 95%+ of the experience of the real thing, but at a fraction of the price (a real RS 3.0, if you can find one, would cost £300K...).

I'm much less enthusiastic about so-called hommage/evocation cars that offer some cosmetic elements, but with an incomplete experience. Typical are the SC / 3.2 based replicas that use the heavier post-1977 crankshaft and electronic injection rather than the more lively mechanical injection.

That said, the 3.2-G50 based cars offer the possibility of monster 350BHP+ power, albeit at the expense of that delicate classic feel...

But that's just me. Others might think that updating a perfectly good classic 911 2.4S is sacriledge... no matter how well the work is done...

What do you guys think???

[alexwagner]

*** Driving it! ***

My classic-911-expert friend & I both drove the car.

Straight off, the engine felt very lively in neutral, throttle blips sending the revs soaring up and down, thanks no doubt to the small pre-77 crank.

Moving off, the car initially felt like a very light and lively lorry. Strange. I guess it's that classic car feel (new to me), and is probably largely down to the 915 gearbox. Anyway, that initial strange sensation only lasted a few seconds.

On the road, the engine felt surprisingly strong and torquey. The high-compression 3.0 just chucks the lightweight car down the road. My expert friend reckoned it was the easily the punchiest classic 911 he'd ever tried (and he's driven over a hundred, including RS 2.7's). I've owned a 993RS before, and to be honest the 993 didn't feel any stronger below about 3500rpm.

In the tunnel under La Défense, the car zipped up to 110mph in no time, which dispelled the doubts I had that a "classic" wouldn't feel fast by modern standards. It probably isn't a massively fast car, but it feels fast enough because it bombards you with sensations.

The power delivery is very linear, which is objectively "good" I suppose, although I must say I do prefer peakier engines that suddenly "come on cam", so perhaps I'll change the cams sometime... Thing is, I might then miss all that lovely torque... so I'll wait and see how I feel after a few months.

The long-throw 915 gearbox wouldn't be rushed, and felt like driving a tractor at first, lol. I'm new to classics, remember, and the 915 gearbox would be a joke in a new car today. But my mate said if was fresh and precise as they get, and I soon got the hang of it. So that's ok.

The Bilstein suspension is nice and firm (I like that) without being harsh.(I've had a road-registered 964 Cup before, which was almost dangerous on the road - unlike this classic). I'll be using the car a couple of times a year on track, as well as sunny-day road driving, and this setup feels well adapted.

The brakes initially felt pretty horrid, lol. Unservoed, they were wooden (again, I'm new to classics) and didn't inspire confidence (coming from a 993RS... well... need I say more?). I tested them properly though, and when you lean on them hard, they do stop the car very effectively. My mate said they were fine.

The steering was something of a revelation. No deadzone whatsoever, and no rubber. Start to flex an arm and the car changes direction like a go kart. Very alive and precise, just like a modern car. My friend said it was the best classic steering he'd sampled, that they certainly weren't like this out of the box, and that some serious work and setting up had obviously been done.

The dissappointment for me was the exhaust note. It sounded a bit... discrete and thin. I expected more bark from such a butch-looking car. I've ordered a stainless Dansk with twin outlets, so that should give it more of a bassy howl. :-)

To sum up, my mate said it was quite clearly the best driving and most fun classic 911 he'd ever driven, including RS 2.7.

As for me, I couldn't help think how much fun an RS 3.0 must have been back in 1974... among the Cortinas and Marinas, lol

I've bought this car to complete my little collection (Ferrari 360 Spider ticks the "supercar" & "convertible" boxes, BMW X5 4.6iS ticks the "taking friends out", "moving furniture" and "going skiing" boxes, and the RS 3.0 is to tick the "classic" and "track" boxes).

I intend using the RS for fun road driving, for a couple of trackdays a year, and for classic car meetings like Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Revival, etc.

For now though, I'm just looking forward to tucking it away next to my 360! :-)

Alex

[Vintage Racer]

Others might think that updating a perfectly good classic 911 2.4S is sacriledge... no matter how well the work is done...

What do you guys think???

I think your car is perfect as it is. There is nothing wrong with updating an early 911S.