How To 911/912: Front Suspension Pan Restoration

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If you’re interested in restoring a vintage Porsche 911 or 912, this is a great starting point.

In this step-by-step video, we’ll show you how to restore your front suspension pan.

First off, you’ll have to remove all of the rusted metal. For our own restoration, this took about 8 hours.

Depending on where your Porsche is cut, you can trim our front suspension pan piece to fit your specifications. It’s also a good idea to spray it with weld-through primer.

Once you’ve done this, you can begin securing it with self-tapping screws to the body of your vintage Porsche.

If you think you’ve got it in the right place, you can test it out by lining it up with your suspension. From there you can adjust it to fit if you need to.

Check out our video for more details about this step in the restoration process!

 

Restoration Design’s Porsche 911ST: Introduction

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In 2013, we decided to restore a 1972 911ST – our first!

The project started off the same way most restoration projects do: we sanded the body down and realized there was more rust damage than we had anticipated.

The sanding also revealed that the 911 had been in a front-end collision, meaning we had to replace the entire inner fender.

This model of Porsche didn’t come with proper ending panels and didn’t have rock guard, so we would be doing the same with this restoration.

The ST we purchased was produced for racing. While American race cars were building bigger engines to win races, Porsche increased their horsepower and made their cars more nimble and a lot lighter – which proved to be successful.

These models also didn’t come with ashtrays, glove boxes, the heating and ductwork was removed and the gas tank fill was located under the hood.

Check out the video to see the ST before we restored it, and check out our other videos to see the restoration process!

Restoration Spotlight: Making of the Porsche 356A Hood

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Back in the fall of 2007, we noticed a substantial need for hoods for 356s. Getting a good quality hood was pricey and often difficult. So, we decided to start making them ourselves.

To start, we purchased one of these good quality hoods from the US. Painting it matte black and getting some of the minor imperfections out made it possible for us to use this as a template for scanning.

We got the scanning done by a third-party, who then sent us the scan. We imported the scan into our own computer system so we could design the dye. Designing each dye typically takes 100-200 hours – just for design time.

After the dye was designed, we had to design the different tool paths for 4-6 different tools.

From there, we had to machine the dye using steel and composite to withstand the pressure of the press.

After the dye is machined, it needs to be polished. Polishing the male and female parts of the dye for the 356 hood took about 16 weeks in total.

Check out the video to see the rest of the process and the finished product!

Build Your Own DIY-Rotisserie: Porsche 914

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Embarking on your very own Porsche 914 restoration? Our DIY rotisserie makes it easy.

By cutting all the proper lengths of 1 1/4” square tubing with proper angles, you can build this rotisserie to perfectly fit your 914.

Make sure you are measuring properly, and laying out the tubing to ensure you have all the proper lengths and angles before you weld them together.

We also use caster wheels – a 4” caster wheel is sufficient for home shops.

Building your own rotisserie around your 914 allows you to roll the car over easily, with the help of another person, so you can reach the underside and other angles of your car.

This same rotisserie can also be adjusted to fit a 356 or 911, depending on your restoration project.

Check out the video for specific instructions to build your rotisserie!

Restoration Spotlight: 1967 Porsche 911 “The Pink Pig”

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If you’ve ever seen us at a major Porsche meet in the US or Canada, you’ve probably seen our 911, the Pink Pig.

The Pink Pig is the nickname of our 1967 Porsche 911 which we originally bought in the US for $800. While we initially bought it to sell it for panels, we soon identified a better use for it.

We use the Pink Pig for showing people how and where different parts that we make fit onto a restoration.

We outline parts with red lines and mark the part number on the car.

But why the pink? The unique colour is to mimic the 917 Porsche race car. It’s thought that the race car was painted overnight by its mechanics, and it had red lines on it to distinguish meat cuts.

Check out the video to see the Pink Pig!

Restoration Spotlight: Peter’s 1973 Porsche 914

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Mike, Peter and Alex DeJonge of Restoration Design are all Porsche collectors. Last month, we showed you Mike’s 356 Speedster – this month, check out Peter’s 1973 Porsche 914.

Peter originally bought the 914 from a seller in Kansas. He spent his first summer after college working on it, and it soon turned into an 8-year project.

With the help of his family, he was able to completely restore it and is now the proud owner of a Subaru-blue 914 – with some modifications:

  • Steel GT flares with rockers moulded in
  • Rear ducktail
  • Running gear and breaks from a 6-cylinder car
  • 916 rear bumper
  • 993 mirrors

Check out the video to find out what other modifications Peter made to his classic Porsche, and see the finished product.

Restoration Spotlight: Uses and Benefits of Galvanneal Steel

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At Restoration Design, we often get questions about the kind of steel we use.

We use galvanneal steel, which is used in a lot of industries, with the biggest being the automotive industry.

A lot of other restoration shops use mild steel because it’s more cost-effective, but we prefer galvanneal. It’s also better than galvanized steel because it goes one step further in the production process: after it’s coated, it’s heated at super high temperatures, resulting in a higher corrosion resistance than other kinds of steel. This also means it has a longer shelf-life.

The main reason we prefer galvanneal steel over galvanized steel is that galvanized steel’s coating will flake, and galvanneal will not rust when exposed to water.

Watch our video to find out more about the difference that using galvanneal steel makes, and see some examples of Porsche restorations we’ve used galvanneal steel on.

Restoration Spotlight: Lessons Learned Restoring the 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster

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At Restoration Design, we specialize in restoring Porsches from almost all years and models. And while we’re experts experienced at this, we still learn lessons from every project we take on.

When we restored Mike’s 356 Speedster a couple of years ago, we learned a few things that have stayed with us and that we have applied to every project since.

Measure, Measure, Measure

The most important thing we found was to measure frequently, almost obsessively. Especially when it comes to sheet metal pieces, it’s not uncommon to do many trial fitments to get the right fit. When it comes to the doors, it’s important to have all of the rubber pieces in place as well, so you know everything fits as it should. This is true for any kind of automotive restoration.

356s were produced in two different production facilities, so some parts might differ – that’s why measuring is so important with these models.

Have a Camera on Hand

Keep it in the shop and take pictures throughout the dismantling, so you have something to refer to when you come to put it all back together.

Keep a Parts Catalogue

Go through and take note of the parts you think you need, and if you don’t need them you can cross them off.

Set a Restoration Quality

Before you even start on your vintage Porsche restoration, decide whether you want your Porsche to be concourse, show or driver-quality.

Check out the video for more information about the restoration, see the process and the finished product!

Why We Do What We Do

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Porsche Parts|Restoration Design Mission

For Mike, Peter and Alex DeJonge, Porsches are their passion. That’s why they bought Restoration Design.

Restoration Design produces quality Porsche parts, filling a need for quality parts that actually fit.

Sure, it feeds our hobbies, but our main purpose is to create jobs and produce quality parts for the people who need them.

When we think about producing a new part, they we think about what our customers need, where there’s a void in the market or if there’s a part we can improve on.

We produce the correct parts for different models and years, making the value of the vintage Porsche after restoration that much greater for the owner.

Plus, cars that might have been discarded 20 years ago can now be restored.

Restoration Design ships parts all across the world, from Australia to South America and everywhere in between. It’s our passion to work on cars and provide parts to other passionate people.

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