1987 Porsche 956 & 962

This 1987 Porsche 962 is a Chapman-tub example that was delivered to Bob Akin in 1987 and became the last car campaigned by his Coca-Cola/Yokohama/Paradyne-sponsored team in the IMSA GTP series. Chassis C04 was driven by Hurley Haywood, James Weaver, and Vern Schuppan over its three-race career and was retained by Akin until 1991. A restoration was performed in 2002 by Sean Creech Motorsports, who were commissioned again in 2014 to perform a mechanical overhaul. The car was purchased by its current owner on BaT in August 2019 and was driven that year at Sonoma Raceway, Monza, and the Nürburgring. The car retains the red and black livery with which it raced in 1987, and power comes from an air-cooled, turbocharged 3.2-liter flat-six paired with a five-speed manual transaxle. Service performed under current ownership included the installation of a new turbocharger, fuel injectors, spark plugs, distributor caps, Daytona gears, dampers, tires, a fuel tank, fuel pumps, door windows, seat belts, a fire bottle, and an AiM data-logger and SmartyCam. The air jacks, driveshaft, brakes, steering system, and clutch were also serviced since 2019. Chassis 962-C04 is now offered on dealer consignment in Emeryville, California, with spare parts, an FIA Historic Technical Passport, recent service records, and a bill of sale. The 962 was initially constructed around a bonded and riveted aluminum sheet metal monocoque tub. This example features an updated chassis designed by former Lola engineer Jim Chapman, which incorporates honeycomb aluminum panels and billet-aluminum bulkheads. The body panels were removed for mechanical work and the chassis was cleaned in October 2014, prior to the car’s participation in the 2014 Classic 24 Hour at Daytona. The carbon and Kevlar composite body panels are finished in Akin’s red and black Coca-Cola/Yokohama/Paradyne livery, which also features sponsorship from Akin’s Hudson Wire Company. Akin, Weaver, and Haywood are named on the driver’s door, although Akin himself did not drive C04 as he did the team’s other 962s. Replacement stainless steel nose skid plates were constructed and installed by Retro Sport of Berkeley, California, in 2019, and new door windows were also fitted. The body was fitted with 3M paint protection film in December 2019, and imperfections in the finish are noted by the selling dealer on the nose and aft of the right-front wheel. The 18” BBS wheels were fitted in November 2014 and are mounted with Avon tires. Two additional sets of BBS wheels wearing Avon tires are included in the sale and can be seen in the gallery. The suspension features double wishbones and rocker-actuated inboard springs along with front coilovers and rear dampers that were replaced by Rinaldi Racing of Mendig, Germany in July 2020. The brake system features two-piece slotted and ventilated rotors at all four corners, and it was overhauled with new pads and titanium fittings in October 2019. The right-hand-drive cockpit features a single racing seat as well as a steel roll cage, and the 962 is equipped with a pedal box located behind the front axle in accordance with IMSA GTP rules, a safety update from its Porsche 956 predecessor. A replacement fire bottle and Sabelt five-point harness were installed in 2019, while an AiM-EVOS 1.3 GPS08 data logger, GS-Dash digital display, and AiM SmartyCam were fitted in October of that year. The MOMO steering wheel features a hub-mounted stopwatch, and it fronts a Stack tachometer and a boost gauge as well as fuel pressure, oil pressure, and temperature readouts. The car is not fitted with an odometer, and total mileage is unknown. The air-cooled 3.2L flat-six featured two valves per cylinder, Bosch Motronic 1.2 engine management, and a single Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch AG K36 turbocharger from the factory. An engine overhaul was carried out in March 2015 through Sean Creech Motorsports in Jupiter, Florida, with the rebuild completed by Klaus Fischer of Amalfi Racing. New components included pistons, cylinders, Ni-Resist rings, Carrillo connecting rods, main and rod bearings, valves, valve springs, and timing chains. Used cylinder heads were refurbished and installed, a camshaft was repaired, and the crankshaft was straightened, balanced, and polished. The engine received additional service from Rinaldi Racing in 2020, which included the installation of a new turbocharger, fuel injectors, spark plugs, distributor caps, and a crankshaft seal as well as a service of the wiring harness. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transaxle that was fitted with gearing optimized for Daytona International Speedway in 2019. Additional service performed under current ownership included the installation of a new fuel tank and Bosch fuel pumps as well as service of the clutch and flywheel, driveshaft, and air jack system. The car is shown on track under current ownership, and additional photos in the gallery show it in action with its current owner. An FIA Historic Technical Passport was issued in 2020 and is included along with recent service records and a collection of spare parts as shown below. The car is said to have received an invitation to participate in the Le Mans Classic but has not participated.