Everybody loves a scale model kit. The only thing better is a life-size version that makes Porsche noises, and it’s exactly what you’re going to get with this one – provided you combine the parts in the correct order. Porsche builder, collector, and fashion entrepreneur Magnus Walker is auctioning some of his cars via RM Sotheby’s in March, and amongst all the 911s, 944s, 928s, and 968s is this imaginatively presented Urban Outlaw Starter Kit.
As the ad puts it, this kit is “everything you need to start your own 911 sport-purpose build—some assembly required.” Laid out like an exploded view [Ed note: Or knolled, if you prefer – Pete], it consists of a German market 1968 model 911 L shell, together with some choice parts from Magnus Walker’s own parts stash, including an extra, better-condition hood (not crumpled in the front like the original), a nicer front fender, a fiberglass front bumper from a 911 S, et cetera.
The car is a rolling shell on steelies, but motive power is also included in the deal: the lucky buyer gets a 911 S long block and a matching five-speed gearbox. The long block is said to be desirable and the gearbox rare. Originally, these engines came with Bosch fuel injection, but this one won’t. Suitable carbs are best budgeted for.
The original car was delivered in Banana Yellow when new, but you would be hard-pressed to find traces of yellow anywhere, as the car’s current patina is, uh, outstanding. It also seems an Akira Nakai-to-be has Sawzalled the rear wheelarches to oblivion. Hey, maybe it does need a widebody rear.
As for rolling stock, there are Minilite wheels already shod with tires, and the supplied shocks are Bilstein items. You also get a spare dashboard, a Momo Prototipo wheel, and importantly, Magnus-Walker-style Nike SB Dunks for pressing the car’s pedals. It’s unclear if the shoes will be available in the right size for the eventual winning bidder.
The car is presented in such a way that it’s a great starting point for a Walker 277-style build, but the ad also leaves it completely open. You can do whatever you want with this kit, and only the wide spectrum of Porsche styles and the rich pageant of life are there to guide you. You don’t have to make it squeaky clean, as few Magnus Walker builds are. His original Urban Outlaw style, as presented in a documentary all the way back in 2012, is about mixing and matching, and it’s not difficult to see why the car here also has a red engine cover – it’s one of the core parts of his 277’s red-white-and-blue look, which also resembles old racing Porsches from Brumos.
The thing is, you can’t replicate patina. Every scrape, every hit, every sanded-down surface is a result of a car living its life, alongside its owner or operator. If you build a car to look worn out, you have a movie prop without a movie. Or as Wim Wenders put it in his State of Things moviemaking film from 1982, “You’re dead without a story.” Is it enough of a story that a car will consist of parts that are cherry-picked by Magnus Walker?
There are a few good lines in the RM Sotheby’s ad. Firstly, Walker says: “So here it is. It’s your opportunity to build your dream hot rod. Sure, some assembly will be required, and obviously it’s gonna need some paint and bodywork … and there probably will be one or two parts that you need to buy, which are not included. What you see is what you get. Good luck!”
The emphasis on this is “your dream hot rod.” It has to become the dream build of whoever gets it, which necessitates a dream to begin with. Rightly, it should go to someone who has had vivid dreams of building a really fine 911 S with the right parts, and this is probably where Walker’s experience building Porsches could come in handy. A few good parts contacts wouldn’t go amiss, either.
The ad copy also drives home the point that a clear creative vision is required to see this one through. What would you build this starter kit Porsche into?
Top graphic images: RM Sotheby’s; Galpin Motors
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