Member Success Stories – Porsche 911

In our exciting new series showcasing the incredible car restorations achieved by our members, we are thrilled to introduce Dan Pritchard.

Dan embarked on a remarkable journey with a damaged Porsche 911 he purchased from our Copart Rochford auction in February 2021. Despite the initial challenge – the car was allocated as having primary front and side damage – Dan's passion for cars and determination turned this sorry-looking 911 into an absolute beast. We were so impressed with the job Dan did that we thought we’d ask him about it.

The Restoration Process

What made you choose the Porsche 911 for your project?

Ever since I was a small kid, I've always been fascinated by cars. My dad knew this, and he used to give me books on supercars full of pictures and specs, which I loved to read. My bedroom walls had all the typical poster cars like the F40, Countach etc. But you never saw the Ferraris / Lambo's in person, certainly not where I grew up.

However, you did see Porsches on the road, and from an early age, Porsche 911's just grabbed my attention. So, I've always wanted a Porsche and when I got the opportunity to finally buy one, as always, I reverted to "Copart”. I’ve got all my cars from them over the last 8-10 years and kept searching for the right car.

But the trick is not to fall for the first one and find the one that’s just right.

What was the hardest part of the project?

With nearly a decade of experience buying cars from Copart, I'm very proficient now at repairing the accident damage. I find it very exciting in fact, waiting for the vehicle to be delivered and then going to investigate the damage, making a list of the parts required, and the excitement of finding out what hidden extras you get (bonus parts not expected, stainless exhaust, coil overs, options etc).

For me certainly the hardest part is the early stages of any project and trying to stop getting overwhelmed with ideas and spending loads on parts.

And the easiest?

I find all aspects of a rebuild easy now with 20+ years’ experience in modifying cars. I do everything myself from painting, welding, and bodywork. I even make my own carbon fibre parts such as bonnets and doors. I have become very efficient at restoring cars, so, for me the whole project is fun, and something I really enjoy.

Briefly list what you repaired or modified on the Porsche.

Briefly list…This is difficult for me as my projects are far from OEM cars, but I will try to give you an overview:

• Started life as an OEM 911 997 4S

• Full colour respray to Riviera Blue

• One off custom rear bumper in carbon fibre, bonnet, carbon skirts, mirrors, roof, tailgate

• One off handmade front wings with Gt2rs vents

• One off custom carbon interior (dash / door cards)

• Air ride suspension

• Upgraded 380mm 6 pot brakes

• 20" wheels

• Full custom interior, Recaro CS seats retrimmed in Nappa leather and diamond stitched.

• Roll cage

Plus, lots more....

What do you plan to do with the Porsche once the project is complete?

The Porsche is nearing completion, only a minor list of mods left... but I never sell my big projects. I've put thousands of hours into them, and I have such a love for them I will keep it for many years to come. I aim to enjoy the car, drive it to shows, and get some rewards from the countless hours spend creating it.

In the meantime, however, I will save for my next venture. My ambition is to buy a supercar, such as a Lambo or Ferrari. That is something I search for on a regular basis on the Copart auctions.

So hopefully sometime in the near further I will get a new project and look to cover this next one on my YouTube channel. My YouTube channel if any-one is interested is 'dan_pritchard_carbon'. I'm in the process of editing lots of videos on things I've made on the Porsche. But ultimately, I want to cover a project from the start.

What did you enjoy most about this project?

The thing I most enjoy if I'm honest is the building of a project. Some people enjoy driving a car, some enjoy detailing it...For me the fun is being creative, having bold ideas and then getting to carry them out.

I really enjoy the satisfaction of making something from an initial idea to the final part. Taking something from clay / expanding foam and then finally having a lightweight carbon part is such a feeling of achievement, it's unreal. Then the gratitude you get taking the cars to shows and the feedback you get from people really inspires me to do more.

What made you choose to buy from Copart? Vehicle stock? Purchased from us before? Local yard?

The reason I absolutely love buying cars from Copart, is mostly down to my addiction with cars. Nearly all the cars I've bought in the last decade never stay original. I always modify them to such an extent (colour change, modifications etc) that buying a perfect example at full asking price to then chop up doesn't make sense.

So, Copart offers me the opportunity to buy a car I like, at discounted price, admittedly needing repair work of which that aspect I really enjoy, but as I'm likely to change the car anyway, buying it cheap and in need of repair gives me the opportunity to do the changes.

If we take my Porsche for example, initially buying it from Copart, I bought it for approximately half of the retail value. This meant I could spend money making changes and it was still cheaper than buying a non-crash damaged one.

Briefly explain how you got into buying & restoring/modifying cars.

I think it's safe to say I'm of that age where a certain film really changed my life, and we all know as a man passing his driving test in 2002 the film that caused lasting impression was "The Fast and the Furious".

This film made a massive impression on me, seeing the highly modified cars really inspired me. My first car mods were little cringe looking back, the undercar with neon LEDs, Sparco steering wheel... haha. But it was at this point I started to see cars as a way to be creative.

And it grew from there. I'd like to think as I've grown older, the mods have become more tasteful and less obnoxious but then I'm driving a bright blue car with huge rear spoiler, so maybe not…

Thanks Dan!

Join the Journey

We absolutely love the look of Dan’s 911, and we always love seeing the great work you all do with your restorations. It’s the reason we exist!

So, whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or a novice, our auctions provide the perfect opportunity to find your next project. Don’t let your passion for cars sit idle – take the first step today. Explore our Vehicle Finder, and like Dan, turn a neglected vehicle into a masterpiece.