Mantis Autosport in Oakville has been the preferred dealer alternative service shop for over 45 years, and today provides a wide range of technical services for all manner of road and track Porsche cars. Owners Jon Dunski and Dirk Dünsched hosted UCR for an in-person tech session focussed on a maintenance and restoration project currently being carried out on Jon’s 968 which was on display in the shop.
Jon described how he acquired the car, in a process that included several ‘don’t do this’ aspects, including buying sight unseen and without pre-purchase inspection. The post-purchase inspection got the maintenance and restoration process started, but it is still ongoing. The car looked great and Jon provided a walk-through overview of some of the items addressed, so far emphasizing how DIY-able these cars are, and how owners can really keep the maintenance costs down by doing many of the various items themselves at home.
Shocks were renewed, and we heard how to incorporate high-performance shocks into the original equipment. The clutch was also renewed, and we heard how different generations of these cars have different configurations of running gear that can make the job easier/harder. Belts and seals were updated, and we heard specific recommendations for which brand of seals to use. Oil leaks were fixed and pre-empted, and we heard about different types of oil to use. Exhaust cat-back was replaced and we heard which brand gives a ‘just-right’ sound. Various parts sources were mentioned, including the great range of parts still available directly from Porsche. A few instances of 968 problems and solutions were described including those associated with fuel starvation, gas smell and engine smoothness. Microswitches came up several times and can be a service item. Same for relays and again, sources for excellent replacement parts.
Jon’s enthusiasm for maintaining and restoring these cars was clear, and inspiring for 944/968 owners lucky enough to attend this event. We had time for some Q&A and look forward to returning for a dyno event where we might be able to see how our engines are delivering and what might be possible to recover any power losses with cost-effective maintenance. Many thanks to Jon and Dirk for their support and hospitality, and especially for their enthusiasm for these cars. </>
Photography by Eshel Zweig
