These days, some enthusiasts are upset by the popularity of resto-modding, the practice of taking a classic or vintage vehicle and effectively stripping what makes it “old.” A variety of cosmetic and performance upgrades are installed, making the vehicle more livable on a daily basis. The classic Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler are two vehicles we often see getting this treatment, but as this 1978 Porsche 911 listed here on eBay reminds us, the classic air-cooled sports car has been the subject of these types of backdating conversions for years, a practice that hasn’t done much for values when a car like this 993 conversion.
At first glance, the bodywork modifications used to make this 1978 911 are somewhat convincing. I admit to doing a double take when seeing the $24,911 price tag on this car and thinking it had to have been a 993 missing an engine and with a salvage title. However, this car looks like it’s strung together on hopes and dreams in places, as the panel gaps go to show. The good news is the seller isn’t attempting to pass this off as some sort of sympathetic 993 recreation, even going so far as to show how easily you can remove the tacked-on body panels and expose the original G-body underneath.
The original 1978 911 SC details are more obvious in the interior, where you don’t get the benefit of the cosmetic upgrades and modernizations that came with the later cars. The seats are in need of work, and the interior overall feels tattered. Cars like these tend to be tired in general, as the owners who undertook this attempt to modernize the original clearly didn’t prioritize originality and also didn’t necessarily have the scratch to buy a real 993. There’s no judgement coming from me in terms of undertaking this work, but it just seems like the deck is stacked against you in terms of it ever looking as good as you want it to appear.
The seller states that the “….993 lights, mirrors and rear tail are OEM and can be sold separately,” which seems odd – does this mean he is removing the most valuable 993 parts and charging you extra to purchase them if you so desire? Also, it’s worth noting this 911 was in California but it has since been imported to Poland, so unless you have a vision for how to return it back to its original form and make some money off of selling the 993-look body panels (which, truth be told, isn’t a bad plan), this purchase is likely reserved for our overseas Porsche fans. What do you think of changing the bodywork or features of a vintage car to make it more modern-friendly? Is it a wise investment or should we preserve originality at all costs?
Not a Porsche fan but the add says it has a straight body when I can see front fender damage a front bumper damage.
The sellers location is shown as Vilnius Lithuania, it should probably stay there. There is too much downside to take a chance.
Steve R
Nope.
Junk.
I owned a 1980 SC and a 1996 993 and I can tell you that in every possible way the 993 was a much better car. There’s no point in this modification, completely waste of money and time.
Like Rob, I too have owned a 1980 911 and I currently have a long-term relationship with 1996 993 C4 coupe. I have also owned a half dozen 356s, nine long-hood 911s, and few other SCs and several 930 Turbos (2 RUF modified 911 Turbos that I bought ion Germany for my wife and myself). . . All said and done I agree with Rob, this car went the wrong way when being “resto-modded”.