Photography by Drew Manley
The subjects of childhood and adolescent automotive dreams are generally scattered. Countless enthusiasts have told their story right here on Front Street about how they idolized everything from Civics and Mustangs to Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Not everyone ends up owning the dream car they admire as a child. However, as we’ve learned, that’s not always a bad thing. For people like Adrian Ayson, whose dreams changed and eventually ended with him in this spectacular 993-chassis Porsche 911 Carrera 2, we’re all thankful his original goal changed.
You see, Adrian remembers growing up around his aunt in the Philippines at a young age. His aunt dated a gentleman who drove a Pontiac Fiero at the time, which ignited Adrian’s first excitement for cars.
The Early Days
“As a kid, I thought that was the most beautiful looking thing. White exterior, black leather interior, with flip-up headlights, and it smelled brand new. I thought it looked like a spaceship. Mind you, cars, in general, were a very rare sighting, so seeing something like that was very momentous to me,” says Adrian.
From those early childhood years and on, Adrian always had an affinity for nice cars. Still, we’re glad his tastes shifted slightly. Whether it was his uncle driving fancy BMW 3 and 5 Series or a particular brainwashing poster.
“My other Uncle who lived with us, I vividly remember he had a big poster in our garage of a black 930 Turbo with the whale tail. Seeing that almost every day as a teenager, I thought that was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Since then, I dreamt of owning a 911 someday — I didn’t care what generation but really badly wanted a Porsche,” says Adrian.
Finding The Right Everything
Fast forward to 2014, Adrian had already pursued his dream and acquired a 1997 Porsche Carrera C4S in Speed Yellow. However, he decided on a new Porsche goal to register. He set out to build a clean, narrow-body 911 converted to a Clubsport/Outlaw mesh, with a little flair of his own vision mixed in.
He found exactly what he wanted for his second 993 chassis in this 1995 C2, finished initially with Grand Prix White paint. He knew he wanted to do something different this time and began looking for a body shop to partner with immediately. It took between two and three months just to find a trustworthy shop capable of carrying out his vision before deciding on Elite Auto Body in Sacramento, CA.
The Rebuild Begins
While the car was in the body shop, Adrian started sourcing the parts for its rebuild. The RSR-style fenders, front lip splitters, and side skirts from Getty Design were the first on the list and blended well with the ducktail already affixed to the Porsche. Additionally, the sunroof was deleted, and the whole chassis was resprayed in Porsche’s Pure White (C9A) paint to complete the look.
Adrian didn’t have to search far for one of the standout modifications to the exterior: the wheels. Although the C2 was equipped with illustrious BBS Motorsport LM wheels when purchased, he sought to make them a little more lust-worthy given the increased fender space. Sent to his trusted wheel connect in SoCal, the motorsport wheels were totally refinished with brushed bronze faces and polished lips. The sizing was expanded to 18×10-inch in the front with a stout 18×12-inch setup in the rear. Sticky Toyo Tires Proxes in 245/45-18 and 295/40-18 sizes, respectively, wrap the wheels and aid the setup’s performance.
Almost Overlooked The Interior
With the finished rollers accompanying the gleaming exterior, most enthusiasts would have been content, but not Adrian.
“Funny thing was, I had no major plans to get the interior done at the time due to budget constraints. However, once the exterior was completed, the interior looked shit, and it’s a slippery slope, as they say.”
From there, the vehicle’s cockpit received a full workup to match the rest of the shining example. We’re not just talking about some seats and a shift knob — no, no. Custom upper and lower dashboards, door inserts, and a rear seat delete found their way into the interior. Powder coated Rennline pedals and floorboards, Recaro Pole Position seats, a custom painted roll bar, and a new Fister short shift kit were added. However, the crown jewel is the tachometer trim ring dipped in 24K gold, which takes center stage in the remastered gauges.
Enhancing Performance
When it came to the engine, Adrian opted to keep the familiar 3.6-liter air-cooled flat-six mostly stock. It adorns only slight modifications like a Fabspeed exhaust system, among others.
The situation is similar on the suspension side. KW Suspension V3 coilovers and other small pieces provide enough adjustment to modernize the sports car’s handling.
The build took approximately eight months to complete, all said and done, but the results have Adrian feeling eternally grateful and blessed. He loves driving a car that is a dream come true for him and many other Porsche enthusiasts. We’re just glad his automotive dreams shifted away from the Fiero of his childhood to build this beauty.
https://www.instagram.com/clubrsr993/
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