Chris and Jim - thanks for this one! I never get tired of this stuff!

Ah yes. Any current pics? Any progress on this Gem?

Progress is slow and "behind the scenes", mainly buying NOS parts in prep.

There won't be any significant work to report for some time. I won't perform any serious disassembly until I'm ready and "all in" on the project. That will be a while.

Most current pic I have of the car is an old photo from 1977, from an Australian mag.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360000854.jpg

Good plan. Please keep us updated.

A very distant third would be the last one sold by a dealer - which I understand to be a GTS somewhere in New Zealand - it sat on the showroom floor in Auckland for a good couple of years. Well, according to a chap on RoadFly a while back. The seller wanted NZ$50k for it recently.

I think there are a few people who'd be interested to know this. Said people's knowledge may be limited to it being overseas, in a private collection.

NZ and for sale, are big news, if in fact both happen to be true.

So cool. Interior and exterior will look beautiful when done.
Very cheerful and very '70s.
The car is so pure.

I can't wait to see that poor car restored!!!

I really like the profile of the front bumper/valence without the spoiler and ducts.
Brake cooling is needed though with the weight of a 928.
I wonder if restored well what a Collector would pay for numero uno?
What is everyone's guess?

Great question.

And despite how clean #1 is underneath ( I was up under there at the carwash that day) it needs some skilled, thorough refresh. Fortunately there is no evidence the car was thrashed. Owned by same USA guy for many years, cameo in one of the pictures.

Its unfortuate that Porsche has dumped its massive historical stash of early parts in the name of financial balance sheet gyrations. Jim has been collecting what critical pieces he can from the marketplace, but NOS stuff is drying up. So the cost of an early resto/referesh project is exploding in front of us.

If done right, mechanical and cosmetic, well over 6 figures is my WAG, immediately, and forever escalating in the out-years. But who knows? First car in a first batch, a marketing batch, prepared for the journalists to drive and photograph.

One of the more interesting things --- out of all us enthusiasts, it seems that only a couple free thinkers realized that #6, offered multiple times on craigslist, had any historical significance. James Morrison, Rixter on rennlist, and Jim. Went over everybody else's heads. Then the contest for "oldest Porsche of each series in North America" happened, #6 won as the oldest 928, and the rest of us said "wow".

Then #1 appears in a flash like a few subliminal frames in a movie, to the same guy who found #6. Weirdly cool.

I like the history part of this. Pre resto, post resto, either way its a rush to see the damn car, there is a churchie aura about the thing right now as it waits its turn.

What karma leads you to stumble across the oldest of any multi-year car series, whether its a 928 or a Plymouth Belvidere, Model A, whatever. Strange to find it. Who would have thought it was even in the United States to be found?

I'm a plodder. Kudos to others that have real vision. Collector? I don't know how they think. But this is sure a unique car.

Ed, thanks man! I don't get tired of it either.

Will do!

This car (and the #6 car) are about as pure as they come! I think the early cars are pure in general. This is what most attracts me to them.

Preachin' to the choir. ;) I can't wait to see your #295 restored!

What comes to mind, a couple Porsche production/prototype examples exist for reference.

- The first production 914-6 ('70), VIN 9140430011
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360428079.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360428110.jpg


- The oldest pre-production 901 (911, '64), VIN 13 327 (AKA #7)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360428166.jpg

The 914-6 is a low mile car, with restoration done by Hans Lapine at Kundensport.
Not sure of it's value, but I suspect it will only continue to rise.

The 901 was restored at a cost of over $200K. This one is the holy grail of 911-dom. This is a million dollar + car.

What does this all mean in terms of the restored value of the oldest Porsche 928? I don't really know.
However, it is clear to me that significant early Porsche's are revered, and command alot of attention and value.

A flash of subliminal frames is just how it happened. I like how you wrote that (may I use it?). This car could have easily gone the other direction, and it was well over halfway there.

#1 has been the most inspiring to me! Heck, started a whole business (928 Classics) surrounding it, with it's restoration being the end-goal. So for me, it is seriously Karmic, as part of my life flows towards it.

Thanks for the words, Landseer. :) This kindof stuff is what stokes the flames, and I relish in it... to keep my energy levels up. This one is going to require some serious enthusiam!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360502609.jpg

Ahh, the Valparaiso tranmission.
Still on the pallet.
I had a hand in that, too. LOL.

Jim,

I kind of like it in it's original state, it's the way I'd visualize the first production 928.

You wouldn't have to do a 100k dollar resto on the car, it will not affect the value enough imo. Collectors love original condition barn finds, it's all the rage.

It is worth 6 figures, i didn't want to say it first, but regardless if restored to concourse condition.

The 928 model because of it's departure from the Porsche norm is a very important Porsche no doubt about it. That makes numbero uno very interesting.

If it were mine, i would not restore but preserve and repair it as best i could keeping as much of the original car and paint intact.
I would ditch the added rub strips and leave the holes exposed, they tell part of the story. I'd clean the interior carefully and drive it the same way.

And just wait.

Or i could respray it in a month this spring!;)

Fly over one of the original painters of the early 928's to the US. Once here, He would probably do it for free. T

See what I mean^^^^ Another visionary!!! Great Idea.

hmmm, lets put mine next to 1 and see if he'll do a package free deal...

Fixer,
Good news is what you've suggested for #1 is exacly how I'm approaching #6.
I'm going for preservation with intent to drive and show it in PCA preservation class.

I've compared closely both cars, and though they were "cut from the same cloth", time has had a different impact on each.

It may be possible that I visualize a preservation position with #1, but that my only happen with what I learn from #6.

My concern is I can't see past the paint and body. Its rough, and in my mind can't be preserved.
And if I only repaint it, how much history of the original car's history will need to be removed?

It's a tricky pickle, and one that I'm slowly learning and working thru with the #6 car.
Everything I do on that car takes twice as long, observation and documentation, all with the intent to have an historical record to use for #1 (and itself, or future others).

All of this, not an easy proposition... and ones I consider carefully.

Good news is we can see how this plays out with #6. It's a real fun, active project...
With a lot a potential to blow the doors off the Porsche community, at large.

Thanks for sharing you feelings and opinions. I like this type of dialogue.

Ever watch the Porsche techs painting the 356s with only cloth masks, those poor guys probably all died with tanks on their backs. Look it up on YouTube very interesting.
Wonder what it was like in the 70s and 80s?

re, Primo and preservation,
You could replace the fender and match a replacement very well due to it being white and you could use the paint Porsche did.
Removing the faded rub strips (shame that was done) leaving the holes for now would be a big improvement. I would paint the hatch corrosion as well, it will have to be done at some point anyway. White is very easy to paint.
Then (again if it were mine) I'd gently polish the rest of the exterior out, clean everything inside gently, re glue some of the upholstery etc.. make it tip top mechanically, buy some vintage tires.. then stop.
It could look pretty nice as is. You could take it to shows.
That car needs to be shared.