A few months ago, the Classic Restoration Team at Porsche Centre Oakville decided to undertake a pretty special and unique challenge. The idea was relatively straightforward. Take a 944 Turbo, restore it to its former factory glory, and enter the inaugural Classic Restoration Challenge held right here, in Canada. Even with no intentions other than restoring a classic car, this project has turned out to be an emotional one for the entire team.
The 944 Turbo is one of Porsche’s greatest cars to date. Although the 911 stole much the glory, every enthusiast knows just how valuable the 944 is to Porsche’s history and development. It set the foundation for the 944 S2 and its successor, the 968, both of which were based on the 944 Turbo.
According to Workshop Foreman Dirk Dunschede, the car is already in excellent condition. “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,” says Dirk. Having a solid donor car you can improve and restore to former glory is a necessity, especially as this is a restoration project not aimed at updating the car for the 21st century.
There’s a fine line between making a car flawless and making it perfect, says Dirk. The idea is to restore the car to perfect condition without ruining the history and heritage it’s racked up over the years. Keeping it simple without overdoing it is what the team will focus on throughout the project.
The Classic Restoration Challenge pits different Porsche dealerships from around the country head-to-head in an all-out restoration competition. The grand finale of the entire project is set to take place in late summer of 2019, where judges get to adjudicate over what will presumably be impeccable, showroom-condition Porsches. Choosing a winner then, might be harder than it sounds. In terms of cool factor though, it’s safe to say we’ve got a competitive edge thanks to the iconic and legendary 944 Turbo.
Make sure to follow our blog and ReviveRestoreRelive social channels so you can follow along with the restoration progress.
Date Posted: February 12, 2019