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Brand New Porsche 4-Cam Engine Anyone?

Some assembly required.

That gorgeously presented puzzle above is the work of the German motorsport product company, Capricorn. Their original intent seems to have been to manufacture parts to replenish the dwindling stocks of spares that threatened to make authentic 4-cam rebuilds all but impossible. The net effect, however, is something much more precious. It is now possible to build a brand new type 547 engine from off-the-shelf parts.

That they have managed to leverage their long relationship with Porsche into making complete reproduction 4-cams available to consumers is nothing short of remarkable. After all, this legendary little box of awesome powered the 356 Carreras, the Spyder series, and the 904 to a string of victories that was Porsche’s introduction into the top tiers of motorsport and resulted in us still referring to Porsche as “the Giant Killer” even all these years after they’ve become a giant themselves.

It’s not all good news and sunshine, however, the Capricorn build will set you back nearly as much as an authentic 547—somewhere in the neighborhood of €120,000. That’s no small figure, of course, and the renowned difficulties of the 4-cam will come along with it. Looking at these pieces, something tells me that the oft-quoted anecdote of the 20-hour valve adjustment aren’t that exaggerated. But I have to think it would be worth it to hear her sing once the revs get up.

I find it tremendously encouraging that there are organizations that will take this kind of production on and get the licenses to do it. What’s next? Colombo 12-cylinder, anyone?

More info on Capricorn’s Carrera Engine detail page.

0 replies on “Brand New Porsche 4-Cam Engine Anyone?”

Well this project can only be described as ambitious. I can appreciate the expense in recreating the four cam engine so I guess I don’t find the price shocking given the limited demand.

I own a 1958 A that Portland Motorsport campaigned with a four cam. I have all but given up hope to ever replacing the motor. When I got it it had a 58 stock engine. Now, just maybe, I can breath hope back in my dream of having it back to it’s competitive state.
If anyone has history on Winn Casey’s (Sorry if misspelled)racing or 356 please share the link or send me copies. I saw one in the 356 registry back in the 70’s but I have misplaced my box of magazines.

if it isnt bad enough to be able to get a new 904 replica car,now a new 4 cam engine,well that takes care of all the spare cash l can muster up in later life,having spent all the earlier part of life getting a reliable 180-200hp out of VW flat fours.If you want to see where we ended up check out you tube vforcebeetleracingpart1&2 (2.7 914 engine in beetle 17year old son driving 13th out right in Porsche Club sprint Australia 2006)

I have often dreampt of a new Cammer, arisen from the greasy slow death of attrition and dwindling parts, lost raceways, and the fog of gloom we call ‘progress’. My day is made. I imagine Jimmy Dean slowly awakening from the darkness of the dream that follows life, ears twitching to the howling thunder of poetry new yet old. He reaches for the skeletal remains of MasterCard or Visa; shambling off to again purchase the screaming revs and spinning cams of life long past. He smiles and shifting into the wind flys again. I see him now on the road near Los Banos, shifting down and flying over the rusted remains of an intruding family car, free at last from the long dream of darkness. Hydrocarbons burning, heel and toe flying, heart thumping, he descends safely to the sea. Calling his agent he screams “I’M BACK, I’M ALIVE, AND CARRERA RULES THE ROAD AGAIN!”

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