Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge

It’s that time of year again for the annual Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge where Porsche dealerships across the U.S. are encouraged to find a classic Porsche sports car in need of restoration to enter into the competition. Once a classic model is chosen by the dealership, Porsche-certified technicians work on making the car look and feel like new again. The process is then judged based on restoration of the engine, suspension, and interior.

2023 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge

This year, Porsche Ontario has chosen a 1997 Carrera Coupe with a manual transmission to enter the competition. One of the unique factors is that 1997 was the last year of the 911 models having air cooled engines before the water cooled engine was introduced.

This specific car was chosen by Porsche Ontario because it had not been used for a long period of time and seemed like the perfect 911 for a total refresh rather than a major restoration. When it first arrived it was neglected and needed engine work, had oil leaks, and needed interior cosmetic work. The goal is to make the 1997 Carrera Coupe look as new as possible without tearing it apart which is harder than it may seem.

Porsche Ontario plans to do all of the mechanical, cosmetic, and interior work that the car needs without fully gutting it. The vision is for someone to be able to see the car on the showroom floor and not be able to tell if it’s brand new or not.

Porsche Ontario took first place in the first restoration challenge with the 1989 Porsche 911 Targa G-Model and then took second place in last year’s challenge with the 1993 Porsche 911 RS. Porsche Ontario is looking to take back the first place title this year and there will be plenty of content coming that shows the progression of the project through social media.