by Rod Hersberger

This car had been sitting for ten years. That alone, when I saw it, suggested it is a car that needs someone with experience and some insight on what could be done and what it could be.

By the Editor, in conversation with Angel Martinez and Rod Hersberger

Rod Hersberger: This started last December. An e-mail found its way to me stating that the sender knew of a widow living across the street from him who has a 1969 911 T and could I help them find a buyer. I contacted SBR member Angel Martinez and we went to see the car. He was interested enough to want to take it to his shop for further evaluation.

Angel Martinez: Often when you go to look at a garage find you see something that is not pretty: there may be frame damage, hidden body damage, rust, rat’s nests, etc. The engine may not even turn. I wasn't expecting a lot, but when I saw this car I was surprised at how straight the car was, with no evidence of accidents or body damage and no sign of serious rust. This was a car that definitely wanted attention. So I decided to take it to my shop to give it a thorough inspection. I told the owner that I may be interested in purchasing it, or I may know someone who would be, but if not I would give her a full appraisal on what it would need for anyone else who might want to buy it.

We brought the car to my shop—The Paddock Motor Club in Goleta—and got it up on the lift. We didn’t find any significant rust and nothing was too alarming. The car was running when it was stored ten years ago and maybe started once after five years. The car had sat with oil and gas in it so the carburetors would have to be rebuilt before we could see if it would start. But before that, a compression test and leak down test would be necessary to determine the overall health of the internal engine components. The fuel tank may have to be removed and cleaned. Most important, the engine turned by hand. And so I decided to buy it.

What’s immediately ahead is to drop and thoroughly evaluate the 2.0 liter engine. Our contact said that thirty years ago he and the previous owner pulled the engine and brought it to Joe Schneider. That hasn’t been confirmed, but Joe may have rebuilt the engine once before.

The first owner was a student at UCSB who bought the 911 new in 1969. The second owner bought it in 1974. He was an engineer at Raytheon and used the car for local travel and only the occasional longer trip. It has 113,700 mostly local miles on the odometer.

Editor: Let’s look ahead. What's your plan with the car now that you are going to keep it?

Angel: My intention is to do what is called a “sympathetic restoration,” which means correcting all the mechanical and any structural issues, while maintaining the cosmetic effects of history and use (patina, period modifications, etc.). It makes for a usable, vintage car without erasing its history. In this specific case I’ll preserve everything I can, like the Ossi Blue paint, parts of the interior, and the original 2.0 liter motor: it is a numbers-matching car. I want to make it reliable and drivable. These cars handle beautifully; they are light, nimble, and well balanced, and make all the right sounds. You can have so much fun with these cars. I don’t have immediate plans to show it, but if shown in a PCA concours it would probably be in the Preservation Class.

Opposite and above: The find, where it rested for a decade, photos by Angel Martinez.

Editor I think our readers might be interested in a series of articles on your project. One would be now with the car as you found it. Another would be when you’re well into your assessment, started the restoration, and know where it will go from there. A third could be when nearly completed, and the final would be the grand unveiling, perhaps at the SBR Concours this fall.

Angel: That’s possible. With a car this age you never know what you will find. There are always surprises. I mentioned the interior: headliner and door panels need to be replaced, there is a plastic dash cap hiding who knows what, that sort of thing. All the rubber will have to be replaced. The exterior needs a good washing and polishing, but I don’t intend to repaint it. The goal is to make the car drivable, something not so precious that you don’t want to drive it to cars & coffee or take on weekend trips and rallies. For what it’s worth, in my opinion there are too many so-called “precious cars.” Growing up, all of the Porsches I saw were driver’s cars. It’s often said that Porsches are made to be driven and it's true. I want to leave this one largely as it is, but make it mechanically perfect and a lot fun to drive. I don’t mind the patina of rock chips on the front hood and bumper and an ever expanding bug collection. These cars stand out precisely because they are not precious and people are driving them. It’s a true garage find and with the shape it's in is very rare.

Rod: That’s great. We are grateful that you have let us in on the early stages of your project. And I’m sure Joe Schneider’s 55 years of experience will give us great insights as well as to what it takes to put this 911 T back on the road. I look forward very much to seeing what he and you uncover and the next installment—the surprises and all.

Top left: Angel with his new project. Top right: President Rod and Angel admiring the business end of the 911 T. Photos by Dennis Power

We know that a 1969 911 is valued today because of its history and rarity. What was it thought of back when it was introduced? In the archives of Car and Driver magazine I found a March 1969 article by none other than Mark Donohue, the American race car driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as drive it to victories. He and the staff of the magazine compared a 912 and the then new 911 T along with the fuel injected 911 E and 911 S, both on public roads and the track. In addition to liking the overall balance of the T, Donohue added, "The 125 horsepower 911 T turned out to be everybody's favorite, not only at Marlboro, where its relatively high torque at low rpm allowed it to turn the second fastest lap times, but in traffic where the torque once again made it the easiest car to drive."

—Editor

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