Ed Cave knows what it takes to win long-distance rallies in a classic 911. A happy wife. Which is why his race winning, street legal, magazine featured, and impeccably prepared 3.2 Carrera sports air conditioning and a hidden Alpine head unit. This same 911 is now available for purchase for $54,900 as Ed plans on starting another project and needs to clear some space. Interested parties should contact him here at: edcave@vcave.com
Most people probably wouldn’t sweat small details like a pair of dash mounted Heuer Rally Master clocks, a top-shelf Monit TC200 Rally Computer with a pedal-operated reset switch, or a livery patterned after the 1978 East African Safari rally car. But, then again, few people are detail-oriented and successful interior designers who spend their free time driving and carefully tending to a 5-car collection of vintage and contemporary Porsches including a 356A Sunroof Coupe and a 1973 911S.
Ed’s Martini 911 came together, quite literally, after he noticed another rally car built by West Coast Porsche specialist AutoKennel and called company owner Paul Kramer to enquire about constructing another. Kramer tracked down a two-owner, Grand Prix white over black 1988 3.2 Carrera and began the transformation according to Ed’s requests. The flat six engine was pulled and its top end rebuilt. The 5-speed G50 transmission was disassembled and restored to new, and the entire powertrain was cleaned, reassembled and reinstalled with a mildly modified exhaust and an existing performance chip left in place. Horsepower is estimated to be near 240 and, better still, the engine retains incredible reliability and drivability without the peakiness of a full-fledged race motor.
That power is put to the ground through a chassis tuned and reinforced for the rigors of long distance rallying. For starters, the entire suspension was disassembled and checked for integrity before all bushings were replaced with stiffer and stronger polyurethane units from Elephant Racing. Bilstein HD shocks were installed to control wheel travel, the ride height raised slightly to accommodate potentially choppy road conditions and the 7×16 and 8×16 Fuchs alloy wheels powdercoated white to match the factory race car.
Outside, the 911 wears the same livery as the 1978 East African Safari rally car complete with an orange front bumper, blue sills and rear bumper, and removable vinyl Martini sponsorship logos and striping throughout. Early H4 headlights with yellow lenses reside in each front fender and, when necessary, are complimented by three Cibie fog lights up front and a unique rear Hella out back. Getty Racing provided a lightweight and downforce-generating duck tail engine cover, and both it and the hood are held in place with race-spec rubber tie-downs. Also visible at both the front and rear of the car are the aluminum skid plates that shield mechanical components from damage.
Inside, the 911’s high performance intentions were furthered with the deletion of the rear seats, replacement of the door panels with lightweight RS units and installation of early light-weight carpeting. The stock seats were replaced with custom Scheel items upholstered in perforated leather and piped in the Martini racing colors, a MOMO Prototipo steering wheel took the place of the stock unit, and the shifter was swapped for a WEVO short-throw mechanism that reduces throws by 30%. The aforementioned Heuer Rally Master clocks and Monit TC200 Rally Computer highlight the dash and, just to the side of the Monit, lies an infrared remote that controls the hidden, iPod compatible Alpine stereo. Even with the addition of the ST style roll bar, the changes within the cabin help to reduce the 911’s curb weight by nearly 100 pounds.
Not surprising then, that with this thoughtfully modified and carefully prepared 911 Ed and his wife won the 2010 Carolina Trophy Rally. Or that European Car was so impressed with the build they sent a writer to Ed’s neighborhood for a full test drive and feature article. Ed indicates that since the car’s 2008 completion the Carrera has travelled 7,500 miles and all lights, gauges, clock, turn signals, power windows, sunroof, wipers and auxiliary lights work, though the air conditioning currently blows cool, but not ice cold air. The Optima red top battery has a cut-off switch to maintain a charge during storage and the oil was last changed 500 miles ago on November 17th, 2010. Finally, the 911 comes complete with many service receipts, passed Georgia emissions tests, an original owner’s manual, a service manual, a largely complete tool kit, a copy of the European Car article and a manual for the Monit rally computer.
Few cars possess the reliability and performance to win TSD rallies. Fewer still the comfort needed to entice non-gearheads to join in the fun. This 911, then, is a unique opportunity and offers its next owner the chance to drive competitively in a beautiful, fast and comfortable car and, if they so choose, to do so with the company of a loved one.
Interested parties should contact Ed here at: edcave@vcave.com
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