Six years, six SH Garage updates, and Project 964 is finally getting the biggest upgrade yet. Scratch that – this is a full-on transformation!

It all began with a brief chat I had with Akira Nakai of 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. While the museum is long gone, the agreement made during that conversation has held up through everything that’s happened since, bringing us to this moment.

That’s where we decided that my recently acquired, semi-barn-find, faded yellow 964 would eventually be given the full RWB treatment. It’s pretty much the main reason I got the car in the first place. Well, that, and after driving a Singer, I’ve 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 noticed the rear bumper, already sanded down and prepped for paint by Nojima-san of Nojireal, Nakai-san’s trusted painter since his move from AE86s to 911s.

Then, I saw the rear Turbo-inspired wing – the piece that, to me, would turn this car into the dream 911 I’ve always wanted ever since seeing RWB Stella Artois at Tsukuba back in the early 2000s.

I didn’t want to miss a single moment of this build, not just to share it with you but to properly enjoy the experience. The Nojima x Nakai touch would make this RWB HQ-built 964 something truly special for me.

As Nakai-san’s own 997 trio took over the shop, there was something surreal about seeing my air-cooled 964 finally being worked on.

A month earlier, I had brought the 964 to RWB so Nojima-san could color-match the yellow paint – a process that took over three hours, as every panel had faded differently since the car’s last respray 15 years ago. But in the end, he nailed it, and we were ready for step two: the painting.

The painting process took two days. First up were the front bumper, the four overfenders, and the RS-style air vents that would replace the bumper lights. The following day, Nojima-san tackled the rest of the parts.

The process was straightforward – white primer base coat, followed by several coats of yellow.

I brought Project 964’s biggest fan along for the ride: my son Gaio, who quickly embraced the Rough World way.

With the 12-piece kit fully painted, we were almost there – just waiting for Nakai-san to return to Japan and message me a date for the build. I did miss the final prep step of clear-coating the body parts, but you get the idea. Seeing all these bits painted brought home the fact that this thing was going to happen, but it still felt a bit like a dream…

Nakai-san’s message came sooner than expected – he was ready to begin the build the second weekend of December 2024. And that was that. Fast forward two days, and I was at RWB HQ, 10:00am on the dot.

Nakai-san moved his 997 and 997 Turbo out of the way to make space.

Spotting the old Speedhunters sticker I stuck on the shop window back in around 2009, I just had to add my own to mark the occasion.

Then I drove the car into the shop.

A quick look around at the familiar surroundings of one of the most iconic automotive shops in Japan, a deep breath… and I was ready.

Narrow-body, bye-bye. Purists, I’m sure, wept somewhere. The point of no return had arrived.

I won’t interfere too much with the process – I’d rather let the shots tell the story. After all, if you’re a regular Speedhunters reader, this is something you’ll be very familiar with. So sit back and enjoy…

With all the unneeded bits removed from the car, it was time for the pivotal moment. The first cut.

And there it was. First cut. Cigarette break.

No big deal… well, maybe not for Nakai-san. For me? Let’s just say I had heart palpitations. I nearly asked if I could bum a cigarette to calm my nerves. But no time for that – it was on to the next three fenders.

And the result? Boom. Easy. Now, onto the overfenders!

The front bumper went on first, and instantly, the car started to take shape, dramatically transforming in front of us and giving a real sense of the girth it was going to have.

Then came the overfenders, with Nakai-san’s assistant always ready to lend a hand.

By mid-afternoon, the car was already looking incredible. I asked Nakai-san how long it used to take 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 height dropped, and a preliminary alignment done, Nakai-san drilled the rest of the holes for the fenders and bolted them into place.

Next up was the sealant – the black caulking that’s become the signature touch of RWB overfenders. On my car, it provided the perfect contrast to the yellow body and tied everything together.

And that’s how smooth it all ends up looking.

By the end of the first day, the RWB transformation was almost complete.

Sealant was applied across the fenders and skirts, and I was sent home with a set of loaner wheels on the car. It all felt so alien to me; I could barely recognize it as the same 964 I had been bringing back from the semi-abandoned state I found it in years ago.

Day 2 was all about the finishing touches, including fitting the rear deck with the integrated Turbo wing. For that, I brought my entire family to see it all come together. The boys were mesmerized by Nakai-san’s speed and precision.

Although they didn’t fully grasp who he was or what he did, they were taken by the vibe of the shop and the metamorphosis happening right before their eyes.

Then Nakai-san did something unexpected: he let Gaio help with the sealing. He showed him how to rub his finger along the bead of sealant between the masking tape. It was such a touching moment and something Gaio hasn’t stopped talking about since.

The hours flew by as Nakai-san fine-tuned everything – knocking up some aluminum bumper supports, fitting the wheel arch liners, and ensuring the tires wouldn’t rub on anything.

This meant continuous adjustments of the suspension geometry and fitment with the second set of loaner wheels Nakai-san pulled out of storage.

Meanwhile, Nojima-san cleaned dust off the paint and buffed it to a shine, both on the RWB parts and 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 to me, those stencils tie everything together. I remember being confused about what ‘Idlers’ meant when I first started seeing them on RWB cars.

Marking the completion of the project was the ‘RAUH-Welt’ windscreen banner and the ‘RAUH-Welt Head Quarters’ sticker on the back window, just above the original ‘Mizwa Porsche’ sticker.

And there it was. The end of one of the most epic automotive journeys I’ve ever taken – or wait… maybe it’s just the beginning! A massive thank you to Akira Nakai and Yusuke Nojima for helping me make one of my biggest dreams a reality. 本当にありがとうございます。

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to leave you with a few images of the car out in the wild – or, more specifically, on one of my favorite driving roads in Japan, the Izu Skyline. The way the 964 sits now is utter perfection in my eyes. The proportions, the balance, the fitment, the way it handles the corners – it’s all just overwhelming.

I’ll save the driving for another post. For now, I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along on this journey with me.

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com

Additional Images by Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco