What’s Involved in a Porsche Restoration: Part Two

Last post we went through the first two steps involved in some classic Porsche restorations: rust repair and the paint job.  These posts should not be taken as a guide on how to repair a Porsche on your own, but a general list of things that are typically restored during the process. The amount of work that will need to be performed will depend on how neglected the car was and whether or not there needs to be any complicated engine work.

Brakes, Suspension and Wiring – the suspension is completely disassembled and ever part is bean blasted and then cleaned and refinished before reassembly. For such a small car, the Porsche has a lot of wire. Every circuit needs to be documented during disassembly. Color-coded wire helps, but marking the wiring and photographing the route and mounting location of the harness is essential when restoring the dash, gauges and any other electrical parts.

Engine work – engine repair and restoration is probably too complicated to go over in a simple blog post. The key with engine restoration is to know exactly what you are doing when attempting to restore or fix any components. Doing the wrong thing or not handling parts correctly can cause a significant amount of damage to the engine. The experts at Personalized Autohaus are trained professionals who know how to deal with classic Porsche engines.

What’s Involved in a Porsche Restoration: Part One

Restoring a classic Porsche can be an exciting prospect, but some people aren’t aware of the vast amount of knowledge and expertise required to effectively restore the car to its original condition. Many people who attempt to restore an old Porsche on their own may find themselves working on it anywhere from a couple of years to fifteen years. How long it takes depends on the person’s level of dedication, hours worked per week and level of knowledge on their particular model. Personalized Autohaus has expert mechanics and personnel to make a restoring a Porsche a much simpler process. The following are some of things involved when someone restores a classic Porsche.

Rust Repair – water damage and neglect can cause a lot of rust damage to the body of a Porsche. This can occur on nearly every part of the metal body, with some areas being much easier to repair than others. Large panels like door skins and fenders can be purchased, but smaller sections need to be replaced through metal fabrication, which requires an expert.

Paint – metal work and painting are often performed on a rotating stand for accessibility purposes. After a sealer coat is applied to help protect the metal, imperfections in the metal are fixed with a variety of tools. The more attention paid to these defects the better the restoration.  After the metal defects are fixed the car is given a primer coat. Block sanding is then used to level out the surface. Additional primer and surfacers may need to be used to fill in abrasions and scratches. Before receiving its final color coat, the car gets a sealant. As you may have noticed, a good paint job requires a lot of work and preparation in order to get the results that your restore Porsche deserves.

More steps to come!

Why You Should Bring Your Porsche to Personalized Autohaus

If you own a vintage Porsche you obviously care a lot about your car. Why take it anywhere else but to a place that has decades of experience working with and repairing Porsches of all kinds. Personalized Autohaus has been open since 1974 and has many long time happy customers. Take a look at what some people have to say about the superior quality care and service that is provided at Personalized Autohaus.

“Personalized Autohaus is the only shop that I would bring my Porsche to.  Their ability to diagnose issues and solve problems means the job gets done right the first time…Wayne and Nancy’s network in the Porsche community is unmatched in sourcing rare, hard to find parts and cars and their experience in repair and service of these cars is unparalleled.”

“You have performed flawless work on my 356 Porsches over the years.  Most recently my 1957 speedster, engine, trans, new wiring harness, brakes. Total rebuild of all components about three years ago and all are working wonderfully. Keep up the good work.”

"Our family has been Porsche owners for over 45 years.  When we found Wayne Baker at Personalized Autohaus to service and maintain our cars, we discovered a truly gifted Porsche pro. Wayne and his staff use their mechanical skills and experienced insight to fix even the most difficult automotive problems. They're the best! "

It’s clear, whether you are a Porsche racing pro or simply a weekend warrior who enjoys driving as a hobby, Personalized Autohaus is the perfect place to bring your car for tune ups and maintenance. Let Wayne Baker and his team of professional certified mechanics treat your Porsche, Volvo or BMW the way it deserves to be treated.

Porsche Maintenance Essentials

Personalized Autohaus is a great place to go for Porsche services like breaks, engine overhauls, restorations and various diagnostic services as well as any other type of repair the vehicle might need. There are a lot of things you can do at home to ensure that your Porsche runs at optimal levels without being in the shop. Below is a short list of things to check for to ensure a healthy vehicle.

Check Fluids – fluid checks are essential for maintaining a healthy car. Check your oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid (if present), auto transmission fluid (if present), hydraulic clutch fluid (if present) and windshield washer fluid on a regular basis. Check the car manual or with the mechanics at Autohaus to find out which fluids to use before you add them.

Check Hoses - Old radiator hoses or loose clamps can cause coolant leaks, which will lead to overheating and expensive repairs. Check hoses periodically and replace them if they're aged or leaking. It’s a good idea to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses whenever your replace your water pump or radiator.

Personalized Autohaus: What We Can Do

If you drive a Porsche, BMW or Volvo, you need to see us! Visit Personalized Autohaus for BMW repair, Volvo brake jobs, Porsche restoration and more. Read about our services below and come visit us! If you live in La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Penisquitos and surrounding areas we are conveniently located!

MAINTENANCE SERVICES:
                * Minor & Major Services (7.5K, 15K, 30K etc, Inspection I & II)
                * Calendar Based Services (Brakes Fluid & Antifreeze Flush)
                * 4-Wheel Alignment (Street and Competition)
                * Jack Weight and Corner Balance
                * Brakes (Including ABS) and Suspension
                * Pre-purchase Inspection
              DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES:
                   * Check Engine Light Diagnostics
                   * Electrical (Batteries/Starter/Alternator/Generator)
                   * Ignition Systems
                   * Fuel Injection
                   * Airbag (SRS) Warning Lights
                   * Factory Approved Diagnostic Equipment
              OVERHAUL SERVICES:
                   * Engine (Street & High Performance Street)
                   * Transmission (4 & 5 Speed)
                   * Carburetion (2 & 3 Barrel/PMO, Solex, Zenith, Weber)
              PERFORMANCE SERVICES:
                   * Brakes (Pagid Racing Pads), Brake Cooling Systems
                   * Race Car Construction, Full Race Prep and Mentoring
                   * Quaife Limited Slip Differentials & Twin-Plug Engines
                   * Custom Gear Ratios for Specific Track Needs
                   * Race Car Transport Locally and Nationally
                   * Arrive and Drive Plans
              RESTORATION SERVICES:
                   * 356 and Early 911s
                   * Ground-up Restoration
                   * 356 Tall 4th Gear for better highway drivability
                   * Chassis Undercoating
                   * Extensive used parts inventory for that hard to find part

More on Personalized Autohaus’ Wayne Baker

Once he felt he had exhausted the 914-14, Wayne decided to take on another challenge by campaigning a 934 Porsche in the GTO class for the 1983 IMSA racing season. That year, Wayne competed in 17 races coast-to-coast with co-drivers Jim Mullen and Kees Nierop. He enjoyed five class wins and was the first to win the 12 hours of Sebring first overall. But the pinnacle came when he won the IMSA GTO Championship.

In 1985, Wayne decided to retire from racing … but three years later he was introduced to vintage Porsche racing when he entered a customer’s 1958 RSK at Laguna Seca for the 50^th anniversary of Porsche. The experienced paved the way for many other events, like racing a 1967 Porsche 910 in the Tour Auto in France, 24 hours of Magny Cours in a 1965 Porsche 911, racing in Spa, Belgium, Nurburgring and Monza, Italy.

Wayne organized the Porsche 2.0 Liter Challenge Series with HSR-West in California in 2000. Due to his experience and background, Wayne offers custom Porsche setup, mentoring and an arrive-and-drive program for new and experienced drivers alike. He has traveled to many of the U.S.’s famous tracks, like Sebring, Daytona, Road Atlanta, Road America and Watkins Glen, with his 4-car transporter and 6-car transporter.

{Photo Credit: opencage.info}

All About Wayne Baker

When we say we specialize in vintage Porsche repair, we mean it! Personalized Autohaus’ Wayne Baker became a Porsche mechanic trainee in 1963 and went to Porsche Certified School in 1965. After working in the Porsche dealership system in L.A. as a journeyman mechanic, Wayne moved to San Diego and established Personalized Autohaus in 1974. That same year, Wayne wed Nancy and she became a major part of the complete Porsche restorations business in 1976.

In the late 1970s, racing became a large part of Personalized Autohaus. After racing in SCCA, Wayne moved up to the professional series in IMSA by racing a highly modified 914-4 cylinder, light-weight, 2.0 liter engine—and he achieved over 230 horsepower!

To our knowledge, Wayne was the first and only person to win an IMSA race in the GTU class in a 914-4 cylinder, when he won Sears Point, and also to completely finish both the 12 hours of Sebring and the 24 hours of Daytona in this same car.