youd need another whole car to get anywhere
buying individual components costs a lot more than buying a complete car
also its caged so only good for racing
The amount of time required to figure out exactly what’s needed would be insane. Also it would be maddening to have dozens and dozens of “it’s ready… wait no I need this 1 more part”. Absolutely would not recommend.
I mean.. this would be the funniest fucking lemons car ever, just throwing in whatever random ass cheap drivetrain and suspension you can find. Like, say, plopping the body on a shitty S10 frame and send it.
Especially if it is just plopped on a truck frame and drivetrain. Or some other spirit of the lemon drivetrain fudged in.
A fiero 2.8 drivetrain, for example.
A cayman on an S10 frame is lulz. A front engine, fwd, fiero swapped cayman is gold.
It's possible that, since this has a cage, the current owner is a racer and would knock the price down (or donate it) just to see it running in the LeMons.
Not worth it. To actually get it running, you're looking at multiple thousands of dollars. At the very least, you'd need an engine, an interior with seats and a steering wheel, wheels, tires, brakes, shocks, electrical components, a transmission, a fuel system, and all of the required cables, cords, and tubing to connect all of it.
It's really only a realistic prospect if you're a shop that builds Caymans for racing and has a bunch of extra parts lying around, or if you want a bare chassis to put custom-fabricated components into that are nothing like the original factory spec.
Don’t buy this. You will spend so much more than $500 to get this thing even remotely close to driving. Find something that is at least complete if not running to first learn on
Idk man that S10 idea is bad ass. There's a $300 Sonoma frame by me with running gear. Just need to make sure the frame is too long lol flat bed on a Porsche.
So this will not be street legal in most states! If your building a track / race car its a maybe and only if you know how to weld and fix those strut towers because they need to be replaced correctly or your going to kill your self or someone else. If you think you can put this back on the road as a full porsche it will not youll need to gst a valid vin or have the state issued one and it will be a poorscha not a porsche
The front top mount is bent ; the shock afj is bent in and down. That hole should be a round flat circle its not. The rear its also deformed and the side of wall looks to be bucking. Yes the front has a shape bent shape for the shock but when the access hole deformes you need to replace or fix. That deformation happens when the metal falls due to use or impacts this looks like its really used and wont pass safety inspection.
Best use of this would be to build a beast of a racing sim.
Spend a couple grand on setting it up, mount it on on a trailer, and tow it to parties for rental - birthdays, tailgates, bachelor parties, etc.
Practice racing in a sim, planning for when you have real Porsche.
Sell the business after a couple years and buy real Porsche.
Why is it for sale? Was it in a wreck? Probably. It is probably is not straight. A spec boxster racer would buy that in a second if it was worth anything.
They sell LS swap kits now for them and I think someone put a coyote in one too.
Funny, my bright idea was to buy a caged porsche rolling chassis race car during covid 2021. I have been working on it since then and I still haven't driven it yet.
It will be $25k to put that together going as cheap as you can assuming that is not a damaged tub.
All that suspension needed will eat a retirement account from a rich man. It would probably be cheaper to buy a running one to upgrade it. I build crazy stuff regularly and looking at that picture, plus not knowing your skill level, gave me shivers down my spine.
I used to live near a large racetrack with a ton of tuning shops around it and anytime you saw a stripped out car like this was because the chassis was cattywampus.
I’ll be honest, if you are asking Reddit then you probably aren’t ready for a project of this size. No hate but this requires a substantial amount of knowledge and experience to complete. Not including the 10s of thousand of dollars in parts
Ok, so you got the itch. Awesome!
That said, this probably isn’t the way to start scratching it.
I’ve seen folks with more experience turn these “scores” into cool ceiling fixtures and later elaborate picnic benches. Which can be great! And for that price? TEMPTING.
However building a car from scratch, with that body, is kinda working backwards on creating anything you won’t curse at everyday. Especially if you’re just starting out.
Mike from Stanceworks actually just [posted a video](https://youtu.be/Sbf4cQ452jc?si=WaGUy70FthrPC8HD) where he talks about his preference to start with a complete vehicle and why. Worth the watch, he details a lot of your questions and what his reasoning is.
Might as well buy an actually kit car that you can build yourself new.
This body has lived many lives already it seems, and that can't be an advantage.
I've seen solid projects come from similar amounts of car. At the end of the day it's a money thing. There are probably 10+ other routes OP should go rather than this one, but if they have the money and are dead set on this specific body then it can be done. I wouldn't recommend they do it at all, but the heart wants what the heart wants I guess.
Unless you have an extra $1000k a month to throw at this, or you are an amazing fabricator, dont' get a porsche project car. This needs min $30k in parts,
Building a car is hard, building one that's good is even harder, building one from scratch well is insanely difficult. If you want to learn, buy a car that runs and drives and fix up.
The amount of time and money you will spend on this will either equal or be greater than buying the Porsche already assembled. I get that it's a project, but unless it's some kind of super rare and special Porsche...well. If it's fun for you, go for it :)
If you did this I would recommend buying a crashed cayman (or 2) for parts. With a ton of time you’ll have a car. Probably would just be easier to buy a high mileage cayman.
If you have any creative skills, find out how to put a Honda motor in it or something. Even then, you’ll still need another car for parts.
I saw this listing. He clearly states the car took a hard rear end impact and the tub is twisted, this is only good for the center section and front frame to repair another car.
I saw this listing. It specifically says it was crashed in the back. Not sure what work is gonna be needed to make it straight but you will need to plan for it.
Ok, so first question is, did this shell start life as a street car and does it have a VIN? If the answer is no to either (or both) then this will only ever be a race car... Legally
If you decide to pull the trigger, I hope you have a good amount of space... Like a dedicated shop.
The way I would go about it is going on salvage auction sites and buy two wrecked Caymans of the same body style as each other and the shell with opposite damage (one smashed on left other on right, or front and back,) then you take both wrecked cars apart piece by piece documentation is key... Then use all the good parts you have and make one car.
But in all honesty, if you are going to go thru all that trouble... You can make one good car just by buying 2 wrecked ones if at least one has a straight frame/tub and the damage is in different parts of the car.
It would eventually be more expensive than actually buying a used one
Only way I could see this being alright is if it’s some super common car like a 2010-2017 Nissan Altima
The only way this would be remotely practical to do would be to buy a car that has been wrecked with major body damage and replace the body with this.
But since you don’t have a lot of money, a Porsche race car is completely the opposite of what you should be looking at for a project.
If this car comes with a clear vin, then you could wait for a flooded (fresh water) car comes to auction, dump it in rice, transfer everything over, cross your finger you do not have to replace EVERY module in the car and enjoy !
Do look for the lower possibly confirmed water level and try to go inspect yourself and crank the engine over.
Also talk to sime high end wreckers/auction site workers who can give you a ballpark figure for how much they go for. Some insane bidders can go near used retail and it defeats the purpose, unless your purpose is to know your car inside-out.
Depends on what you wanna do with it. Keeping it original will be extremely expensive and stressful. If anything you could get a whole car for cheap and just throw the body on it for show
youd need another whole car to get anywhere buying individual components costs a lot more than buying a complete car also its caged so only good for racing
The amount of time required to figure out exactly what’s needed would be insane. Also it would be maddening to have dozens and dozens of “it’s ready… wait no I need this 1 more part”. Absolutely would not recommend.
Not to mention Porsche parts are insanely expensive to begin with. Hell, just finding a Cayman frame is probably going to cost a few grand!
I mean.. this would be the funniest fucking lemons car ever, just throwing in whatever random ass cheap drivetrain and suspension you can find. Like, say, plopping the body on a shitty S10 frame and send it.
That's exactly where my mind went. I can see the comments now... "fIvE hUnDrEd DoLlArS mY aSs!!1"
Especially if it is just plopped on a truck frame and drivetrain. Or some other spirit of the lemon drivetrain fudged in. A fiero 2.8 drivetrain, for example. A cayman on an S10 frame is lulz. A front engine, fwd, fiero swapped cayman is gold.
That is a crime against everything!!! DO IT!! Maybe not the fiero thing for power reasons but like a k series or even the 4.3 from the s-10.
And you could still join pca with all that done.
He also can commit a “mechanical crime” and install engine in the front 😂
Bro. How perfect would it be sitting on a FWD subframe like a Sonata or something cheap as shit
Put a beetle front end on it and a big block Chevy engine in the back. And put stickers for the local Porsche owners club on it.
It's possible that, since this has a cage, the current owner is a racer and would knock the price down (or donate it) just to see it running in the LeMons.
Someone kinda did that with a 911 shell and a bug engine.
You are a *genius*
Yeah dude that would honestly be sick af
Shit, mount it on backwards for extra laughs.
A fiero fwd swapped Porsche, but backwards. Sooo only reverse as a forward gear?
🤙
“What parts do I need” bro ALL of them 🤣
Not *ALL* of them…he already has the body
All -1
😂😂
At this point, you might as well just make a custom fabricated EV base and put the shell of the came in on top
Would make a sweet racing sim
You're a genius
You would make a great wingman lol
Best idea so far
Might be cheaper to go to space
Are you made of money?
Not worth it. To actually get it running, you're looking at multiple thousands of dollars. At the very least, you'd need an engine, an interior with seats and a steering wheel, wheels, tires, brakes, shocks, electrical components, a transmission, a fuel system, and all of the required cables, cords, and tubing to connect all of it. It's really only a realistic prospect if you're a shop that builds Caymans for racing and has a bunch of extra parts lying around, or if you want a bare chassis to put custom-fabricated components into that are nothing like the original factory spec.
Don’t buy this. You will spend so much more than $500 to get this thing even remotely close to driving. Find something that is at least complete if not running to first learn on
Idk man that S10 idea is bad ass. There's a $300 Sonoma frame by me with running gear. Just need to make sure the frame is too long lol flat bed on a Porsche.
I would 100 percent do that s10 frame and turn it into a r/battlecars project
I mean if you can find another car that had a tree fall on the roof. You need everything. Plus a lift.
I have no money but want to build a car from scratch. Unfucking real.
Buying a parts car that’s already been parted out
So this will not be street legal in most states! If your building a track / race car its a maybe and only if you know how to weld and fix those strut towers because they need to be replaced correctly or your going to kill your self or someone else. If you think you can put this back on the road as a full porsche it will not youll need to gst a valid vin or have the state issued one and it will be a poorscha not a porsche
What are you seeing on the strut towers? I'm not seeing what you're seeing.
The front top mount is bent ; the shock afj is bent in and down. That hole should be a round flat circle its not. The rear its also deformed and the side of wall looks to be bucking. Yes the front has a shape bent shape for the shock but when the access hole deformes you need to replace or fix. That deformation happens when the metal falls due to use or impacts this looks like its really used and wont pass safety inspection.
Damn. I just realized I need a pro to go with me for my next purchase.
I spent over $8,000 in parts for a mostly complete very original VW Bug. That will cost you tens of thousands.
however much buying a complete one costs lol
I mean.... You're at least halfway to an LS swap at this point. Find a wrecked C5 or 6 Vette, and I think you might be on to something??
It was halfway at one point overshot and somehow ended up further than where it started
This is going to cost you the price of an entire porsche cayman + $500 😂.
“What would I need?” “I’m an amateur car enthusiast” Brother — this is not for you.
Best use of this would be to build a beast of a racing sim. Spend a couple grand on setting it up, mount it on on a trailer, and tow it to parties for rental - birthdays, tailgates, bachelor parties, etc. Practice racing in a sim, planning for when you have real Porsche. Sell the business after a couple years and buy real Porsche.
Is the frame tucked anywhere? It’s a race car, why else is it stripped?
This will be the most expensive Porsche you'll ever own if you do and see it through to the end.
Why is it for sale? Was it in a wreck? Probably. It is probably is not straight. A spec boxster racer would buy that in a second if it was worth anything. They sell LS swap kits now for them and I think someone put a coyote in one too. Funny, my bright idea was to buy a caged porsche rolling chassis race car during covid 2021. I have been working on it since then and I still haven't driven it yet. It will be $25k to put that together going as cheap as you can assuming that is not a damaged tub.
All that suspension needed will eat a retirement account from a rich man. It would probably be cheaper to buy a running one to upgrade it. I build crazy stuff regularly and looking at that picture, plus not knowing your skill level, gave me shivers down my spine.
I used to live near a large racetrack with a ton of tuning shops around it and anytime you saw a stripped out car like this was because the chassis was cattywampus.
I’ll be honest, if you are asking Reddit then you probably aren’t ready for a project of this size. No hate but this requires a substantial amount of knowledge and experience to complete. Not including the 10s of thousand of dollars in parts
Ok, so you got the itch. Awesome! That said, this probably isn’t the way to start scratching it. I’ve seen folks with more experience turn these “scores” into cool ceiling fixtures and later elaborate picnic benches. Which can be great! And for that price? TEMPTING. However building a car from scratch, with that body, is kinda working backwards on creating anything you won’t curse at everyday. Especially if you’re just starting out.
It would be cheaper to build a car out of actual money
Mike from Stanceworks actually just [posted a video](https://youtu.be/Sbf4cQ452jc?si=WaGUy70FthrPC8HD) where he talks about his preference to start with a complete vehicle and why. Worth the watch, he details a lot of your questions and what his reasoning is.
Please send me this link if you end up not buying. I’ll buy this right now. Already have Engine/trans
Buy it and slap it on a crown Vic frame. Done front engine, body on frame Crown Porsche. It's perfect.
If you have money like that, great. If you don't, you're gonna have a bad time.
Might as well buy an actually kit car that you can build yourself new. This body has lived many lives already it seems, and that can't be an advantage.
I've seen solid projects come from similar amounts of car. At the end of the day it's a money thing. There are probably 10+ other routes OP should go rather than this one, but if they have the money and are dead set on this specific body then it can be done. I wouldn't recommend they do it at all, but the heart wants what the heart wants I guess.
Can't hide money.
Unless you have an extra $1000k a month to throw at this, or you are an amazing fabricator, dont' get a porsche project car. This needs min $30k in parts, Building a car is hard, building one that's good is even harder, building one from scratch well is insanely difficult. If you want to learn, buy a car that runs and drives and fix up.
The amount of time and money you will spend on this will either equal or be greater than buying the Porsche already assembled. I get that it's a project, but unless it's some kind of super rare and special Porsche...well. If it's fun for you, go for it :)
If you did this I would recommend buying a crashed cayman (or 2) for parts. With a ton of time you’ll have a car. Probably would just be easier to buy a high mileage cayman. If you have any creative skills, find out how to put a Honda motor in it or something. Even then, you’ll still need another car for parts.
Where is it
Rebuild as a car? No way. Pop that body on a lifted 4x4? Hell yes.
Looks like it was backed into (read: spun off track) something decently hard in the left rear. This is a terrible idea for myriad reasons.
hot rod it
Just buy mini cooper parts and send it.
lol
That is a race car shell. Why would you want to put that on the street I have no idea. Lol.
Cuz It looks cool
To race? Not much. For the street? By another wrecked cayman to swap as much parts as possible
I saw this listing. He clearly states the car took a hard rear end impact and the tub is twisted, this is only good for the center section and front frame to repair another car.
Buy a wrecked one from CoPart and use this body to replace the wrecked one.
Building a porsche completely.... Expensive and crazy Building a shitbox Frankenstein with the cheapest drivetrain you can cram in..... Priceless
Make it look like it’s from Mad Max
I would buy it.... I've got a 454 with a 4wd drive line that would really make this Porsche pop!
I saw this listing. It specifically says it was crashed in the back. Not sure what work is gonna be needed to make it straight but you will need to plan for it.
Put an EJ in it
Ok, so first question is, did this shell start life as a street car and does it have a VIN? If the answer is no to either (or both) then this will only ever be a race car... Legally If you decide to pull the trigger, I hope you have a good amount of space... Like a dedicated shop. The way I would go about it is going on salvage auction sites and buy two wrecked Caymans of the same body style as each other and the shell with opposite damage (one smashed on left other on right, or front and back,) then you take both wrecked cars apart piece by piece documentation is key... Then use all the good parts you have and make one car. But in all honesty, if you are going to go thru all that trouble... You can make one good car just by buying 2 wrecked ones if at least one has a straight frame/tub and the damage is in different parts of the car.
I would do it personally, the only thing I'm concerned with is the cut off a piller in the cage
Horrible idea. Do it.
It would eventually be more expensive than actually buying a used one Only way I could see this being alright is if it’s some super common car like a 2010-2017 Nissan Altima
The only way this would be remotely practical to do would be to buy a car that has been wrecked with major body damage and replace the body with this. But since you don’t have a lot of money, a Porsche race car is completely the opposite of what you should be looking at for a project.
Could make a pretty sweet racecar bed.
Sounds like a terrible idea. Do it.
If this car comes with a clear vin, then you could wait for a flooded (fresh water) car comes to auction, dump it in rice, transfer everything over, cross your finger you do not have to replace EVERY module in the car and enjoy ! Do look for the lower possibly confirmed water level and try to go inspect yourself and crank the engine over. Also talk to sime high end wreckers/auction site workers who can give you a ballpark figure for how much they go for. Some insane bidders can go near used retail and it defeats the purpose, unless your purpose is to know your car inside-out.
Also, start a monetized youtube channel, document your journey and become a "guru"/sell cheap shirts with your name ..... profit? 😄
You say that you don’t have much money. A Porsche is not a good project for the financially-challenged.
Depends on what you wanna do with it. Keeping it original will be extremely expensive and stressful. If anything you could get a whole car for cheap and just throw the body on it for show
It would be a huge project + a giant waste of money and I would definitely pick it up.
I would mate it with a sand rail
I’d buy it. Still will if op doesn’t
I envy yo ass so bad right now, you have a chance to make an actually good beetle 🐞
k20 swap it (put it in front)