Ben Anderson

At 928 Specialists LTD, I’ve been deeply involved in the restoration and maintenance of classic Porsche vehicles, including full restorations, engine builds, suspension overhauls, wiring repairs, servicing, and general mechanical work. Working with classics demands precision, care, and a high level of craftsmanship — all of which I consistently deliver to an exceptional standard and within agreed timeframes.

After gaining additional experience at Alpine, I returned to 928 Specialists in a more senior capacity. The decision to return was driven by the fast-paced environment and the team's need for experienced support, as the workshop was extremely busy and significantly behind on work. I was able to contribute immediately by taking on complex restorations and helping bring structure and efficiency to ongoing projects.

My role involved conducting detailed vehicle inspections on arrival, producing clear and prioritised reports for customers. I frequently carried out custom wiring repairs and full harness builds where new parts were unavailable, alongside structural welding, fabrication, and rust treatment. Diagnosing electrical faults was also a key part of my work, requiring methodical troubleshooting and efficient problem-solving.

I’ve always worked to a high standard, regardless of project size or budget, ensuring a professional finish while respecting time and cost constraints. My strong organisational habits — such as keeping a clean, well-ordered workspace and ensuring careful disassembly and part tracking — helped streamline the rebuild process and meet deadlines. I take personal pride in every vehicle that leaves the workshop, whether I worked on it directly or not.

While I’m proud of the work I have accomplished at 928 Specialists and the responsibilities I took on after returning in a more senior role, I have ultimately decided that although I love the work I'd like to pursue new challenges. I'm now looking for a role that offers a fresh environment, continued technical growth, and the opportunity to contribute within a dynamic, collaborative team.

Whilst working at Alpine I was responsible for the preparation / build of suspension corners of old & current 2025 F1 cars to be ran at the Mercedes F1 brake dyno. This would include me having to liaise with other departments to ensure parts were available on time, track all life numbers to ensure correct records of all the components that were tested, add parts to the FIA UIIL lists & find technical drawings that had to be followed during the assembly procedure. I also used 3DX to look around the 3D files of the corners/dyno rigs to ensure everything was built correctly. I was also responsible for the post dyno breakdown & report which included documenting any damage, wear or other issues which had occurred whilst the testing had taken place. I then had the big task of putting everything away which had to be bagged and labelled in a way that anyone could build up a corner in the future if they needed to. Also during my time at Alpine I was responsible for testing all of the heat rejections components which would be data logged and assessed by myself using Dewesoft & saved following the correct file layout. If any of these components failed I had to reject them and return them back to the relevant department. I also assisted with the characterisation of steering racks, front and rear wing testing & endurance/ultimate cassette testing. I was also responsible for helping run the 7-post-rig and played a big part in getting all of the full car pre-season testing completed in time for the 2025 season. My responsibilities during this testing was to carry out FARB, RARB, damper & spring changes in between tests. I also helped build the car up with all of the testing equipment and get it stripped & back into the race bays at 3am ready for the race team to build the car at 8am. I was also responsible for testing gearbox oil pumps, running all tests on the pit stop guns & assisted with gearbox sign offs on the dyno.

I also had the opportunity to work as the No.2 Mechanic on the Race Support Team as they needed help with the preparation of a car for a test at Monza. I was given this opportunity because of my mechanical background and was not getting much fulfilment from working in Validation. I helped build up the whole rear end of the car, following all drawings to specification & liaising with the No.1 mechanic to get the patch set and the cars geometry set to the specified values sent by the engineer for this Monza test. The test was very successful, we ran 2 development drivers, Franco Colapinto and Paul Aaron. We had to do a floor change mid run which was full on but fantastic to see the whole team come together to get this done in around 30 minutes, we changed the gearbox due to a leak mid session which again was brilliant & throughout the few days we were there we did multiple brake material changes & inspections. I was also responsible for firing up the car & being the rear jack during pit stops. I loved the high pressured environment and thrived in it.

It was a great honour to be given the opportunity to work alongside the Race Support Team & was offered the job of becoming the new No.2 Mechanic but declined the job. Declining this job was very tough for me to do & I gave it a lot of thought. While the opportunity to work as a mechanic in Formula 1 was undeniably exciting, I made the decision to decline the role after gaining a clear understanding of the position's scope. The role was highly specialised and primarily focused on fitting specific components just at the rear end of the car, with limited involvement in broader mechanical systems or problem-solving. I felt that the narrow focus would limit my ability to engage in creative thinking, continuous learning, and hands-on involvement across the car as a whole. I thrive in environments where I can apply both technical skills and critical thinking to solve complex problems, collaborate across systems, and contribute to ongoing development — and I recognised that this particular role wouldn’t support those goals.

After gaining first-hand experience in the Validation & Testing department at Alpine, I realised that the pace and structure of the work didn’t align with my preferred working style. I’m someone who thrives in fast-paced, hands-on environments where I’m consistently engaged from start to finish. The nature of the department was much quieter and slower than I had been led to expect, which limited the level of involvement and challenge I was looking for. I made the decision to move on in order to pursue opportunities that better matched my energy, work ethic, and desire to stay actively involved in technical problem-solving throughout the day.

I joined 928 Specialists LTD which is a family run Porsche restoration business which is ran by my father after leaving Mercedes-Benz & have been heavily involved in the restoration and maintenance of classic Porsche vehicles, including full restorations, engine builds, suspension overhauls, wiring repairs, servicing, and general mechanical work. Working with classics demands precision, care, and a high level of craftsmanship — all of which I consistently deliver to an exceptional standard and within agreed timeframes.

As part of my role, I carry out detailed vehicle inspections on arrival, producing thorough yet customer-friendly reports that clearly outline priorities based on safety, performance, and budget. In many cases, replacement parts such as wiring looms are no longer available, so I have developed strong skills in repairing and fabricating custom wiring harnesses. I also take on structural repairs where necessary, using my welding, fabrication, and rust treatment experience to prepare vehicles for restoration.

Many of the vehicles I work on arrive with significant electrical issues, and I follow a consistent, methodical troubleshooting process to diagnose and resolve faults efficiently. I always work within the customer's budget, ensuring each project delivers maximum value without compromising quality. Whether the job is large or small, I maintain a perfectionist approach and take pride in the finished product.

I also place strong emphasis on organisation and workshop standards, keeping my work area clean and ensuring all parts are carefully labelled and stored during disassembly to support a smooth and timely reassembly process. I take personal pride in every vehicle that leaves the workshop — even those I haven’t directly worked on — and always strive to maintain the highest standards across the board.

During my time at Mercedes-Benz of Cheltenham & Gloucester I was responsible for the majority of big engine work jobs. These included head gasket failures, warranty engine replacements, strip down and assessment of engines and providing assistance to other technicians during their jobs if it included any challenging mechanical work. I also carried out a lot of warranty work and took pride in making sure everything was completed to the highest standard and done by the book every step of the way. After completing warranty work I had to complete a warranty write up which I enjoyed doing because it allowed me to improve my documentation skills and also helped with keeping my own daily logs. Working at Mercedes also widely improved my understanding of electrical systems along with the mechanical workings of modern cars. I enjoyed problem solving difficult electrical faults using the diagnostic equipment and carrying out extensive pin outs to finally reach the problem.

Whilst working I also really enjoyed working as a team with other technicians/friends and being able to overcome problems together and reach end targets together as a team. I also had the responsibility of having a first year apprentice which I really enjoyed. This was a good challenge for myself as I had to be able to fully explain certain things if he ever had any questions. I also had to teach him the procedure for general maintenance, system checks and also how to correctly follow wiring diagrams to ensure a quick and effective troubleshooting path.