zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Porsche Is Restoring the 959 Paris Dakar and Taking Us Along for the Ride
Porsche Is Restoring the 959 Paris Dakar and Taking Us Along for the Ride-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:46

The 1986 Porsche 959 Paris Dakar racecar traverses a rough, boulder-strewn landscape.

Before the production 959, though, there was the 959 Paris-Dakar, and now the Porsche Museum is undertaking a unique restoration of the second-place car, and it’s taking us along for the ride.

What makes this restoration unique? In this case, it’s the idea that you mechanically restore the car as much as possible to ensure that the vehicle remains functional but attempt to preserve as much originality and patina as possible. That patina is critical on cars like the 959 Paris-Dakar since it now looks just the same as it did when it crossed the finish line in 1986.

In the first video in the series, Porsche Museum workshop boss Kuno Werner leads us through the initial teardown and inspection of the car and highlights some of the things that make the racecar unique and different from .

The second video shows the first separation of the body and running gear since the race in 1986 and goes into the plans for restoring the driveline.

In the third video, we see what thousands of hard miles at full speed have done to the engine and gearbox of the 959, and it turns out that the cars held up remarkably well. Also interesting is the use of a locked differential for the rear of the car. Porsche used a spool rear axle on its prototype race cars like the 962C.

In the fourth and most recent video, we see the work that’s being done on the body, from removing and inspecting suspension components with x-ray and fluxing tech to the careful repair and reinforcement of damaged body panels. The combination of attention to detail, meticulous engineering and general 80s racecar “just make it work” jank is incredible.

This project is a pretty exciting one, and it’s always awesome to see manufacturers go to these lengths to keep their classic fleets of road and racecars operable so that future generations can get the full experience of seeing, hearing, and smelling these cars run.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Jul 9, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Jul 9, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Jul 9, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Jul 9, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Jul 9, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Jul 9, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved