2024 National Champion in the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge

Our journey began in 1997 when a local Las Vegas family purchased what they believed to be a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo-Look Cabriolet. With its turbo spoiler and aftermarket wheels, the car seemed like a striking example of Porsche's legacy. For years, they drove it, unaware of the hidden history beneath its convertible exterior.

It wasn't until the vehicle arrived at Gaudin Porsche that its true identity began to unfold. Intrigued by its history, our restoration team reached out to the Porsche Classic Vehicle Information Specialist and the M491 registry. What they discovered was astonishing—this wasn't originally a Cabriolet at all. It had been born as a rare 1986 911 Carrera Turbo-Look Targa. Even more remarkably, it featured the elusive "non-spoiler" M470 option, making it one of only seven produced that year with both specifications.

With this revelation, our mission became clear: restore the car to its original Targa form. The challenge was immense, but the reward would be even greater—bringing a truly rare Porsche back to its authentic glory.

The car had been sitting in a storage unit since 2018, requiring a meticulous revival. Our team conducted a compression and leak-down test to verify the engine's health, flushed the fuel system, and flow-tested the injectors. The undercarriage and suspension components were dry-ice blasted, removing nearly four decades of road grime. We replaced the worn aftermarket shocks with Porsche Genuine Turbo-Look shocks, resealed the engine with Porsche Genuine piston rings, and refinished the cylinder heads.

The interior restoration was equally detailed. We stripped and steam-cleaned the carpet and leather, refurbished the seat motors, and replaced the cables and switches. A donor Targa bar was sourced, carefully measured for precise fitment, and welded into place. Installing the rear glass required four team members and hundreds of pounds of force. We also removed and polished the bumpers, deck lid, and valences, replaced deteriorated rubber moldings, and swapped the aftermarket wheels for Porsche Genuine Fuchs from Originale 2. Finally, we restored the car's stance to stock ride height before performing an alignment and corner balance.

With the mechanical and cosmetic restoration complete, we put the car to the test—driving over 150 miles through Red Rock National Park. A final paint correction revived its original mirror finish. The transformation was unveiled in our showroom before the car was loaded up for Werks Reunion in Monterey, CA, where it won the Regional Finals in the "Preservation Class" of the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge. From there, it advanced to the National Finals at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. After six hours of intense judging by both the PCA and the Porsche Classic Executive team, our Targa claimed 1st place in its class.

This restoration was more than just a project—it was a tribute to Porsche's craftsmanship and heritage. What began as a misidentified Cabriolet became an award-winning testament to authenticity, precision, and passion.