Avant Garde Collection of Portland, Oregon serves up this 1983 Guards Red 911SC with Elephant Racing’s Stage 4 Safari Coilover Suspension Package. It’s setup to deliver serious fun in double duty – both on and off the road.

Avant Garde built this car for double duty. A bit of split personality is evident here with serious off road underpinnings, paired with an interior that completes the on-off road dual use theme.

Let’s start with the off road. The core of any Safari build is the suspension and to handle rugged off-road duty Avant Garde selected the Elephant Racing Safari Coilover Stage 4 kit. The Stage 4 kit uses a full coilover setup that reliably provides the raised height and long suspension travel needed to soak up terrain.

The BFG 215/65/16 series all terrain tires have serious tread for traction in loose dirt, or as demonstrated here – sand. Their tall height provides increased ground clearance for getting over obstacles. The tires also deliver an aggressive off-road appearance that suits this car right.

The car is raised about three inches total. That includes two inches from the Stage 4 suspension, and another inch from the tires. The added suspension height helps clear the tall tires. A bit of custom work was also done to the front valence to provide additional room for steering inputs.

When building a truly functional safari 911 there are a number of considerations that factor into the suspension. A safari build really is a series of subsystems all designed to work in concert together. Any one change has a domino effect on the rest. From ensuring appropriate suspension travel and geometry to reinforcing critical suspension and chassis mounting points we have taken the guesswork out of what is ultimately a complicated engineering challenge.

Elephant Racing has a good summary of issues to consider when building a Safari car and selecting the suspension here…

In fact, when building a truly functional safari 911 there are a number of considerations that factor in. As opposed to other upgrades that can be done on a piecemeal basis, a safari build really is a series of subsystems all designed to work in concert together. Any one change has a domino effect on the rest. From ensuring appropriate suspension travel and geometry to reinforcing critical suspension and chassis mounting points we have taken the guesswork out of what is ultimately a complicated engineering challenge. Details on the full package can be found here…

This build features renewed front suspension, front and rear Safari coilover assemblies built around our very own Von Shocks both front and rear, racing bump steer kit, de-cambered ball joints, a host of bushing upgrades throughout, and many more suspension upgrades.

The Stage 4 kit consolidates all the needed suspension items into one balanced package that eliminates the hard work and potential pitfalls of trying to spec out all the individual piece parts. This package is thoughtfully engineered and proven by Elephant Racing.

Extra protection is provided in the form an underbody skid plate, and the bumper over-rider safari bars. Aesthetically, the over-rider safari bars give a great aggressive look while functionally providing added protection against brush, tree limbs and other obstacles. The fact that it also provides some additional chassis stiffness is also a welcome bonus.

The skid plate starts at the front bumper and reaches back to the suspension mounting points, including spanning under the fuel tank. Made of aluminum sheet for light weight, and further strengthened with reinforcement for extra protection – it’s not only protective, but also helps the car when sliding over rocks or other obstacles, by preventing them from catching on the under carriage components.

Even with the all terrain tires, it’s possible to get stuck off road. No worries, Avant Garde has equipped the car with a winch. It’s cleverly mounted in the front trunk area, with only the hook exposed outside the bumper.

We did mention the split personality.

As much effort as went into crafting the car’s rugged off-road capability, nearly as much attention has been paid to the interior. The car is comfortable and well appointed, suitable for road going fun.

You can’t miss the trippy distorted checker board inserts on the seats, doors and dash knee pad. Definitely attention getting, the look is retro reminiscent of the some of the cars Porsche built in the ’70s and early ’80s. Called the ‘Pasha’ interior it was available on 911, 928 and 944 models.

In contrast to the retro Pasha upholstery, the Alcantara (synthetic suede) covering the dash is a nod to the modern cars and has the functional benefit of reducing windshield glare. The black and white coloring let’s these generations play together.

Finally we have the seats. Tall side bolsters keep you in place for faster road work. They are adjustable for comfort on longer trips.

Avant Garde can be proud of this example showcasing a safari 911 done right.

To see this 911 in action, check out:

Elephant Racing would like to thank and recognize Avant Garde Collection for allowing us the privilege of showcasing this classic 911.

Happy Motoring!
Elephant Racing