Vintage Porsche 911 prices may have reached astronomical levels in recent years, but they’ve had a dedicated following for decades. These folks will invest massive sums of money to keep these air-cooled classics on the road as long as possible. The German carmaker noticed this and stepped in with Porsche Classic, a department within the brand dedicated to manufacturing new parts for these old rides to extend their lives almost indefinitely.
Today, the carmaker announced another effort in this pursuit, this time in the form of new magnesium crankcases for 911s built from 1968 to 1976. This covers cars with 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.7-liter engines, including the Carrera RS. Previously, owners had to rely on welding cracks or sourcing parts from other cars. However, aside from reproducing these crankcases, Porsche Classic went to great lengths to perform durability tests to ensure their stoutness.
These new crankcases are sand cast using CAD data and then machined on a five-axis CNC machine. Porsche claims it uses up to 50 different tools for the job, attempting to remove as little material as possible. Once completed, a 3D measuring probe scans the crankcase for over 1,300 control dimensions.
Porsche Classic Director Ulrike Lutz says, “This reissue closes another gap in our range of spare parts, making it possible to build completely new engines for most classic 911 models.”
Porsche already offers spare parts for some of its 90s air-cooled models. Its current parts catalog offers over 80,000 options for various models, including more than just 911s. Still, the carmaker indicated that it is already working on replicating crankcases and other significant components to serve a wider spread of 911 model years.
Porsche Classic parts are available for purchase through any Porsche dealership. However, some dealers have in-house restoration centers capable of completely rebuilding and restoring a classic 911 using brand-new factory parts from this ever-growing catalog. For air-cooled 911 fans, this announcement only further confirms that these cars won’t be off the road anytime soon.