Porsche SWB 911 (1965-1968)

This Porsche 911 race car was built and developed by privateer John Johnson in the early 1980s and campaigned in IMSA’s GTU class. As a crew member for Garretson Enterprises and subsequently Dick Barbour Racing, Mr. Johnson was provided access to Porsche’s 934 and 935 customer cars and leftover parts. He reportedly began constructing this car (#8) in late 1979 and piloted it to a sixth-place overall finish at its first outing with IMSA two years later at Laguna Seca. Walt Maas would pilot #8 for part of the 1983 season at Laguna Seca and Sears Point with Mr. Johnson, who also competed with the car in 1984. The seller acquired it in 1985 and competed in some track events through 1986 before parking it until 2019. The car is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-six with twin-plug heads and paired with an upside down four-speed 935 transaxle. Equipment includes coil-over suspension, a reinforced chassis, vented 930 disc brakes, larger sway bars, 16″ Gotti wheels, and more. With the announcement of ex-IMSA race cars as a feature for the 2019 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the seller pulled #81 out of 33 years of storage and commissioned a $144k refurbishment at a Los Angeles–area Porsche specialist. Work included rebuilds of the engine, gearbox, brakes, suspension, as well as updated safety equipment and a new vinyl wrap designed to resemble the car’s original livery. Approximately four hours of runtime have been added since it was recommissioned in July 2019. This 911 GTU race car is now offered in Southern California on a bill of sale with receipts from the refurbishment and extra sets of tires. Beneath the early-style 934 nose, Turbo front fenders, lightweight doors, IROC wing, and remaining fiberglass body panels is a donor 1966 912 body shell, which has been heavily altered. As the rules evolved in 1983 and 1984, the car was further lightened and fitted with revised bodywork. Dry weight is a reported 1,994 pounds, and Lexan is utilized for the side and rear windows. The 16” two-piece Gotti wheels measure 9.5” wide up front and 11.5” out back. A set of Avon slicks in sizes 10.0/23.5” and 12.5/25.5” are currently fitted. Braking is managed by a set of rebuilt 930 calipers with new vented rotors. Ductwork has been added for the front and rear brakes to aid with cooling. A full roll cage has been incorporated and extends to the front and rear shock towers. Note the raised shifter to accommodate the 935 gearbox. New safety and fire-suppression equipment was installed during the refurbishment in 2019. Jerry Woods at Garretson Enterprises reportedly developed the short-stroke 2.5-liter flat-six. It is equipped with a twin ignition setup, which utilizes a second cam-driven distributor mounted on the front of the left cylinder bank. Bruce Anderson was responsible for porting the twin-plug heads. Specifications include Garretson Enterprises camshafts, JE forged pistons, and a higher-volume oil system. Induction is through a pair of Weber IDA carburetors, and the 3-2 exhaust terminates with a pair of reverse megaphones. The engine was rebuilt during the 2019 service in preparation for the Monterey Historics and has approximately four hours of runtime. The torsion tube and rear seats were removed from the chassis, and a new frame member designed to accommodate the 935 gearbox has been welded in. The 935 unit is designed to operate upside-down, relative to a standard 911 transaxle, and also features an external cooler and an electric fluid pump. Marty Mehterian of Team VDS rebuilt the transaxle during the refurbishment. Additional specifications are provided in the photo gallery below. 935 lower control arms and spring mounts replace the factory units, along with Heim joints with bump-steer correctors as well as adjustable sway bars. Although a short-wheelbase tub is utilized, the later-model aluminum trailing arms return the wheelbase to LWB specifications. The chassis was mounted in an alignment fixture and inspected during the refurbishment. New Koni shocks are mounted in each corner, and the car has been corner-balanced and aligned in 2019. Additional photos provided in the gallery below show the underside, which exhibits corrosion. A bolt-in front brace has been added to the front compartment, which also houses a new fuel cell and tanks for the oil system. Records outlining the $144k spent during the 2019 refurbishment accompany the sale and can be reviewed in the gallery. This on-track photo from the 1980s shows the car wearing its original livery. In-car footage from this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is shown above. This car is eligible to run with VARA, SVRA, and HSR.