Among those who love Porsches, there are purists, who demand that their cars be factory-original in every way, and there are those who march to the beat of their own drummer.

Here is a very interesting 1986 911 Carrera Targa that fits nicely in the latter category. The builder relates that it was a father–son project based on a car spotted in a neighbor’s garage in suburban Madison, Wisconsin, about four years ago. Although it showed signs of normal wear, it was numbers-matching with a good long-term maintenance history.

The builder and his son embarked on a three-year cosmetic restoration, taking “creative license” and adding a number of personal ‘outlaw’ touches, such as removing the original impact bumpers and replacing both fascias with lightweight fiberglass; the front resembling that of a factory RSR and the rear now accommodating a custom-made center-exit twin-outlet exhaust system. The car was stripped to bare metal and given a high-quality repaint in its original Guards Red paint, which is protected by SunTec Paint protection film, and Black Porsche side-stripes, a nod to those often seen on early 911s. The air-conditioning system was removed, and the stock door cards were replaced with lightweight RS-style panels with red fabric pull straps. The electric windows and seats were retained. The car was handed over to a local Porsche specialist, Doug Turnbull Autosports, who addressed its mechanical needs. The builder states that more than $30,000 was spent refreshing the car, which features a set of refurbished lightweight 17-in. Fiske two-piece forged alloy wheels, powder coated in satin black with Michelin ZR-rated tires.

Completed in September 2017 and most recently serviced in early 2018, this most attractive ‘outlaw’ Targa with its updated appearance, fresh and flawless paint, turns heads wherever it travels.