This is our car and its restoration
1978 Porsche 911SC Sport with rubber whaletail
In 1988 We were in the market for a new car. Michelle and I looked at Porsche 911s and Mercedes 380/450SL.
We looked at a blue Porsche 911 and a bronze Porsche 911 Targa. We also had a drive in a Mercedes 450SL. Michelle fancied a Mercedes but I talked her around to the 911. |
I did find another car I liked, but after taking a look, I decided it was not practical for an everyday car.
A Ferrari Dino 246GT in red. It was £10,000 and would be worth over £400,000 now. |
In the end, on 2nd October 1988, we purchased a white Porsche 911SC from Autobahn in Coventry. It cost £13,950 and that's about £35,000 in today's money.
It was born on 28th August 1978 and registered on 17th October 1978.
It was born on 28th August 1978 and registered on 17th October 1978.
In 1994 I was made redundant from the mines and we decided to put the car away in my dad’s garage until I got another job that could pay to keep it running. The value of the car was down to around £5,000 at that time and we didn't think it was worth selling. We also thought it would not take long to get it back on the road.
This is what it looked like after being stood in my dad’s garage for 17 years.
We then had some work done on it. A mechanic with a workshop reasonably close to where I worked at that time seemed like a good option.
The car needed:
New front brakes and suspension.
Petrol tank.
Some welding on the right inside wing.
That experience turned into a full-fledged nightmare. The mechanic that took our car took longer than expected on the renovation and we reallocated some of the money. I was used to going over to the business every few weeks or so to check on progress.
Then, one day when I dropped in, the place was closed up, shut down. The mechanic had moved his business - including my Porsche 911 - and gone!
Can you imagine finding out your car had been moved to location unknown without a phone call or email to inform you? That gave us a few sleepless nights.
The car needed:
New front brakes and suspension.
Petrol tank.
Some welding on the right inside wing.
That experience turned into a full-fledged nightmare. The mechanic that took our car took longer than expected on the renovation and we reallocated some of the money. I was used to going over to the business every few weeks or so to check on progress.
Then, one day when I dropped in, the place was closed up, shut down. The mechanic had moved his business - including my Porsche 911 - and gone!
Can you imagine finding out your car had been moved to location unknown without a phone call or email to inform you? That gave us a few sleepless nights.
After a few weeks searching for the mechanic, we found out he'd started up again and we took a trip over to see him. My Porsche 911 wasn't even in his garage where he was working. He'd put it for 'safe keeping' in a friend's barn. He persuaded us to hand over a bit more cash for him to re-start the renovation project and we left it with him.
Unfortunately, that extra money we handed over was swallowed up with 'storage costs' at £20 per week - not a bad racket. After a lot of protests and negotiation, he arranged to get a trailer to pick up our car and we paid the guy that delivered it. The delivery guy wanted to know if we wanted to sell the car and seemed a little disappointed that we wouldn't accept £3,000 for it to save him unloading it.
A week or so later, the mechanic had the cheek to message and ask if we'd accept £4,000 cash for the car. He didn't get a reply.
The Porsche 911SC we'd owned for a little more than 2 decades was unceremoniously pushed into the garage.
That's were it has been for the past 7 years. Making it 24 years since it last ran.
Unfortunately, that extra money we handed over was swallowed up with 'storage costs' at £20 per week - not a bad racket. After a lot of protests and negotiation, he arranged to get a trailer to pick up our car and we paid the guy that delivered it. The delivery guy wanted to know if we wanted to sell the car and seemed a little disappointed that we wouldn't accept £3,000 for it to save him unloading it.
A week or so later, the mechanic had the cheek to message and ask if we'd accept £4,000 cash for the car. He didn't get a reply.
The Porsche 911SC we'd owned for a little more than 2 decades was unceremoniously pushed into the garage.
That's were it has been for the past 7 years. Making it 24 years since it last ran.
Last year, 2017, we decided it was time to find someone professional to restore the car.
We visited several Porsche restoration shops and found them all good, but after a chat with Paul Cockell from Rennsport and a visit to his pristine workshop over in the Cotswolds, we agreed a price and he came in his lorry and picked the car up in late October 2017.
Originally, we agreed a strip to bare metal and respray. It needed new wings and kidney bowls and a new sill, but really, the body was very good and the under-seal had preserved everything underneath. It also needed 4 new tyres. What a pity! The ones fitted in 1994 had only done a few hundred miles.
The inside was not so good and had been eaten a little, so we went for a full refurb, seats repaired, new carpet and headliner.
The inside was not so good and had been eaten a little, so we went for a full refurb, seats repaired, new carpet and headliner.
Once stripped and resprayed, the interior was fitted (except the sunroof). It looks really smart and much better than when we first bought the car in 1988 at 10 years old.
Once it was starting to get back together, Paul pointed out my old headlight. It let down the new shiny body, so we agreed that new were to be fitted. Paul and Rennsport are used to turning out cars rebuilt and finished to the highest standard, polished down to the last nut and bolt, and I could tell he was struggling not to do this with my car. We had never wanted a concours-standard car, but one to enjoy and drive. When we first had it, we used it for everything - including going to work and shopping.
A few Rennsport cars and my headlights
Then came the day the engine was removed. It happened to be a Rennsport open day and I paid them a visit.
Paul's diagnostic description over the phone left nothing to the imagination.
Paul said, 'Your engine is knackered.'
When I got to see for myself, I agreed it looked very tired. 3 cylinder head studs had broken and the fuel injection system was totally seized. I agreed to a full engine rebuild. The next day, I asked for a gearbox rebuild, although it had been rebuilt in around 1993 following a stripped gear.
The gearbox went well and nothing bad was found, but at least everything will be in top form when back on the road.
Paul's diagnostic description over the phone left nothing to the imagination.
Paul said, 'Your engine is knackered.'
When I got to see for myself, I agreed it looked very tired. 3 cylinder head studs had broken and the fuel injection system was totally seized. I agreed to a full engine rebuild. The next day, I asked for a gearbox rebuild, although it had been rebuilt in around 1993 following a stripped gear.
The gearbox went well and nothing bad was found, but at least everything will be in top form when back on the road.
The engine and gearbox was fitted when we next visited and looked fantastic. All the tin had been plated and painted and it all looked like new. Hydraulic timing chain tensioners were also fitted.
It's all coming together fast now, and this visit, we agreed on new drive shafts, brake pipes, rear brakes and rear shocks. (the front had been replaced on the first attempt at restoration).
It's all coming together fast now, and this visit, we agreed on new drive shafts, brake pipes, rear brakes and rear shocks. (the front had been replaced on the first attempt at restoration).
Gearbox after refurb and damaged cam found on rebuild
One thing we always wanted re-fitting was the rubber whale-tail as they are quite rare.
It's not really got much left in the line of fixings, but Rennsport agreed to fit it. They are available at around £1000 but the original one didn't look out of place on a 40 year old car, so I decided to stick with the old one.
It's not really got much left in the line of fixings, but Rennsport agreed to fit it. They are available at around £1000 but the original one didn't look out of place on a 40 year old car, so I decided to stick with the old one.
