When a former specialist in Aston Martin and Ferrari vehicles relocates from the US East Coast to California, works on air-cooled Porsches at Singer Vehicle Design, and establishes his own business, the outcome will be exceptional. Marlon Goldberg, a passionate Porsche enthusiast, is one of the premier contacts among devoted Porsche collectors in Southern California.

We’ve frequented the esteemed Porsche workshop 5001 many times, delving into discussions about vintage Porsches with 41-year-old Marlon over a couple of Blue Moons. It’s a nostalgic journey back to our shared youth as car enthusiasts.

Marlon prefers to remain out of the spotlight, allowing the work of his team and his expertise to speak for itself. His customer Porsches are truly exceptional. The primary focus of his workshop, Workshop 5001, centers on Porsche 911s while occasionally handling Porsche 356 models.

Regarding the 911, Workshop 5001 doesn’t distinguish between an F-model, G-model, or even a ‘modern’ Porsche like a 964 or 993. Marlon Goldberg openly acknowledges that the distinction between air-cooled and water-cooled engines isn’t sacred to him. For instance, he fitted a ‘Polo engine’ into a Porsche 356.

This small-series 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine incorporates components from nearly every generation of air-cooled 911 engines, alongside parts from the water-cooled era utilizing Mezger crankcases. The 2.5-liter Polo engine was meticulously developed by Dean Polopolus from Polo Motors in California.

Marlon’s primary passion lies in engine building. Specifically, with many of his customers’ vehicles being, to be frank, worn-out and significantly damaged, he leads his team in rebuilding these cars. His philosophy revolves around revitalizing outdated technology, often incorporating modern motorsport advancements. His core principle is to execute all these transformations with a graceful subtlety and without causing a stir.

Despite the “ducktail” or spoiler, what lies under the engine tailgate isn’t a turbo or an ordinary 3.6-liter Carrera engine. While one or two Porsche purists might express disdain, Marlon Goldberg’s customers aren’t particularly concerned. They love it.

Featuring a 3.9-liter displacement, a Kinsler kit, a freely programmable M130 engine control unit, a new wiring harness safeguarded by two PDM30s, and various enhancements, Marlon Goldberg has catapulted the old 964 into the present. Remarkably, the engine boasts a power delivery of 380 hp to the wheels — even the rare Porsche Carrera RS America, Carrera RS 3.8, and Carrera RSR 3.8 seem modest.

Our colleagues from the motorsport department crafted a three-way adjustable KW V4 Racing suspension specifically for the Workshop 5001 Porsche 964’s suspension system. This choice was straightforward—the standard 964s typically weigh between 1350 and 1470 kilograms, contingent on their equipment and model. In contrast, Workshop 5001 Porsche weighs 1200 kilograms.

In our standard KW Classic delivery program for the Porsche 911 (964), we’ve integrated the KW V3 coilover suspension, featuring independent adjustment for compression and rebound. This suspension and damper design has been meticulously developed for the standard vehicle weight and original mounting points. However, nothing remains entirely stock in Marlon Goldberg’s customer Porsche 964 RS+ – even the suspension.

We’ve crafted a customized suspension kit for the Workshop Porsche using components from our extensive motorsport program. With the three-way adjustable dampers, the Porsche maintains impeccable road grip, even while cruising at higher speeds on slightly rougher roads.

If you’re not convinced, simply indulge in the YouTube video by Hagerty, featuring motoring journalist Henry Catchpole unleashing the Porsche through the canyon roads around Los Angeles.

Let’s quickly highlight the advantages of three-way dampers for those short on time to watch YouTube. Primarily, the compression damping handles road imperfections. That’s why sometimes someone might advise you to adjust the bump valve for a stiffer or more comfortable ride and an improved suspension setup.

Equipped with the KW V4 Racing suspension, akin to our KW V4 Clubsport and KW V4 coilover suspension kit, each aspect of the suspension – slow and fast compression and rebound damping movements – can be individually fine-tuned. This option is available for those who might not be entirely content with our preconfigured damper settings.

By independently adjusting the high-speed and low-speed forces, it becomes feasible to harmoniously dampen the ‘road-wave vertical accelerations’ (considered high-speed) without needing to factor in the slower piston rod movements primarily responsible for managing compression and rebound stages.

Its exceptional adaptability is at the heart of why a car equipped with a KW three-way adjustable suspension delivers a noticeable driving experience. This feature has attracted the attention of an increasing number of automotive manufacturers, prompting them to commission KW to develop bespoke suspensions explicitly tailored to their selected unique models. These suspensions offer a range of adjustment options, including separate control over high-speed and low-speed compression and low-speed rebound.

KW’s exceptional suspension expertise extends to a curated line of bespoke suspensions, not just for high-performance race cars but also for a select few spirited sports cars. Google our blog for the SPECIAL-OE tag  (https://blog-int.kwautomotive.net/tag/special-oe/), where we’ll delve into KW’s OE collaborations.

By the way, in all KW coilover suspension kits with the designation “V4,” you’ll always find a suspension that features low-speed adjustable rebound and independently and separately adjustable low-speed and high-speed compression forces.

Even for the Porsche 911 (G Body), we offer a three-way adjustable motorsport suspension kit – even as a rally version (Porsche Safari suspension kits)!

Photo Workshop 5001, C. Schmidt, Sascha SMF, KW