ZOLLHAUS BARCHETTA

Zollhaus Barchetta

Spending some time with Ryan Curnick and his incredibly unique custom Speedster built from an early generation 911.

In a world full of restomods and concours restorations, original builds born from absolute certainty and conviction are becoming a rare breed. The 911 mould isn’t easy to break, but the right idea is sometimes all it takes. Enter Ryan Curnick from Zollhaus with his ’71 911 Barchetta:

"It is hard to pinpoint exactly when I decided I wanted to build an early 911 Barchetta, but the idea has been percolating for many many years. Air cooled Porsches have been in my life for about 3 decades, and it was the ‘early’ 911s (F series/’65 to ’73) that initially drew me to the marque. I have collected, customised, raced, rallied and restored them.

Like many, my fascination with early 911s began with the coupe before discovering the (excellent but under rated) targa. Some time in a 964 Speedster then exposed me to fully open-top cars, which I think can be somewhat overlooked.

There have been custom early 911 Speedsters built over the years, most mimicking the 356 Speedster style. The most well known is the Townes Speedster, built in California in the early 70s from a rolled coupe. I instead took inspiration from open-cockpit 60s/70s circuit racing production cars, especially those from the UK and Italy. Many of these cars competed with cut-down or deleted windscreens. Many sports-racing cars from this era were also open, like Porsche’s 550 Spyder.

My car left the factory as a 1971 911 targa, and had subsequently received some previous speedster-esque modifications. Some of these changes were done well, like the laid-down engine cover, lowered rear bodywork and reinforced sills. However, the attempted integration of a 356-style windscreen left a lot to be desired. The car also had SC rear flares, aftermarket bumpers, late 70s seats and a Boxster roll hoop — to me not a homogenous design.

After purchase, I stripped the car and had Zag Automotive remove the 356 dash, revealing the original underneath. All upper dash openings were closed so it could be presented in body colour. The SC rear flares were removed and correct narrow-body flares reinstated. A stock rear bumper was added, with full brightwork, trim and badging. The front bumper was similarly given full trim, as were the sills. The windscreen surround from the dash up was eliminated but the recessed dash channel was retained to support the lower edge of a new aero screen. The revised shell was then painted Signal Orange, a correct colour for a ’71 car.

Jonathan Okada fabricated a vintage-racing-style roll bar, with integrated seatbelt mounts, which is tied to the B pillars, the rear cross member and the sills. He also fabricated the stainless steel supports which retain the screen edges. A low Lexan screen was added, with two air deflectors. Each deflector can be mounted in flush, low or high positions. This was another feature found researching period sports-racing cars. A curved fascia covering the original gauge openings was also fabricated to retain a 3-gauge cluster, thus simplifying the dash layout. It also locates a motorsport battery cutoff.

There have been custom early 911 Speedsters built over the years, most mimicking the 356 Speedster style. The most well known is the Townes Speedster, built in California in the early 70s from a rolled coupe. I instead took inspiration from open-cockpit 60s/70s circuit racing production cars, especially those from the UK and Italy.

The Barchetta is a riot to drive, with its light weight being immediately evident. Induction noise is more prominent than exhaust as there is little between the driver and the carburettors. Unsurprisingly, there is some wind noise but it adds to the vintage race car feel.

John Pisani trimmed the interior in black Haargan carpet with 356-style Speedster seats. The seats carry Porsche Jubilee fabric inserts, also present in the 550-style door recesses. He also manufactured and fitted a full split tonneau cover.

Mechanically, the car has a stiffened shell via the reinforced sills, roll hoop and under-dash bracing. The engine is now 2.4 litres in capacity and produces around 190hp with S cams and PMO carburetors. A close-ratio 901 gearbox is fitted, together with S brakes, Bilstein shocks and front and rear adjustable sway bars. 15x7” steel wheels with 205/60 tyres are fitted all round. Despite the shell reinforcements, the car only weighs about 900kg.

The Barchetta is a riot to drive, with its light weight being immediately evident. Induction noise is more prominent than exhaust as there is little between the driver and the carburettors. Unsurprisingly, there is some wind noise but it adds to the vintage race car feel. The wind deflectors are very effective in making highway speeds relatively comfortable, aided by the low seating position.

Reactions to the car have very much been mostly positive. Given the level of customisation, this was a very pleasant surprise. Regardless, I’m thrilled that it’s no longer just a bunch of ideas in my head!"