Russell Built 911 Safari Sportsman is a bolt-on Baja-lite overhaul
Ex-Singer fabricator TJ Russell left for a solo career a few years ago, his first hit a Baja-spec Porsche 911 based on the 964 generation that debuted at the 2019 SEMA show. Russell Built has continued working the trails — and winning. A Rothsport Racing Porsche 911 won its class at the 2021 Baja 500 riding on a Russell Built suspension. Whereas a fully built Safari 911 from the California fabricator starts around $400,000, the company has announced a Safari Sportsman package for the 964-series 911 that gets most of the suspension and looks of the Baja for roughly one-third the price of the Baja.
The kit starts with the same suspension fitted to the Baja-winning car, entirely reengineered from what’s found on the standard 911. In front are pieces like heavy duty unit bearings and hubs, adjustable struts from UK firm EXE-TC, adjustable camber plates, steel plate lower A-arms, and 7075 billet aluminum for the uprights, tie rods, sway bar links, and upper strut mounts. In back, a custom subframe that lowers the roll center holds boxed plate steel trailing arms connected to internal bypass King shocks and coilovers, and other goodies like billet aluminum hub carriers and heavy duty hubs. Russell Built says there’s ten inches of rear travel in back; the 2019 Baja-spec had 12 inches of travel in front, 13.5 inches in back.
Outside, a quartet of substantial bolt-on fenders give that Turbo look while making room for the extended track and suspension travel. There are no engine changes, but the modders will be happy to do anything from swapping the gearing to installing a 400-horsepower 4.0-liter flat-six.
It wouldn’t be a complete Baja kit without finishing touches such as the six skid plates, new fender liners, steel tube inserts for the bumpers, and mud flaps, The package rides on Rotiform wheels that can be painted to match and throws in a spare, all set on Toyo Open Country rubber. Other unseen flourishes include new brake lines and converting the parking brake to hydraulic actuation. An accessories catalog offers more bits like a roof rack — that fifth wheel has to go somewhere — full steel tube bumpers and more skid plates, rally lights in carbon housings, an interior roll hoop, and an air compressor.
Russell Built says the Safari Sportsman package is “entirely bolt-on,” “requires minimal fabrication” and “minimal trimming to the factory body,” but owners can’t do the bolting just yet. The shop is only doing in-house builds, starting at $135,000, which covers installation, tuning, and painting. If you’ve been wondering how to spend your tax return, head to the Russell Built site for some ideas.
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