This TopAuto reader’s two-time concours d’etat winning 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera is a sight to behold.
Its story begins when the reader bought a 1972 Porsche 911 Targa – following his uncle introducing him to the brand.
He was blown away by it, and has almost exclusively owned Porsches since then.
He said the flat-six engine layout reduces torsion and the implementation of manganese in the steel makes the iron and carbon bond better – making the moving components smaller, thus reducing friction, and allowing higher revs.
Another reason why he loves Porsche is for the brand’s customer service.
He said that he took his almost 30-year-old 993 to Porsche in Pretoria, where he was informed that it had a recall.
Porsche flew out the part and replaced it at no expense. Not many manufacturers would do this, especially for a car of this age, he said.
Restoration
The reader bought his 993 Porsche 911 Carrera from a friend in 2014, when it had about 50,000km on the clock.
While the car was in decent condition, there was a high likelihood of rust hiding below the panels, he said.
Soon after he got the car, he stripped it to the point where it was a pile of parts and the cleaning process began.
Every nut, bolt, and washer went through high-frequency jewellery cleaning to return it to a like-new condition, and the rest of the parts were ice-blasted to look spotless.
This process is when frozen carbon dioxide (CO2) is “shot” at the car parts. The CO2 explodes on impact, knocking the dirt and grime off without damaging any metal.
The brake discs were then ceramic coated and the exhaust system bronze-brushed and polished.
Once it was all cleaned and all the necessary parts replaced in accordance with the factory specifications, he put everything back together.
Road to concourse
To achieve back-to-back Porsche South Africa concours d’etat wins, only two items on this 911 are different from when the 993 left the factory.
These are the lightbulbs and shock absorbers.
The modern bulbs in the headlights were excused by the judges for safety reasons, while the shocks are the only ones condoned for use by the Porsche classic register.
In preparing the Porsche for a competition, the amount of small details that one must focus on is also immense.
There cannot be swirls in the paint from washing the car, and toothpicks and earbuds are used to ensure that every little part is as clean as it can possibly be.
This counts for the bottom of the car, too, which we were invited to inspect – and can report there was not one speck of dust nor a single drop of oil on the underside.
The whole restoration process took six months, and he believes it was well worth it.
Upgraded wheels
The reader said he is not going to be claiming any concours d’etat wins this year, however, as he upgraded the wheels of his Carrera to Porsche Speedline alloys.
Although these are official Porsche wheels, and are for the 993 Carrera, it was not an option selected on this particular car when purchased.
As it now strays from the original specification of the car, it will lose points.
Luckily, they still look incredible.
He said that while you can have fun restoring a car by putting in a decent bit of effort, it takes 110% to make a concourse-worthy restoration.
1995 Porsche 911 993
Before
After
Keyword: How this enthusiast restored his 1995 Porsche 911 to award-winning condition – Photos