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Porsches Air Cooled: A Romantic Era of Automotive Elegance

Were all Porsches aircooled at some point? Yes. Yeah, okay. (laughs) Right?

I'm the first to admit that my Porsche knowledge is a little bit lacking. But within the last five years, there's been a huge surge in the brand's popularity. More specifically, their vintage air cooled models. To find out what makes these cars so special and why demand is through the roof, I sat down with Porsche restoration expert, John Benton at Benton Performance in Anaheim, California.

(engine revs)

Thanks for being on the show.

In a philosophical or romantic sense, intrinsically, what does air cooled mean to you? In the romantic sense, air cooled for me hearkens back to this era that came well before us. This all happened in a place and time where it came together to make this really elegant little box that makes power. The motor's finned; it's like a motorcycle. You see a motorcycle with fins and the projected cylinders. Know, these are boxer motors, so everything's pushed out. You guys, I think you're used to like Subarus and things that are opposed.

Is it the air cooled engines that make these cars so unique? Or is there some other mysterious factor?

It's been said that the wind shaped the car. They did wind tunnel testing, and they did different things. The style's also dictated by the people that designed it, and there's a simple elegance about these cars. There's only a few automotive shapes that you can splash on a wall, and even those who maybe aren't car enthusiasts will say...

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WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Were all Porsches aircooled at some point?- Yes.- Yeah, okay.(laughs)Right?I'm the first to admitthat my Porsche knowledgeis a little bit lacking.But within the last five years,there's been a huge surgein the brand's popularity.More specifically, theirvintage air cooled models.To find out what makesthese cars so specialand why demand is through the roof,I sat down with Porscherestoration expert,John Benton at Benton Performancein Anaheim, California.(engine revs)Thanks for being on the show.- My pleasure.- In a philosophical or a romantic sense,intrinsically, what doesair cooled mean to you?- In the romantic sense, air cooled for mehearkens back to this erathat came well before us.This all happened in a place and timewhere it came together to make thisreally elegant littlebox that makes power.The motor's finned,it's like a motorcycle.You see a motorcycle with finsand the projected cylinders.You know, these are boxer motors,so everything's pushed out.You guys, I think you're used to likeSubarus and things that are opposed.- Is it the air cooled engines thatmake these cars so unique?Or is there some other mysterious factor?- It's been said thatthe wind shaped the car.They did wind tunnel testing,and they did different things.The style's also dictated bythe people that designed it,and there's a simpleelegance about these cars.There's only a few automotive shapesthat you can splash on a wall,and even those who maybearen't car enthusiastswill say, "Oh, I know what that is."- They know exactly what it is, yeah.- Because that shape, whetherit's 356 from pre 80 to now,the 911, that iconic shapesprouted from that design,and it's alive today.I see it right now.I'm just in love with it.Squeezing the most out of somethingthat shouldn't be doingthat is really awesome.It's what we do here.Everybody here's dedicatedto preserving these cars.I've dedicated my whole life to it.- The first motorcycles wereproduced in the late 1800's.Familiar names like Daimler and Maybachwere producing two wheeled machinespowered by primitive and air cooledinternal combustion engines.It wasn't long until these same engineswould be put in four wheel designs,giving birth to the automobile.Porsche's first production car in 1948,the 356, borrowed it's air cooledflat-four from the Volkswagen Beetle,and they stuck with thissimple design for decades.Were all Porsches aircooled at some point.- Yes.- Yeah, okay.(laughs)Right?- The first Porsche waselectric, P1 was electric.So, it was air cooled per se.- The air cooled technology,it's a little older.Like we were saying, it's moreof an antique kind of style.Are they reliable motors despitethe fact that they're not water cooled?- They're very reliable,like scary reliable.Any bad connotation thatcomes along with an old car,be it air cooled or watercooled, or whatever,is usually the resultof lack of maintenanceand understanding of the machine.For me, early on, I boughtsome books and self education,went to some of the providers,I'm like, what's the goodpiston, what can I do?So, I was on a budget,but I built my first motorand it never died.I mean, that motor was justalive for a long, long time.I still have a 59 singlecab Volkswagen truck.It's got a 1600 CC motor in itwith a little tiny single carb.If you're used to this stuff,you get used to thefact that in the morningyou gotta pump it three or four times,and goose it maybe, and then it lights up,and you gotta warm it up.And when it's hot, just the opposite.You'll just flood it.So, when it's hot, all the fuel boils off,especially the new fuels we have.So, you have to justgive it a little touch,and crank it til it starts,and then clean it off.So, people that are used to that,you give them their car and you don'thear from 'em for half a year, a year,and they could bring it back for service.- Do you think that's kinda connectedto the same way people buy vinyl records,and even cassette tapes?Like an appreciation for--- Absolutely.This new generation ofpeople that appreciates carsalso appreciate otherthings that are more analog,more visceral, audible, tactile.They're appreciating the thingsthat are present in these cars.As a culture, I've experiencedit in the last decade,artists and people witha more stylistic tasteand a different view of the worldhave become more prevalent,their voices heard.They're becoming more affluent.We had yuppies when I was comin' up.I don't think they wereas culturally emboldenedas this last wave of peoplethat appreciate things.But these people havecome to appreciate this.And they're used todriving around in a Priusthat just click, voom.Some of the people thatare buying these cars nowhave never owned a car with a clutch.They're not used to warming up a car.They're not familiar with these smells.They think the car's catching on fire.They'll call me, they'llbe up in Laurel Canyon,"Hey, John, the car'smaking this weird noise"and I smell something."I'm like, "It's probablythe engine making the noise,"and you're smelling that."(chuckles)- With Porsche oriented events likeLuftgekuhlt growing every year,more and more people are interested inbuying air cooled Porsches of their own.I wanted to know what perspectivebuyers might be in for.What are some misconceptionsabout air cooled Porsches?- I'll give realm of misconceptions.One of them is that they're affordable.I hear people say about,especially the four cylinder variants,that it's a poor man's Porsche.There's never a Porsche ever madethat was a poor man's Porsche.Not even a 914.If you're gonna drive a Porsche caror an air cooled car, even a Volkswagen,you gotta spend a few bucks.You gotta be willing to do that.You gotta put your moneywhere your passion isbecause it's gonna take some effort.If you're a do-it-yourselfer,you can save a lot of money on labor.But parts, by in large, quality parts,they cost a few bucks.- Is the experience worth the price?- It boils down to to kinds of clients.There's a client that has a car that'sbeen in their familysince they were a kid.It was their first car orthey got married in it,or they brought their kids home,or it was their dad's car, grandpa's car.So, they are willingto spend what it takes,and they're not worriedabout the investment.Okay?The folks that come in and they'reworried about the investment,that's a tough one.It's like, "I'm gonna climb Mt. Everest,"but what's the cheapest rope I can get?"(chuckles)And, "Do I really have towear those funny shoes?"It's like get the, out.- Yeah.(chuckles)- It's like, you wanna do this andexperienced it to thefullest, let's just do it.- Big, big thank you toJohn and everyone elsehere at Benton Performance.This was awesome, I learned a ton.It's exactly what I want WheelHouse to be.So, if you wanna see us go to more shops,let us know in the comments.If you like Porsches, check out thisepisode of Up to Speed on the 911.And some of these Porscheswere turbocharged.So, check out this episodeof Science Garage on turbos.It's awesome.Wear your seatbelt, see you later.