Page 1 of 2 Next >> For many years, various guises of the Porsche 935 dominated the American IMSA championship. Even though production had officially ceased in 1979, Porsche continued to supply customers components, including complete shells, to keep the cars competitive for several more seasons. Some of these customers further improved the ageing 935 design by building lighter and stronger tube-frame cars from scratch. The most famous and successful of these is the 935 JLP-3 built for John Paul Sr.'s JLP Racing team by Georgia-based specialists GAACO.
As the name suggests, the JLP-3 was actually the third 935 created specifically for JLP Racing but the two earlier machines were built up around Porsche-supplied shells. For the 935 JLP-3 a tubular spaceframe was built from scratch. One of the inspirations for this design was Porsche's own 935/78, which also featured a spaceframe chassis. JLP Racing was not the only independent team that were in the process of creating a similar car as Kremer and Joest were doing the same in Europe.
To satisfy the homologation requirements, a roof, pillars and a windshield from an early 1970s Porsche 911 were incorporated in the design. The rest of the chassis was built by Graham Bartills' GAACO, based in Norcross, Georgia. Compared to the sheet-steel shell, the steel spaceframe chassis was considerably lighter and stronger. Like the regular production 935s, the JLP-3 featured lower wishbones and McPherson struts, while at the rear, Porsche's trademark semi-trailing arms were fitted.
Porsche's most substantial contribution was the latest specification 930/80 flat-six engine. Displacing just under 3.2 litres and fitted with twin KKK turbochargers, it produced between 750 bhp and 800 bhp depending on turbo boost levels. Also sourced from Porsche was the four-speed gearbox. The rolling chassis was clothed in a fibreglass body that was similar to the hugely successful 935 K3. Completed early in 1981, the unique 935 JLP-3 was ready in time to debut in that season's Sebring 12 Hours. Page 1 of 2 Next >>
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For many years, various guises of the Porsche 935 dominated the American IMSA championship. Even though production had officially ceased in 1979, Porsche continued to supply customers components, including complete shells, to keep the cars competitive for several more seasons. Some of these customers further improved the ageing 935 design by building lighter and stronger tube-frame cars from scratch. The most famous and successful of these is the 935 JLP-3 built for John Paul Sr.'s JLP Racing team by Georgia-based specialists GAACO.