After covering a ’71 2.2 Targa from
near death, they hatched a plan to bring this Seventies survivor back to its
former glory.
Josep Vicent is a man with an eye for the
aesthetic. He’s able to find beauty in almost everything, but for this
professional musician there’s one specific item that keeps attracting his eye -
the bodywork of the original 911. “When car design achieves its most sublime
perfection, it can be compared to the refinement of fine arts,” Josep says. “I
was always deeply moved by the single line that draws the body form of a
classic 911, from front to rear; stylish, aerodynamic and still strong and
sporty.” Obviously, a man willing to express his love for a car with such
platitudes must be an owner of one himself and he is.
1971
2.2 Targa
His 1971 2.2 Targa, lovingly referred to as
‘Black’ to mark its former guise, is representative of what happens when the
pursuit of beauty and perfection manifests itself in automotive form. What
seemed like the impossible became possible through hard work and dedication.
Had it not been for Josep, Black would likely be languishing in the Spanish
sun, but now it has been given a new lease of life.
Josep’s description of how he found the 911
sounds like something out of a movie. “I found Black lying dilapidated between
an old wall and a tree,” he says. “It was a helpless wreck, and I immediately
fell in love with it.” Despite being a nearly complete collection of parts, the
body was not in the best condition; rust was prevalent, which sent shivers of
doubt down Josep’s spine. “It really was in terrible shape. I gave it a night
of thought, and something kept telling me it was the right car, the one I had
been waiting on for so many years.” However, the cloud of doubt disappeared
after a bit more research, when Josep realised he was looking at a chassis with
matching numbers and a rich history. This specific Targa was originally
manufactured for the American market, passing through two Stateside owners
before making its way to Spain. Once in Europe, the car was due to be restored,
but that restoration was far from thorough, and the many underlying problems
that remained seemed to doom the car to sit outside for the rest of its days
until Josep discovered it. He purchased the old 911 with the intent to finish
what had already been half-heartedly started: a complete restoration from top
to bottom.
Josep
drew on his artistic background to find inspiration for the Targa project
“I bought Black with the idea of crafting a
true historic object. I worked on the restoration process as if it were a work
of art,” Josep said. “I wanted to bring it back to technical perfection. The
final goal was to make it my daily driver when at home between my tours.” Of
course, this wasn’t going to be a job of short order, so Josep sat down with
his assembled team and started plotting the restoration immediately after
purchase. With the help of his friends Jorge and Erik, they started by
determining exactly what they needed, then the three began putting together a
list of specific problems that would need to be tackled by specialists in these
fields. Given that Black was going to be the culmination of his oh-so specific
dream, Josep was lucky to find specialists reasonably nearby. “We chose a group
of people that were flexible and based close to me in Alicante, so I could
control the process every step of the way,” he recalls.
The engine rebuild was the first step in
bringing Black back from the dead, so Josep sent the vehicle to Salvador from
Talleres Astur, a Porsche specialist with years of experience as the head of
mechanics for Porsche Germany. The engine rebuild was no small task; upon
removing the motor, those decades of stagnation had taken their toll on the engine
components. The intake trumpets were rusty, parts were seized and there were
even animal nests in a handful of nooks and crannies. However, Salvador worked
his magic, restoring some of the parts and replacing others. Over the course of
the rebuild, every part was given a meticulous level of attention, even down to
the colour of the engine fan. The ‘golden vintage’ aesthetical theme of the
engine rebuild came to light through a mixture of black, gold and silver on
various parts of the engine trim. Even the raised Porsche letters on the engine
covers were repainted to match.
With the engine removed from the car, the
rest of the body needed some serious attention if it was going to look anything
like it did the day it rolled off the factory floor. “We decided to find an
older specialist for the body work,” Josep recalls, “Somebody who would be
ready to restore the needed parts exactly as it was done in the Seventies -
with a hammer and many, many hours of inspiration.” The body was of extreme
importance to Josep, who made it clear that purchasing new sections of the body
was not an option, as its original state was part of the reason why Black was
purchased in the first place. “The challenge was to own an original survivor,”
Josep says fondly.
In contrast to this mission of originality,
though, the rejuvenated bodywork was crowned with a coating of metallic silver
- a deliberate attempt to integrate a part of Porsche history with the classic
911. Josep explains: “A very important step in the process was to find and
purchase the exact same paint code from the Seventies - Glasurit Silver as seen
on Ferdinand Porsche’s very own 356.”
Josep's
beautiful 2.2 is now a far cry from the sorry state in which it was found
The body, however, was not the only area
that needed a thorough refresh. The interior would require a fair bit of work,
and as such Josep decided to alter the colour scheme to something unique, but
wholly complementary. While the Targa top would remain its de facto shade of
black, the interior would be reskinned in a chocolate motif with a hint of red.
Vintage touches continued with additional enhancements to the Targa’s interior,
including the centrepiece for Black’s steering wheel, with its bare metal structure
and original patina-laden leather Porsche crest providing an aura of retro
sport. “I am very proud of the wheel; it’s one of my special details,” Josep
says, “and it feels amazing!”
