Gallery: Porsche Revives the Passion
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Porsche fans are known to be purists, people possessed of a passion that can border on fanaticism. And the world of automotive restoration can be equally fanatical in its attention to detail. So it is perhaps only appropriate that the Porsche Club of America sent a basket-case 911 T off to the automaker's own [Porsche Classic](http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/classic/) service center in Germany for an extreme makeover. The shop is the kind of place where good enough isn't good enough. It has to be like new. Especially since the car will be raffled next month at the [Porsche Parade](http://parade2011.pca.org/), the club's annual convention. Here's a glimpse at what went into bringing a classic back to life. __Above__: The [Porsche 911 T](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/tag/porsche/), on the rotisserie, midway through its restoration.
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That Isn't A Model ------------------ The crew at Porsche Classic dismantled the car to the last bolt. The body was stripped to bare metal, repaired and repainted after going through the same rust-proofing process used on [new Porsche models](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2011/07/porsche-cayenne-hybrid/). The engine and transmission were completely disassembled, cleaned and restored. And the interior was redone before the entire car was reassembled by hand. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-221.jpg) The 911 was in pretty rough shape when it arrived home in Stuttgart. You couldn't quite call it a basket case.... well, actually, you could.
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Genuine Parts Only ------------------ The 911 T had been raced, and over the course of a hard life it had seen many original parts swapped for aftermarket stuff. That's unacceptable for a restoration of this caliber, so the entire exhaust system, clutch, oil pump and crankshaft were replaced with original Porsche parts. It doesn't matter what it is or when it was built -- if it goes through Porsche Classic, it gets Porsche parts. If the part isn't available, it's fabricated. No detail is too small. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-08.jpg) A hard life on the track followed by long stints spent just sitting left the car dirtier than the seats in a [New York City taxi](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2011/05/new-york-names-nissan-taxi-of-tomorrow/).
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A Tangled Web ------------- Yes, those are cobwebs. Along with a whole bunch of grud, grime and filth. Porsche mechanics figured the car had only 100,000 miles on it, which isn't much for a 37-year-old car. The engine also wasn't pushed hard. In fact, it was simple neglect -- years spent just sitting there -- that caused most of the damage, the mechanics discovered. Mechanics completely overhauled the car's 2.4 liter six-cylinder engine. That included replacing all bearings and seals, the timing chain and the entire electrical system. Other parts were rebuilt, and the engine was eventually subjected to original factory tests. Porsche says the engine will deliver 140 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and propel the car to a top speed of 127 mph, just as it did when it left the factory the first time around.
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A Bang Up Job ------------- The 911 had been banged around while racing, so the body was a bit of a mess. That meant realigning panel. That's one of the trickiest parts of any restoration, because it's got to be spot-on. The integrity and alignment of the body must be repaired to like-new condition if everything is to fit together properly. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-03.jpg) The interior had been beaten harder than a rented mule, and given about as much attention.
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The Straightening Bench ----------------------- An accident had bent the 911 T's frame, leaving it 10 millimeters too high in the front. The impact also deformed the suspension wishbones by nine millimeters in the front and twelve in the back. Technicians fixed the deviation by putting the car on a straightening bench and realigning it with a frame gauge. These exact tools were used to align the frames of the 911 T during their production run in the 1970s.
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Good As New ----------- Although the engine was filthy and covered with all sorts of spider webs and nests of various kinds, it was intact. Once they dismantled the engine, Porsche technicians cleaned and inspected every parts for wear, cracks and damage. Some parts, like the crank housing and crankshaft, were coated with electromagnetic steel particles and examined under ultraviolet light to ensure there were no cracks or other damage. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-131.jpg) The 2.4-liter flat-six engine, after disassembly but before cleaning.
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Measure Twice ------------- You can't buy a brand new 1973 engine, but you can come close. All of the engine components were precisely measured, and anything that wasn't up to spec was replaced. The shopping list of new parts included cam chains, the entire electrical system including the wiring harness, exhaust system, oil pump, crankshaft and clutch. The engine got a new mechanical injection pump, distributor, alternator and other parts. Before the engine was reassembled, everything was sand- or bead-blasted, then galvanized, painted or plated to ensure it looked like new.
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Welding, Then Tin ----------------- The body, like everything else, was stripped to the bare metal before being repaired. The 911 T needed a lot of work. The Porsche crew replaced much of the front end, including the battery box, fuel tank support and closing panel. The car got new fenders and a new underbody. The seat recess behind the driver needed to be replaced, and since the part is no longer available, the mechanics used original drawings of the 1973 911 to reproduce one from scratch. Then the side supports under the B-pillar were also replaced. After they welded the body back together, the craftsmen -- and they are craftsmen -- used a process, developed during the production of the [original Porsche 356](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/this-is-the-oldest-porsche-sold-in-america/), in which tin is heated and applied to all portions of the body that were welded. Porsche says tin is more durable than other fillers.
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Taking A Dip ------------ Once the body was arrow-straight, the car was ready for painting. Porsche used cataphoretic dip painting -- a process of dipping a car body into an electrically charged paint that coats every metal surface. It's very expensive outside of an assembly line, but Porsche spared no expense restoring this car for its next owner. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-11.jpg) Another shot of the body, just before assembly.
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The Doors --------- Technicians spent a lot of time on the doors. The frames were fine, but the skins were shot. Off they went, replaced by new sheet metal. To ensure the doors fit perfectly, with precise gaps all the way around, technicians installed all locks and rubber dampers before sending the car back to the straightening bench. They did the same thing with the headlights, tail lights, engine lid and luggage compartment lid. That way, the pieces fit as they were designed. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2011/07/porsche-911-restoration-19.jpg) Aligning the rear quarter panels and engine lid.
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Send In The Reinforcements -------------------------- Restoring a classic is an art, one Porsche carried out meticulously.
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The Final Product ----------------- Okay, it's not the exact car. Porsche didn't provide any high-res pics of the interior or final assembly, but you can check 'em out at the [Revive the Passion blog](http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/classic/garage/reference/911factoryrestoration/). But here's a factory photo of the 1973 911 T to give you a sense of what the car will look like. Just imagine it in silver, not red. <script language="JavaScript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js" type="text/javascript"></script><object class="BrightcoveExperience" id="myExperience1052614525001"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"></param> <param name="width" value="650"></param> <param name="height" value="630"></param> <param name="playerID" value="74416392001"></param> <param name="publisherID" value="1564549380"></param> <param name="isVid" value="true"></param> <param name="isUI" value="true"></param> <param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true"></param> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="1052614525001"></param> <param name="videoID" value="1052614525001"></param></object><script type="text/javascript"> runMobileCompatibilityScript('myExperience1052614525001', 'anId'); </script><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script>
