European Vacation – Greening Auto Co. Takes a Side Trip with a Restomod 1970 Porsche 911T
Have you ever wondered what professional hot rod builders and shop owners drive for fun? It’s an interesting question because and we’ve come across all sorts of answers ranging from “nothing special” or “just the shop truck” to unfinished projects taking up space in the corner. There are many exceptions, of course, such as Jesse Greening’s 1970 Porsche 911T.
Jesse is the founder of Greening Auto Company in Cullman, Alabama, and has built his fair share of award-winning and trendsetting hot rods, one of the most recent being the Goodguys 2023 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year. But how did a muscle car and hot rod builder come to own a classic Porsche?
“A friend of mine bought this Porsche with plans to autocross it, but after wrestling with the temperamental multi-carb setup, he decided to sell the car to focus on his Camaro instead,” Jesse says. “I’ve always loved Porsches and their culture and have had a couple later models, so this was a perfect opportunity to experience a classic 1970 Porsche 911T. I was pretty excited about it.”
The car was in running condition, but certainly due for some updates and upgrades, which are right up Jesse’s alley. By the time he got the car to his Alabama shop, he already had a plan for some modern engine upgrades, interior updates, and refinements to the sexy and iconic body lines of the 911. In short, the car was going to get a mild restomod treatment like we’ve come to expect from muscle cars and other classics.
The 1970 Porsche 911T originally rolled out of the Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart, Germany, with a 2.2-liter flat-six (or horizontally opposed six) engine. (In American car-speak, we’re looking at a 3.31-inch bore with a stroke of just 2.6-inches and a total of 133.9 cubic inches.) Surprisingly, the “T” that follows the hallowed 911 namesake doesn’t stand for Turbo, but rather “Touring,” so there’s no boost gauge on this engine. However, Jesse’s engine has been updated with a 2.4-liter engine from a ’73 model and, more importantly, he has added some modern technology to improve its drivability and performance.
The troublesome Weber carbs were replaced with six trick Borla throttle bodies, while the ancient breaker-point distributor technology was removed in favor of six coil packs pulled from a GM LS engine. The brain to control these new components comes by way of a HalTech EFI system which constantly analyzes and tweaks the air/fuel delivery via a wideband O2 sensor. In short, the vintage Porsche six starts and runs like a new engine yet retains its original look and feel.
The interior has also been treated to some minor updates but is still unequivocally Porsche. Since the exhaust manifolds (which help warm the cabin) were replaced with tubular headers, the seats were upgraded with modern heated seats and then recovered in Relicate leather with plaid inserts by Kristina Crawford. On the other side of the interior climate control, Jesse fitted a Vintage Air system in the cabin to keep things cool. (Next time you get a close look, you might be able to see the condenser hidden in the driver’s side rear wheel well.) There’s also Memphis Audio and JL Audio gear to deliver road trip tunes.
Jesse updated the car’s suspension with tighter, more modern front and rear systems by Rebel Racing and of course whittled a fresh set of 16-inch wheels from billet aluminum, which were shod in a ground-gripping Kumho tread. The body was also treated to a thorough massaging and replacement of a few new pieces of sheet metal thanks to Jesse’s dad, Jeff, and Chance Lot before being sprayed with a fresh coat of BASF/Glasurit paint in its original shade of Irish Green.
So, how does the little German sports car hold up in a sea of American street rods, muscle cars and classic trucks? “It’s been nothing but positive,” Jesse says. “These cars are so ingrained into automotive history and performance that car guys of all sorts really appreciate them. In fact, most people have a story that revolves around a Porsche at some point in their lives.”
That’s actually not a surprise. Most car guys can admire a cool car no matter its make or model, and especially one as iconic as a 1970 Porsche 911T. But what about those Porsche fans that may come off a little haughty at times? Do they cry foul over the upgrades made by a second-generation hot rodder?
“Not at all,” Jesse says. “Most of the Porsche guys have really liked it, I think because it’s a little different and has a few good old hot rodding updates to it. The car is just a lot of fun and seems to make everyone smile.”
That includes Jesse himself, as he recently returned from an event in northern Georgia where he got to cruise the mountain roads after an all-Porsche show. “It was a great experience,” he says with a smile, one that tells us that driving this 911T is just as thrilling as we could imagine.
Photos by John Jackson
