RS-Werks Is a Hidden Gem Among Top-notch Porsche Builders
Nestled in a small Pennsylvania town, Porsche builder RS-Werks is churning out cars as good as anyone else.
Those looking to restore or customize a vintage, air-cooled Porsche 911 have a plethora of choices these days. That includes the likes of bespoke builders like Singer, Guntherwerks, and many, many others. One such shop that many Porsche fanatics have not heard of, however, is RS-Werks, which is located in rural Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, around 50 miles west of Philadelphia.
Recently, our Porsche-focused brother site, Rennlist, was able to visit this magical little outfit and quickly realized it deserves more attention than it’s currently getting. “After seeing their operation and meeting with their team, I can tell you that if you are looking for an elite quality, a custom built car or restoration, you need to familiarize yourself with RS-Werks,” they remarked. “They do essentially no advertising. It is almost like a secret club for folks in the know. However, what they produce is too good to remain a secret.”
Fittingly, the RS-Werks shop is non-descript and hard to find, and its owners didn’t even bother to place a sign outside anywhere to indicate what lies inside. But when you walk inside, it’s a veritable playground for Porsche fanatics. When Rennlist visited, there were numerous air-cooled 911s sitting around in various stages of the build process, all of them showing off some seriously impressive attention to detail.
What’s also impressive about RS-Werks is the fact that they do everything under one roof. That includes building the engines, paint and body work, and even upholstery. It’s truly a one-stop shop. They also perform all sorts of maintenance tasks, from basic service to IMS bearing replacement, aside from total rebuilds. But the real draw here are the amazing custom builds that the outfit completes, which begin as mere visions from their respective owners.
The quality of builds that emerge from this shop is nothing less than top notch, but the cars are also built to drive. One such creation, in fact, has over 100,000 miles on the clock. RS-Werks’ owner has an original 1973 Carrera RS and drives it everywhere, rain or shine. Some customers rally their builds, and even catch air on a regular basis. If that isn’t a testament to build quality, we don’t know what is.
Of course, builds like this don’t come cheaply, but nothing in the world of Porsche ever does. But those who commission builds with RS-Werks obviously get their money’s worth, and that’s what really matters. Owning a beautiful and reliable classic air-cooled Porsche is an experience like no other, and this little-known Pennsylvania shop is building them as well as anyone else right now.
Photos: Bob Craig, RS-Werks
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