2016 PORSCHE CLASSIC RESTORATION COMPETITION
1986 PORSCHE 928 S
A LOCK-UP in London might lack the romance of a dusty countryside barn when it comes to sourcing your restoration project, but M&A Coachworks, bodyshop collaborator with Porsche Classic Partner Hatfield, wasn’t disappointed in the location. Because corralled inside was a 65,000-mile, 1986-vintage 928 S, an ideal front-engined, rear-transaxle Porsche to enter into the Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2016.
The Crystal Green Metallic V8-powered coupé had been bought new by a Nigerian family as a 21st birthday present for their son, according to M&A’s owner, Dean Dionisiou. ‘How it ended up in the lockup isn’t clear,’ reveals Dean, ‘but when we retrieved it, it was in a sorry state. Most of the interior had been chewed to pieces by rodents, and the bodywork was awful and neglected. The sill panels had rotted away and when we stripped off the front end it had obviously been in an accident.
‘We ordered new upholstery fabrics and leather from Porsche Classic in Stuttgart, and spent a lot of time sorting out the body and respraying it. The job turned out to be a massive undertaking, but we’re really, really proud of it, and even our rivals in the competition paid us compliments on the paintwork.’
That sense of achievement is shared by Porsche Classic Partner Hatfield’s team responsible for the mechanical rebuild, overseen by Simon Coath, a Porsche Classic technician. ‘Although the 928 S was basically sound, the challenge was to determine how many other parts might need replacing when you removed one problem component. It saves time when you can think ahead.
‘We serviced the engine, fitted new belts, and replaced lots of pipes that had perished with age. Although some of the suspension components had been replaced by a previous owner relatively recently, we fitted several others, along with new brake discs and pads and a new fuel tank cradle. We also refurbished the rare alloy wheels and treated them to fresh Pirellis. The electrics took one of our technicians four days to rectify, and the radiator had to be replaced because it featured more undergrowth than metal…
‘When all the competition cars were shipped to Germany, I was privileged to drive it for the parade laps around the Nürburgring – right behind Derek Bell himself, in the 924 Carrera GT Le Mans. Our 928 S felt magnificent.’