Porsche's Revive The Passion 1973 Porsche 911 T

Not all car lovers pine for the latest and greatest model from their favorite manufacturer. Plenty of drivers, both in America and around the world are obsessed with the history of a particular vehicle brand, and they often choose to direct their particular passions towards specific models that they feel highlight a golden age of design or styling.

Porsche is a perfect example of the kind of car company that inspires this particular type of devotion, with Porsche owners and fans routinely singling out certain models or model years as representing the best of what the company has had to offer. It should come as no surprise, then, that when the Porsche Club of America (PCA) had to choose a prize for their Porsche Parade raffle this coming August they elected to ignore the obvious candidates and not award a brand new Porsche to one fortunate ticket holder. Instead, they chose to fully restore a 1973 Porsche 911 T and give it away at the gathering in Savannah, Georgia, a project that the PCA refers to as “Revive the Passion.”

The story behind the particular 1973 Porsche 911 T that the PCA ended up purchasing and refurbishing is an interesting one. Located in Los Angeles, California, the vehicle was in less than stellar shape. In face, it had no headlights or window glass and it sported a number of jury-rigged parts to go with its terrible paint job and questionable road worthiness. The vehicle’s initial condition, however, was unimportant, as the PCA had partnered with Porsche Club Service and Porsche Classic to have the car sent to the company’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany where it would be completely stripped down and rebuilt by some of the most skilled craftsmen in the industry.

The year-long restoration process that took place at the Porsche Classic Workshop was beyond thorough. Not only did the technicians, mechanics and body and paint experts working for Porsche have access to the world’s deepest inventory of Porsche 911 parts, but they also possessed the capacity to fabricate from scratch any components that were no longer available. With its paint chemically etched from its body shell, and every panel and mechanical part disassembled for inspection and repair – including the transmission and the engine – the vehicle was put back together in as-new condition. Even the body panel gaps, one of the most important indicators of the quality of an automotive restoration, were re-installed within millimeters of the original spec.

The entire car was shot with a coat of Silver Metallic paint, which is perfectly offset by a black interior that was also completely refurbished to look better than new. A turn of the key now immediately brings the 2.4-liter flat-six engine to life and lets it sing with the full 140-horsepower that it enjoyed during its first few thousand miles. Porsche Classic has certified that the 911 T can hit speeds of 130 miles per hour with ease, a speed that is more than enough to plaster a smile on the face of the lucky winner.

When the car is awarded this coming August, Porsche Classic will also present the vehicle’s new driver with a book and photo CD that document the entire restoration and build process, a package that includes 1,000 photos in total that mark each step of the path the car took from busted to beautiful. The factory-fresh 1973 Porsche 911 T will either assume a role as a garage queen, trailered from one show to another with the utmost care, or be flogged on public roads and private tracks as the manufacturer originally intended. One hopes that with all of the effort put into the 911 T by Porsche that the winner will choose the latter option and let the coupe enjoy its second chance at life with the wind in its face and the heat of the asphalt beneath its tires.

More information can be found at www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/classic/garage/reference/911factoryrestoration/