Porsche 911E 2.0 Targa
Fresh from a two-year restoration in Johannesburg, South Africa, Michelle Hambly’s 1969 Porsche 911E Targa is ready to collect – and what better way to test its integrity than with an epic 1000-mile trip back to her home in Cape Town?
It looks fresh, clean and neat – it looks new. This 1969 Porsche 911E Targa has been with its restorer for just over two years. Since it went up to Johannesburg I’ve pestered the owner, Michelle Hambly, about taking the car on a road trip back to Cape Town (where both of us live) when it’s finished. Michelle is known is throughout the South African classic car community, especially the Porsche contingent. She will eagerly share early childhood memories of how her late father was always tinkering with his car in the garage and her passion for cars grew from there. However, over the past decade and a half her passion has bloomed and her days have become filled with all things Porsche. Even the curveball that 2020 threw didn’t stop us. With flights booked, the photographer briefed and suitcases packed, things started to fall into place. Like Hannibal from The A-team always said, ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’
Day 1 – Johannesburg to Bloemfontein – 260 miles
My first meeting with the Targa is at our overnight spot in Johannesburg before the trip starts, but it’s only brief because we go for dinner before a good night’s rest. I’ll have plenty of time in the coming 72 hours to appreciate the Porsche on all levels.
The next morning we pack the car. It always surprises me just how much space there is in a 911, even these smaller, classic ones. The mat that spans the entire luggage compartment allows you to put anything anywhere without risking scratches or dents. We make sure nothing sticks out that might catch the lid as we close it.
The trip to Cape Town will be around 1000 miles covering a wide variety of landscapes and four of South Africa’s nine provinces. The first day’s driving is the least exciting in terms of the scenery and type of roads. But every journey is an interesting one behind the wheel of a Sixties Porsche.
As we head through traffic and start making our way south it’s evident how cars have grown over the decades. The Porsche looks dainty compared to almost any other car on the road, except small city cars. I feel rather exposed, but the thought of the couple of mountain passes towards the end of our journey is enticing. The car feels compact and in the cabin you sit close to one another. It is a comfy environment though, and the instant feedback you get through the steering wheel is welcoming while minimal input is needed to carve our way through traffic.
We settle into a comfortable cruise and the Porsche sits contently at the national speed limit of 120kmph (75mph). The controls feel solid and sturdy and there are few of them, it’s a simplistic cabin that doesn’t demand your attention, instead letting you focus on the rev counter dead ahead, the visual standout element of the cabin. I’m impressed by this restoration. Even though we’ve only really driven it in a straight line, except for a squeak that surfaces now and then, there are no newbuild noises to speak of – quite an achievement taking into account this is a Targa and not a fixed-roof coupé. The cabin is marginally noisy, but with slightly raised voices Michelle and I can maintain conversation, which mostly centres on automotive concerns.
She shares with me how it all started when a friend took her out in a 993 GT2, laying the foundation for her absolute love and appreciation of all things Porsche. I ask her about this E and how it crossed her path, ‘This car was parked in a garage in Hermanus for years. Then I received a phone call from a car salesman, a good friend, who was standing next to the car, offering it to me. I knew there weren’t too many of these cars built and at that time I really
wanted an early Porsche, in particular a pre-1973 air-cooled 911. At the time a 911S had just slipped through my fingers, so when I heard about this car I got really excited. That was around seven years ago; it stood for a long time because I knew it would be costly to restore properly.’
After a few hours we approach the capital city of the Free State, Bloemfontein. Our arrival is a highlight – it coincides with the sky blending a combination of warm colours into deep purple. Even though we’ve decided to keep the roof on today – you’ll look like a tomato if you remove it during the middle of the day – the view through the windows is something to behold and so much more special from the seat of a car that’s run faultlessly during its first proper, long-distance drive since restoration.
Day 2 – Bloemfontein to Beaufort West via Koffiefontein – 410 miles
Although the 911E was driven for more than 120 miles before it was handed over to us, there’s always some trepidation when taking a freshly restored car on such a long drive. Between Bloemfontein and Cape Town is a solid 600 miles of tarmac… Although there are plenty of towing services along this stretch, a breakdown here would jeopardise our entire trip.
Still, spirits are high as we leave our overnight accommodation just before sunrise to head south, and we decide to avoid the busy national highway and take a more scenic detour. Now, and over the coming two days, I’m surprised by the 911E’s straight-line performance. At times I doubt the E’s ability during overtakes, but the car always reminds me not to underestimate its performance. I drop to fourth gear from top, and enjoy the rasping mechanical sounds that infiltrate the cabin as it builds speed confidently; you can sense this is partly because the car is such a lightweight.
As we make our way to Koffiefontein, a town whose roads are not particularly well maintained, the comfort of the 911 is highlighted. The E is fitted with standard 15-inch Fuchs wheels wrapped in plump 195/65 tyres, contributing to the pliant ride. The seats are another positive – if you spend hours on end seated and never think about them, you know they’re doing a fine job. They’re comfortable in the traditional classic car manner – they happily absorb your weight but provide little lateral support.
As the temperature starts to rise past 28°C I expect it to get exceptionally hot in here, especially with no air-conditioning. But open windows keep things bearable and there’s no wind buffeting in the cabin. It does become noisier, but the fresh breeze adds a welcoming feel as the Targa makes its way through South Africa’s vast and dry landscape. After the quiet backroads we cross the Orange River and arrive in the Northern Cape province. As we drive over the bridge the raw chatter of the flat-six is thrown back at us by every pillar. We stop in De Aar for a break and to refuel the Porsche and ourselves; the cabin heat that meets us when we return to the car after lunch takes us by surprise.
An old Porsche is a rare sight in these rural towns, and it receives a healthy amount of attention. Anonymous SUVS, hatchbacks and pick-up trucks are the staple here; a classic car stands out like the proverbial rose in the desert. Pedestrians, petrol attendants and fellow enthusiasts are eager to ask questions about the Tangerine Targa, even more so when I point them in the direction of Michelle. She’s only too happy to oblige, eagerly sharing the car’s history and her opinion on what makes them so special. But at the same time we’re both eager to climb onboard again and get going. With abundant enthusiasm for her new toy, she’ll say, ‘Let’s go, I’m ready to drive another few hours!’
RESTORING THE PORSCHE 911E
One of the most respected Porsche specialists in South Africa, Tim Abbot has restored and worked on several air-cooled 911 Targas. ‘One of the main challenges with this car was that the bodyshell was in quite a bad state.
‘It wasn’t 100% original; people had neglected and modified it over the years, fitting damaged battery boxes and oil coolers. The body had been a little butchered too. The saving grace was that the car hadn’t been involved in any major accidents, nor were there any serious structural outbreaks of rust. The only corrosion was around the front bumper and rear window.
‘The engine was another huge challenge, it hadn’t run for years when Michelle bought it.
Fortunately parts are available, so you just need to start at one end and work your way through. The mechanical fuel injection pump is another very costly exercise, whether to replace or to rebuild it. Thankfully I had a second-hand pump in stock, so we took the best parts of this one and the one that came with the car to make one good pump. The road trip was coming up, so there was a deadline when this car had to be done.
‘Normally the first drive after a restoration tells you a story. You put this car together over all these months, you think you’ve done it perfectly, but there will always be a few things that you pick up after a drive. However, after my initial 120mile drive, there were barely any snags – it just felt right.’
Soon the road surface improves on some sections at least and before long we’re back on the highway. The engine spins to 4000rpm while we hit 130kmph (80mph) in overtake mode, but it’s barely audible with the windows. When we need more, there’s plenty of rpm and power in reserve.
Evening means dinner at a typical Karoo guest farm before heading to our overnight accommodation 60 miles south in Beaufort West. For its age the lights of the Porsche do a fine job, but we do tag onto modern cars where possible. Large cattle, even hares, can present a danger at night – they’ll often freeze in their tracks if they see the lights of an approaching vehicle.
After close to 700 miles, we retire to our rooms. The largest portion of the trip is behind us and more importantly, so is the highest daily mileage we’ll cover. The Porsche hasn’t missed a beat and my appreciation for it has climbed a notch… again.
Day 3 – Beaufort West to Cape Town via Du Toitskloof Pass – 310 miles
We rise early for the final day of our trip. It comes with mixed emotions – it’s the closing chapter to an epic journey that started as an idea back in 2018, and will be complete in a few hours. But it also means I’ll finally have the chance to drive with some enthusiasm through a mountain pass – any 911’s natural environment.
The N1 cuts a black line through the landscape, inviting us southwest towards Cape Town. We can’t resist a stop at the tiny town of Matjiesfontein. Founded in 1884 by Scottish railway man James Douglas Logan, the town’s Lord Milner Hotel is a favourite stop, be it for overnight accommodation or a refreshment before you tackle the heat of South Africa’s heartland. We park outside the Marie Rawdon Museum, close to the London Routemaster bus that has somehow found its way here.
‘It’s in these moments, more than any other, that the 911 shrinks around me as it takes on this mountain with zest’
After leaving this stop we continue for another hour before we’re ready to finally leave the dry Karoo behind and dive down the Hex River Pass – but not before we pull over to remove the Targa top and stow it behind the seats. Hats on, we head down the pass, barrelling through the corners that twist down to sea level, snaking between the rock faces as we head to the Winelands. ‘This car has been perfectly set up,’ Michelle enthuses. ‘The gearshifts are spot on and the engine is as smooth as butter.’
The vineyards of South Africa’s wine region soon come into view. We continue past the town of Worcester and pull off the highway to the Ou Meul restaurant, its parking area filled with family SUVS en route to holiday destinations.
With a full stomach and less than two hours of driving left, I slip behind the wheel for the final time. The N1, now double lanes, arcs between the cliffs; you feel even smaller with these mountains towering around you. Instead of saving time and heading through the Du Toitskloof tunnel, we turn off early and head over the Du Toitskloof Pass, the moment I’ve been waiting for.
It takes just a few turns to underline the lightweight and compact nature of the 911. You can’t rush the five-speed gearbox, but then you also don’t want to – better to spend more time appreciating the steering feedback, the balanced suspension and the willing engine, keen from around 3000rpm. I change up shortly after 5000rpm even though there’s still around 2000rpm available; although the engine should now be fully run-in, I’ll leave the redline for the owner to chase in the coming weeks.
Changing direction is the 911’s forté. The rack-and-pinion system is brisk and it’s in these moments, more than any other of the trip, that the 911 shrinks around me as it takes on this mountain with zest. With the roof off, all sensations are elevated – the sun baking down on me, the mechanical buzz from the 2.0-litre flat-six engine. Apply the brakes and speed is scrubbed away with ease, inspiring confidence. There’s an impressive limit to the body roll as the suspension keeps all four tyres planted on tarmac and you can lean harder on the suspension than you’d expect from a 51-year old car.
We stop at one of the lookout points for the final rest before heading into Cape Town. I share my thoughts with Michelle about the car and how it coped with these exciting roads. Michelle climbs onboard for the final stretch into the city. We make our way to Signal Hill, one of Cape Town’s iconic stops above the city. The road runs around the hill, allowing you to see the city in its entirety, the ocean as well as the natural wonder that is Table Mountain. Having driven with the top down all day it’s time to block out the ferocity of the sun before our final run to Michelle’s home.
She admits that part of what makes this car so special for her is that she had to wait so many years before the restoration could start. ‘Then there was the agonising wait throughout the restoration process itself.’
With this memorable trip at an end we discuss the future, and her hopes of attending this year’s Bernina Gran Turismo hill climb.
What a trip; what a car. We often pamper our classics, but we should never forget to build lifelong memories with them too.