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RestoRation CliniC Article by John Mueller Are you following the restoration of the 1973 911T "Revive the Passion" project in Panorama and on the Porsche web site? Did you read the "Anatomy of a Porsche Restoration" series about Steve Terrien's 550 Spyder in Spiel? Do you find the restoration process intriguing? Did you say, "I would like to restore a car someday"? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I hope you attended the March 26th Restoration Clinic put on by Paul Risinger and Terry Forland at Racecraft in Woodinville. Here in the Northwest we are blessed to have great resources to make your restoration project a reality. If you have ever spoken with a person who has restored a car; I bet they stressed the importance of knowledgeable high quality resources and local experts to assist you. I bet they stressed that these people are rare, priceless and not to be taken for granted. At this clinic we were fortunate to have many of our local experts in attendance. The focus of this clinic was on the 911 series of cars, as Paul and Terry spoke they used a 1967 911S Soft Window Targa to illustrate their points. We also had an opportunity to see a 1957 Speedster and a 1958 356 "A" Coupe in the final stages of their restoration. Both cars are exceptional examples of a very high quality concours restoration; the silver paint on the Coupe is unbelievable. The clinic started off with a discussion of what Porsches to restore and what Porsches not to restore. With a "Concours-level" restoration possibly costing between $100k - $200k, a good "Driver" restoration costing about $40k, and a "Quick Touch Up" running about $25k, selecting the right car is critical. People restore cars for many reasons, but in the end I think everyone hopes to get their money back. Selecting the right car is the key to this. I bet you are now asking "how does one go about selecting the right car?" The answer is "expert advice" from both local and national experts and again we are fortunate to have both local and national Porsche experts who are always willing to help! In addition to the experts, never start a restoration without belonging to a car club dedicated to the car you are restoring. In 1988 I began restoring a 1957 Speedster #83068, in 1995 I finished the restoration. As I look back on that journey one of my greatest joys has been the people that I met and the enduring friendships that were established. In the end it is all about the people, the car is just the glue that holds us all together. In addition to the experts and the car clubs there are publications and a TV show that documents the rarity, desirability, collect-ability and recent sales activity for most cars. One of the best publications is "Sports Car Market" magazine and the "Sports Car Market Annual Guide" http:// www.sportscarmarket.com/. The editor is Keith Martin who lives in Portland, Oregon. Keith also does the television show "What's My 32 May 2011 Car Worth" on Comcast channel 663. If I seem to be dwelling on this car selection process, I am, because this is the single most important step in the restoration process. As you search for your car you will also need to search for resources to help you with your restoration. Please note, if your are restoring a 356 there are less than 10 shops in the USA that are qualified to restore a 356 body. Plan to spend a year or more to select and find the car of your dreams and most importantly enjoy the journey. At the end of your journey you may look back and say that the search with all the travel, shows, emails, reading, talking, listening, questions and meetings were the best part. Porsches to consider restoring to "Concours" condition 356: Any "Open" 356 - Any Carrera - Any race car 911S: 1967 to 1973 Targa and Coup - Any race car Porsches not to consider restoring to "Concours" condition 356: Coupe, 911: 1974 to 1998, 924, 944, 951, 968, 928 Once you have secured your car and the resources to help you restore it, then its time to think about the following areas.