I brought the electric 9/11 to the Locust Valley Cars & Coffee last week. It’s not overstating it to say she was the star of the show (see photo above). I stayed about 2 hours (until it began to rain) and answered endless questions about the conversion process, drive experience, etc. It reminded me it’s been a while since I’ve done an update, so here are some thoughts for those who are interested.
The car arrived last July, but I didn’t start driving it until the end of August (due to book-writing duty and travel). I’ve since spent a considerable amount of time behind the wheel.
It has been a delight, along with some minor hiccups.
I did have more work to do: I had a local Porsche restorer add some screens ahead of the dual battery cooling fans to keep road debris, gravel, and leaves out. They also figured out the issue with the “Sport” mode, which unlocked another 100 horsepower. It now goes Wheeeee! really quickly.
We also tweaked the new suspension, which was not sitting quite right, and that improved the ride and eliminated any squeaks. Some of the bolts that hold the motor/battery in place were shorter than ideal, and so we replaced those with longer, galvanized versions. The only items waiting to be fixed from the original conversion are the heat and AC, which aren’t running quite right.
But the drivetrain continues to impress.
It’s fun pulling up next to a new Porsche 911 GT3, and getting the “Hey old man, thumbs up” from the young turk driving what is essentially a track car. The light turns green, and my only wish is I had photos of the faces agape in wonder. The license plate gives the secret away, but you can’t see them when I slide up next to you at a light, and your flat-6, twin turbo, burble drowns out my silent drivetrain.
It’s stupid fun.
The conversion added lots of “go” but no “stop.” After the heat and AC, my next steps are the brakes and tires. Early 1990s Carreras shared the same suspension set-up as my ‘87, but received upgraded brakes. The hope is these can be retrofitted to my 1987. I look forward to the larger discs and 4 caliber (versus 2) for added stopping power of the 90s cars.
Once the brakes are done, the weakest link in the chain will be the tires. I am thinking of replacing the stock all-season Pirellis with stickier Yokohamas.
But that’s pretty much it. The car has been a blast to drive; I get thumbs up from other 911s or anybody who plays with me on the road. Even the police have given me a thumbs up.
It’s been a fun project. I can’t wait to figure out what the next one is going to be. (more photos after the jump)
More photos…
