Sportomatic 911T Restored, Part 3: A New Home in Santa Fe
In 2025, Modern Aircooled founder Jordan Remeljej moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not long after, he was able to acquire his favorite restoration project from the customer who had commissioned it: the Sportomatic Irish Green 911T. Jordan reflected on the ownership and driving the 911 that he had been admiring for the past six years. Photos by Kevin McCauley.
What do you like about this 911T, and what motivated you to buy it?
Jordan Remeljej: To be blunt, it was love at first sight. Especially with restorations of this magnitude you really get to know the car, its history, the owners, everything that contributes to the soul of the finished project. At the time of our first interview (recorded above) I was already smitten. I had made it clear to the previous owner that if he ever decided to part ways with the vehicle I wanted first rights and offered every dollar he had in the car and a few more, something that contributed to the hefty discount he got on the restoration overall!
I fall in love with lots of the cars we restore to be honest, but there were specific things this car had that really make a sucker out of me. First of all I absolutely loved the originality. There wasn’t a rusty bolt out of place, the 20k or so mile interior had a beautiful patina but was also in incredible condition. There were little period modifications here and there, an inoperable alarm, some extra chromed bumpers for example, but even those changes were as old and as part of the car as its engine.
The biggest draw though, was it’s quirkiness. I love anything a little off, a little unloved, and especially mechanically interesting or historically important. The old girl has more stories to tell and more lessons to teach today than a converted car could never. My favourite aspect of my career is explaining in detail the work that I do, and the Sporto gives me more of an opportunity to explain it than anything else I could drive.
How do you usually use and enjoy the car in Santa Fe?
JR: Santa Fe is truly blessed with beautiful weather. We average 300 days of sunshine a year, often that good mild type or ‘convertible weather’. I generally try and take it out once a week, down to the pub on a nice evening or to the occasional cars and coffee. If I havnt had a chance in a while it becomes my grocery getter or errand runner. The wildcard being when every time I go to fetch something from the garage, I look at it and often decide to just go for a drive.
What makes this a good car for driving around Santa Fe?
JR: Santa Fe is the oldest capital in the United States, founded in 1610. The road I live off of, the El Camino Real, was established in 1598 and claims to be the oldest European trade route in the country. Our streets are narrow, winding, very much pre-car. The 911’s tiny footprint makes weaving in and out of the alley-ways and the lost tourists a doddle! In other ways it just feels appropriate, Santa Fe was a Route 66 city, and has a huge car culture. The city of Española, a few miles north, is known as the low rider capital of the world, and fiercely claims to be their origin pint. You can’t have a week go by without an evening or weekend showcasing the most immaculately built 50s and 60s cars proudly lined around our historic plaza. While cut from a different cloth, the 911 fits the era, the vibe, and is welcomed and respected here as a part of that golden age Americana culture.
What about the Sportomatic gearbox works well there?
JR: Santa Fe sits at 7200 feet of elevation, set in the foothills of the Sangre De Christo mountains. Between the winding roads and up and down elevation on every drive, having a gearbox that is incredibly versatile and flexible at 15-40mph is vital. When I drive my manual vehicles around the same routes, I find myself working the clutch a lot, focusing on actually driving. With the 911, I’m able to almost ‘set and forget’ and enjoy a cruise around town, windows down, taking in the historic scenery. It’s a car and gearbox that really shines at around-town speeds.
Are there any services you’re planning to do to adapt the 911T to its new environment?
JR: The cobblers’ kids have no shoes. One of these days I’ll get around to actually rebuilding and resetting the carbs to our 7200+ foot altitude instead of just driving around the fueling hiccups the way a mechanic can. Other than that, not really. I might stick a quieter muffler on to tone down a little of the drone when cruising [we installed a M&K dual-inlet Sport muffler during the restoration], and then I think maybe a vintage looking bluetooth speaker for the rear parcel shelf to I can have music without gutting the original radio.
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