Preserving History: Why a Classic Porsche Specialist is Critical for Your Air-Cooled 911

If you own an air-cooled Porsche 911, chances are you already know it’s not just a car, and it definitely doesn’t behave like anything built in the last 20 years. Whether you’re the proud custodian of a 964, 993, or earlier air-cooled icon, looking after one properly requires more than plugging in a diagnostic tool and changing the oil. This is where a classic Porsche specialist (and proper classic Porsche servicing) becomes essential not optional.

At RPM Technik, classic Porsches are a core part of what we do, our air-cooled department is headed up by Chris Boys. Chris has over 40 years of Porsche specialist experience working on every model of Porsche through from the 60s right up to 993s including legendary models such as RS’s and 959s.

The ‘Air-Cooled’ Difference (Why These Cars Are Special… and sometimes Fussy)

Air-cooled 911s are wonderfully mechanical things. No radiators, no electric water pumps, no modern engine management smoothing everything out. Instead, you’ve got a properly mechanical experience:

• Air and oil handling all the cooling work
• Mechanical valve trains that need adjustment
• Engines designed in an era when tolerances were checked with feeler gauges, not computers and lasers

Modern generalist garages can handle some modern cars, but Porsche’s air-cooled engines play by very different rules. Things like:

• Valve clearances that must be set manually and correctly
• Oil systems with multiple tanks, lines, and thermostats
• Cold-start behaviour that’s ‘characterful,’ not faulty, but needs to be understood
• Diagnostic work undertaken with experience, not AI

To the untrained eye, a little tappet noise or oil misting might look like a problem. To a Classic Porsche specialist, it’s often just part of the car’s language and knowing when that language is saying “help” is the key skill which only decades of experience can allow for.

Specialist Tooling & Knowledge (No Guesswork Allowed)

Air-cooled Porsches need more than enthusiasm they need the right tools and plenty of hands-on experience. At RPM Technik, we have a dedicated air-cooled department built specifically for these cars. That means:

• Porsche-specific tools designed for the older engines and drivetrains. We even have Classic Porsche diagnostic tooling to assess fuelling and flow rates
• A department of technicians who’ve worked on specifically air-cooled cars for years, completing maintenance and repair jobs that Porsche themselves haven’t been able to
• Long-term restoration experience, not just routine servicing, you can see our restorations and projects page for examples of these
• Restoration projects offer insight about things that normal servicing can’t. How metals age, the areas where corrosion hides, which parts wear before they fail, and which noises you absolutely shouldn’t ignore. That experience feeds directly into better day-to-day classic Porsche servicing

In short: we don’t guess. We know.

Preventative Maintenance: Old Cars Need Old-School Thinking

Classic Porsche servicing isn’t about waiting for warning lights because frankly, your 1990s and earlier Porsche doesn’t have many. It’s about prevention.

Some key differences compared to modern servicing include:

-Valve Clearance Adjustments

These engines need regular manual adjustment. Skip it, and you risk poor running, increased wear, or expensive surprises later down the line. This isn’t optional it’s fundamental air-cooled care to keep your Porsche running smooth.

-Oil Leaks (Yes, Really)

A completely dry air-cooled Porsche is about as rare as a quiet flat-six. The goal isn’t complete perfection it’s control. Knowing which are harmless and which signal bigger issues is something only a classic Porsche specialist can confidently judge.

-Rust Prevention

These cars are old enough to have seen more than a few winters (and in some cases a few questionable storage decisions throughout the years). Catching corrosion early especially in the more common areas such as around suspension mounts, windscreen surrounds, and oil lines can save on significant restoration costs later.

-Sympathetic Servicing

Classic cars don’t want rushed jobs or modern service schedules. They need time, inspection, and technicians who understand that preserving originality is just as important as keeping everything running smoothly. It’s important your classic Porsche is treated as a classic and not just a mass-manufactured sports car.

Looking After an Investment (and a piece of history)

Air-cooled 911s aren’t just appreciating assets, they’re rolling pieces of Porsche history. Maintaining that value means servicing them the right way, with people who understand how they were built and why exactly they behave the way they do.

Choosing a Classic Porsche specialist like RPM Technik isn’t about being precious, it’s about being sensible and doing things right. Proper classic Porsche servicing protects performance, reliability, originality, and long-term value while ensuring every drive still feels exactly how Stuttgart intended from the day it rolled off that production line. And let’s be honest: if you wanted sensible, you wouldn’t have bought an air-cooled 911 in the first place but maintaining it properly? That’s just good ownership.

If you are looking for best-in-class maintenance for your classic Porsche, please get in touch with our team to discuss the next steps!

Get in touch with us today to discuss any work for your air-cooled Porsche

For more information please get in touch with our team