How to restore a classic Porsche 911

Expert tips on restoring a classic Porsche 911 – and why you should drive it daily

How French content creator, Nicolas Plasmondon, performed his dream car restoration

March 9, 2026 | 6 min read

Man leaning on cream coloured 1987 Porsche 911 outside French stone built restaurant desktop

Since he was a child, Porsche has soundtracked Nicolas Plasmondon’s life. He explains how his annual visits to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a boy led him to a dream car resto project

How to restore a classic Porsche 911 – and what to watch out for

• Start with a solid base car
• Expect to find surprises once the car is dismantled, like previous paint jobs
• Plan your specification carefully as changes can be difficult and expensive to reverse
• Source parts early – some components can be hard to find and may require custom fabrication
• Work with experienced specialists – restoration requires expertise and patience
• Allow time and budget flexibility – even a well-maintained classic 911s can present unexpected challenges
• Focus on reliability as well as aesthetics – a properly restored 911 should be driven regularly

In his youth, Nicolas Plasmondon and his father would make the annual 100 km-long trip north from their home in Tours to watch the cars race by at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, even though Nicolas didn’t understand what made them special at the time. He remembers watching Formula One on TV. And then, one day, he saw a Porsche speed past him in the street. It was a feeling that stayed with him long after the car had disappeared.

“Then, it was mainly about design,” explains Nicolas, content creator at @nicolaslpf_. “When you’re a kid, you don’t really care about engines or mechanical stuff.”

But that would change over time. As his interest deepened, so did his understanding of what sits beneath the bonnet. “I started to understand and learn a bit more about mechanical stuff and engines,” he says. “When I really got into cars, I learned how the flat-six was made, how it works and how beautiful its sound is. My passion for cars grew bit by bit.”

Man driving a classic Porsche 911 in Paris, set of skis on the roof — Nicolas Plasmondon developed a passion for fast cars at an early age, fuelled by childhood visits to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For him, buying his own classic 911 in his early thirties felt like the natural next step Photo: Olivier Penpenic

Today, Nicolas is known to many through his Instagram account, @nicolaslpf_. What began as a side project during his early years in advertising has evolved into a full-time career spanning the automotive industry, watches and mechanical craftsmanship. Yet long before brand partnerships and collaborations, there was simply the idea that one day he would own a Porsche.

Driving a Porsche 911 on the Le Mans racetrack for the very first time

That moment came earlier than expected. When he was in his mid-twenties, Porsche France invited Nicolas to the Porsche Experience Center at Le Mans. He drove on the iconic track, finally experiencing the circuit from behind the wheel that he had been visiting since childhood.

“It was crazy for me,” he says. “A beautiful day. I also did the off-road track in a Cayenne. So I got the full experience.” It was another memory that stayed with him – but it was not enough.

Stripped-back Porsche 911 in a car repair shop with men working on it — When the pandemic shut down the ability to travel that was key to his work, Nicolas had to figure out a way to fill his time. Restoring a classic 911 had been a dream of his for a while – it was the perfect time to start a project Photo: Olivier Penpenic

A Porsche 911 restoration project born during the lockdown

When the pandemic brought travel and projects to a halt in 2020, Nicolas, like many other creatives, asked himself ‘What now?’.

“Before the pandemic, I used to travel a lot for content creation,” he says. “But I knew I was going to be stuck for at least a year or more. I’d always wanted to work on a car and rebuild it myself in order to learn how to dismantle and reassemble it. I thought that maybe this is a sign – that this might be a good opportunity to start that project right now.”

Nicolas began the search for a suitable car. He found it quickly – a 1987 Porsche 911 3.2 with a G50 gearbox. “We decided to go for a 3.0- or 3.2-litre engine because they’re more reliable. I started looking for this car and I found the guy in just a couple of weeks. The car was in the Paris area and in good condition. It had been repainted in a colour I didn’t want, but that was perfect for my project, as I wanted to create my own colour.”

Together with two friends from General Car Vintage, a garage in Tours, they rebuilt the car, piece by piece, over six months.

Man exits restored classic Porsche 911 in cream colour — Picking a colour for his restored 911 when there are thousands of options available was the hardest choice he had to make, says Nicolas – but he’s extremely happy with how it’s turned out Photo: Olivier Penpenic

Picking a colour for the Porsche 911 restoration

While the mechanics were straightforward, the decisions that Nicolas had to make about the car’s aesthetics were not. “The idea was to build a car that suits me, in a colour that I really love – somewhere between stone grey and cream,” he explains. “I’ve liked this colour since I was a child. I used to paint my bicycles and other things in it.”

“We decided to dismantle the car and work on it,” he continues. “We did the front and back bumpers and we had to build some parts that just didn’t exist. For example, we had to build the rear bumper so that it would fit the car. We painted it and did all the interior as well, taking out all the old upholstery and putting in new upholstery.”

Once the car was stripped and ready, there was no turning back. He waited three weeks in quiet anxiety while it was with the painter. “I really hoped I had made the right choice,” he admits about his colour choice. “I knew it was something you can’t go back on.” The result is subtle and confident. It’s a shade that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Man standing next to classic Porsche 911 parked on cobbled street outside clothing store in Paris — “People are kinder when you drive a classic car,” says Nicolas. “They let you through.” Photo: Kristin Piteo

When restoring a Porsche 911, it’s the details that make the difference

The restoration went deeper than just the paintwork. The car has a stronger stance thanks to its wider fenders, which were taken from the 911 S/T 2.3, while some components had to be fabricated from scratch. The interior was completely refurbished and finished with black upholstery and grey stitching.

Nicolas says that the thing that surprised him most during the restoration was just how smoothly it went, for the most part. The biggest issue derived from past shortcuts taken by previous owners – an earlier repaint had been poorly executed and the steering wheel needed more work than expected. Otherwise, the process unfolded without drama – a rarity, he readily admits, in classic car restoration.

Driving his restored Porsche 911 in Paris and beyond

Nicolas drives his 911 often. Not just for events or sunny Sundays but through Paris’ famously busy traffic during the week. Contrary to what some might think, city driving suits a classic 911. It creates, says Nicolas, moments of connection. People take photos of his 911 at traffic lights. Strangers ask questions. And other drivers make way for him. “People are kinder when you drive a classic car,” he laughs. “They let you through.”

He’s also driven it further afield, taking it down to Spain to experience the dusty semi-desert landscape of the Bardenas Reales. He’s also followed the Tour Auto rally across France, when he covered up to 4,000 km in a week. For him, his 911 is his daily driver in the truest sense. A machine meant to move with him – the perfect sidekick for his active lifestyle.

Classic Porsche 911 performing donuts in Bardenas Reales, Spain — Nicolas’ 911 has proved it’s at home in parched Spanish semi-desert as well as Parisian streets Photo: Olivier Penpenic

A Porsche car community that sticks together

“Two weeks ago, I went to a Cars and Coffee meet at Place Vauban in Paris, a famous meeting place for car owners on Sundays,” he says. “As soon as I parked, an English guy came up to me. He said, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so glad to see the car! I recognise you from Instagram. I really love it. It’s really beautiful. I’m so glad to see it in person today because I’ve just moved to Paris.’”

For Nicolas, his 911 has helped bring his life full circle – a love for Porsche discovered in childhood and a car rebuilt by hand that’s now creating memories for others.

Consumption and emission information

911 Carrera (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 10.4 – 9.9 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 238 – 226 g/km; CO₂ class: .

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