917 full tube frame build

hello to everyone out there in GT40s.com land! I am building the 917 full tube frame chassis via RCR. Some of you might know the car already as it is the one in RCR's website, the first and only one so far. I've spent the last two years accumalating parts for the car as my goal is to make this a you cant tell the differance between this one and a real one version(untill you lift the tail and dont see a twelve cylinder)! sounds crazy but I will do it. The motor is a 3.8 liter RSR spec race engine. will make 415 horsepower. the transmission was going to be 930 which I already purchased but then changed my mind to the ZFQ. the 5 speed was more attractive over the 4-speed. The side-shifter is the same as a 917 but more importantly dont have to make mickey mouse linkages to get the 930 to work. But one of the greatest advantages to the zfq is that they made a custom 5 inch longer input shaft in order to move the engine farther forward. Most importantly the car will be better balanced but also the fan will be closer to the center of the 917 engine cover. The fan is an original Porsche motorsport horizontal fan for a 956/962 from Gunnar racing. The price would make you puke but I had to have it. Bailey Edwards cars now make a perfect reproduction fan assembly but I already bought the original fan. I prefer the original porsche fan anyway as it is of my opinion that the more original porsche race parts I use, it will add value to the car when it comes time to sell (nothing is forever). I've bought as many obscure parts as I can find. All the correct switches, relays, headlights (Marchals and Cibies, dont know which set will be used but that depends on the paint scheme I finalize) tailights, geze latches, Gauges, original 917 front rims, 917 spare wheel with the extra-wide space-saver tire to fit the rim, and the list goes on. I found a smashed RSR oil cooler. tanks were fine so I had it re-cored. The original BEHR oil cores are unavailable as far as I know so I had to go with something close. Turned out fabulous. Yes I butchered the original rsr brackets off the oil cooler. felt like I was commiting a crime but was a necessary evil. If anyone knows of any parts that I may be interested in, do tell.
 

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Keith

Moderator
Don't normally reply with superlatives to these kind of posts but I would have to say fantastic! I will be keeping a close eye on this one... :)
 
here some more parts
 

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I was waiting for someone to post a build thread on one of these cars, glad you have taken the plunge. Your motor will look great in that chassis!
 
On our recent visit to Road America Chris, John and myself along with Nigel Hulme visited GB to have a look what our ZFQ transmission would eventually end up in. Gob smacked is all I can say. The chassis is just beautiful as is everything else to do with the build. Watch this build thread as it will be a gem.
Thanks to GB and his wife for their hospitality and home made cakes.

Regards Martin.
 
the motor you see under the oil cooler is my 962 water/air motor. thats not going into the car, thought about it but seems like a big headache dealing with all the extra parts you need for a turbo application. Its for sale, big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!
by the by martin, I think there must be another GB you met a road america. I was there for the brian redman historics but my wife cant cook so the cupcakes for her are out of the question!
 
It looks like you have an incredible amount of work ahead of you, though; a labor of love I'm sure. Did Fran supply just the body and the chassis for this? (i would assume a few other things as well). What is the floor of the car going to be? Is it a sheet of aluminum or is it going to be a fiberglass panel? I'm not sure what the original cars were. I wish at 6' I could even fit in a car like this.
 
Fran is suppling a complete roller. being that I want it as close to original as I can, I am sourcing whatever original/replica parts I can. Fran provides most of the parts but they are typically a modern, generic type part that he uses on his other cars. for example, fran supplies the oil cooler. I prefer to use the original BEHR cooler I found. I suppose Fran will credit me for parts I dont want but we havent got to that point yet.
The floor pan will be as original-4mm thick honeycomb fiberglass bonded (glued) to the bottom of the frame. One of the reasons porsche glued the body to the frame was to add additional stiffness and strength to the aluminum frame. with a chromeoly frame this is obviously not an issue but is being done anyway for originality. here are some pics of the bonding from Gunnar racings website. I will do exactly the same right down to the exact location of the fiberglass patches
 

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Very cool !!! :thumbsup:
I can't wait to see this 917 replica on track... (At least on a video, i'm too far)

If I remember, the full frame tube was only sold as turnkey minus ?
Fran has changed his mind ?

The gearbox shaft you ordered is 5" longer, how do you plan to "plug it" to the engine. any special bellhousing (5" longer)? or something else?
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Very nice work and a great project to follow!


The floor pan will be as original-4mm thick honeycomb fiberglass bonded (glued) to the bottom of the frame. One of the reasons porsche glued the body to the frame was to add additional stiffness and strength to the aluminum frame. with a chromeoly frame this is obviously not an issue but is being done anyway for originality. here are some pics of the bonding from Gunnar racings website. I will do exactly the same right down to the exact location of the fiberglass patches

If you plan on tracking this car - I would consider some measure of protection for your feet and legs beyond that which Porsche afforded it's drivers back in the day. Perhaps a removeable Kevlar / CF foot-well? Don't know..
 
GB, you mention that Bailey Edwards makes a top-mount fan "kit"...is that available for individual sale through them? Anyone familiar with it? I just got my RCR917 home (not a tube frame...I'm too big for that anyway), but it's stunning nonetheless. I'm going with a 993 engine (normally aspirated) and a 930 gearbox, but I'd dearly love to put a top-mount fan on it. But will it be in the "right" place for the engine cover to work? You mention moving yours five inches forward with the ZFQ, so I'm curious.

Or does anyone do a simple electric fan kit that's on top? I really don't mind that solution for my car.


--Donnie
 

Brian Hamilton

I'm on the verge of touching myself inappropriatel
GB, you mention that Bailey Edwards makes a top-mount fan "kit"...is that available for individual sale through them? Anyone familiar with it? I just got my RCR917 home (not a tube frame...I'm too big for that anyway), but it's stunning nonetheless. I'm going with a 993 engine (normally aspirated) and a 930 gearbox, but I'd dearly love to put a top-mount fan on it. But will it be in the "right" place for the engine cover to work? You mention moving yours five inches forward with the ZFQ, so I'm curious.

Or does anyone do a simple electric fan kit that's on top? I really don't mind that solution for my car.


--Donnie


Just went to their site...

Parts and Spares

Horizontal Fan drive kit for 917,935 or 962 type Porsche engine.
We have developed the horizontal fan for our 917 project. It is a complete bolt on kit. It will fit onto any Porsche air cooled engine. The kit includes bevel gear drive main shafts, bearings, poly v-belt and pulley’s, billet gear box housings, anti backlash coupling, fan and shroud in carbon, Kevlar or Fibre glass. It also includes the fiberglass engine deck lid with look alike air filter boxes on each side. The kit is manufactured to the highest of standards using the latest in composites technology. So we are confident to use it, to cool our high performance and high valued Porsche engines of anything to about 600hp twin turbo’s. Keeping in mind that the fan revs up to speeds of 10500 rpm on the race track. Kit ideal for recreation models such as 935 imsa, 917 and even early version 962 engines. Note that this is not a look alike fan. It is actual workings part that it responsible for the air cooling on the Porsche engine. Note that the kit does not include an alternator. As many variations of this are able to be used.
Price R90,000.

To convert that into USD, divide R90,000 by 7. Yeah, that's over $12,000 USD!! Dunno if it's worth it to ya, but there ya go.
 
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