That welding was giving me flashbacks of when I tried to weld for the first time at uni. Tried making a frame to turn an old recaro into an office chair, not pretty.
If this were my project,I would immediately begin scanning it into the computer. You're going to be fabricating so many one-off items that 3-D printing so make your fabrication easier and once you get it actually scanned into your system you will be able do so much more beyond fabrication
If it was me doing this I would do cage hoop on the front tied into the frunk, the same for the rear. double hoop in the center, With X bracing connecting them in the middle on the sides and top. To tie the front, center and rear together you could do drift spec door bars which should give you enough strength and also keep it looking cage free from the out side.
Since you're cutting the floor out, it seems like it could be a plan to build an X frame down there that ties into the suspension points, reinforce the rockers, and then tie it all together. Basically it would resemble an early GM X-frame _plus_ a perimeter frame, but as a unibody structure. Since you don't have to package "normal" rear wheel drive stuff, and the interior interior is going to have to be custom anyhow, you could make the X just about as heavy duty as you wanted...
'if you were involved in building this car, please get in touch' smack in the middle of 6 minutes detailing all the reasons the original builder shouldn't be allowed within 20 yards of a welder. absolutely love it.
I get that you have to be budget minded, yet have aspirations of Singer glory, or wishes for an engine from them, and here comes the big but, BUT, PLEASE try to keep it air cooled 911. See if you can do a colab partial series with a lesser known TH-camr who could really help and use a boost to his YT channel. I’m thinking The911Den might be able to help and benefit with a colab. You help him acquire the engine and parts, he does the rebuild, or something like that. Anyway, really glad you’re doing this, thanks.
Not that I’m justifying heavy Bondo use.. but I think that was pretty common in the day for anything that was a “show car”.. a lot of those cars were considered temporary and they just needed to sell the look. My buddy had an early Barris car.. when you looked underneath, it was all scabbed together angle iron going in all kinds of different directions.. they were only concerned with what you saw from the outside for the show circuit.
I think the issue with the back door windows is that they appear to be full 911 doors with the vent windows removed from them. Since you have to rework the center targa bar, maybe you can recontour the shape and put the vent windows back onto the rear doors, which should allow the use of 911 windows.
Why don`t you put a soft rear window with a zipper in it ? There was the 912 California which was both targa and cabrio, very cool and rare. As for a heavier motor, the original is already pretty demanding in corners or slippery conditions, another one would certainly not offer better handling.
Great you're so enthusiastic & serious about this car, taking all the right steps to give it the best chance to live again! really interesting seeing the strip down, is set to be an awesome TH-cam series keep the vids coming 👍🏻
I broke down a couple limos in my day, and I can say that the fab in this is 100% normal limo work. Remember that most limos get junked only a few years after being built out of old bedframes and sign posts.
Since yo have to make all rew reiforcements, you should try to find a period correct Targa arc (roll bar) for the middle, and 2 original doors with out the triangular windows to substitute the shortened ones; and then you will have better access to the rear seats, you will be able to make a propper reinforcement to the middle secction so it looks more original, a better transition between the door and no special glass for the windows...
I agree with an earlier comment that the rear windows are likely 2dr Golf/Jetta pieces….the shape seems about right. I notice hair/facial hair color in the beginning but had forgotten all about it by the end of the video. I do like the VR6 idea as something different
Great series and project. Agree that improving the floor structure at the back is a good idea. Bmw built a 2002 targa model in the early 70s. Maybe something in the construction there can also give tips. The mentions the VR6 engine with a link to Porsche, What about the Audi 2.2 inline five, Porsche helped to trim this for the Audi RS2.
It's clearly a top notch build, & after seeing many limousine tear downs it looks exactly as I would expect, total pos, but hell I'm looking forward to seeing how you make it better, Rj in Oz
Just about 100% sure this car was built at Sunrise Autobody which was in Englewood, NJ I was young. But witnessed it, I can most likely dig up some pics from the process. My father ( May he rest in peace) built this
Just for Men was my tought as soon as I switched video on. Next thing huge why blocky teeth and moving to florida. Ending explenation really made me laugh.
I know it would be mega amounts of work but you got twin engined something like a 2lt out of Golf/jetter/TT, You can't have twin car with only one engine !!! and you get 2 out junkyard and still save 30k for the fab work compared to air cooled 911 engine !
Do you have 2.7 Audi bi turbo engines in America? Would have been in an Audi allroad or audi s4. Those share a gearbox bolt pattern with Porsche boxster 2.5 or 2.7. I’ve seen one fitted in a 996 and presumably it will bolt to that gearbox also which might suit your application. Would it fit an earlier box…? I don’t know.
John that car will never look better than how it was originally built. Put the wheels back on it. Put a porsche motor in it. Dont be HOOVIE and put an LS in it. Cmon!
Man what I would do to have a cup of coffee with John. I too am an Italian American last name Vitto. Really though just to pick his brain would be priceless
Good, for a moment I thought you were going the way of Thesious' Ship. Good to know you're looking to correct and improve on what it was. Is. Will be, Is
I don't have a spare 964 motor, but if you want to throw all logic to the wind and take on a massive challenge, I DO have a spare Vortec 8100 (4th gen 496)
Great Video! I thought the 928's look cool, did I miss a detailed video on them? Did John colour his beard and hair?...all answered in this video...now I'm happy! Cheers
Which engine? That is a tough choice, being a Porsche most would want to keep it real with one. But at the same time the LS makes a lot of power cheap and three weight penalty is not bad. A turbo VR-6 would be awesome as well. I know you will make the right choice in the end. P.S. I like the look, be a rebel and keep it... BAHAHA Keep up the great work, love the videos. God bless you brother
It might be sacrilege... But would a VR6 be worth a shot to put in the back? Could fit.. It'd be narrower than the 928! And shorter than an LS. Edit: Nevermind, its on the list! Glad I wasn't the only one.
You can make a cardboard windshield take it to the junkyard and see what window matches the cardboard.
That welding was giving me flashbacks of when I tried to weld for the first time at uni. Tried making a frame to turn an old recaro into an office chair, not pretty.
If this were my project,I would immediately begin scanning it into the computer. You're going to be fabricating so many one-off items that 3-D printing so make your fabrication easier and once you get it actually scanned into your system you will be able do so much more beyond fabrication
If it was me doing this I would do cage hoop on the front tied into the frunk, the same for the rear. double hoop in the center, With X bracing connecting them in the middle on the sides and top. To tie the front, center and rear together you could do drift spec door bars which should give you enough strength and also keep it looking cage free from the out side.
Since you're cutting the floor out, it seems like it could be a plan to build an X frame down there that ties into the suspension points, reinforce the rockers, and then tie it all together.
Basically it would resemble an early GM X-frame _plus_ a perimeter frame, but as a unibody structure. Since you don't have to package "normal" rear wheel drive stuff, and the interior interior is going to have to be custom anyhow, you could make the X just about as heavy duty as you wanted...
a Modern NA flat 6 with adequate power is what this car needs
Tavarish just took a Stroker motor out of a 911. That should have the power you need, be a Porsche engine and available. Give him a call.
Thumbs up, and a comment in the hopes youtube tosses another buck in your direction. It's such a cool project!
The VR6 engine is a cool idea.
Great to see an update on this. 👍👍
You'd be surprised how bad some "premium" limousine shop make their cars.
'if you were involved in building this car, please get in touch' smack in the middle of 6 minutes detailing all the reasons the original builder shouldn't be allowed within 20 yards of a welder.
absolutely love it.
Vini Bergeman
Can’t wait to see this fully rebuilt! You should make the interior look as stock as possible.
Car looks better already guy’s.
Be cool to see it built with the old 911 style. Always a favorite. Turbo v6 would give it some punch.
I get that you have to be budget minded, yet have aspirations of Singer glory, or wishes for an engine from them, and here comes the big but, BUT, PLEASE try to keep it air cooled 911. See if you can do a colab partial series with a lesser known TH-camr who could really help and use a boost to his YT channel. I’m thinking The911Den might be able to help and benefit with a colab. You help him acquire the engine and parts, he does the rebuild, or something like that.
Anyway, really glad you’re doing this, thanks.
Hi Matt. This looks to be a step-by-step-inch by inch project with a hundred little things coming together. I wish you luck.
Hello there!
Not that I’m justifying heavy Bondo use.. but I think that was pretty common in the day for anything that was a “show car”.. a lot of those cars were considered temporary and they just needed to sell the look. My buddy had an early Barris car.. when you looked underneath, it was all scabbed together angle iron going in all kinds of different directions.. they were only concerned with what you saw from the outside for the show circuit.
I think the issue with the back door windows is that they appear to be full 911 doors with the vent windows removed from them. Since you have to rework the center targa bar, maybe you can recontour the shape and put the vent windows back onto the rear doors, which should allow the use of 911 windows.
I'm very excited to see where you take this project. Thanks for bringing us along on your journey! Twin Turbo Porsche motor FTW
Looking forward to this build!
Great stuff and looking forward to the build! Go Ficarra, keep moving forward!
Experimental hat man. A hatted man of the experimental persuasion.
Make a cardboard template of the windows you need and take that to the junkyards
Big brain comment here! Thanks for the tip!
@@AE86Matt I've only learned from my mistakes ie big pain not brain.
A whole car triangulation of a role cage is a great idea. The facial hair makes you look ten years younger! Rock on Ficarra!!
Why don`t you put a soft rear window with a zipper in it ? There was the 912 California which was both targa and cabrio, very cool and rare. As for a heavier motor, the original is already pretty demanding in corners or slippery conditions, another one would certainly not offer better handling.
The rear windows might be from a 2 door jetta from the era.
John looks fantastic
That's what I was thinking, don't talk s to John he's built like brick shit house.
Great you're so enthusiastic & serious about this car, taking all the right steps to give it the best chance to live again! really interesting seeing the strip down, is set to be an awesome TH-cam series keep the vids coming 👍🏻
Engine wise, how about a subaru imprezza sti boxer unit?
That thing is so weird thst it mega cool.
You have too much fun! "How it HAS TO BE!"
They're Adjure "trilient cut or Tri-bar diamond cut" motorcycle headlights
I broke down a couple limos in my day, and I can say that the fab in this is 100% normal limo work. Remember that most limos get junked only a few years after being built out of old bedframes and sign posts.
You should make it look like how it was when it was made
Since yo have to make all rew reiforcements, you should try to find a period correct Targa arc (roll bar) for the middle, and 2 original doors with out the triangular windows to substitute the shortened ones; and then you will have better access to the rear seats, you will be able to make a propper reinforcement to the middle secction so it looks more original, a better transition between the door and no special glass for the windows...
Bondo. James Bondo.
There must have been a sale on bondo when it was built 😂
I agree with an earlier comment that the rear windows are likely 2dr Golf/Jetta pieces….the shape seems about right. I notice hair/facial hair color in the beginning but had forgotten all about it by the end of the video. I do like the VR6 idea as something different
Can't wait to see the progress
When you rebuild the floor and tunnel build the tunnel as structure. Do the roll bar in the center and at the feet run bars to the tunnel.
Great series and project. Agree that improving the floor structure at the back is a good idea. Bmw built a 2002 targa model in the early 70s. Maybe something in the construction there can also give tips. The mentions the VR6 engine with a link to Porsche, What about the Audi 2.2 inline five, Porsche helped to trim this for the Audi RS2.
It's going to be better than new
Love all your videos. I hope to see your channel grow, so we get more cool content!
It's clearly a top notch build, & after seeing many limousine tear downs it looks exactly as I would expect, total pos, but hell I'm looking forward to seeing how you make it better, Rj in Oz
What up with the black beard? Is Grecian sponsoring the channel? Love the Porsche work.
You gotta watch to the end to find out.
Ah, well there you go. Thought you might have gotten divorced or something or having a mid-mid-life crisis. ;=O@@FicarraClassic
Jimmy Oaks is putting Maserati V8 in a 70s 911 ...
Thanks for addressing the goatee. I was worried you'd gone all hollywood on us.
"I'm not going through a mid-life crisis" he says standing in front of a twin targa limo project car.
What about some sort of tube frame type of skeleton welded in underneath the car?
Man... I was about to write "Don't do that again... u know what!!!" ...but then i waited till the end of the video! ;)
Hi John 👋 Very much looking forward to this update.
You and me both!
am super-interested in the project, yet...
so glad i have the option to watch at 2X speed
If you want a lightweight motor with a lot of potential. What about a Honda K20/24? It must be lighter than a LS?
The guy who built that also did the stretch Maserati from Running Man
And now I can't wait for him to start dropping "Where did you learn your trade?" into future videos.
John, I just stumbled across an article from The Drive by ROGER GARBOW that mentions the car at Ultra limousine.
You can do a taller center tunnel, and make it like a 964/993 style center console, that would ad a lot of strenght
I had soooo many goatee jokes. Then you had to go and explain it.
Maybe a bigger custom center console hiding a structure big enough to support the center of the car
VR6! For sure. Or a TDi :)
Put it on a Taycan turbo platform. Plenty of room for all the batteries.
Just about 100% sure this car was built at Sunrise Autobody which was in Englewood, NJ
I was young. But witnessed it, I can most likely dig up some pics from the process. My father ( May he rest in peace) built this
Just for Men was my tought as soon as I switched video on. Next thing huge why blocky teeth and moving to florida. Ending explenation really made me laugh.
I know it would be mega amounts of work but you got twin engined something like a 2lt out of Golf/jetter/TT,
You can't have twin car with only one engine !!!
and you get 2 out junkyard and still save 30k for the fab work compared to air cooled 911 engine !
This is an excellently insane idea. AWD twin (turbo?) engine twin targa 911.
That clutch cable 🤣
You are gonna clean up renting the Twin Targa limo out for PCA members weddings. 😁
Great episode, I enjoyed this a lot.
I had a dream about this thing earlier no lie lmao
so cool! man you should swap an Turbo volkswagen beetle 1.6 in that xD keep it aircooled yeah
I am here to clean ze pool wif my zine eluven tarrrrrrrga. *strokes goatee*
Making moves!
Wow there's some janky work in there..
Do you have 2.7 Audi bi turbo engines in America? Would have been in an Audi allroad or audi s4. Those share a gearbox bolt pattern with Porsche boxster 2.5 or 2.7. I’ve seen one fitted in a 996 and presumably it will bolt to that gearbox also which might suit your application. Would it fit an earlier box…? I don’t know.
Voting for aircooled six
John that car will never look better than how it was originally built. Put the wheels back on it. Put a porsche motor in it. Dont be HOOVIE and put an LS in it. Cmon!
I didn’t know Leon duray was into Porsches lol.
Oh, hell yes.
Brushed stainless instead of polished on the middle roof section would be even cooler, imo.
Man what I would do to have a cup of coffee with John. I too am an Italian American last name Vitto. Really though just to pick his brain would be priceless
A race car chassis builder will be able to add strengthening without having visible bars all over the place.
booger welds for DAYS
Probably T-topping it might help rigidity a lil bit. I really dig the R32 engine
Good, for a moment I thought you were going the way of Thesious' Ship. Good to know you're looking to correct and improve on what it was. Is. Will be, Is
I love this, I can watch these two stud muffins ALL DAY LONG
You could keep the dents in the top. There is a story there somewhere and it's a scar of her heritage.
I don't have a spare 964 motor, but if you want to throw all logic to the wind and take on a massive challenge, I DO have a spare Vortec 8100 (4th gen 496)
Great Video! I thought the 928's look cool, did I miss a detailed video on them? Did John colour his beard and hair?...all answered in this video...now I'm happy! Cheers
Jimmy Oakes is puting in a Maserati Engine in his 911
You can buy used street signs, so that might have been what they had done to get scrap metal.
I would love to turn this project into a rock crawler. I'll build the chassis
958.2 GTS motor would be perfect
You have to reverse the street signs and use them!
Which engine? That is a tough choice, being a Porsche most would want to keep it real with one. But at the same time the LS makes a lot of power cheap and three weight penalty is not bad. A turbo VR-6 would be awesome as well. I know you will make the right choice in the end.
P.S. I like the look, be a rebel and keep it... BAHAHA
Keep up the great work, love the videos. God bless you brother
I hope Steve Aoki gets to see this in person when it is done.
Have you considered a cage like what is in the MORRVair?
It might be sacrilege... But would a VR6 be worth a shot to put in the back? Could fit.. It'd be narrower than the 928! And shorter than an LS.
Edit: Nevermind, its on the list! Glad I wasn't the only one.
Sr. I guess you will need to rename your channel from Ficarra Classics to "John Car's Horror Show". :D
But can it be red?
😊
K Series engine ;)
How big and heavy is the F150 2.7 liter twin turbo?
I'll be shocked if anyone comes forward and admits to the world they're responsible for that rolling disaster
Just for Men? new look?
You'll have to watch to the end to find out.
@@FicarraClassic you got me!