Forum Member Spotlight: Jack Olsen and his Amazing '72 911
Today we'd like to salute forum member and Porsche enthusiast Jack Olsen. He's got the car, he's got the cool garage, and he's got our respect.
1. A garage to envy
Screenwriter Jack Olsen has taken the passion that we all here have for cars and pushed it to a whole new level altogether. It's not just his modified 1972 Porsche he has named Black Beauty II (Black Beauty I crashed back in 2002 at Laguna Seca), it's the kick-ass 12 gauge garage he built (during the 2008 Writers Guild strike) to not just house the car but be a functioning workstation that has been covered by the likes of Petrolicious and Autoblog. To check out Jack's way too cool garage complete with hydraulic floor lift, just click here.
2. The process
When Jack was without a 911 after the crashed that claimed the first car, he went right out to see what could be done to have another car ready for an upcoming Open Track Challenge that was just 12 weeks away. With the ideas, support, and advice from fellow Porsche enthusiasts along with the work of several shops, the car was completed on time for the track day.
3. Parts for days
The 1972 Black Beauty Porsche that Olsen built himself was made to not only go fast but to last. The car itself is a 1972 911T non-sunroof coupe with a 3.6-liter engine from a 1995 993. The engine has been moved forward about a little over an inch forward in the car to allow for better weight distribution and sharper handling. The engine has been upgraded with 911 Chips/Steve Wong performance programming. Helping to put that power down to the wheels is a Wevo replacement shifter, shift coupler, and internal gateshift. To allow the modified Porsche to breathe better are 993 headers mated to a Magnaflow muffler. Upgraded also for more extreme conditions is the expanded capacity 1972 oil tank that sits just ahead of the rear axle. All in all, there are parts of over four decades of Porsche parts underneath the skin of the body.
4. Weight savings
The weight of the car has been reduced with a steady diet of fiberglass parts with bodywork completed by Kevin Mentzer of Automotive Innovations and Restoration. Those fiberglass parts include RSR front fenders, bumpers, rear quarters, and Getty Design doors with Appbiz RSA door panels. For safety, there are Lexan rear windows, front vent and rear quarter windows. For anyone not familiar with the material they produce, Lexan is a tough polycarbonate resin thermoplastic that is stronger and more durable than ordinary glass. Inside the Porsche, there are welded reinforcements for front and rear swaybars and RSR-style reinforcements to the rear shock towers.
5. Race ready
As nice as this car is, it is not just made for sitting in a garage or being driven mundanely through Los Angeles traffic. Remember, the car was built with the purpose of being a sharpened track tool and has, in fact, tasted success on multiple occasions with Jack behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, here is a video Jack uploaded just a week ago where you can watch a hot lap around Willow Springs in the 911.
If you happen to see Jack Olsen online in the forum, say hey, and let him know how awesome his "RSR" 911 is.
For help with maintenance of your Porsche, check out the how-to section of Rennlist.com