“Every time you restore a Porsche a piece of you is left behind; all leave a fondness in my heart.” Chatting with Autofarm’s managing director Mikey Wastie about his specialist subject of Porsche restoration reveals not only a genuine passion for the job but also an approach arguably unique in its philosophy.
He refers to it as ‘preservation’, this concept of being true to the car’s original design as much as possible so that in Mikey’s words: “The cars live on as intended after their current owners.”
A client could have a specific goal in mind, but Autofarm may feel less inclined to indulge the request if the team thinks it sits less than comfortably with its vision.
“I’m always keen to stick to originality if the car’s in good condition,” says Mikey.
“The older cars were produced in such low numbers compared with what’s being produced now, so if there’s a certain colour with specific options it makes that car quite special.
“Let’s say there’s a very genuine 911 S with an amazing history and the guy wants to turn it into a G series 3.0-litre RSR car. I’d tell him to restore the car as it should be, sell it for a good return and buy a G series car that’s not worth a lot of money. Don’t chop up a good car.”
Autofarm treats every car individually, eschewing the idea of following a set pattern when bringing it up to scratch.
“People say there’s an exact process for restoring a car. But every car is different, with varying degrees of decay and originality. There’s a lot of fact-finding before you conclude how you’ll approach it,” says Mikey.
In the motor trade context, ‘restoration’ has a very specific definition. Even so, every owner is likely to have their own interpretation of what they want from a restoration, and it may not necessarily involve making an old car look brand new. That’s why Mikey prefers a different approach: “We put cars through what I call preservation. There’s a happy medium where you get the balance right. Like an artist, you have to go with your feeling as you’re putting the car together.”
It all starts with an initial assessment, with the customer taken on a tour of their own car. “Broadly speaking, with every car you can see past the outer coating of the paint,” says Mikey. “If you have three or four hours with the car, you get a good feeling how much or how little the car needs. That’s always really nice to do with the customer.”
What also jumps out regarding Autofarm’s approach is its detailed archive of information, collated since the company was co-founded in 1973 by Josh Sadler, now heritage director.
“I’ve been documenting for 20 years and Josh has been at it for 40,” says Mikey. “Most of the information we hold on file is handwritten. You never stop learning and tend to take away a little piece of information for the next car. That’s the most important thing; the cars tell different stories and provide different facts.
“When Porsche were making these cars in the 1970s, especially specific models like the 2.7 RS, they were hand built. Two cars next to each other would be slightly different in detail. Even if you refer to the bible books, which state that there should be an aluminium axle, on occasions you’ll actually find an example with a steel one. If you restore 30 RSs, it’s not guaranteed that the last one will be the same as the other 29.”
With such a fastidious approach to preservation, what’s Mikey’s advice for those looking to take the plunge? “Look for a car that has good history, good provenance. The price is actually irrelevant. If it has good footings to build on, it’s a good starting point,” he says.
“If your goal is to turn a profit in a couple of years, then it’s probably not for you. But if you’re looking for a long-term investment that you can also use, enjoy and cherish – as well as seeing a return on in the future – I can’t think of anything better.”