A Porsche 911 RST Clone Built for Night Time Solitude

Owner and Photographer: Bjørn Baadsvik

Year, Make, and Model: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RST

Location: Sandefjord, Norway

Since the day I discovered the differences among cars, I’ve had my eye on a Porsche 911 Turbo (930). At the age of fifteen I got my first car, a VW bug that I modified inside and out with a tailored interior, rebuilt suspension, and engine. But my thoughts were still pinned to the 930. At the age of twenty I took my first step towards my dream and purchased a 1982 limited edition, black 911 SC. Since then, I have always had a Porsche in my garage and by the time I turned twenty-five I had a Meteor Gray 930. After owning my dream car for five years I wanted to go back to Porsche’s roots. After selling the 930, I purchased a 356B T6 Super Cabriolet and restored it to its original spec.

A while after, I sold my first VW bug and purchased a 1969 911 T. I found the 911 in Florida at a restoration shop that was shrinking its business, needless to say the 911 needed body work. I spent more than two years refurbishing and modifying the 911 T with period correct parts. I wanted to build a replica 1973 RST with GULF colors. The car I got had a freshly rebuilt 2.7 L Carerra engine installed with modifications that helped prevent the tension bolt from pulling out from the casing, the casing collapsing, and the engine from running hot. The engine was tuned up to approximately 200 BHP with two 40mm triple-barrel carburetors. I upgraded the suspension to adjustable Koni shocks front and rear, and installed “S” brakes and ceramic pads with ventilated rotors. I used RSR anti-roll bars front and rear, lowered the car with a bump steer kit installed, overhauled the steering rack, used an RS lightweight kit for the front and rear bumper, saved weight by pulling the insulation, installed a fresh interior including headliner, floor mats, and all-new rubber seals on windows and doors. All of the rust was removed and panels welded before painting, and RS steel flares completed the rear.

Living in Sandefjord, Norway makes it very easy to pull the car out of the garage and just drive. There are so many roads to choose from and you’ll never get tired of driving around for hours. The sound of acceleration and the direct feel you get from an early 911 is like nothing else, it’s intoxicating! Everywhere I go, regardless of their age, people are always taking pictures or video of the car, and at the gas station there’s always someone looking and wanting to talk. Most of the time I take the car out at night, alone, and I stay off the main roads, enjoying my solitude. I listen to the engine roar and feel the surface of the road through the steering wheel and my spine. There is no feeling that I enjoy more than the that of mastering a fully mechanical car that I mostly refurbished myself.

I also have three daughters who ask me to take The GULF out for a spin, or take the 356 out to get the wind in their hair. I’m not too hard to convince, and am more than happy to go out, and share my passion with them.

During the winter I do maintenance and prepare the cars for next year. In the garage I have all the tools necessary for preparing pristine cars for the coming spring: I have welding equipment, a lift, a sand blaster, an engine stand, lubricants, and tools.

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