Recently, in a special edition of Stay Tuned, automotive enthusiast Tony Angelo put a budget-built, LS-swapped Porsche 911 up against the authentic, six-figure Porsche 996 GT3. Such an unevenly matched contest was sure to answer one burning question. Could a dirt cheap 911 powered by an American V8 heart truly hold its own against a known performance icon?
Angelo started his journey with an impulse eBay buy. A 1999 Porsche 911 roller with a blown engine, for the price of $6,900. This is the most unliked generation of 911s, a water-cooled abomination with the universally hated “fried eggs” headlights, but that provided the ideal base for Angelo’s vision.
The affordability of the 996 enabled Angelo to take on a “dirt cheap” build philosophy, wherein performance could be drawn out without unaffordable expenditure, concentrating on extracting maximum performance with minimum waste. A 5.3L aluminum block LS V8 was his choice, optimizing his target horsepower at about 450, with concours-level restoration overruns deemed too egregious to tolerate.
However, he upgraded it with key upgrades before the GT3, like putting BC BR coilovers, Hawk HPS brake pads, and a Hang Tight electric power steering system into the ride in an effort to make it tighter and more responsive.
Named “Powerkraut” on the track, the LS-swapped 911 was any ace. With 504 horsepower and 400 lb-ft torque, its LS pushing it from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds, there was little it couldn’t do. The GT3 put out 381 horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque from a 3.6L flat-six, doing a respectable 4.3-second sprint to 60mph, but that raw grunt is something we Americans love.
But then the GT3 recouped some ground in the brake test, coming to an abrupt stop within 90 feet from 60 to 0 mph due to larger brakes and lighter weight. Power Crowd, though its brake pads were more upped, needed 105 feet to stall.
But the end was decided by the GT3 on the road course by its refined chassis and track-focused engineering, lapping the course in 1:16.4 compared with Power Crowd’s 1:18.4. Yet Angelo’s creation showed impressive capability, beating expectations and proving that for a budget-built, LS-swapped 911, clearly showed a respectable performance.
This David-versus-Goliath showdown was entertaining and it’s really inspiring. Here’s how automotive passion combined with ingenuity can produce outstanding results despite the bare minimum in resources. Angelo’s “dirt cheap” Porsche showed that driving thrills aren’t something reserved for the deep pockets, opening new possibilities to a budget-conscious car enthusiast.
