1990 PORSCHE 911

1990 Porsche 911 964 Carrera C2 ‘restomod’. A painstaking restoration project with performance modifications developed to create the ultimate road driving 964. Built by the go to experts Neil Bainbridge at BS Motorsport. Oak Green Metallic with black leather and bespoke tartan interior. Spec. highlights include 3.8 litre (380 bhp) Mahla engine upgrade running ATP throttle bodies and MoTeC ECU, 5-speed manual conversion, TracTive active suspension and Brembo brake upgrade. 36,062 miles (6,000 since restoration).

SPEC:

- Concours level bare metal restoration

- Colour change to Oak Green metallic

- Converted to manual 5-Speed with LSD

- Mahla engine upgrade from 3.6 to 3.8 litre

- Converted from fuel injection to ATP throttle bodies.

- MoTeC M130 ECU

- RS Clutch and flywheel

- Engine remapped

- Brembo brakes

- Electronic Power steering

- Electronic A/C

- Custom half cage fitted

- Custom tartan trim interior by Nicholas Mee

- Custom carpet set

- Alcantara roof lining

- MOMO Black Edition Prototipo steering wheel

- 380 BHP

- 1140 kg

Far more than a cosmetically restored 964, this is the resolved outcome of a long-term owner commission in which the shell, engine, transmission, suspension, braking and cabin were developed as one car - not as a collection of unrelated upgrades with the singular aim of producing the ultimate drivers 964.

Chassis WP0ZZZ96ZLS408158 began life as a Japanese-market 1990 Carrera 2 Coupe, originally finished in Satin Black with a Black leather interior and equipped with Tiptronic transmission. It was first registered on 29 August 1990 and acquired by its long-term owner in 2015.

The project was entrusted to BS Motorsport / Neil Bainbridge Engineering, whose long-standing experience spans the most important road and competition derivatives of the air-cooled 911, including RS, RSR and Cup machinery. That background matters: the best restomods are defined less by headline parts than by integration, calibration and the judgement to know where additional performance improves the car - and where restraint preserves it.

The body was stripped and the shell hydro-jet blasted back to bare metal, allowing the restoration to begin from a properly exposed foundation. The original sunroof was deleted, cleaning the roofline and removing unnecessary weight from the highest point of the structure. The shell was then refinished by Sportwagen in Germany to concours standard in Oak Green Metallic - a sophisticated, period-credible colour that gives the familiar 964 form unusual depth without overwhelming its understated design.

The original 3.6-litre flat-six was not merely rebuilt; it was comprehensively reconfigured around the response, texture and upper-register urgency of a serious naturally aspirated Porsche engine.

Displacement was increased from 3.6 to 3.8 litres using Mahle components, supported by Cup camshafts and AT Power individual throttle bodies. The throttle system gives each cylinder a more direct path to the driver's right foot, sharpening response and lending the engine the distinctive induction character that defines the finest multi-throttle air-cooled builds. A MoTeC M130 engine-management system provides the control needed to calibrate fuelling and ignition precisely around the upgraded hardware.

Following mapping, output is stated at approximately 380 bhp - a substantial increase over the 250 PS of a standard Carrera 2. More important than the number is the manner in which it is delivered: immediate throttle response, greater torque and a harder-edged climb through the rev range, without diluting the naturally aspirated qualities that give an air-cooled 911 its sense of occasion.

The original Tiptronic has been replaced by a five-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential, transforming the relationship between driver and engine. An RS clutch and flywheel add sharper engagement and reduced rotational inertia, allowing the 3.8-litre flat-six to gain and shed revs with greater immediacy

Chassis development centres on TracTive Active Controlled Electronics suspension. The semi-active system allows the damping of the front and rear axles to be adjusted independently through five positions, with separate five-stage control of roll and pitch. Five configurable presets are accessed through an in-car touchscreen, allowing the car to move quickly from a supple road setting to a more tightly controlled sporting or circuit configuration.

This breadth is especially valuable in a 964 restomod. Rather than committing the car to one unyielding spring-and-damper compromise, the TracTive installation broadens its operating window while continuously controlling body movement. The braking system has been developed to match, using Brembo 993 RS hardware at the front and large-format Brembo brakes at the rear for the thermal capacity and pedal confidence demanded by the increased performance.

The original engine-driven power-steering and air-conditioning installations have been removed from the engine bay and replaced by electric systems located at the front of the car. The conversion reduces parasitic demand on the flat-six and cleans the rear-engine installation, while retaining the assistance and cabin comfort that make a road-focused 964 genuinely usable. A custom half cage adds structural purpose and an appropriate motorsport reference without turning the cabin into a stripped competition environment.

The interior completes the project with the same balance of character and restraint: bespoke enough to feel special, yet entirely at home within the honest, compact architecture of a 964.

Nicholas Mee's trim department created a custom tartan interior, complemented by a bespoke carpet set and an Alcantara headlining. The textile-led treatment brings warmth and visual identity to the cabin without chasing modern luxury-car excess. A MOMO Black Edition Prototipo steering wheel provides the final tactile connection - simple, purposeful and perfectly suited to the more focused manual drivetrain.

Restomods are ultimately judged by coherence. Here, every change serves one brief: to intensify the 964 without erasing it. The 3.8-litre engine and manual gearbox supply the drama; the limited-slip differential, TracTive suspension and Brembo braking give the chassis the authority to use it; electric steering assistance and air conditioning preserve the qualities that encourage long-distance use rather than occasional display.

For the enthusiast seeking the scale, delicacy and air-cooled character of a classic 911 with serious naturally aspirated performance, this is a rare opportunity to acquire the fully resolved result rather than begin another multi-year commission.