Fans of fast cars typically flock to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch them race in circles. This weekend, however, they’ll be admiring one from Palm Springs that’s sitting completely still.
Why that’s news: A team from Porsche Palm Springs is up for the top honor at the 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge, which will be judged this Saturday at the Sports Car Together Fest at the track.
- The rules of the challenge are simple: Dealerships were tasked with returning a Porsche from the 1950s to 2000s back to its original glory and documenting the restoration along the way.
Rewind: More than 60 dealers participated in the challenge this year — a 50% increase over 2021. The Palm Springs entry will be one of nine on display Saturday, and one of three finalists for the grand prize. It earned a spot after winning a regional event held in Monterey in August.
Details: The Palm Springs dealership elected to restore a 1982 911 SC originally from San Diego that over the years had made its way to Georgia. It was “Overall, a fairly original car for being 40 years old,” but still had issues.
- Included in issues the team of mechanics found were a worn interior, damaged camshafts, sloppy steering, and a transmission full of water.
Behind the scenes: Among other work performed during a 23-week restoration, the team stripped all mechanical components off the car and sent it to a Porsche-approved collision center, upgraded the interior, put in new pistons, cylinders, and bearings, and disassembled and machined the transmission.
- The team listed nearly two dozen highlights in a fact sheet documenting the work.
Bottom line: Upon receipt, “The SC drove okay but felt tired and slow,” team members reported. “Today, this [Porsche] celebrates its 40th anniversary ready to drive like the day it was born.”
