During the many years I’ve spent writing about air-cooled Porsches, I’ve shadowed a high number of exquisite restoration projects. Many have focused on returning a car to original specification — after all, in the current climate, this is where much of the value of a classic Porsche lies — while others have targeted personalisation, resulting in a bespoke retro ride configured to its owner’s exacting needs and wants. Considering the complexity of sympathetically restoring an air-cooled Porsche, which becomes increasingly complicated the further back in the manufacturer’s history the car was originally assembled, it’s not unusual for the timeline of these builds to be measured in years, a schedule often dictated by the available funds an owner can spare at any given time during the ongoing resurrection of their pride and joy. With this in mind, I am continually amazed by the ability of companies and individuals exhibiting at Nevada’s annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show to start and complete these kind of projects in the space of a year.
If that isn’t impressive enough, take stock of the fact Ravi Dolwani’s bonkers-spec 1982 911 SC restomod took just ten months to build before its grand unveiling at SEMA in 2021, where his company, CSF, exhibited the various direct-fit heat exchangers, intercoolers, oil coolers and coolant radiators it produces for premium sports cars, including Porsches. Before we delve into the transformation of his 911 into the 456bhp, 3.9-litre monster it is today, it’s worth us taking time out to explore the CSF
