1989 Porsche Speedster #173426
SPECIFICATIONS
- Year1989
- MakePorsche
- model911 Speedster
- Serial Number173426
We are pleased to offer 1989 Porsche Speedster s/n 173426. As most enthusiasts know the Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster debuted in 1989 as a one-year special for the 911s 25th year anniversary. It was the last year of the 901 based 911s and, after a spectacular 25 year run with the 911, the 1989 Speedster harkened back to the 356 Speedster of the ’50’s. It had a frame-less, cut-down and raked back (by five degrees) windshield 3.1 inches shorter than a Carrera’s and a dual hump fiberglass tonneau cover replaced the back seats. To save weight the Speedster had roll-up windows and a manual roll-away roof making it about 150 pounds lighter than a Carrera cabriolet. There was no power steering, no ABS, and only one computer in the car, the ECU for the air cooled 3.2 liter flat six. The standard flat-six was good for 231hp and 195 ft/lbs of torque put to the ground through a 5-speed Getrag G50 transaxle. Power-assisted, ventilated and cross-drilled disc brakes with alloy calipers on all four corners hauled it down. Almost all US delivered Speedsters were optioned with code M491, which included the now iconic Turbo specification fender flares and an upgraded suspension mounted on 7×16 front and 9×16 rear Fuchs forged alloy wheels. Based on the torsion-bar 911 chassis – the Speedster was only in production for six months with just 2,104 being built and only 823 delivered with US specifications, making the 1989 Speedster an instant collectable.
1989 Porsche Speedster s/n 173426 is an outrageously fast “outlaw” and has been highly modified at staggering expense. The engine was built to 962 specs by Neil Harvey of Performance Development. Mahle 95mm air cooled 962 pistons are matched with 95mm Mahle 962 air cooled cylinder Liners and topped off with twin Plug 962 ported cylinder heads with a cylinder to head “O” ring sealing system. Custom head studs help keep the compression in the right place while custom exhaust studs and an equal-length 321 Stainless exhaust system with full merge collectors drive the turbo! A full width inter-cooler cools the incoming air while a Garrett Turbo Charger with dual 44.00mm waste gates delivers a variable boost. 127.00mm Carrillo “H” beam rods are mated with a 74.40mm crankshaft, good for 3.2 liters. A carbon fiber inlet manifold and a unique plenum system feeds 6-individual butterfly throttle bodies. 52.00 intake valves and 42.50 exhaust valves open thanks to a performance camshaft while a fully sequential EFI system with a CDI dual Channel ignition offers the driver adjustable multi-boost and multi fuel maps via dash switches. The engine wiring, the dash harness, the main chassis harness and engine harness are all 3ml spec. A high volume fuel pump feeds the system and a 962 oil pump keeps it lubricated. The well sorted 3.2 liter single turbo combines with an 8.5 – 1 compression ratio that has been dyno tested at 742 hp with 860 ft/lbs of torque. A high performance clutch hooks the power up to the Getrag G50 5-speed transaxle and heavy duty CV joints while oversize Brembo brakes haul it down from any speed and front brake air scoops cool the front rotors. An exhaust temp and turbo boost gauge help monitor the systems. Speedster s/n 173426 is really well sorted, starts and idles like a 250 lb Tomcat and accelerate like a snipers bullet, with zero throttle lag and a smooth and amazingly user-friendly linear boost! The dual stainless-steel exhaust sounds wonderful on the over-run! There are just under 1,500 miles on the engine.
The body has been treated to a set of steel RSR front and rear fender flairs which cover a set of lightweight 17″ x 9″ front and 17″ x 12″ rear BBS modular wheels mounted with 225/40 ZR 17″ front and humongous 335/35 ZR 17″ rear Michelin Pilot Sport tires. A front compartment shock tower cross brace combined with dual lower door cross braces ties into the front cowl and stiffens the chassis. The interior features RS door panels, a Momo racing steering wheel, dual Recaro racing seats, German Square Weave carpet, 6-point Schroth seat belts and a nicely-integrated roll bar that adds safety for the over-eager. A driver’s side left foot brace helps bracing in fast corners. A full set of adjustable Bilstein shocks and custom sway bars with adjustable links allows cornering like it’s on rails! A custom front bumper with dual driving lights and side dive planes help plant the front end at speed while a 930 rear lid cools the full-width intercooler and keeps the back end planted at speed. Oversize rotors and brake calipers with front brake scoops for cooling haul it down from any speed and a glass rear window helps check the many cars you’ve passed!
Porsche Speedster s/n 173426 is mechanically fresh with less than 1,500 miles since the engine rebuild. Total mileage is 36,118 miles. The paint, bodywork and interior are all in very nice shape overall although there are minor chips on the leading edge of the rear flairs, as one would expect, and there is a three-inch hairline paint crack on the right rear flair. The black trim and various exterior features are all in good condition. The interior presents nicely with upholstery, carpets, dashboard, instruments, and switches all operating correctly as one expects on a modern Porsche. The dual Recaro racing seats fit like a glove and offer great driver support! The Square Weave carpet and RS inner door panels, including the dashboard, all show well. The glass is in good condition overall and there is none of the usual black paint separation around the windscreen. The light weight modular BBS wheels are in very nice condition, with none of the usual curb rash. The top is in very good condition, including the hard glass rear window. The engine compartment shows well and the full width inter-cooler is impressive to behold! The front compartment is in equally nice condition and comes with the small “emergency” spare wheel and tire and the original tool kit and wheel lug wrench in their vinyl tool roll. When inspected under the carpeting the trunk floor and inner fenders are original and never damaged while the under-body, the chassis, the suspension and under-engine area are very clean and undamaged.
As already mentioned the engine starts easily, idles like a 250 lb Tomcat and accelerate like a snipers bullet, with zero throttle lag and a smooth and amazingly user-friendly linear boost thanks it being dyno tested at 742 hp with 860 ft/lbs of torque! The dual stainless-steel exhaust sounds wonderful on the over-run! The clutch and gearbox work very smoothly together with no effort in all gears. Acceleration is awesome from the turbo-charged 3.2 liter engine with no hesitation and it never runs out of power as it rockets through the gears. Braking is solid and smooth as is steering and overall control. The chassis is wonderfully balanced and seems nailed to the road! If you want the fastest and best sorted 1989 Porsche Speedster on the planet, this is it! Our usually jaded test driver grinned like a Cheshire Cat, giggled like a school girl and was more than impressed with every level of performance during the driving for the video shoot! Pay for most (but not all) of the cost of the upgrades, get the car for free! Price to sell at $199,950 or best offer!
