Park Place Porsche Dallas technician Seantrel Sloan, 26, recently completed a year-long restoration of a 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Targa, one of only 1,500 Targa 964s in existence. The rare sportscar (number 90) was restored as a tribute to the family’s father, who was only the second owner of the vehicle.
When the client asked Park Place to help restore the car, no one imagined it would be chosen the top restoration in the Area, then the best in the Porsche Cars of North America South Region. Sloan and the car traveled to Indianapolis for the Porsche Sportscar Together Festival September 10 - 12, where his work finished as one of the top three cars in the country in the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge national championship.
“I’m proud and honored to represent the brand,” said Sloan. “The skills and training I got from Park Place prepared me to do the quality of work I put into the car.”
For nearly 20 years, the 911 Carrera 4 Targa had been stored in a garage. When the car arrived at Park Place Porsche it had vacuum leaks, multiple oil leaks, aged rubber hoses, fouled spark plugs, and carbon tracked distributor caps and rotors. All of these were replaced and updated, along with new cylinders, machining the cylinder heads, replacing the radio with a new Porsche Classic Communication Management system (PCCM), paint correction and some interior restoration.
“We were given the opportunity to participate in the Porsche Classic Challenge with our client’s 911 C4 Targa in Dunkleblau – ‘Dark Blue’ in English,” said Porsche Dallas General Manager Patrick Huston. “Being able to feel the performance during its first test drive, compared to how the car would barely move when we first received it, was well worth our efforts to make the car like new again.”
One of the biggest challenges of the restoration was sourcing parts for the 30-year-old sports car. The competition required all parts to be original manufacturer’s parts. Porsche Dallas Parts Specialist Keith Jones rose to the challenge, literally tracking down parts from all over the world. Shop Foreman Steven Taylor helped keep the project on track, and even helped Sloan mount the engine back into the car.
The 2021 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge saw nearly 40 dealerships from around the U.S. take part by giving Porsche sports cars expert attention. Teams of certified Porsche Technicians and the official catalog of 60,000 unique Porsche Classic Genuine Parts were enlisted to return the cars to their former glory. Represented in the competition were Porsche 356 models from as early as 1956, five generations of the 911, transaxle models like the 944 and 928, as well as modern classics such as the first-generation Boxster. After months of diligent work, documentation and check-ins, cars judged to be regional winners moved on to compete in August semifinals in each of the three U.S. Porsche sales areas.
Sloan’s love of the Porsche brand began when he was just eight years old. “My grandfather bought me the “Need for Speed” video game dedicated to Porsches. I learned everything about every car in the game. And I fell in love with the brand…the heritage…the tradition. Every single car that I’ve touched in the shop, I’ve driven in the game. And now I’ve had the opportunity to drive those cars with my own two hands and feet. To be a Porsche Classic Tech, and keep these cars on the road today, is an honor.”
Sloan grew up in Dallas, graduating in 2013 from Duncanville High School. He worked as a car washer/valet at Park Place while attending Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Irving to receive his automotive technician certification, graduating in 2014. Then he served two years active duty in the U.S. Army, most of which was in Pyeongtaek, South Korea as a petroleum specialist for aviation and ground vehicles. After being honorably discharged as a Specialist E-4, he returned to work at Park Place Porsche Dallas as a technician.
Park Place Porsche Dallas, one of only two Porsche Exclusive dealers in Texas, is located at 6107 Lemmon Avenue near Love Field. The dealership has been honored as a Porsche Premier Dealer 20 times by Porsche Cars North America.
Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987. For the past 34 years, the company has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy and education. Park Place Dealerships employs more than 1,400 members and operates two collision centers, an auto auction, and eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Sprinter Vans. For more info, visit parkplace.com.