For me, patience is not about the ability to wait; it’s about how you approach the wait.
It’s been two years since my last one Project 964 update, and a lot has happened since then. After addressing the water ingress issues, which required removing the entire interior carpeting and foam, the 31-year-old 911 had even more unwanted surprises for me.
But it’s the way I handled the challenges that allowed me to keep moving forward. The speedometer, oil cooler fan, taillights, and turn signals all started acting up, and then just as I was starting to recover from that, the power steering gave out. I made a simple decision: I had the car towed to a reputable import workshop in Tokyo to tackle everything in one go. My request was simple: make the car drivable again and take your time. I needed a break from the 964 and was hoping that some time away would rekindle my passion for it. And it worked.
Fast forward through several months of separation, and the car was back. That’s how I found myself on a hot summer day in Kyoto, behind the wheel of a slightly more functional (but still without air conditioning) old Porker.
I now had a new goal: with the car running again, it was time to tackle the handling and grip upgrades in one fell swoop.
The great guys at Hashimoto Corporation helped me find a KW Variant 3 coilover, and Yokohama Japan replaced the car’s 13-year-old, cracked and thoroughly heat-cycled tires with fresh, sticky Advan rubber.
Hashimoto has been an important partner for Speedhunters for more than ten years. Initially, he served as our merchandise distributor in Japan, working with us at Speedhunters Live events, Tokyo Auto Salon and more.
Their new headquarters, located in the heart of Kyoto after 101 years in business, is impressive, and I’ll take you inside in due course. Hashimoto Corporation is at the forefront of importing foreign car brands into Japan and is currently working with industry giants such as KW, BBS, Brembo, Akrapovič, CSVand Manthey Racing. When you walk into their showroom, you can’t miss the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, which uses custom KW dampers.
Kyoto is such an amazing place, quieter and more traditional than Tokyo, and you can see that right down to the vehicles on the streets. Hashimoto has an ever-changing range of demo cars, and one that caught my eye was this latest generation Toyota Vellfire, fitted to BBS wheels, KW suspension and Brembo brakes.
Until now, my 964 had remained mostly stock, save for a Speed Yellow respray the previous owner performed 15 years ago.
The suspension needed attention, though, and this is what we were working with beforehand: the original coilover setup in all its glory.
The 964 marked a shift in design, moving to McPherson struts and rigid lower aluminum A-arms, a substantial improvement over the older torque tube setup. This new configuration improved overall control and steering precision while providing the necessary clearance for the front differential on all-wheel drive models.
At the rear, the switch to semi-trailing arms reduced the car’s tendency to track out when lateral braking forces were applied. Being a 1993 model, my car also benefited from a minor 1991 update, which introduced different mounting points in the chassis and shorter springs and dampers, creating more cargo space for the Cabriolet variants. But it wasn’t until the 993 that Porsche completely redesigned the suspension and really improved the 911’s handling.
And then there were the brakes, which have seen better days. That’s likely the next project, either refurbishing the stock calipers and upgrading to slotted rotors, or switching to a larger, more modern braking setup.
But that’s for another time – today it’s all about the grip.
Fresh rubber
Within minutes of taking some photos in the wheel wells, the Hashimoto team dove straight into installing the new tires.
This was one of the most exciting upgrades I had anticipated: replacing the old, hardened tires with the latest high-performance rubber. Tire technology has come a long way in the last thirty years and the old car Michelins felt more like plastic than rubber. I expected a night and day difference in grip.
Yokohama Japan supplied me with a set of AD09s – the latest iteration of their iconic Advan Neova line, a product of decades of research and development. I had the privilege of being involved in the R&D of this band a few years ago, working with legends like Nobuteru Taniguchi and Manabu Orido as they tested various compounds for the final production version.
It feels extra special to have these tires running on my car now. Not only do they offer incredible handling and performance, but the tread design also looks aggressive and purposeful. When I see AD09s on a car in the wild, I know the owner cares about performance.
I kept the original tire sizes – 205/55R16 front and 225/50R16 rear – for two reasons: first, to be able to compare the old and new tires; second, because I love the chunky sidewall look of these cars. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile for performance and bigger brakes, but there’s something so cool about seeing a cutting-edge tire on an old wheel and chassis.
The new tires were mounted in no time and the wheels even got a quick wash. My OCD side was happy to see that the tire balance points were perfectly aligned with the valve stems – two of the four wheels balanced perfectly without the need for lead weights.
Damper time
Every time I lift the 964 I’m reminded of how far Porsche was ahead of the competition when the model was launched in 1989. The bottom is completely closed, while on Japanese or Italian cars of the same year you only see subframes. and exposed components, without considering airflow and aerodynamics. It is one of those small details that show how much care Porsche has paid to the technology.
The KW Variant 3 coilovers are another detail that is difficult to overestimate. I’m a big fan of KW; I have their coilovers on three of my cars, and they are a perfect blend of motorsport history and everyday comfort. This is no surprise as KW is an OEM supplier to top German manufacturers, so they know how to improve a car’s handling without sacrificing ride quality.
The Variant 3 kit features stainless steel construction, so rust isn’t an issue, and offers two-way adjustability for low-speed rebound and compression. After dialing in the settings, I knew the 964 would feel transformed, even if it meant highlighting the relative lack of power from the tired old air-cooled rear engine.
The standard front coilovers were the first to hit the market. This was the hardest thing for me to watch because in most cases the rubber in the top hats tends to crack and deteriorate, requiring a new OEM replacement. Luckily they were good so they could be reused with the KW kit. I didn’t opt for sturdy top mounts because my goal with this car was to keep it semi-comfortable for everyday use.
It was then a simple matter of inserting the KWs with their composite spring bars at the same height, threading in the bolts, aligning the lower mounting on the A-arms and torqueing everything to spec.
The result made me grin with pure satisfaction. I also loved how the signature yellow KW springs matched the 964’s bodywork.
Then it went to the back, which was a little more complicated.
This was mainly because the upper mounts were buried behind the engine, so the airbox, heater ducts and fan blower had to be removed to gain access. I felt sorry for the technician who struggled and strangled himself in the crazy summer heat to reach impossibly placed bolts.
As with the front, the rubber mounts were in good condition and could be reused, so it was just a matter of carefully reassembling everything.
After quite a bit of sweat and a few skinned knuckles, the back was done. The final step was to install the wheels, align the wheels and take it for a test drive.
It’s like a new car
I took the car into the hills outside Kyoto and found a deserted place heavy away, and put the 964 to the test.
The improvements started right away with the way the car just rolled down the street. This is thanks to the fresh rubber, which is perfectly balanced on each wheel. The steering felt more precise and nicely weighted just off center with clean and progressive feedback, but the resulting pin-sharp engagement surprised me.
There’s more willingness and the car stays completely flat, meaning you can bring a lot more speed into the corners and, with the squat of the rear under acceleration, get back on power sooner to punch out.
All the dampers are set to the same center position, so there are still some adjustments I need to fine-tune, starting with a little hiccup over imperfections that need to be smoothed out by a few clicks of the compression and rebound knobs.
But as it sits, I’m absolutely thrilled with how the 964 feels. It’s been a frustrating few years, and I’ve often wondered what I was thinking when I took on this project. But moments like these remind me why I keep going. The only question left now is: what’s next for my little, old, smoky Yellow Bird?
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
Additional photography by Alec Pender
Instagram: no plans co