Project Safari Porsche 911 911 for purchase and ownership

In stunning detail, recreate the Porsche 911 mountain bike.

January 26, 2017, 12:00 ET 5

By: Jonathan Harper

We met Michael Pollock, proud owner and proud owner of The Keen Safari #4, on a rainy Monday afternoon in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. Michael intends to use the Safari for inclement weather while his fair-weather ride (a 1991 911 Carrera 4) awaits in a climate controlled garage. Michael prefers to compare a road bike to a mountain bicycle, but you get the point.

Michael Pollock : Actually, I was a BMW guy for the longest time. In the late ’80s, I sold BMWs and Ferraris for five year. Even though I sold Ferraris, I knew that Porsche was the best choice if you want a sports car you can actually use every day.

Yes, I did buy a 1991 Porsche 911 [964] in September 2015. A friend and a group known as DBFD (Drive Break Fix Drive Motorsports) helped me to fix up my car. Last year, we overhauled the suspensions of five other cars. We replaced the suspension in certain cases, as well as the bushings and the other parts.

It was done with Rob Goughary, our ringleader. While some of the guys had him do the work, I was able do most of it with him. I also worked on cars for a few other guys.

I was interested in a story about Leh via PCA [Porsche Club of America]. But what really grabbed me was Dave Minchin’s link to an article on a popular Porsche website. It was the first article I had seen on the build and gave some details of the process. Safari #3 was still being built at the time that this article was written. I called Leh and began looking for a donor car.

Leh had as much fun building this as I did. After narrowing down the color choices, Leh rendered my final choices. This helped me choose Riviera Blue. The interior fabric was chosen by me, although we kept the brown leather trim from my donor car. I was involved in picking the interior fabric, but we left the brown leather trim from the donor car.

Leh has trademarked certain parts of these cars. While I don’t mean to suggest that anything is impossible, there are certain things Leh likes about these cars. For example, the large mud flaps built into the bodies. Leh loves the GTS Classics Vallelunga seat, Safari #3 doesn’t have them. He likes cars with a bit of a vintage feel, such as the Momo Prototipo steering wheels. Leh designs the lightpod, but the skid-plate and front bumper guards are made by him with help from a Atlanta fabricator.

Leh has a wonderful network of partners who do the work. Goldcrest Motorsports , a Porsche shop in Georgia that handles a lot mechanical work, is . Bryson, a guy from Classic Livery of Atlanta handles all the bodywork. This is a great deal as Leh has regular relationships with these guys and they offer great prices which are then passed on to the customer. Leh only pays a flat fee to organize the build. It works well for everyone.

It was great fun. My case was that I flew to Georgia and Leh picked me at my hotel. We then went back to Leh’s shop, where the car was placed in a corner under spotlights, with the rest of the lights off. You can see a photo of it on Leh’s Instagram. It was an amazing way to buy a car. After we left, I was able to view Leh’s other cars such as his Subaru rally car from the early 2000s and his personal Safari. I was also able to see Safari #5’s donor car.

The Safari was amazing. I drove it at 85 mph through torrential rain. You could drive the car all day, with the exception of the volume setting. I drove for a good ten hours. Every day I found dirt. I drove the car from Atlanta to Savannah with Jim Goodlett, who owns a rally 911. I was able to slide around in dirt within four hours of getting my Safari.

Everything. The Safari has been lifted and the 964 has been lowered to the original U.S. ride height. The 964 has a bit of boosted steering, but the Safari doesn’t have any. My Safari had both radio and air conditioning, but I believe one Safari does not have either. My 964 is a bit louder than the Safari, but it still feels more like a Lexus. It’s also got a muffler delete for one of the two mufflers from my 964 so it’s not always quiet. The Safari is my son’s 1983 Land Rover 110 and my 964.

Yes, I believe so. Last week, I was exploring the north up in Dutchess County and Putnam Counties, New York. I came across a seasonal road that stated “not maintained between November 15th through April.” So I decided to follow it. It was three to four inches thick on the rocky dirt road surface. I decided discretion was better than valor and turned around. No matter how powerful the car, the laws of physics still apply.

Not seriously. I would have bought studded tires if I lived near a frozen lake. They would only be useful for a limited amount of use since I don’t have them. It’s not something I have seriously considered. This winter, it’s not on the horizon.

It’s not. In case I needed to attach a harness, I chose the roll-bar with horizontal bars behind the seat. It was a hassle to get things in the back, such as a gym bag or other bag. The shape of the car’s seats makes it difficult to use the space behind them. The wings extend out from the shoulders, making it difficult to store anything in the back. I don’t think I’ll ever need a 5-point harness on my car, so I would probably have done it differently. My friend wants me to install a winch on my car. This might be useful if you get stuck in the ice. But, I don’t really feel the need right now.

It was great to work with Leh. I was able to meet Leh when his race team visited Lime Rock Park in the summer. Bob Sanderson, from Goldcrest motorsports, also came to Lime Rock Park. It’s interactive and collaborative. It was loads of fun.

Follow Michael and his Safari on Insta and WheelWell.com.