Fritz Jordaan is the seventh resident to show off his iconic car in the Krugersdorp News’ Wheels of the West Rand series and introduced his 2008 Porsche 911 (997) VTG Turbo with some impressive upgrades.
The 911 has been an automotive German icon for the past 61 years, with many variations, where Fritz has a unique example.
Fritz said he bought his 911 about two years ago and installed some ‘minor’ upgrades, including but not limited to a wide body, bigger tyres and mags, a free-flow exhaust and bigger intercoolers. This increased the car’s original 412Kw to almost 560Kw, to maximise the car’s performance capabilities.
“I have a mechanical background thus I do the upgrades myself on all my cars. I decided to buy this car, as it has old-school technology that is not too technical, which makes it easier to work on, compared to the newer models. The parts are also more accessible than the newer models. When you drive cars like this, you have to drive them occasionally and not let them stand too long as this can damage the car. I try to drive it at least once a week,” he said.
He added that the bigger tyres make the car more stable and easier to handle, bringing him to his favourite vehicle characteristics: The sound and handling.
“With all the upgrades the car goes from zero to 100km/h in just four seconds with a top speed of about 280km/h. It has never given me any problems, except for the turbochargers where I replaced them.”
The News took the car for a spin to see what the upgrades had done to the car’s performance.
“Firstly, it is loud … very loud. The sound the free-flow exhaust produces will leave you hard of hearing within the first 43 seconds of driving the car with open windows. For a rear-engine sports car, you would think driving over speed bumps is a matter of continually turning the wheel, to not scratch the bumper but surprisingly it is not a problem at all,” said journalist Heinrich Greyling.
He added, “The flat-six engine delivers the power to all four wheels, which accelerates at a mind-blowing speed and sticks to the ground like a suction cup. There is a bit of turbo lag for about a second or two, but once it kicks in, you feel like you’re stuck in the seat with superglue. The tight steering also makes you feel more connected to the road. Visibility in the rear window is low, not because of the huge wing at the back, but rather the tinting, which makes it difficult to see in the rearview mirror.”
Fritz concluded that he is in the process of fitting carbon fibre bumpers on the car and he only still has some nitty-gritty things to do and then it will be complete.
If any petrolhead wants to show off their classic, unique, exotic, or rare cars, send an email to heinrich@caxton.co.za.
