Transforming trash to treasure

This is most readily apparent when reading about iconic racecars when they go to auction. As many cross the block for millions of dollars, it just doesn’t register that, after their initial run at greatness, their original owners viewed them as oversized paperweights. Who here doesn’t wish that they could have picked up an original, “no-longer-competitive” Shelby Cobra for a hair under $6,000?

Vintage Porsche chassis

Photo by: Motorsport.com 

Unfortunately, if you’re a cash-strapped enthusiast with dreams of racing, today’s racing teams know the value of machines. Imagine what a used GT3-spec BMW Z4 shell would run or any race car with a degree of historical significance.

But that doesn’t mean that good deals can’t be found. Take, for example, the U.S.-based 24 Hours of LeMons series. Designed to give participants maximum fun for minimum cost, teams take budget rides and run them as hard as they can for 24 hours. Cars cannot cost more than US $500 (excluding the cost of safety equipment), and creativity is encouraged. But don’t think that teams carelessly throw cash at their vehicles in order to gain a competitive advantage – if a car is thought to cost way over that $500 cap, it will be crushed.

And that explains why team “Hella S**tty Racing” was able to enter the 24 Hours of LeMons with a Porsche 911. Lovingly called the “Nein-11,” it began life as someone’s cherished street car. Which was then rolled, considered totaled, and bought by the team for parts for a separate, “real” project. With the shell just sitting around destined for the scrap heap, the team opted to instead give it one more shot at racing glory.  

Vintage Porsche chassis

Photo by: Motorsport.com

To keep within the budget, the LeMons Nein-11 is powered by a used Jetta TDI. And to ensure that this 911 looks like no other, the caved-in roof was retained, the headlights were replaced with googly eyes, and a straight smoke-stack exhaust cuts its way through the rear fender. It’s thanks to this team’s creative mindset that this Porsche lives on, and is arguably now more recognizable than ever. 

Ecuadorian photographer Juan Fernando Ayora also sees art where others might see trash. His elegant studio portraits of a rusted Porsche 911 shell are impeccable, showing the beautiful colors that only rust and an aged patina can bring. Through his masterful use of light and composition, we can see that this specific chassis is more than a derelict shell. It’s an object of beauty, desire, and it dares us to look at the 911 in a whole new way. 

For us, we can’t help but imagine taking this shell and outfitting it with modern components from the current-generation GT3. It would be a glorious mix of new and old, and of course, we’d keep the well-worn patina. Maybe we’d add a bit of clear coat to keep things looking solid as-is, but we’d also know that, come race weekend, any scratch or dent would only add to its character. 

Of course, that would require a much larger cash flow than what’s currently in our accounts, but we can at least score these prints and kickstart our imaginations. You can score this high-end artwork for yourself by clicking here: