It’s been absolute ages since I’ve provided an update on BLONDIE’s progress – apologies, but I’ve been busy. Back in March, at the time of the last update, she had just returned from Skunkwerks with a brand new paint job. With the paint & bodywork done; the remaining work fell neatly into two categories: Mechanical works undertaken by NINEAUTO and Interior works completed by BM Leather Creations.
Since receiving BLONDIE back from Skunkwerks, Stuart at NINEAUTO has woven his magic and turned BLONDIE into the rock star that she was always meant to be. Throughout this rejuvenation project I was always keen to draw on Stuart’s wealth of knowledge, and we had regularly discussions around the key mechanical decisions that needed to be made. Invariably those decisions generally went the way Stuart initially suggested… but it’s always fun to workshop ideas!
Our primary goal was to create a car, as close as possible to that which left the Porsche factory 40 years ago. This would be an exercise in over-capitalisation were it not for BLONDIE’s obvious desirability & provenance.
In order for BLONDIE to live up to her full potential, all the mechanicals, accessories and glass were removed from the body, disassembled and restored or replaced where not repairable.
The team at NINEAUTO then took the opportunity to completely dismantle the engine, suspension and brake systems to overhaul and restore to original (and in some cases, better than original) condition. The list of works completed are extensive and I am happy to share with anyone who is contemplating a similar restoration. Needless to say all wear parts were replaced with new, all core parts were cleaned, tolerance checked, machined where required and then restored to as new condition. The team then began fitting all the restored mechanicals and parts back onto the body
Fast forward a number of weeks, and Blondie was complete including new windows and seals and off to the Auto Electrician for the fitment of radio and air conditioning. After the AutoElec, it was off for a wheel alignment and time to road test the car.
I have to say that I’m thrilled with the outcome – BLONDIE is now back on the road again, and she’s genuinely a stunner! From a Mechanical perspective BLONDIE is starting the next 40 years effectively as a new car, and is an absolute pleasure to drive.
Bill Moussa from BM Leather Creations (as recommended by Rob Raymer) restored the interior and his work exceeded our expectations. From an interior perspective, BLONDIE is now in excellent condition, with new life breathed into a previously ‘well loved’ interior. Below are the items that Bill attended to.
Seats & Door trims:The entire interior was cleaned & detailed thoroughly. Front seats were recovered with correct Porsche Cork leatherette; all other cork leatherette surfaces were thoroughly cleaned. New orange ‘PRESS’ stickers were sourced for the seatbelt release buttons, as well as a new red knob for the heater adjustment.
Dashboard, Centre Console, Radio & Steering wheel:The Dashboard was thoroughly cleaned, removing evidence of a previous failed attempt to re-colour it. The tiny crack in the dash remains (although out-of-sight) and the result is that the original dash has been restored close to its’ former glory. The centre console and steering wheel were thoroughly cleaned and now complement the dash nicely. A period-correct Porsche branded Blaupunkt Dusseldorf Stereo radio-cassette was sourced from the UK (ChromeLondon) including an AUX cable for smartphone audio connection.
Carpet & Mats:The carpets, having seen 396,238km of wear and tear, needed extensive cleaning. With access to some additional used RHD Porsche 911 carpets in the correct cork colour, we were able to replace parts of the damaged and ‘uncleanable’ drivers side foot well carpet. As expected, mats were an interesting challenge. As with the radio, Australian delivered cars of the era were not delivered with floor mats. Locally sourced floor mats were generally used, but research uncovered our best option was to purchase sisal mats from cocomats.com in the USA. Great care was taken, with Cocomats first couriering printed mat patterns to allow us to ensure a perfect fit.
Headlining & Sun visors:The original headlining was a write-off, original Porsche material was therefore sourced and a new headlining was fabricated locally. New sun visors were sourced from Lakewell in Belgium.
Trunk (front boot) lining:The front boot lining replacement was also sourced from Lakewell. It is notoriously difficult to achieve a nice finish in the trunks of ‘old’ 911’s, but this one now looks fantastic.
With mechanicals, body and interior all totally refurbished, BLONDIE is now an outstanding Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0. Our target date for completion had always been September 6th 2017, as this is the 40th anniversary of BLONDIE being handed over to her first owner, way back in 1977. To celebrate that anniversary, Porsche Centre Melbourne’s passionate Classic Partner Manager, Ben Musu allowed us the honour of having BLONDIE prominently displayed in the Collingwood showroom. Let’s just say that she confidently stood her ground surrounded by both the latest and greatest products in Porsche’s current line-up, and a range of other classics that are on display.
In all, this has been a wonderful project with each of the selected service providers delivering top-quality results in a cost-effective manner, and with no nasty surprises. I feel both lucky and proud to have been able to bring BLONDIE back to her former glory, and prepare her for many more years of service. It is with deep regret that we weren’t able to share the finished product with Rob Raymer, and thank him for his recommendation. Yet again his assessment that BLONDIE was excellent raw material, was spot-on.
Keep an eye out for my next post where I’ll share stories about Blondie’s past life that I uncovered through some extensive investigative work.
Written by Peter Bosland