Overheating Porsche 911 was deemed unfixable by two shops so US man got it for cheap and fully fixed it for free in 3 hours
- US content creator purchased an LS-swapped widebody Porsche 911
- It was ‘dirt cheap’ but ‘broken’
- Thankfully he was able to fix it with minimal time and money
Published on Mar 05, 2025 at 3:46 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Mar 05, 2025 at 3:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A Chicago-based content creator purchased an LS-swapped widebody Porsche 911 for ‘dirt cheap’.
The six-speed manual was built for the SEMA event and even placed in the top 10 in a build competition.
However, it sadly had overheating issues that no one could fix.
And while he had expected a heavy investment of both time and cash – the Chicagoan was able to fix it for free in a mere three hours.
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Cheap S-swapped widebody Porsche 911
Alex Palmeri of LegitStreetCars purchased the unique project car – a widebody 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera with an LS1 V8 swap, a six-speed manual, and a SEMA show car history.
“How bad could it really be?” he asked.
At first glance, the car was unfinished, with missing swap components, overheating problems, and an improperly installed cooling system with aftermarket push fans instead of factory fans.
Turns out it was overheating thanks to an aftermarket fan’s incorrect wiring, and a failed resistor limiting fan speeds.
In addition, only one fan worked – in fact, the auto’s factory cooling system controls were still intact.
Next, the car was washed and taken for a short drive, revealing a rough tune and no power steering.
Thankfully, the car came with multiple spare parts, including a throttle body, water pump, mass air sensor, and fan relay kit.
The suspension also featured expensive coilovers and large brakes.
The even cheaper fix
In order to fix the cooling system, the LegitStreetCars content creator rewired the fan relays, and bypassed the faulty resistor.
He also restored the original Porsche cooling system operation.
The sum total of these pretty quick jobs allowed the fans to function properly.
After repairs, the car went on a second – and far more successful – test run.
The Porsche 911 Carrera was able to maintain a steady 180°F temperature.
“Problem solved!” he said.
The total cost was $27,000, which is seriously cheap for a fully repainted, widebody, LS-swapped 911 with high-end parts.
“This thing is an absolute steal,” he said.
Next on Palmeri’s agenda? Fine-tuning and additional upgrades to make it a ‘monster’.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness, and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the senior content writer and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms, and coveted brands. When her OOO is on from writing about cars and heading up on-site SEO you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym, or exploring the city she loves.
