An Early Affinity for Sports Cars
A One-of-a-Kind Trade
Davidson was gifted a ’57 Bel Air from his father. It needed some work, but he quickly got it up and running. He was initially looking to trade it for a Porsche 914, but ended up swapping it for a 912 instead. Davidson actually didn’t know what it was at the time. After doing some research with this brother, he pulled the trigger on the trade.
Ready, Set, Rebuild
First, they sourced new metal for rockers, strikers, a front pan and miscellaneous dent repair. During the repair process and metal installation, they converted some components to fiberglass and carbon fiber, including the fenders, bumpers, hood and rear ducktail. Luckily, Davidson’s brother was well-seasoned: he built his 1975 911S from the ground up.
Four years later, the two finally had the 912 put back together with a freshened-up 901-series transmission and a weak 356 industrial motor.
A Surprise Under the Hood
The existing motor could only put out about 50hp. That would not do. The choice to convert the motor was easy. Picking which motor to convert to? That’s a different challenge. “Most people would go with a newer 911 motor, or perhaps a VW motor. I’ve even seen V8 or rotary motor swaps. But I grew up around Subarus. I idolized the 555 rally car, and I’ve always wanted an STI. I ended up buying a V7 Subaru WRX STI Spec C motor from Canada,” recalls Davidson.
Davidson and his brother put two more years of work into the car—installing the engine along with a newer 915-series transmission—before it was finally running safely.
