As mentioned during our our coverage of Cars & Coffee meet at Canepa in Scott's Valley, California, the cars gathered outside in the parking lot are just the start of the fun. What really makes the events special is getting the chance to get a detailed look inside the gigantic shop that does everything from classic car sales and maintenance to ground up restorations and vintage race car preparation. It's a place you can visit dozens of times and see something different on each occasion — a true gearhead paradise.
Here are five things in particular that stuck out during last weekend's visit:
1. ALL the 959s
While Canepa handles all sorts of road and race vehicles, the company is especially known for its Porsche expertise. And when it comes to desirable Porsche models, few can touch the iconic 959.
It was a car truly ahead of its time and today is considered one of the brand's most influential production models. With less than 350 examples produced in total it's also one of the rarest... but you wouldn't know that after visiting Canepa.
Years ago Bruce Canepa was influential in converting the 959 to comply with U.S. emission laws, and ever since his facility has been known as America's 959 headquarters.
On any given visit you are likely to see at least a few of them in the shop — sometimes being offered for sale in the showroom and sometimes in the shop for maintenance and restoration work.
On this particular day, we counted no less than six different examples of the high tech, AWD super machine, including a couple that were disassembled for mechanical overhaul.
For true Porsche geeks, just the opportunity to see so many of these legendary machines in one spot is reason enough to pay Canepa a visit.
2. Cizeta-Moroder V16GT
And if you thought the Porsche 959 was rare with its 345 examples, try this.
There were less than 20 Cizeta V16Ts built — and this protoype is the very first one ever made.
Designed as a collaboration between Claudio Zampoli and music producer Giorgio Moroder, with styling by the famed Marcello Gandini, the Cizeta remains one of the most unique supercars Italy has ever produced.
The body has a similar shape to the Lamborghini Diablo, which it shared its designer with, but when you look into the engine compartment things get really wild. Yes, that's a V16 engine, with a block based on a pair of Lamborghini V8s. It's an impressive piece of engineering, and it made the car extremely powerful for its time — capable of hitting 100 kilometers per hour in just four seconds.
Regular visitors to Canepa know they will get the chance to see some rare cars, but this Italian oddity truly takes things to a new level. Not surprisingly, there was a crowd around it all morning.
3. The Monterey Crunch
There never seems to be a slow time inside the shop at Canepa, but things are even busier than usual right now with Monterey Car Week and the Rolex Motorsport Reunion just over one month away.
Every bay at the shop was filled with something getting overhauled or freshened up before next month's festivities.
Here's one of several Canepa-prepped Porsche 935s that will be taking to the track at Laguna Seca.
And another 935 — this one originally raced by Paul Newman at Le Mans and recently purchased by comedian Adam Carolla, who plans to run it at the Historics this year. We can't wait to see it coming down the Corkscrew in all of its glory.
It's not just the race cars either. Canepa-restored production cars also make regular appearances at events like the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and we expect to see many of these automobiles in Monterey next month.
4. American Power!
While the giant facility is packed full of rare production and race cars from Germany, Italy, England and more, Canepa also has plenty of love for good ol' American machines.
Walk around the shop, and you'll usually find a few vintage Trans Am racers undergoing work, like this Jerry Titus Pontiac Firebird that's no doubt being readied for Laguna Seca.
The inventory also includes plenty of vintage stock cars, like this incredibly badass '69 Dodge Daytona originally raced by Buddy Baker.
You'll even find the occasional quarter-mile machine, like Shelby's Super Snake front engine rail dragster — which is on display upstairs in the museum section of the building.
Don't forget the road cars either. Whether it's a Corvette, Shelby Cobra, Mustang or one the many beautifully done hot rods that regularly pass through the shop.
5. The Process
Seeing incredibly rare and historically important machines from the past is wonderful, but the special part about visiting Canepa's shop is seeing all of the work that goes into building, maintaining and restoring these vehicles from the ground up.
From fabrication and engine building, to paint and interior, there is no area of a build that Canepa's shop can't handle.
And during their monthly Cars & Coffee meets, it's all open for one to see.
You may have seen a Can Am-spec Porsche 917 at a car show or vintage race event, but how often do you get to see one stripped of all its body work?
It might not look like much, but this tube of metal actually belongs to a 1966 AAR Eagle Indy racer that's currently undergoing a full restoration at the hands of Canepa's talented technicians.
This just scratches the surface of the magic we found inside the Canepa shop last weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for an extra bonus gallery of cool stuff coming up shortly.
And if you ever have the chance to get out to one of Canepa's Cars & Coffee events yourself, we do not think you'll regret making the trip.