Earlier this year, we reported on a shop called Crucible Coachworks building a slantnose widebody 996 Porsche 911. After 10 months and a lot of hard work, the car is ready to be fired up and driven.
To give a quick recap of the build, it’s a 1999 Porsche 911 fitted with a custom widebody kit that’s supposed to evoke some of Porsche’s most legendary models. The most obvious one is the 930 911 slantnose, which is why this car has a hood free of headlights.
Also inspired by the 930 slantnose are the louvers on the front fenders, as well as the black strip between the hood and bumper that’s supposed to mimic the original car’s rubber impact bumpers. And on the topic of bumpers, this car’s front one was actually nabbed from a 997 GT3. Finally, the car’s vented rear bumper, duckbill rear lip, and side intakes are all meant to be in the style of the 911 GT1. The car currently wears a Martini-eqsue livery, and a custom diffuser is on the way to match the GT3-style rear wing.
Read More: Slantnose 2008 Porsche 911 SEMA Car Sure Is An Interesting Ride
See Also:1979 930 Turbo Slantnose Is Not Your Typical-Looking 911
As for what gets done in the latest video, the first order of business was to install the new subframe riser bushings, which add extra rigidity and help to improve the suspension geometry. After that, various other upgraded components were added to the suspension for better adjustability, then everything was reinstalled.
From there, it was all about getting the Porsche‘s engine running. That began with a reflash of the standalone ECU, followed by a check of the fuel pump and injectors, both of which weren’t working properly. Once those items were squared away, they tried starting the engine. After a few tries, it eventually sputtered, then roared to life, allowing us to hear the sound of its flat-six for the first time.
They still didn’t have any coolant lines attached yet, so after installing those, it was time to start it up again for real. This time, it turned over much smoother, and they were even able to give it a few revs. Admittedly, it didn’t sound that good because the current engine and exhaust are just placeholders for the time being (they have a better engine and full titanium exhaust on the way), but they now knew it was ready to take out for a drive. To watch the whole thing for yourself, you can check it out in the video above.