The Art of the Air-Cooled Rebuild: A 1973 Carrera RS Story

The Beginning

When this 1973 Carrera RS rolled into our shop, it was a shadow of its former glory. Forty years of track abuse, questionable modifications, and neglected maintenance had taken their toll. But beneath the patina and the poor respray, we knew what it really was — one of roughly 1,580 RS models ever produced.

The Teardown

Every restoration begins with documentation. We photographed every angle, every fastener, every serial number. The car was then systematically disassembled, with each component cataloged, bagged, and labeled.

The shell went out for media blasting, revealing the original Grand Prix White underneath three layers of non-factory paint. Remarkably, the body was largely rust-free — a testament to its dry California storage.

The Engine

The heart of any RS is its 2.7-liter flat-six. Ours had good compression but showed signs of oil consumption and tired valve guides. We performed a complete rebuild:

• New Mahle pistons and cylinders
• Rebuilt cylinder heads with new valve guides and seats
• New chain tensioners and guides
• Period-correct Bosch MFI fuel injection rebuild

The Result

After 3,000 hours of meticulous work, the RS fired for the first time. That distinctive flat-six bark, clean and mechanical, filled the shop. The car now sits as it did in 1973 — pure, unmodified, and ready for another fifty years.

"Every Porsche tells a story. Our job is to make sure that story continues."