Slipstream - February 2020

Tech Session Recap: Werks 11
by Rob Adams
photos provided by Author
It doesn’t take much to persuade a gaggle of Mavericks
to gather for a road trip, and that certainly proved to be true
in mid-November, when over a dozen members attended a
After a robust tech and Q&A session, the members of
both regions traveled a few minutes further south to Salado,
where we were hosted by the Stagecoach Inn. Famous for
remote tech session at Werks 11 in Temple, TX. At about
10 am, the sleepy streets of downtown Temple erupted with
the raspy exhaust of Porsches arriving from all directions,
including PCA members from the Hill Country Region.
Michael Baynton and Charlie Sparks coordinated the
adventure to attend a workshop conducted by Army veteran
Julian Avent and his Werks 11 crew.
If you don’t already know about Werks 11,
Julian started repairing, restoring, and custombuilding
Porsches shortly after he got out of the
armed services several years ago.
He chose Temple for its charm and cost of living, but later
realized it was perfectly located between the major metro
areas of Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, all of
which feature a large number of Porsche owners.
A stroll through the shop excites any gearhead’s senses,
and especially Porsche owners. From a collection of
racing 914s to 912s to air-cooled 911s, there’s eye candy
everywhere. My favorite toy was the slate grey “outlaw” he
built for a client that is personalized to the highest degree.
And not surprisingly, Werks 11 does almost all of the work
in-house. If you haven’t seen their craftsmanship, be sure to
view the videos at Werks11.com.
But it wasn’t just a showroom tour. The tech session
was very informative, providing an education of what to
watch out for when buying an older Porsche, with plenty of
examples in the shop. Julian also talked about some of the
more common modifications that Porsche owners request,
and what factors to consider when upgrading your air- or
water-cooled Porsche.
being the oldest restaurant in Texas, it provides some of
Temple’s finest cuisine.
What a great day for a road trip to a truly fascinating
destination!
In other words...
I had the chance to take the trip down to Temple
with the group and thoroughly enjoyed the drive, the
conversation, the Q&A and the back lot. While we were
looking at the rusted shell of a donor car, something
caught my eye. Something VERY 80’s. As a kid I loved
the factory cars, but something about the shear excess
of the tuner cars held my fascination. Well, here in the
back with all of the other unloved ‘projects’ sat what
appears to be a Rinspeed R69, pictured below. Rinspeed
isn’t exactly reserved and this car is no exception.
Remember that these things sold for $79,000, in 1985!
Based on a 911 turbo, the interior was a thing to behold.
I don’t know what their plans are for the car, but if
you’ve ever wanted a Testarossa AND and an aircooled
911, give Julian a call, I’m sure you can work out a deal.
- Kurt Scaggs, managing editor
12 February