In the first installment of this build, we showed you the tear-down of a well-used 911, and followed it through paint work. Now, take a look at the suspension and electrical work that was done. The before pictures show this car was driven hard! You’ll be amazed at the attention to detail that went into restoration and reassembly.
What makes the 911S so much fun to drive is the outstanding control from the suspension and brakes. The rear engine posed a unique design challenge, and the 911 suspension broke new ground for Porsche. In the front, MacPherson struts on single transverse A-arms connect to longitudinal torsion bars. Rear suspension comprised transverse torsion bars and semi-trailing arms. This was a big improvement from the suspension used on the 356. This 911S uses Koni sport front struts and rear shocks. Vented brake rotors help to keep the brakes cool for improved performance.
Take a look at the suspension and brakes before restoration:
 |
 |
 |
 |
Here you see suspension pieces disassembled and bead blasted in reparation for refinishing. Every fastener was cleaned and refinished (or replaced where needed):
 |
 |
Now, check out the finished, restored suspension:
 |
 |
For such a small car, the Porsche has a lot of wire. Every circuit needs to be documented during disassembly. Color-coded wire helps, but it’s best to mark the wiring and photograph the route and mounting location of the harness.
Here you see the front and backside of the fuse panel:
 |
 |
Here (left) you see the engine electrics, including the ignition amplifier unit and voltage regulator. Also pictured (right) is the back side of the oil pressure/temperature gauge, with color-coded wires:
 |
 |
And here is the restored dash with reconditioned gauges:
 |
 |
The stock, 2.4-liter flat-6 uses mechanical fuel injection, and is mated to a 4-speed transmission. As with all aspects of this restoration, the engine and transmission were completely revitalized down to the smallest detail, including correct markings and decals.
Here’s the engine during reassembly (left), and installed back in the car (right):
 |
 |
All told, months of preparation and exhaustive work have resulted in a stunning automobile. Thanks to the careful hands of knowledgeable craftsmen, the car has literally been given new life! If you have any questions about this restoration, feel free to drop them in the comments. We’d love to share the experiences and information we picked up along the way.
February 9th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Wow! The color is beautiful and I get to learn things, too! Thanks for sharing the details.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Awesome color
February 10th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Awesome finish!
Very interesting articles.
Can I ask what brand of paint was used in the painting process? Was it a basecoat / clearcoat system or was it single staged?
February 14th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Hello Bill. The paint used on the 911 was Glasurit brand. It was applied using a single stage paint with a clear coat applied on top.
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Beautiful!
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Great job!!! Really enjoyed following this effort. After the suspension pieces were bead blasted, how were they cleaned and refinished? Did you spray them with clear coat?
February 24th, 2011 at 9:24 am
Hello Hans. The suspension pieces were cleaned using Dow-Corning OS2 silicone remover prior to painting. The paint is a Sherwin/Williams industrial coating called Polane. It’s a polyurethane enamel that is very durable and well suited for use on suspension components. Thanks for asking!
September 17th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
It says that the engine has 295 horsepower. Is this correct,and if so what mods were done to bump it that high?
September 19th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Hi Mark. I believe you’re referring to the caption in our Handbook #335. That’s a mis-print… the correct horsepower for this car is 190hp. Good catch!
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Nice work. Glad to see you brought one back from the brink and made it completely original. PCA gave away a similar car (’73 911T) this past year after a full factory restoration. Look up “Porsche Revive the Passion” on the web. We’re all just custodians of these great cars. As a concours enthusiast I can attest that your products make it easy to preserve them once they’ve been restored. Keep up the good work providing materials we can rely on!
September 26th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Thanks for passing along the restoration article, Doug! And thanks for being a Griot’s Garage customer, too. We appreciate your business!
October 6th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Tim, that process was very interesting and it came out awesome. It must be quite satisfying to take something like that and turn it into a work of beauty. Great job and thanks for sharing with us.
October 7th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Way beautiful! Interested in selling her?
October 8th, 2011 at 8:42 am
I believe the owner wants to drive it before offering it for sale.
March 22nd, 2012 at 11:55 am
Where did you find the NOS Michelin XWX tires?
March 23rd, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Hello Ben. We found the Michelins at Coker Tire.
July 29th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Looks beautiful!