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For me, patience isn’t about the ability to wait; it’s about how you approach the wait.
It’s been two years since my last Project 964 update, and a lot has happened since. After addressing the water ingress issues that required the entire interior carpeting and foam to be pulled out, the 31-year-old 911 had more unwanted surprises for me.
But it’s how I handled those challenges that allowed me to keep moving forward. The speedometer, the oil cooler fan, the rear lights, the indicators all began playing up, and then, just as I was starting to recover from those, the power steering let go. I made a simple decision: I had the car towed to a reputable import workshop in Tokyo to tackle everything at once. My request was straightforward: make the car drivable again, and take your time. I needed a break from the 964 and hoped that time away would reignite my passion for it. And it worked.
Fast forward through several months of separation, and the car was back. This is how I found myself in Kyoto one hot summer day, behind the wheel of a slightly more functional (but still air-con-less) old Porker.
I now had a new goal: while the car was running again, it was time to tackle the handling and grip upgrades in one fell swoop.
The awesome guys at Hashimoto Corporation helped me source a KW Variant 3 coilover kit, and Yokohama Japan replaced the car’s 13-year-old, cracked, and thoroughly heat-cycled tires with fresh, sticky Advan rubber.
Hashimoto has been a key partner for Speedhunters for over a decade, initially serving as our Japan merchandise distributor and collaborating with us on Speedhunters Live events, Tokyo Auto Salon, and more.
Their new headquarters, situated in the heart of Kyoto after 101 years in business, is impressive, and I’ll be bringing you a look inside in due course. Hashimoto Corporation has been at the forefront of importing foreign automotive brands into Japan and currently partners with industry giants like KW, BBS, Brembo, Akrapovič, CSF, and Manthey Racing. Walking into their showroom, you can’t miss the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, which runs custom KW dampers.
Kyoto is such an amazing place, quieter and more traditional than Tokyo, and you see that right down to the vehicles out on the street. Hashimoto has an ever-changing array of demo cars, and one that caught my eye was this latest-gen Toyota Vellfire, sitting on BBS wheels, KW suspension, and Brembo brakes.
Until now, my 964 had remained largely stock, aside from a Speed Yellow respray done by the previous owner 15 years ago.
The suspension needed attention, though, and here’s what we were working with up front: 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 space for the front differential in all-wheel-drive models.
At the rear, the switch to semi-trailing arms reduced the tendency for the car to toe out when lateral braking forces were applied. Being a 1993 model, my car also benefited from a small update made in 1991 that introduced different mounting points into the chassis and brought shorter springs and dampers, which helped create more cargo space for the Cabriolet variants. But it wasn’t until the 993 that Porsche fully redesigned the suspension and really buttoned up the 911’s handling.
And then there were the brakes, which have seen better days. That’s probably the next project, either refurbishing the stock calipers and upgrading to slotted rotors or switching to a larger, more modern brake setup.
But that’s for another time – today, it’s all about the grip.
Fresh Rubber
Within minutes of me grabbing some shots in the wheel wells, the Hashimoto team dove right into fitting the new tires.
This was one of the most exciting upgrades I’d been anticipating – swapping out the ancient, hardened tires for some of the latest high-performance rubber. Tire technology has come a long way in the past 30 years, and the car’s old 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 from their iconic Advan Neova line, a product of decades of research and development. I had the privilege of being involved in this tire’s R&D a few years ago, working alongside legends like Nobuteru Taniguchi and Manabu Orido as they tested various compounds for the final production version.
To now be running these tires on my car feels extra special. Not only do they provide incredible handling and performance, but the tread design looks aggressive and purposeful. If I spot AD09s on any car out in the wild, I know the owner cares about performance.
I kept the original tire sizes – 205/55R16 in front and 225/50R16 out back – for two reasons: first, for the sake of comparison between the old and new tires; second, because I love the chunky sidewall look on these cars. Sometimes, you have to inch up for performance and bigger brakes, but there’s something so cool about seeing a cutting-edge tire on an old wheel and chassis.
In no time, the new tires were fitted, and the wheels were even given a quick wash. My OCD side was happy to see that the tire balance points were aligned perfectly with the valve stems – two out of four wheels balancing perfectly without the need for any lead weights.
Damper Time
Every time I lift the 964, I’m reminded of how far ahead Porsche was from the competition when the model launched in 1989. The underside is completely sealed off, while with Japanese or Italian cars of the same vintage, all you see are subframes and exposed components, with no consideration given to airflow and aerodynamics. It’s one of those small details that shows the care Porsche put into their engineering.
The KW Variant 3 coilovers are another detail that’s hard to overstate. I’m a big fan of KW; I have their coilovers on three of my cars, and they’re a perfect blend of motorsport pedigree and everyday comfort. This is no surprise as KW is an OEM supplier to top German manufacturers, so they know how to enhance a car’s handling without compromising ride quality.
The Variant 3 kit features inox-line construction, so rust isn’t a concern, and it offers two-way adjustability for rebound and low-speed 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 engine out back.
The stock front coilovers were the first to come out. This was the hardest part to watch for me as, 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 go for solid top mounts because my goal for this car was to keep it semi-comfortable for daily use.
It was then a simple matter of inserting the KWs with their composite spring perches set at the same height, threading the bolts, aligning the lower mount on the A-arms, and torquing it all to spec.
The result made me grin with pure satisfaction. I also loved how the signature yellow KW springs matched the 964’s body.
Then it was on to the rear, which was a little more complicated.
This was mostly because the top mounts were buried behind the engine, so the airbox, heater pipes, and fan blower had to be removed to gain access. I felt bad for the technician who struggled in the crazy summer heat, contorting himself to get to impossibly positioned bolts.
As at the front, the rubber mounts were in decent shape and could be reused, so it was just a matter of carefully reassembling everything.
After a fair bit of sweat and a few skinned knuckles, the rear was done. The last step was to fit the wheels, get the alignment dialed in, and take it for a test drive.
It’s Like A New Car
I took the car up into the hills outside Kyoto, found a deserted touge road, and put the 964 through its paces.
The improvements started immediately with the way the car just rolled down the street. This is down to the fresh rubber, perfectly balanced on each wheel. The steering felt more accurate and beautifully weighted just off center with clean and progressive feedback, but the resulting pin-sharp turn-in caught me off guard.
There’s more willingness, and the car stays completely flat, meaning you can bring in a lot more speed into corners and, with the squat of the rear under acceleration, get back on power earlier to punch out.
All dampers have been set to the same mid-setting, so there are still some adjustments that I need to fine-tune, starting with a little choppiness over imperfections that should be eased away by edging off a few clicks on the compression and rebound dials.
But as it sits, I’m absolutely over the moon 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. Now, the only question left 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: noplansco