1990 Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2 Targa

We are pleased to offer this very special, UK right-hand drive 964 Targa, which was supplied new on 17th April 1990 through Glen Henderson Motors Ltd of Edinburgh. Presumably ordered as a demonstrator as their name appears first in the service book, the car was then sold to a Mr. D. Barnard of Thirsk. The car was finished in popular Guards Red with a black leather interior piped in red and was optioned with automatic transmission, rear windscreen wiper, two speakers on rear parcel shelf and a top tinted windscreen.

After years of use and many miles, '493 JUA' was looking a touch downbeat, but just round the corner was the next chapter of its life, and it's most exciting yet.......

To celebrate 50 years of the Porsche 911 and 40 years since the launch of the Turbo and Targa models, 2014 saw the inaugural Porsche Restoration Competition. The aim of this competition was for each selected Porsche Centre and their body shop partner to complete a full restoration on a Porsche, offering the chance to showcase skills and talents that the technicians may not get to test on a daily basis. Porsche Centres from around the UK took part restoring 15 cars back to their former glory and these cars picked from likely candidates in the local area included, a 924 Turbo, a 930 Turbo, a 911 3.2 Targa and one 964 Targa bearing registration '493 JUA'.

Porsche Centre Guildford and Premier Panel Skills set about work on '493 JUA' in June '14 with Simon Dyer and Ian Wallis at the helm, leading as project coordinators, with a fabulous team underneath them comprising automotive technicians, panel specialists, paint technicians and component refurbishment specialists. A schedule for restoration was drawn up and the car was to be finished by the end of September ready for judging at the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche - the pressure was on!

In week one, a full appraisal of the car was carried out by Simon Dyer and his team, which included removal of the old alarm system, fitting a battery and checking oil & fuels levels at operating temperatures. The next stage saw the removal of undertray's, wing liners, bumpers, front wings and sill skirts, before a full steam clean of the car. Further dismantling enabled the team to assess which components could be refurbished and reused on the final car. The interior was removed and carefully stored. By the third week, the engine & gearbox were removed from the car along with all suspension parts, oil coolers, oil tank and all pipework. The same theory was applied and each component was assessed for its re-usability. The suspension parts were then refurbished and re-assembled in a modular fashion so that they could be installed quickly when necessary.

Certain jobs were carried out in tandem to ensure the best use of time, and whilst the suspension work was undertaken, the chaps at Premier Panel Skills took to the bodywork. Everything was removed from the car and the chassis was loaded onto a body jig to check alignment. The panel technician, Andrew Coe, cut away rotten inner panels and remade new ones which were then welded into place, whilst also ensuring all other dents and surface rust was removed and the body shell was free of corrosion. The underside of the car was sealed and recoated before a polyester spray filler was applied to the body and panels. The entire shell was then flatted in readiness to accept new paint. Meanwhile, over at Porsche Centre Guildford, the engine & gearbox were totally stripped down and appropriate new parts ordered ready for reassembly.

The bodyshell was painted in its original Guards Red and it was decided that the original stainless steel Targa hoop panel be polished to give it a finish reminiscent of its 1970's predecessors. By week 11 the rewarding process of refitting the body with interior fittings, fuels pipes, engine cooling pipes and other sundry items commenced at Premier Panel Skills, whilst maintaining the highest level of attention to detail to ensure a good finish in the competition and produce a great car. All the while, the engine, and other mechanicals were being finished at Porsche Guildford ready to be bolted into the car and tested.

The car had really come together by week 15, with the original interior having been sensitively restored so as to maintain some of the patina, the original alloys refurbished, freshly painted bumpers fitted, the boot spoiler added and headlamp rims fitted. The restoration of '493 JUA' stayed on schedule and the final week involved MoT testing, full system and fluid checks and a thorough inspection of the paint, whereon it was flatted and polished once more and detailed throughout by Adrian Keen.

The biggest hurdle to overcome was not only the timescale in which to complete the car, but also to ensure that that restoration be carried out without causing any disruption of customers' vehicles. The team worked tirelessly starting earlier in the mornings, working overtime on evenings and even weekends, without compromising the quality of the finished article. Confirmation of the quality of work put in by Simon Dyer & Ian Wallis and their respective teams arrived when this Guards Red Targa was presented as the winner of the Body and Paint award at the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche.

Having covered only 500 miles since its extensive refurbishment, this Targa is supplied with a UK V5c, an MoT until 22.8.16, its Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, magazines in which it has featured, an original 964 brochure, its book pack and a history file containing a full photographic record of the all the work that was undertaken.

An unrepeatable and unique opportunity presents itself with this 964 Targa and we urge you to come and see this car in the flesh. The end result is simply outstanding and puts '493 JUA' in a class of its own - a truly special, award winning car.