Interview with a Classic Technician

21/7/2021

Name: Luke Perry

Job Title: Classic Technician

Time with Porsche Centre Swindon: 6 ½  years

What does an average day look like as a Technician at Porsche Swindon?

Well, is there such thing as an average day at Porsche Swindon? One minute I can be working on a Taycan or an in depth modern electrical job. Some days doing a service and the odd repair. The next day stripping/restoring and revitalising a 356 or classic 911 that’s needs a lot of TLC.

Everyday tasks include inspections, tyre and brake measurements, diagnostic work, services, tyres and fault rectifications. Pretty much anything on any car!

The jobs I like doing the least are inactive faults or water leaks. They require time, knowledge and patience. They can be a real headache at times but you always get through it in the end.

For me, restorations are the best jobs. We have been fortunate to have quite a lot of restoration projects at Porsche Centre Swindon. You know you are giving that old, tired car a new lease of life enabling it to continue on the roads for another 50 years or more. It also gives you chance to engage with the customer in more depth to understand what they want. When you carry out the work that they require to get the car exactly how they want it, you get a real sense of passion from the customer and technician.

What is your favourite thing about being a Technician at Porsche?

The best thing for me about being a Porsche Technician is the variety of cars you get to work on. The model variants and the age. And the passion that is around the brand through colleagues and customers is really nothing I have experienced elsewhere.

What is Porsche training like?

Porsche training is very good. The trainers have bags of knowledge and show us some great tips to be the best we can be. Porsche training can be very intense at times as you require a lot of knowledge.

What was the most interesting project you worked on?

My favourite personal project was restoring an engine on a 1989 930 LE. It was the first Classic engine I had built pre-2000 so this was a great learning curve for me. The second most interesting was building the Restoracing Boxster for the Centre. This was a team effort between a few Technicians and was a great project to be a part of. For me, it was great because I have previous experience on rally cars and drift cars so I felt I could really help the team with my knowledge and ideas.

Which car would you love to work on in the future?

I would like to get involved with a Carrera GT or 918 Spyder.

What is the next step in your career with Porsche?

The next step for me is Silver (Senior) Technician status. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be doing my test for this. I also aim to go to Germany to complete my Classic Training.

What would you say to someone who is looking to get into a career as a Technician?

If you love technology and cars then it’s a great career. You need to always keep up to date with modern technology but also build your knowledge on older vehicles too. The job is diverse and challenging but rewarding too. No two days are the same. I feel very proud to be part of one on 4 Classic Porsche Centres in the country, and to add to that being 1 of the 2 Classic Technicians in the dealership really is a privilege.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Technician, contact us by emailing info@porscheswidon.co.uk .