Porsche 911 S

Immediately after his purchase, Robinson had the dealer install round fog lamps, bumper guards, a set of coco mats and also had the dealership change out the Becker radio to a Blaupunkt AM/FM unit, which remains in the car today. Having been originally outfitted with the often finicky Boge hydro-pneumatic front suspension, Robinson decided in 1970 to replace this set up with Koni shock absorbers all around. Other items installed on the car in the 1970s included stainless rocker trim, lower bumper mounted Hella fog lamps, a Mohn ski-rack, and painted center caps for the Fuchs alloy wheels. Throughout his 43 year tenure as the original owner, fastidious records were retained including service stamps in the factory booklet, receipts for oil changes and various other services. On February 17, 1976 the car was serviced at Forest Lan Porsche Audi in Dallas, Texas to repair a broken odometer. A brand-new unit was installed with zero miles. The original unit showed 69,337 miles at the time of replacement. The car was sold in 2012 to the second owner who carefully recorded the miles on February 29, 2012 at date of purchase, showing 66,347 miles. These miles, along with the previous 69,337 totaled up to 135,684 miles at that time. Today the odometer indicates 69,006 resulting in 138,343 total miles on the car based on these documented accounts. Included with the sale of the car is a statement from the original and second owner concurring that the time between replacement of the odometer and the recorded miles, roughly 2,500 additional miles were put on the car before the new unit was installed, resulting in approximately 141,000 miles on the car.

In the 1980s the car was repainted in a beautiful shade of metallic blue. This is the finish that remains on the car today. During the second owner’s tenure with the car, the fuel injection throttle bodies, linkages, lines, and brackets were removed and restored by Houston, Texas experts at Beverly Hills Automotive, July 2014. Also at this time the lower front ball joints were replaced, the dashboard was removed and restored, and the front seat backs were recovered. In 2013 Rennsport of Sealy, Texas was engaged to rebuild and restore the engine (odometer reading 67,342 at time of engine rebuild). In addition to the comprehensive engine rebuild, a new fuel pump, rebuilt pedal assemblies, new A/C hoses and drier bottle were also installed in the car. The current owner purchased the car in 2017 and has performed only mild required service as very few miles have been added during his ownership.

Today, this matching numbers, rare metallic blue 911S Targa exhibits good paint with high gloss and very smooth coverage throughout, though showing signs of regular use since being repainted in the 1980s. There are several small chips on the hood and in the front portion of the car, and minor areas of aging in the front bumper trim. The doorjambs and other inner body surfaces display good paint finish, though some areas of the newer paint have been relieved, revealing the original paint underneath, which displays a slight variation in hue. The rubber and weather stripping overall remains in good condition. All panels open and shut as expected with the door edges showing minor paint chips in a few places. Excellent fit and finish is evident in the body panels, consistent with factory dimensions and construction, offering crisp door closures, excellent hood fit, and proper part lines. In keeping with is largely original presentation, some minor bubbles have formed at the bottom trailing edge of the passenger’s door, and there is a quarter-sized area of corrosion evident near the “Targa” on the driver’s side quarter panel.

The Targa roof fits properly to the header and Targa bar but shows some areas of age or the roof material, which appears consistent with original construction. The chrome, lights, lenses, and glass are in very good condition with good gloss, clarity, and coloring, showing only minor imperfections to the various painted details. The exterior window trim and silver Targa bar are in particularly fine condition. The correct style Fuchs wheels are shod with contemporary Michelin tires, showing only minor visual blemishes. The original Fuchs recessed black sections have faded, but this only enhances the originality of the car giving it an authentic and honest appearance.

The interior is very pleasing as it has been prepared as a fine combination of original materials and restored panels, replaced only as needed. The door panels, dash, and rear seats are very nicely presented showing a generally matching appearance, with a balanced, patinated feel to the materials. The beautifully finished instrument panel houses excellent gauges, proper switches, and correct controls for the rare air conditioning unit and factory air conditioning vents. The original carpeting is in good condition overall, showing some thread wear in the driver’s side footbox, and near the seatbelt attachment point. A set of vintage style Coco mats are included. The steering wheel, radio, and wonderfully preserved knobs and switches handsomely complete the black interior.

The engine compartment and trunk are both very tidy and reflect the quality of the restoration and respect given to the original portions of this Porsche in recent years. The matching numbers engine has not only been mechanically rebuilt, it has been restored utilizing correct finishes and appropriate fittings, and original style components resulting in a very cohesive overall presentation.

The trunk features a correct factory Fuchs spare tire and proper finishes, all supported by factory original construction when viewed closely. The undercarriage is clean and solid, displaying a generally enjoyed car with correct exhaust and clean engine components prepared when the engine was restored and rebuilt. The floor pan and rocker panels appear original with no notable damage to the structure.

The car starts quickly, revs responsively, and delivers a pleasing exhaust note when blipping the throttle. Seating position and controls feel just right with comfortable feel to the seat cushions. On the road, this 911S performs with wonderful power on tap, delivering a pleasant ride, responsive handling, and spirited acceleration through the powerband. The car pulls cleanly through the rev range without hesitation or excessive vibration. Shifts are smooth warm or cold with good synchros, save for first gear which exhibits some wear. The brakes pull down straight without rotor runout and a solid, high pedal. Overall the driving experience is very pleasant and rewarding particularly considering the originality and care this car has enjoyed. This 911S Targa is offered with a substantial file of purchase records, window sticker, purchase invoice, original Porsche owner’s manual, Porsche maintenance record book with several stamps, selected pieces of accessory factory literature including the Mohn ski rack pamphlet, skis and ski rack, a tool roll and tools, jack, Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and records dating back to the original purchase as well as subsequent records documenting the recent engine rebuild and mechanical restoration.

Early Porsche 911s have become more and more sought after in recent years since their 1965 debut in North America, and fully documented original cars are becoming harder and harder to find. With this rare example being one of only 614 built in the 911S Targa configuration, it is all the more remarkable that this car has survived in such original condition today. This exceptionally well-maintained and preserved 911S Targa combines great driving pleasure and wonderful cosmetics in delightful car ready for both enjoyable tours and concours presentation, representing the finest in early 911 design and development.

THE 911 TARGA

The iconic Porsche 911 Targa combines exceptional design and superb road manners in a wonderfully engaging open sports car. The 911, originally revealed in the fall of 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, was the much-heralded replacement for the highly successful 356. The 911 arrived with more power, more comfort, and a favorable price when compared against comparable cars of the period. Performance and sales were brisk, but as Porsche often did, immediate performance enhancements were put in place. In 1968 the wheelbase was increased 2.25” to improve handling, (cleverly relocating the independently sprung rear wheel mounts without changing costly body tooling), lightening the crankcase with magnesium castings, and delicately flaring the wheel arches to allow room for wider wheels and tires.

Agile and capable, the only feature lacking in the early 911 lineup was a convertible model for the American market. Efforts were made to build a convertible 911 but roll-over protection was deemed a critical safety requirement by the Porsche team who worried that the US would exclude fully open cars for road use. Thus, entered the “Targa” design. Allowing open-air motoring while retaining body rigidity and safety, the 911 Targa became a hit with US buyers, arriving in 1967, first with a removable soft back window and later with wrap-around rear glass.

In 1969 Porsche introduced the performance packed 911S, which included titanium alloy connecting rods, a re-profiled camshaft, larger valves, better porting, higher compression and Bosch mechanical fuel injection. All this resulted in 30 more horsepower for an impressive 180 horsepower. Chassis upgrades included a rear anti-roll bar, Koni shocks and ventilated disc brakes, which replaced the standard solid rotors. For the S model, special gear ratios were installed in the five-speed transmission including an overdrive in 5th gear. Certainly all 911 series cars were quite powerful and formidable on the road, but when first released, the 911S was the preferred choice of performance enthusiasts and continues to be so today.