Knowing when the masterpiece is complete is one of the artist’s great struggles.

For its first entry into the inaugural Classic Restoration Challenge in Canada, the Classic Restoration Team at Porsche Centre Oakville chose a legendary 80’s ride, the 1987 944 Turbo. The reasons for choosing the vehicle were many, but suffice it to say that the nostalgia-emitting 944 has become a passion project for the team.

The vehicle arrived at the dealership in pretty good shape, which on the surface seemed like a straightforward advantage, but its relative health provided a different sort of challenge.

“The car itself already is a solid donor,” says Workshop Foreman Dirk Dunschede. “It’s complete. It’s clean. I think we have to keep in mind what our goal is, what our objective is with this car, and focus on that. It’s still a very practical and good-running car. So not getting ahead of ourselves and doing more than we need to…”

 

An artist knows when the work is done, after all. But how? Recognizing when the masterpiece is complete will but up to Dunschede and the rest of the team, which includes Classic Porsche Technician Nhu Nguyen, General Manager Hans Ulsrud and After Sales Director Tom Berger.

Another test the team is facing as they restore this 80s icon to it’s original glory, is the availability of parts (and the lack thereof). Fortunately, Porsche Centre Oakville’s Parts Manager, John Licari lives for just this type of challenge, and the very idea of sourcing for the parts necessary to restore a classic like the 944 Turbo was enough to make his eyes light up. 

And should the classic parts turn out to be unavailable on Porsche’s extensive database, the team will just have to improvise, something that Ulsrud says they do very well. 

“We’ve always had that kind of attitude,” he says. “We’ve always been scrappy at the store, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the team can do.”

Relive your 80s glory by following the ReviveRestoreRelive project on social media:  

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Date Posted: January 14, 2019