CPR Classic Restoration a World-Renowned Porsche Restoration Giant Hidden in Fallbrook by Tom Ferrall
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CPR has been located in Fallbrook for 25 years and is currently the largest Porsche restoration company in the continental U.S.
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[Above] CPR Classic Restoration body shop service manager Dean Reade (left), and CPR Classic Restoration general manager Mike Heilbronn. Shane Gibson photos
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id you know that people from around the world send their Porsches to Fallbrook to be restored? Neither did we – until we visited CPR Classic Restoration and toured its numerous work stations, where classic cars are literally stripped down to their metal frames and then reassembled to exact, original Porsche specifications. CPR has been located in Fallbrook for 25 years and is currently the largest Porsche restoration company in the continental U.S. CPR was originally founded by the Doherty family and is currently owned and managed by Andrea Doherty, daughter and niece of the original founders. “Right now, we have over 90 cars in restoration,” said CPR general manager Michael Heilbronn in a February interview. “We try to put out between two and four a month – two is a goal, four is always better. Primarily, the cars that we do are Porsche 356s years ‘54 to ‘65, and early 911s, ‘65 to ‘73. These are all considered collector’s cars.” When cars arrive at CPR, they often look like anything but “a classic.” Some have been badly neglected (how does somebody neglect at Porsche?) and many have been involved in
accidents. Quite frequently, the car’s history reveals less-than-stellar repair jobs. “Most of the time we spend our time fixing other people’s fixes,” said CPR service manager Dean Reade. CPR has built a world-renowned reputation for restoring Porsches to their original pristine condition. “When a restoration (car) comes in, one of the first things we do is order the COA (certificate of authenticity) from Porsche,” said Reade. “They send us the certificate based on the vehicles VIN number, and the COA tells us when the car was manufactured and what the car’s options were, color of exterior and interior, motor/transmission serial number along with any additional client ordered options. We then take that COA and establish our build sheet or work scope. When the car leaves here, we want it to be as original as possible. That’s where your value is. That’s where the car will command the best money value – originality.” CPR purchases parts in the U.S. from Stoddard, an Ohio company that deals in classic Porsche parts and in Germany from Porsche, along with other venders throughout the U.S. www.discoverfallbrook.com