PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS: Tom Horna

Instagram is a beautiful place. We follow and e-meet likeminded people on daily basis and get entertained by their profiles.  Rico (Rico_Customs) is one of these people, as passionate about classic cars and café racers as I am so naturally I gave him a follow straight away. It didn’t take long before I messaged him and asked if he’d like to share his story with us all.

When I contacted Rico about doing a feature on his passion for classic cars, there was no hesitation from him… a simple yeah let’s do this! Rico is a fashion designer and generally a creative with a passion for not only cars but also motorbikes, design and architecture. When it comes to his cars and motorbikes he finds no joy in owning, driving or riding any bone-stock machinery. No surprise then that he decided to customise his latest Porsche 911 purchase. Building ‘outlaws’ seems to be a trend in recent years and therefore this story wouldn’t be as interesting to me if not the fact that instead of commisioning someone, Rico decided to build the car himself. The result of several months of hard work in his garage (a proper man-cave) is simply stunning! All I can say is that I am happy that I came across Rico’s Instagram profile and that I can share his story.

Here’s what we found out about Rico. Make sure you give him a follow here.

How did you get into classic cars?

 Once upon a time… my Dad took me to the Zandvoort race track for a classic car race weekend which was hugely entertaining and I got hooked with classics straight away!

What was Your first car?

Bmw e30 325i Mtech 2, great driver!

Your Porsche project – why this one and what’s the story behind it?

I was never a big Porsche fan to start with and instead I owned a lot of different BMW’s including a E30 M3 in full DTM spec.However, at one point suddenly the shape of the 911 started growing on me and it was the time to change. I always found the 911 F model best looking and naturally I was a big 2.7 RSfan. When I found out that you can Backdate a G model and turn it into an F model I started searching the internet to learn more about the backdating process itself. Once I’ve learned enough the search for a perfect base was on! I wanted to get a 3.2 but the prices were too crazy but luckily, I found my 3.0sc at a good price and decided to go for it!I bought the car and started the backdate process straight away.

Did you work on your car yourself?

Yes! I always try to do all the work myself. Sometimes I’d drive to my friends’ garage and we’d work on it together.

How long did it take to build the car?

It was a fairly fast process but the most painful bit was the wait for the paint work to be completed as that was when I knew I will start the reassembly process and get to drive the car soon. All in all, it took around 5 months from the strip down to completion.

What’s it like to own it?

A DREAM!!!

What’s your favourite bit about it?

The look of it, the shape, the lines of the 911… it’s just perfect. And of course, the sound of that flat six engine with the SSI exhaust!

What’s your favourite memory with it?

 Drive down to the classic race track of Reims in France, great road trip. And a memorable place to visit.

What’s the worst thing about owning it?

 ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!

 I can see that you also have a passion for bikes. How do you choose whether to ride a bike or drive your car?

Yes! I’m a huge fan of bikes too! I just make sure I mix them up! Sometimes I take the Porsche for a drive through the forests then come back 1 hour later only to put my leather jacket on and take out my BMW R80 café-racer and take it for a ride!

How many classic cars did you own so far and what were they?

So far, I’ve been through 10classic cars but not stopping there.

• Burton (kit car on the base of a 2CV)
• Bmw e30 325i
• Bmw e30 M3
• 4x bmw 2002’s
• Porsche 914 2.0
• Porsche 912e
• My current, PORSCHE 911 3.0 SCbackdate/outlaw

What’s your favourite car out of all?

This one!!

How does your typical weekend look like?

Well, every Saturday morning I work on my car or bikes, mostly the new projects. Then I take one of them for a drive. There is some great road here around my house that I like to drive on. I also try to go to Porsche days or classic track days. Trips to the Eiffel Germany, etc etc.

What’s your dream 3 car garage?

Three cars simply are not enough but here is a choice if I had to limit myself 😉

#1 Ferrari F40 ( no doubt)

#2 Porsche 917

#3 Ferrari 250 Gt Lusso in black