About JP Werks
JP Werks, the Midwest’s premier air-cooled Porsche specialist, is among the handful of shops nationwide that can properly preserve the heritage, performance, and originality that the Germans intended. Providing complete factory-style service, restoration, and machining exclusively on air-cooled models, we maintain the engineering integrity of cars with the utmost attention to detail and correctness, without modern shortcuts. Your air-cooled Porsche was designed with immense precision, and without a true specialist who understands the tight tolerances and specificity they require, it will never operate with the perfection that makes these cars so special.
Mark Journey founded JP Werks in 1986, bringing with him years of experience as a master Porsche technician when these cars were new. Factory-trained by Porsche to their exacting standards, he deeply understood how to maintain their cars so they drove as well as when they left Stuttgart. He continued the same regimented philosophy at his independent shop, bringing the same air-cooled-era factory tools and methods into the modern day to keep cars operating exactly as designed. He mentored his son, Daniel, from a young age, passing down his rare skill set to the next generation. Upon Mark’s passing in 2022, Daniel reincarnated the shop into the current JP Werks, proudly continuing the legacy and heritage of his dad and legendary Porsches that deserve proper preservation.
From routine maintenance to bodywork to full mechanical restoration, JP Werks offers a full suite of services on air-cooled models. Check out our full list of services offered, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, whether the project is large or small.
About Daniel
Daniel Journey, owner and lead technician at JP Werks, has spent his life wrenching on old Porsches. He took interest at an early age in his father’s workshop, absorbing not only technical skills but a philosophy of work grounded in patience, correctness, and mechanical respect. Despite visits from the truancy officer, he regularly skipped school to receive mentorship from his father. By the time he was fourteen, Daniel worked as the shop’s dedicated 944 technician, and left high school as a gifted air-cooled mechanic with skills far beyond his years.
He formalized his knowledge with a Bachelor’s Degree in Automotive Restoration from McPherson College, and went on to work at several top Porsche restoration shops, including Road Scholars and Vintage Car Works. He gained years of experience doing mechanical work and engine rebuilds on concours Porsche restorations, including on the 904, 906, 910, 911R, and 550 Spyder models.
Upon his father’s passing in 2022, Daniel returned to Kansas City to build on the legacy of JP Werks and become an independent player in high-end air-cooled service and restoration. He’s brought his family’s shop to the next-level with his concours experience, a new expanded workshop, and a talented team behind him. With the skills, experience, and facilities to work on models from the 356 to the 993 and everything in between, Daniel’s new JP Werks can handle even the most special air-cooled projects as well as anyone.
Philosophy
Our philosophy is simple but increasingly hard to find: Porsches should be repaired and restored the way Porsche intended: no shortcuts, no unnecessary modernizations, no compromises. We’re not smarter than the engineers at Porsche, and recognize that completing jobs by-the-book is the only way to stay true to the heritage and mechanical greatness of these cars.
There is no substitute for the proper way, and everything we do is guided by factory service procedures. We still use official air-cooled period workshop manuals and tools, and install only correct, authentic parts, sourced carefully — not simply what fits or what is most readily available online. And when an original part can be salvaged, we take careful effort to preserve it.
While many shops will work on air-cooled models, they often use inferior aftermarket parts when the originals could be restored, are unaware of factory specifications and wear-limits, and utilize unnecessary modern shortcuts. Beyond affecting drivability and reliability, many of these models have become very sought after, and neglecting your car’s originality can significantly affect its value down the line. At JP Werks, as stewards of preservation and heritage, we ensure your car is maintained exactly as intended by Porsche and avoid anything that would jeopardize its integrity on the scrupulous air-cooled market.
Discover the difference passionate expertise makes, and unleash the driving excellence you and your Porsche deserve.
History
The Porsche bug bit Mark Journey in 1976 when he traded his 1962 Corvette for a 914, a decision driven by curiosity of its unique engineering. Soon after he completed Porsche factory training, learning the German’s exacting approach to properly maintaining and rebuilding air-cooled models. He quickly emerged as the top technician at Major Cadillac-Porsche in Kansas City, becoming so trusted by customers that they sought him out directly for side work — bringing their cars to his home garage. The dealership owner, driving by, saw Porsches lined up for service outside his home, and fired him for moonlighting. He used this job loss as an opportunity, and opened JP Werks in 1986, taking with him a steady stream of clients who trusted him over the dealership.
With help from the local Snap-on tool salesman — who knew all the area shops — Daniel’s father soon found a proper commercial garage in Merriam, Kansas. He continued building a reputation for correct, factory-standard Porsche repair, quickly establishing JP Werks as the preeminent air-cooled specialist in the Midwest. Mark instilled the same factory-style skills and mindset he learned from Porsche into his son, Daniel, from a young age, and by high school he was taking on large jobs. Mark passionately wrenched on air-cooled models until his passing in 2022. Daniel, after mastering his craft at Porsche workshops across the country, resurrected JP Werks at a new expanded garage in Kansas City. In a short time, Daniel has continued his father’s storied legacy and already cemented his shop as the new formidable player in air-cooled Porsche restoration nationwide.
The Porsche Journey: Goldie
Our customer Eric Grant brought his beautiful 1976 911 Targa into my shop in January 2024. The car hadn't run in 5 years. We put together a plan, and in a few months we got it running better than ever. Check out the video he produced about his trip through the Colorado mountains just a few months later.
The Porsche Journey: The Fox
Our customer WC Fox has owned his beautiful and powerful 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo since the early 1990s. He grew up as a barefoot surfer/car enthusiast in California, but recently moved to Missouri where he's traded in sandy shores for winding Missouri roads.