Porsche factory classic restoration shop

[RSTarga]

This all reminds me of Joe Huffaker, who once manufactured the Genie can Am cars. A friend of mine had bought a Genie and asked me if Huffaker could restore the car. When he saw its condition he said it would be easier to build a new tubular chassis for the car using the original tubing which he still had loads of.
His question was, "if I use the original jig and the original tubing manufactured by the original builder , who's going to tell me it's not an original car!

[GT3Racerich]

The best part would be picking it up at the factory, using it on vacation, heading to the Ring, Spa, etc.
Rich

[gumby1953]

So
Here's my take on the Porsche Factory restorations and such.

First of all, the "Bean Counters" have taken over at most or all the Car Manufacturers both in the US and abroad.

When a few really passionate Porsche People go to the "Big Wigs" at Porsche and say, "Why don't we try to make some extra money for the company, maybe make some parts that have been needed to keep our old cars running! It seems to be a pretty big business in the states so we should get on the bandwagon!" The Bean counters got together and basically said NO!!! Until one lone "Oldtimer" convinced the "Board" that we should keep our History intact and help the old Porsche owners
out and maybe we can make a little money doing that.

So here we go: Talk to the original manufacture of the needed part and get an estimate as to how much the part will cost!..................Whoooo, that's alot of money, hell, that's almost 5 times what it originally cost! O what to do now? Call the China-eeez,they can make anything really cheap. So Porsche is thinking wow, they
can actually make the part cheaper than when we built it 40 years ago!

The parts start showing up, with the same part number in a "Official" Porsche stickered box or plastic bag, and the part even works as a good replacement! The PROBLEM is...............it don't look the same and is made of something different than it was a-bout 4 decades ago. Don't complain to Porsche because there isn't anybody left that "Gives a Damn" about the part anyway! Their take is, we made the part you asked for, so what are you complaining about!

I recently had conversations with a few of my older Buddies from Porsche and asked if there are anybody left at Porsche from the "OLD SCHOOL"....you know, Dudes that still love Porsche for what Porsche stood for. Seems that when the Eighties ended so did a lot of the old school Dude's with their embedded passion!

Porsche is still a fantastic company but things have changed since VW has taken them over. Remember there was one "Last Ditch" takeover that might have changed the Company for a lifetime but VW won out and I'm sorry to say, poor little Porsche now has to compete with the likes of Audi and Volkswagen. I'm thinkn that ain't so bad but we have really lost a vote in trying to keep decisions going to plan.....I.E. the damn Luggage brackets for an early 911 that kinda look like the OG ones but
are also made of plastic!! O-yea the part number and the plastic bag look very original and they are sold by Porsche only.

OK, Porsche does need to have some kind of "Guideline" as to the Restoration of whatever they might be doing, but let’s go back to the "Bean counters" who are controlling the time it takes to restore a car. I know how much it cost to do it right and I know it cost a lot of D-Marks (Euros) for Porsche to do it right! The poor mechanics at Porsche are really doing what they are asked to. It’s a paycheck to
them..........let’s see, isn't that kinda like a Monday car in any Automobile Factory in America!

In today's Car World, in any Country, it is about the Money, everything-everyone else might have the Passion but who's going to pay for it! I'm thinkin "Catch 22" for what and how we get parts and or anything for our "Be-loved" Porsche!

I am a better talker (Bullshi_er) than writer, but if you want to hit my sore spot, let’s talk about Racing Porsche's. The Dudes at Porsche do want and need to keep inventing Auto Technologies but with the green thing hitting our Poor Ol' Earth, seems we need to lose our Passion for "Speed and Grace” and rethink the Green thing!

So what we can't forget, is the past of "The Great Porsche History" and if we may, start making our own parts for our own Porsche's!! Seems there are enough of us to do that...........even if it means taking the time to find the company in the U.S. to roll and machine, actually weigh the part to keep it close as original as can be done and chrome it to a thickness to match the manufacture specs..... exact! Eric Linden (new
tail pipes) and alot of you Guys out there have done the right thing to making OG parts for our 356's and 911's. THANK YOU VERRRY MUCH!!

So, if you want a perfect original restored 911 get the "Big" check-book ready. If you want a really nice restored 911 or even 356 and want to tell your friend's "My Porsche was restored by Porsche", you might want to find the way into the minds of the boys running the shops at the Factory, to try to look at what your company made originally! It really isn't that much tougher to do the job right in the first
place!!

Kevin Jeannette,

Gunnar Racing......where we try to do it right but do screw up now and
again, too!

[Macroni]

Gunnar Racing......where we try to do it right but do screw up now and
again, too!

Real world life......... occasionally not perfect.

[John Z Goriup]

After reading Jeannette's post and letting the logic of it sink in, I for one, consider this thread closed.

To paraphrase Porsche's own slogan: Experience, wisdom, common sense, clear vision......... there is no substitute.

What could anyone possibly add.

[Anatol]

xxx xxx xxx xxx

[RennTyp]

I personally don't understand why there's a cachet to having your car restored by the factory. The Stuttgart factory of today bears no resemblance to the one that produced our cars back in the 60s and 70s. The production methods are entirely different, none of the original staff remain and the company isn't controlled by the family any more. Why would you expect anything that came out of their restoration shop to be something "special"? Sure, you can have the honour a writing a large cheque out to a company called "Porsche" but that is now really nothing more than a brand in VWs global portfolio. I wouldn't dream of taking an E-type back to Jaguar, a DB5 back to Aston Martin, or a Continental R back to Bentley. Why would an early 911 and Porsche be any different?

[Reza]

because

porsche is more akin Mercedes and more mass production, and better profit businesses, compared to the low volume, loss-making businesses called jaguar, aston martin and bentley : )

the other point is that there are enthusiasts and marginal obsessives like us, with varying degrees of knowingness. for the 'other' people who might want a restoration, nothing will beat the factory. they think.

i wouldnt make a beeline for the factory myself, but that honey dip galvanize process is awfully enticing a rust prophylactic for northeasterners. one stop shop. Although there are acid dips and other esoteric things scattered aromund our east coast seaboard: Dixie zinc galvanizing

[grantree]

Aston Martin run the 'works service' restoration facility in Newport Pagnell. Their work is pretty perfect, and there is still a good chance your DB5 will be worked on by the man who put it together originally....

[RennTyp]

Fair point about Aston - bad example on my part! Don't know how I forgot as I've had a guided tour round Newport Pagnell. Aston's Works Service definitely has the vital ingredient - craftsmen who worked on the cars originally or at least are skilled in the traditional methods. Porsche could do it if they tried. Will see what progress they've made when I visit their stand at Essen tomorrow!