Porsche has a huge supply of spare parts to keep its classic cars on the road, but it doesn’t have everything. Supplies of certain components run out, and often, it’s way too expensive to build a bunch more, especially for limited-production cars like the 959. That’s why Porsche Classic has turned to 3D printing to make limited numbers of certain spare parts.

Right now, Porsche is manufacturing nine spare parts using 3D printers, and it’s testing 20 more for production viability. The parts offered now include the clutch-release lever for the 959, a crank arm for the 964, and others.

Clockwise from top left: Spare part for 356B and 356C, filler cap seal for 959, crank arm for 964, spare part for 911 Speedster.
Porsche says that it tests all these 3D-printed components to make sure they meet original standards, and frequently, they exceed them. The advantage here is that parts can be made on demand, which helps Porsche save on tooling and storage costs associated with making these spares using conventional methods.
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Owners of ultra-rare Porsche models will no doubt be happy to hear this. Small, simple parts like these are often the hardest to find, making restoration incredibly difficult. This is a neat, futuristic way of helping preserve icons of the past.
This story originally appeared on Road & Track.

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