Available Now: Porsche 930 Turbo from Retro Sport on Vimeo.
This 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo is an early production 1979 US market car built in September of 1978. Master engine builder and current owner, Ben Kirchner, has not only preserved this very nice original factory bodied turbo, he has executed tasteful performance modifications while maintaining all proper California smog equipment, having just passed CA emissions test.
The real delight of this 930 hits you when the engine is started and that distinctive Porsche sound erupts from the exhaust. The idle is throaty and smooth, beckoning even the most resistant driver to the open road. Once underway and familiar with the car, performance is nothing short of breathtaking. Certainly the 930 was astounding when released, however this highly refined and specially prepared car delivers a driving experience totally beyond expectation. Power comes on strong through the Garret Turbo pressing your shoulder blades firmly against the Sparco seatback as 60mph comes on within seconds. Shifting is smooth and compliant with the performance clutch, not heavy but well-defined.Cornering is nothing short of legendary with more stability in the tail due to the short gearbox, moved forward to improve weight distribution. Braking is just as rewarding as the acceleration, smooth and immediate, without a lot of pedal pressure. The ride overall is certainly firm and performance-biased, but not rigid or jarring by any means. The car comes with records showing the performance enhancements to the engine and suspension, reference materials including owner’s manual, and available are receipts from the current ownership period. The only body modification has been the installation of a 1984 front valance, allowing for integrated fog lamps.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a legendary 930 that has been professionally improved to achieve some very lofty performance goals. Finished in black on black, this is a car with excellent structural integrity and mechanical upgrades, ready to hit the open road and challenge even the most capable drivers.
History & Significance
Although the now iconic Porsche Turbo is a fixture of car buffs worldwide today, it was nothing short of earth-shattering when it emerged in the mid 1970s. After unprecedented success pioneering the use of turbochargers during the 1970s with 917 Can Am and 911-based sports cars, Porsche summoned the courage to bring a reliable and capable turbocharged road car to market. The 930 arrived as a giant of performance literally on day one.
Contemporary automotive journalists gushed about its effortless ability to gain tremendous speed with composure - an unheard of attribute that alien in a period when few drivers had experienced turbocharged cars. The 930 Turbo performance made it a genuine contender for supercar status, placing Porsche in a wholly new category, way ahead of nearly all sports cars, on the path to legendary status – a position it continues to occupy today. Although relatively affordable and overlooked by collectors for many years, early 930s have emerged as collectible cars thanks to their iconic styling, innovative technology, and direct connection to some ofPorsche's most successful race cars.
Initially available in a non-intercooled 3.0 liter variant, the 3.3 liter intercooled version superseded the 3.0 for the 1978 model year. By 1980, US laws prevented further 930 sales by Porsche North America. It was not until 1986 with the addition of an oxygen sensor, electronic assistance for the mechanical fuel injection, and a three-way catalytic converter that the Turbo would be permitted to return to the US. Thus, the 1979 model year 930 is, especially in the United States, a special and rare car.
Performance & Drivetrain
Several performance enhancements have been carefully thought out and professionally performed on this rare 930 by Porsche experts with the goal of achieving reliable and responsive power limited only by driver skill and the courage to deploy it. The recently rebuilt engine begins with Mahle 97mm pistons and cylinders, Niresist rings, and factory 993 head studs. The Crankfire Electromotive XDI programmable Twin Plug engine runs with 40mm intake and 38mm exhaust porting, which has been port matched to the aluminum injector blocks and reworked with a high flow fuel head using euro lines. A 965 intake elbow with BOV and 965 intercooler with Wiggins clamp works in harmony with a seriously eager Garret ball bearing turbo running through heat-taming silicone turbo hoses and aspecialized Tial 44mm wastegate. All this power escapes the combustion chambers via custom fabricated SSI headers with V-band clamps and custom Y pipes, itself a work of art. The system runs into a high flow muffler and a secondary smog muffler with catalytic converter.
Power from the potent engine connects to the rear wheels via a lightweight aluminum flywheel, Ruf CTR clutch and Wevo 930 shifter mated with a specially shortened gearbox (short gears are accompanied by a gear chart outlining specs), which places the engine 1” forward, allowing for more balanced performance and power delivery in a less tail-happy car. Suspension improvements havebeen thoughtfully selected and road tested beginning with 18” x 9” gold Fikse wheels painted to match the engine fan and intake manifold. Bilstien front struts with 2” raised spindles work beautifully with the 18” wheels and “Charlie Bar” sway bars. Rear RSR threaded body shocks complete the ride and cornering capabilities at the business end of the car. This combination of wheels, suspension, and rubber bushings create just enough compliance giving the car excellent performance capabilities without compromising ground clearance for street use and parking demands. Braking duties are handled up front via Brembo 380mm front brakes with aluminum front hats and floating vented drilled rotors. Rear Brembo 320mm brakes are non-floating vented drilled discs. The entre braking system runs with Ate Blue racing brake fluid.
Exterior
Cosmetically, the car presents very well having been repainted to a high standard showing excellent gloss, with little cosmetic compromise to the finish of the car due to road use. A rare non-sunroof car, the body is straight and solid with good panel fit throughout and smooth operation of doors, hood, and deck lid.
The trim and badges are in very nice shape, as are the lenses, lights and glass. Save for the windscreen, all the glass appears to be original and has Sigla and W. Germany etchings. The rubber is very good condition having been replaced as needed when the car was repainted (also confirm). The wheels are in excellent shape and wear Toyo Porxes R888 tires.
Interior
The interior is in good condition featuring Sparco seats and 930 full leather interior, which remains reasonably supple, showing light wear and properly cared for. A contemporary Sony aftermarket stereo system with amp has been installed for enhanced driving pleasure. The original dashboard cap has surface undulations, typical of this era car, but door cap leather is in very good condition, and the gauges and switches are correct and in very nice shape. The condition and integrity of the interior is in keeping with the performance goals achieved with this car, displaying an original 930S steering wheel, and Ruf Boost knob. The engine compartment is finished with specialized coatings, appropriate performance hardware, and tasteful custom touches. The trunk is pleasingly original, showing only light wear to the interior surfaces. The undercarriage is tidy and clean, and remains free of any major damage, exhibiting no structural flaws of note when visually inspected. The spare tire, jack, and tool roll are present with the car.
