Restoring a Porsche - make it look as good new or aged??

[redrobin911]

Thanks guys - that's why this forum is so good - real people with real cars that aren't afraid to use them. It reminds of people who look at my FIA 65 911 race car and say "its too good to race" and what happens if you crash!? Seriously why would I build a race car if I wasn't prepared to have a ding or two or worse. So yes I too am a great believer of using the cars - they're not museum pieces - that' the main reason I don't and won't over restore the 66 car.

What this thread has taught me is that I need to think more carefully about what I'm doing, and while I agree that the car should tell it's own story, that story will probably only be told in 10 years from now, after restoration and a few more miles on the clock.

I'm not going to go own the relic route - its a fake as has been pointed out. I will go for fresh paint - no choice but the type of paint and how the car is painted is still to be fully thought through - certainly Richards 2.2 targa is stunning - more so for the thought process that got him the superb end result.

I think I'll keep all chrome as is - and let those parts bring part of the history with the restoration, same for the interior where I can. It goes without saying that all mechanical parts will all be refurbished.

Now it's on with the work - you'll see progress on the thread - please keep your views coming and thanks to all for their valuable input so far.

[majordad]

Robin, this is my car, a 1972 2.4S, just finished a two and a half restoration at Ninemeister Warrington. You should remember the car, it and I used race against you in the Irish Porsche Open Series. It was red then, well blood orange, and in 2000 I had a big accident in the West Cork Rally. Car lay in a yard for ten years , open to the elements and badly bent. Like you I wondered what standard to restore it to and how new looking. In the end I decided to make it look new, well as far as was reasonable cost wise. Still some small work to do. Here it is last Saturday, I took it out for a 300kms drive , my first spin in almost 15 yrs in it.

Does anyone have any seat rails/runners to suit my Recaro Sports Seats, I ve lost most of what I had pre 1990.



Colour is the 997 GT3 RS 2010 Gen 2 Black/Grey , originally car was Sepia Brown but I could not personally live with that colour so picked something I myself like and want.

The 9M badge will be going when I get my old Porsche badge cleaned up a bit.



The exhaust and rear bumper is not correct for the reason I wanted to use up a stainless steel almost new twin outlet box I had. And a plastic rear bumper to save weight, for cost, but most importantly so as not to cut up a new steel one. If it does not work out or I decide to go original then nothing much lost.

[redrobin911]

Robin, this is my car, a 1972 2.4S, just finished a two and a half restoration at Ninemeister Warrington. You should remember the car, it and I used race against you in the Irish Porsche Open Series. It was red then, well blood orange, and in 2000 I had a big accident in the West Cork Rally. Car lay in a yard for ten years , open to the elements and badly bent. Like you I wondered what standard to restore it to and how new looking. In the end I decided to make it look new, well as far as was reasonable cost wise. Still some small work to do. Here it is last Saturday, I took it out for a 300kms drive , my first spin in almost 15 yrs in it.

Does anyone have any seat rails/runners to suit my Recaro Sports Seats, I ve lost most of what I had pre 1990.



Colour is the 997 GT3 RS 2010 Gen 2 Black/Grey , originally car was Sepia Brown but I could not personally live with that colour so picked something I myself like and want.

HI Dave - yes I remember the car well, remember beating most of the time still the car looks very nice indeed and its good to see it again. What about the other cars that used to race Tom Haliseys, Paul Gray's and Ciaran Molumby's 2.7 cars - anything happening with them? They would all make great cars for restoration?

The 9M badge will be going when I get my old Porsche badge cleaned up a bit.



The exhaust and rear bumper is not correct for the reason I wanted to use up a stainless steel almost new twin outlet box I had. And a plastic rear bumper to save weight, for cost, but most importantly so as not to cut up a new steel one. If it does not work out or I decide to go original then nothing much lost.

[majordad]

Tom still has his one, driving it for pleasure in Kerry. Chiárán sold his early car to UK last year and has the 3.2. Paul Grey still races his black car. I'm at Kirki for a PCI Trackday this Sat, staying in Bangor Fri and Sat Night, drop over and say hello or join us either night for Curry ( Fri ) and whatever Sat. Dave 0870214911, text me as I'm still half deaf !

[hot66]

It's my nature that I'd restore a car as it came from the factory or better ...... But, I d also enjoy driving it and giving it a natural patina

My 2.4s is that kind of car, one that has a nice lived in feel and battle scars that all have a memory

[Darren65]

I've never quite understood what 'over' restored is?……surely a car is either restored or it isn't.

Adrian's post sums things up perfectly.

[911hillclimber]

To me it is 'Pebble Beach' paint depth and surface finish, too much chrome where it was not there from the factory and such like.

However, if that is the want of the owner, then why not?

Similarly, if a DIY paint job in your single car garage is what floats your boat then the outcome is great too!
If you could see my car now then you will see what the second option looks like after 24 years!

Love it, dings and rust bleed in little places, it's been hammered for many years and on it's 3rd engine which is certainly not original, or the gearbox, or the brakes..suspension etc etc.

A full-on restoration like Ferryman's 2.7 is awesome, really is, and we all enjoyed the journey, it's good to be different.

[mycar]

Welcome to DDk itsdashy, when did you last see LYV 10D ?

Regards, Mike.

[mycar]

She's a well known car here on DDk and the first early 911 I drove, so I have good memories. Who'd have thought she came with a flappy sunroof.

Probably spends a lot of time in a bubble these days too.

Regards, Mike.

[jamie]

I've never quite understood what 'over' restored is?……surely a car is either restored or it isn't.

Depends. To me (and I suppose many others), an over-restored car is one whereby the quality of the finish far exceeds the state it would have left the factory in, to the point where it no longer sits right to the eye. It's a state of mind thing. 1950s-onwards British cars and American muscle cars with paint jobs like glass spring to mind.

The most beautifully restored car I have ever photographed was a Hemi 'Cuda that they owner (a schoolteacher!) had painted as it would have been in the late 1960s - meaning he had, after much practice over-and-over on another shell, laid down a total covering of purple metallic in less than two minutes (as it would have been, whilst rolling down the line, at the Plymouth factory) - overspray on the underseal, bare patches under the bonnet and boot, and all. The thing just looked perfect. He had owned Barracudas his whole life, so he knew the cars and he knew how they were built. Was absolutely wonderful.

I supposed sometimes it's possible to complete the car to a standard well above it's original spec and get away with it. Eagle E-Types spring to mind. A combination of misty-eyed recollection and also working to the standard that the cars should have been (but famously weren't) finished to in period. And then there's the stuff from the 1920s and before that no-one can really remember anyway...

[210bhp]

Hi. Last saw her tucked up in a bubble at Autofarm when I sold her to Josh. Funny thing is he'd been looking for one of the three for years, but because of a plate change earlier in her life only discovered he'd previously owned her in the 80's for a spell without knowing.

Must have been about twelve years ago now. I keep on seeing her popping up in magazines and Goodwood etc. which is nice.

There were never three, only two. Josh must have gleaned that information from somewhere and it stuck but the records do not support that theory (that I have seen). Here's a picture to bring back memories for you (when she was a Ddk owners car).



Regards
Mike

[jonno1]

I've never quite understood what 'over' restored is?……surely a car is either restored or it isn't.

Depends. To me (and I suppose many others), an over-restored car is one whereby the quality of the finish far exceeds the state it would have left the factory in, to the point where it no longer sits right to the eye. It's a state of mind thing. 1950s-onwards British cars and American muscle cars with paint jobs like glass spring to mind.

The most beautifully restored car I have ever photographed was a Hemi 'Cuda that they owner (a schoolteacher!) had painted as it would have been in the late 1960s - meaning he had, after much practice over-and-over on another shell, laid down a total covering of purple metallic in less than two minutes (as it would have been, whilst rolling down the line, at the Plymouth factory) - overspray on the underseal, bare patches under the bonnet and boot, and all. The thing just looked perfect. He had owned Barracudas his whole life, so he knew the cars and he knew how they were built. Was absolutely wonderful.

I supposed sometimes it's possible to complete the car to a standard well above it's original spec and get away with it. Eagle E-Types spring to mind. A combination of misty-eyed recollection and also working to the standard that the cars should have been (but famously weren't) finished to in period. And then there's the stuff from the 1920s and before that no-one can really remember anyway...

These guys do amazing work and the approach to this car seems right...

http://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/curr ... -assembly/