Six years, six SH Garage updates and Project 964 finally gets its biggest upgrade yet. Scratch that – this is a complete transformation!
It all started with a brief conversation I had with Akira Nakai from RAUH-Welt Begriff, just before we were about to board a plane to Malaysia for the opening of the RWB Museum in Johor in January 2018. Although museum has long since ceased to exist, the agreement we made during that conversation has endured through everything that has happened since and brought us to this moment.
There we decided that my recently purchased, semi-barn find, faded yellow 964 would finally get the full RWB treatment. It’s pretty much the main reason I bought the car in the first place. Well, and after driving a Singer, I always wanted to build my own 964.
Fast forward to mid-October 2024, and I’m standing in front of my bare RWB kit at Nakai-san’s shop in Kashiwa, Chiba.
I first saw the rear bumper, already sanded and prepped for paint by Nojima-san of Nojireal, Nakai-san’s trusted painter since his switch from AE86s to 911s.
Then I saw the turbo-inspired rear wing – the part that, for me, would turn this car into the dream 911 I’ve always wanted since I saw RWB. Stella Artois at Tsukuba in the early 2000s.
I didn’t want to miss a single moment of this build, not only to share it with you, but also to really enjoy the experience. The Nojima x Nakai touch would make this RWB HQ built 964 something very special for me.
When Nakai-san’s own 997 trio took over the shop, it was something surreal to see my air-cooled 964 finally being worked on.
A month earlier I had taken the 964 to RWB so that Nojima-san could match the yellow paint color – a process that took over three hours as each panel had faded differently since the last time the car was rebuilt. sprayed fifteen years ago. But eventually he succeeded and we were ready for step two: painting.
The painting process took two days. First came the front bumper, four overfenders and RS-style vents that would replace the bumper lights. The next day, Nojima-san tackled the rest of the parts.
The process was simple: a white base coat, followed by several coats of yellow.
I brought Project 964’s biggest fan along for the ride: my son Gaio, who is the Rough world way.
Once the 12-piece kit was fully painted, we were almost there – waiting for Nakai-san to return to Japan and send me a date for the build. I missed the final prep step of clear coating the body parts, but you get the idea. When I saw all these painted pieces it became clear that this was going to happen, but it still felt a bit like a dream…
Construction: day 1
Nakai-san’s message came earlier than expected: he was ready to start construction on the second weekend of December 2024. And that was that. Fast forward two days, and I was at RWB headquarters promptly at 10am.
Nakai-san moved his 997 and 997 Turbo aside to make room.
When I came across the old Speedhunters sticker that I put on the shop window around 2009, I just had to add my own sticker to mark the occasion.
Then I drove the car into the store.
A quick look around the familiar surroundings of one of Japan’s most iconic car shops, a deep breath… and I was ready.
Narrow body, goodbye. I’m sure purists somewhere have cried. The point of no return had arrived.
I won’t interfere too much with the process; I prefer to let the shots tell the story. After all, if you’re a regular Speedhunters reader, you’ll know this very well. So sit back and enjoy…
With all unnecessary parts removed from the car, it was time for the crucial moment. The first cut.
And there it was. First cut. Cigarette break.
No problem…well, maybe not for Nakai-san. For me? Let’s just say I had palpitations. I almost asked if I could light a cigarette to calm my nerves. But there was no time for that – it was on to the next three fenders.
And the result? Tree. Simple. Now, on to the overfenders!
The front bumper came on first, and immediately the car began to take shape, transforming dramatically for us and giving a good idea of the size it would become.
Then came the over defenders, with Nakai-san’s assistant always ready to lend a hand.
By mid-afternoon the car already looked fantastic. I asked Nakai-san how long it took him to build a car in the beginning. His answer? Four days. Now he could finish most of it in half that time. Crazy!
With the wheels on, the suspension lowered and a preliminary alignment done, Nakai-san drilled the rest of the holes for the fenders and screwed them into place.
Next was the sealant – the black seal that has become the signature touch of RWB overfenders. On my car it was the perfect contrast to the yellow bodywork and tied everything together.
And so it all looks smooth.
By the end of the first day, the RWB transformation was almost complete.
Sealant was applied to the fenders and sills and I was sent home with a set of loaner wheels under the car. It all felt so strange to me; I could barely recognize it as the same 964 I had brought back from the semi-abandoned state I found it in years ago.
Construction: day 2
Day 2 was all about the finishing touches, including equipping the aft deck with the integrated Turbo Wing. That’s why I brought my whole family along to see how everything comes together. The boys were fascinated by Nakai-san’s speed and precision.
Although they didn’t fully understand who he was or what he did, they were captivated by the atmosphere of the store and the transformation that was happening right before their eyes.
Then Nakai-san did something unexpected: he let Gaio help with the sealing. He showed him how to rub the bead of caulk between the masking tape with his finger. It was such a touching moment and something Gaio hasn’t talked about since.
The hours flew by as Nakai-san fine-tuned everything: taking apart a pair of aluminum bumper brackets, installing the wheel arch liners and making sure the tires wouldn’t rub against anything.
This meant constant adjustments to the geometry and suspension mounting, with Nakai-san bringing the second set of loan wheels out of storage.
In the meantime, Nojima-san has cleaned the dust from the paint and polished it, both on the RWB parts and on the rest of the car.
Next came the Idlers stencils on the tires. When Nojima asked if I wanted them, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. For me, it was all about creating the most balanced, old-school, period-correct RWB build I could, and for me, those stencils tie everything together. I remember being confused about what ‘Idlers’ meant when I first saw them on RWB cars.
The completion of the project was marked by the ‘RAUH-Welt’ windshield banner and the ‘RAUH-Welt Head Quarters’ sticker on the rear window, just above the original ‘Mizwa Porsche’ sticker.
And there it was. The end of one of the most epic road trips I’ve ever taken – or wait… maybe this is just the beginning! Thank you very much to Akira Nakai and Yusuke Nojima for helping to make one of my biggest dreams a reality. Song:
The first ride
Before I wrap this up, I wanted to give you a few photos of the car in the wild – or, more specifically, on one of my favorite highways in Japan, the Izu Skyline. The way the 964 sits now is, in my eyes, complete perfection. The proportions, the balance, the fit, the way he handles the angles – it’s all just overwhelming.
I’ll save the driving for another post. For now, I hope you’ve enjoyed joining me on this journey.
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
Additional images by Alec Pender
Instagram: no plans co
