Harald von Keszycki wanted to build a really fast car out of a Porsche 914/6. In fact, his car was one of the 50 which were designed to run under the group 4 FIA rules. He purchased the car from Erwin Kremer, who had found the 914/6 no longer competitive when new and faster cars had been introduced. He would prepare the car in order to meet SCCA's solo rules. He began to modify the car by switching to stiffer springs and heavier sway bars. The chassis was then lowered and the Bilstein shocks were replaced by dual adjustable Konis. He would add a turbo later on. He would design it by himself, having been trained as an aeronautical engineer. He admits that he is the first man to have adapted a turbo on a racing Porsche without factory support. Dealing with heat was one of the main problem Harald von K had to deal with. His solution was to fit stainless steel bellows at the critical points. It remains one if his secrets, as to what exact alloy he used for that very purpose. One thing is sure : it was used in the spacecraft technology, and purchased at a very interesting price. The insulation system was a NASA heat shield inherited from a spacecraft, made of stainless steel and woven into a mesh which was covered with aluminium for reflectivity. Designing the turbo proved the most difficult part of the project. He got the charts from his connections from the aerospace and then decided which way to go. Dealing with the heat led Harald von K to using an intercooler. An expensive but kind of compulsory way to lengthen his engine's life. An air-to-air heat exchanger would pick the air from one of the two big air scoops located at the rear of the car. It would then realize a 150 degree drop in inlet temperature. Using a Bosch mechanical fuel injection, used on 911 racing cars, it should provide a better management of the fuel and air mixing. Since he experiments a lot of new solutions that were not readily proven, Harald von K did a lot of testing by himself. He had to devise many parts by himself, and the fuel injection system was done after the previous one went into a succession of backfires. The car's engine was equipped with dual plugs, giving the car some extra rpm-mainly while idle. The fuel-air pressure was monitored by a pickup fixed to the tailpipe.The instrumentation originated from Sears, but Harald von K adapted it his way. Not all the gauges can be found in racing cars, such as cylinder head and barrel temperature gauges. The gearbox has its own circulation system, squirting on the junction of the ring and pinion gears.
Harald von K at Laguna Seca in 1979. The car underwent a lot of testing and was constantly updated.
Copyright unknown
A big rear wing was added to the rear, which increased the car handling in a great way. The car was glued to the track, and speaking of horsepower, the 2,1L turbocharged engine was to produce well ahead of 500hp. Braking was devoted to Lockheed disc brakes, with 12inch, diameter caliper, and 1,1 inch thick. The fiberglass work on the car was made by Dan McLaughlin, of American International Racing. He also designed the rear part, which allowed for 15inch wide BBS wheels. He adapted the big air scoops and laid the eye catching yellow paint.
It was definitely a very unusual car, with many innovative solutions used in a car that was not so attractive in the first place.
Unfortunately, the car would not achieve the expected goals. In site of many lap records recorded at some west coast tracks, it did not win any particular race. The only IMSA race entered was at Sears Point in 1979, amongst the big Porsche 935s and GTX cars. Harald von K recorded a 27th place on the starting grid and could not go further than 6 laps into the race. Not exciting but the car was obviously attracting the crowd with its weird and aggressive look.
The Porsche 914/6 Tc before the race, just behind Joel Anderson Datsun Z car.
Copyright Paul Ajari
He had not met with success, but he had created a really interesting machine, never to be duplicated. A unique and attractive car, which was definitely what IMSA could produce. Those were the good old days.
