{"id":6634,"date":"2023-07-06T14:46:53","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T13:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/?p=6634"},"modified":"2025-06-18T10:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T09:01:06","slug":"inside-mat-armstrongs-718-rebuild-all-parts-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/inside-mat-armstrongs-718-rebuild-all-parts-used\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Mat Armstrong’s 718 Rebuild: Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first of four parts, <\/span>YouTuber Mat Armstrong<\/span><\/a> talks us through the challenges and rewards of rebuilding a Porsche from bumper to bumper \u2013 with the help of <\/span>Design911<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all done it. Hit the car auction sites, tapped in our dream car, added \u2018cheapest first\u2019 to the filters, and seen what\u2019s in the pot for those willing to gamble on \u2018sold as seen\u2019 wheels. But Mat rolled the dice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As his video story explains,<\/span><\/a> it wasn\u2019t love at first sight. In <\/span>the first instalment<\/span><\/a>, we look at the before picture. And it\u2019s not pretty. When the beleaguered roadster rolled\/was hauled off the flatbed, with help, it wasn\u2019t the <\/span>\u2018complete sports car<\/span><\/a>\u2019 trumpeted by Autocar back in 2016. There was a <\/span>lot<\/span><\/i> missing and what remained was dinged, damaged, or smashed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And just as the Cayman\u2019s predecessor helped to rebuild reputation of the parent company, Mat had pledged to coax out the hidden beauty of this <\/span>battered Boxster<\/span><\/a>. And boy, was it carefully concealed.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crazy enough to work?<\/h3>\n

Despite the damage, the logic was sound enough: Mat\u2019s thinking was that picking up a Cayman S, with a 2.5L, 3500 bhp mill on board for the same price as the Cayman 2.0L, 300 bhp equivalent was like buying money.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But one man\u2019s idea of profit is another\u2019s money pit, so caveat emptor, as we all say when putting down the phone and not buying the project car that was not going to sit on blocks annoying everyone for a year before heading for the crusher it should have gone in the first place. But not Mat. Where others talk the talk, he walks the walk. And puts his money where his phone is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Money: not a driver.<\/h3>\n

If you want to invest, use a bank. Sit on the interest. A project like this may just as easily bite you in the same place. But this is about love, not lucre, even though all the red flags are there. Only bidder? Check. Didn\u2019t meet reserve price? Also check. Cheapest Cayman in the whole of the UK? Yup.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mat\u2019s no fool and has been burned more times than a Cat A recovery. So, he checked out his purchase on <\/span>carVertical<\/span><\/a> (probably should have done that first, Mat!) which gave him green lights on the finance, mileage and theft. And if damage is a red, there are photos on site, so no-one needs to fly blind or take a leap in the dark. Handy when Mat\u2019s Porsche is missing wing mirrors, and a headlight is smashed.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, experience is what we get just after we needed it. As YouTuber @<\/span>Laerei commented, \u201cthe price was about double of what it’s worth … but it looks repairable.\u201d<\/span><\/a> But, is it, Laerei? Mat gave this a full two second\u2019s thought and hit \u2018buy.\u2019 Buyer\u2019s regret? Not yet. What you don\u2019t know isn\u2019t going to hurt you, right? But, as the big reveal piece shows, suddenly Mat knew.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Spoiler Alert!<\/h3>\n

Spoiler, door panels, roof. All gone to the great breaker in the sky. So, it\u2019s not a pretty sight. But the auction house and insurers agree that this is a Cat N job, which <\/span>the AA agree is at least doable<\/span><\/a>. So, repairable, and damage is non-structural. However, there\u2019s only one intact panel, the glass is gone, the 10-spoke wheels are struggling for numbers and the car has spent time on its own roof.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have ignition.<\/h3>\n

The aluminium panels are super-light to assist with handling and weight reduction, and so they scuff easily, and look terrible when damaged. But the panels are superficial, not superstructure and beneath the bulges, the frame looks sound. And where there\u2019s life there\u2019s a runner, and the engine fired first time. We\u2019re off to the races! So, that\u2019s a start. Let\u2019s see if the ending is happy, or not.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just a sample of what Mat got involved with during this rebuild, to watch the entire series click here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay tuned for part two coming soon!<\/p>\n

Dedicated to the upgrade:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n