How I Converted a Wrecked 1982 Porsche 911 Into a 993 Turbo-Look Showstopper

Sometimes the best projects start with a wreck and a wild idea. Years ago, I picked up a salvage 1982 Porsche 911 Carrera — a low-mileage California car with 63,000 miles, zero rust, and a bulletproof 930 engine. The catch? Almost every body panel was damaged. Fenders, quarters, bumpers — all wrecked. But the chassis was straight and the frame was solid — that’s all I needed.

The Upgrade Strategy

Every body panel was getting replaced or repaired anyway. So I decided to upgrade the shell to a 993 style — the last air-cooled 911, the most iconic shape Porsche ever built, and still one of the most in-demand 911s on the market. Porsche kept the same platform for decades, so the 993 turbo widebody fenders, bumpers, and skirts fit a 1982 shell — but they don’t just bolt right in. Each panel needs to be fitted, trimmed, and modified to mate properly. The underlying frame, roof, front trunk (hood), and doors line up; everything else requires extensive modification.

I sourced all original used Porsche 993 quarter panels, front fenders, front and rear bumpers, side skirts, mirrors, lights, door handles, hood lid, and that iconic whale tail spoiler from sellers across the country. Finding genuine OEM parts alone took over a year.

Metalwork the Old-Fashioned Way

The rear quarter panels turned into the first real curveball. I ordered a pair from a seller on eBay. Shipping date came and went. After a stretch of promises and back-and-forth messages, the boxes finally showed up — and that’s when I saw the problem. They were 993 quarter panels, but standard body, not widebody. I was devastated. I already had the widebody bumper, side skirts, and everything else lined up around them. Sending them back wasn’t an option.

My friend and I sat down and made the call: we’d fabricate the widebody wheel arch flares ourselves. There was no other way. We had to match the curve to the widebody bumper on one side and the side skirt on the other, with the wheel mounted the whole time to check clearance. It was slow, careful work — but it was the only path forward, and the result came out exactly how we wanted.

Once the flared panels fit clean, we test-fitted everything else with metal screws — checking alignment against the doors, skirts, trunk lid, and wheels before committing. Then we welded the panels in permanently.

Instead of loading the seams with body filler, we went old-school with lead filling — including over the fabricated flares. It was our first time doing lead work, so we learned on the fly. We laid the lead, ground the excess — the amount of body filler and glaze needed on top was minimal. A magnet test showed almost nothing but clean metal. That lead work also gave us superior crack resistance compared to plastic filler.

The Paint and Finishing Touches

I originally wanted Laguna Blue and even painted the engine fan shroud that color. Then I fell in love with a custom candy orange — a two-stage hot rod color over silver base. The beauty of candy paint is you control the depth with each coat. I went with a European two-tone scheme: candy orange on the body, matte black on the hood, roof section, and rear spoiler. The contrast was stunning.

Continuing the “newer parts on older shell” theme, I sourced original used Porsche 996 wheels and had them custom painted black with an orange accent stripe to tie the whole look together. I also installed a newer steering wheel, updated wiring for 993 headlights and taillights, a new sound system, alarm, and lowered the suspension. I had a custom B&B stainless steel exhaust fabricated — and even had custom exhaust tips manufactured to match the bumper and curves. After tuning the carburetors and completing maintenance, the car passed inspection on the first try.

The Real Cost of “Cheap”

I bought the wrecked car relatively cheap. That was the easy part. Then I started sourcing parts — and that’s when the fun begins. It piled up fast.

I had to source all original German parts. While the engine was out, I did every bit of necessary maintenance including updated timing chain tensioners and all new clutch components — pressure plate, disc, throwout bearing, the whole assembly. The whole suspension was rebuilt. New brake calipers from a newer Porsche 911. New headliner. I custom-fabricated front and rear bumper inner parts and braces. The front bumper got brake air ducts. Oil cooler got updated. The custom B&B exhaust needed matching tips made from scratch. Everything in that car was tuned and modified to look finished and tasteful — like a real finished product, not a chop shop rod.

The most expensive items: quarter panels, skirts, bumpers, mirrors. Trunk lid and spoiler weren’t cheap either. Lighting and spacers added up. Plus a long list of small parts I don’t even remember now.

The interior was almost entirely original — only the steering wheel, headliner, and updated white gauges were replaced. The rest was mint.

By the time I finished, the project had cost way more than I planned.

Short story: when I sold the car to the collector in Alaska, I broke even on parts. All those countless hours of my labor and my friends’ labor — those don’t count.

But it was never about money. I had a passion and the will to make something I had never seen before. I had never seen this exact combination — that color, that rear widebody and spoiler, that front bumper setup. At the end it turned into a super special 911 build that only exists in one quantity, with no duplicate. I’m proud I had my moment and was able to pull it off.

Lessons and Letting Go

The whole build took nearly two years. Nights and weekends. I stripped the shell completely, repainted the engine bay and interior surfaces, rebuilt what needed attention, and assembled everything piece by piece. We took it to local car shows and turned serious heads.

One night while I was inside stretching a brand-new original 1982 replacement headliner, someone walked up to my personal car parked outside and stole the license plate off it. I couldn’t respond in time. By the time I came out, the plate was gone.

I missed plenty of events with my kids and family. But I was young, full of energy, passion, and ideas. I’m grateful that my wife understood the situation I’d gotten into and let me finish it properly.

Eventually I sold it to a collector in Alaska who went on to win awards with it.

Would I do it again? Never. Would I recommend it? Probably not. Older Porsches deserve to stay original, and modifications hurt their value.

But if you’re going to do the conversion anyway — do the original widebody. The look is priceless. The curves are so sexy no other car would match. And do it on a fully stripped shell — all glass, headliner, interior, everything has to come out.

Time has passed, but I still remember my baby 911. Especially that door lock click and the cold start exhaust. 🙂

If you build, repair, or restore at home — I write about every project on Homeject. See more Homeject builds →

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