Growing up in Switzerland, Pius Eigenmann had a hero.

“Steve McQueen, for my generation, is Mr. Cool,” Eigenmann said.

Decades later, in a complex in Medina, Minnesota, Eigenmann is working on a special project: Building a 1969 Porsche 917, the race car made famous through McQueen’s film “Le Mans.” For Eigenmann, a retired engineer and lifelong racing enthusiast, the project is both a dream and the engineering challenge of a lifetime.

“I decided a few years ago that the only chance for me to drive one of these cars is to build it myself,” he said.

Eigenmann is an experienced race car driver himself, but has never built a car. After a friend from the racing community mentioned that replica kits were available, Eigenmann ordered one from Detroit in December of 2023 and later bought an engine and transmission. What arrived, however, was far from a finished car. 

Eigenmann said he bought the framework, body panels and suspension. Everything else has to be sourced, modified or built.

“There is no manual,” Eigenmann said. “What you see here is what I got.”

That means solving problems as they appear. The headlights, for example, sat so far back that Eigenmann only had two degrees of steering angle. His solution was to design a new base with the help of a neighbor who owns a 3D printer. He also worked on oil lines, engine mounts and will be redesigning the hinges and a body panel that does not fit the way it should.

“There is trouble in every area,” Eigenmann said. “But it is what it is.” 

The original Porsche 917 holds a special place in racing history. Eigenmann calls it an engineering marvel, partly because of how quickly it was developed and its remarkable results on the racetrack, giving Porsche its first-ever wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans races in 1970 and 1971. 

Eigenmann also has a personal connection to the car’s history. He grew up in Flawil, Switzerland, and said that the Porsche 917’s marketing manager was from his hometown. As a teenager in the 1970s, Eigenmann said he was in awe of the car, the drivers and the engineering behind it.

“As an engineer, I’m fascinated by pushing the envelope and creating something revolutionary under time pressure,” he said.

Eigenmann hopes to finish the car by summer 2027. His goal is to drive it on iconic tracks where the 917 once raced, like Watkins Glen in New York and Laguna Seca in California. 

Until then, the Medina garage has become what Eigenmann calls his happy place.

“This project keeps me up at night,” he said. “But it also gets me out of bed in the morning, because I’m so passionate about it.”

Eigenmann is not aware of how much time he has spent at the garage, as he eventually stopped keeping track. He goes to the garage on most days, and is often joined by friends and neighbors who lend tools and help solve problems. The garage complex, he said, is full of engineers, tinkerers and people who are curious about how to do things yourself.

“It’s like you go into a golf resort,” he said. “This is a gearhead resort.”

Brian Schubloom, one of Eigenmann’s longtime friends, said that his project reflects the way he has always approached challenges.

“He’s just a very curious fellow, and he’s also very ingenious,” Schubloom said.

“We go over to his garage and six hours later, it’s like, ‘Oh gosh, we gotta quit,’” Schubloom said. “But if somebody wouldn’t tell us we had to be somewhere, we probably would work all night because we’re just having so much fun while we’re doing it.”

The joy in the work is what makes this project for Eigenmann. He does not describe himself as retired, but prefers a different word.

“I’m not retired,” he said. “I refocused.”

Part of the focus is sharing the project with others. The garage is open for visitors on the second Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon. Eigenmann said he especially enjoys conversations with students and young engineers.

“If I would have had this opportunity to be part of a project like this when I was an engineering student, I would have killed for it,” he said. “If I can give that opportunity to somebody that is passionate and interested about it, I’d love to give back.”

The Porsche 917 project is still unfinished, but to Eigenmann, every missing piece gives him a reason to return.

“I just love racing, engineering, challenges and problem solving,” Eigenmann said. “I’m solving problems every day. And at night too.”