Black Forest Racing - Porsche Specialists

Took my 74 911 to Cody Forbes at Black Forest Racing after catastrophic engine failure. He is exceptionally knowledgeable on air cooled cars and was familiar with all the 2.7’s weak points. He gave me rebuild options from stock to hot rod. We landed in the middle and after 1000 trouble-free miles, I could not be happier. High quality work with attention to detail. Nothing leaves the shop without Cody’s personal review and approval. All owners should be so involved. Talk to him for a few minutes and you will know your car is in very capable hands.

BFR is well known for their work on old Porsches including restoration, rebuilds as well as race prep/support & custom work but they also do service & maintenance on modern day Porsche’s as well. I took my Macan to them for new rotors, pads & sensors. I was able to drop off the car the night before and it was stored inside overnight which I really like. The job was completed the next day, they use parts from OE suppliers, they warranty the work for 1 year, and they even cleaned my wheels and got rid of the brake dust and grim. It was easy to schedule, and their pricing was very fair. Communication via email was solid. Jonathan answered all of my questions. No surprises on pick up and as a bonus you get a glimpse of some very cool customer cars they are working on. Who doesn’t like to see that.

First experience with Black Forest was great. Finding someone with experience in repairing Porsche 914's is becoming difficult. Went in for a valve adjustment and new shift bushings. Later found that the transmission had a bottle cap wedged inside. They sent a multitude of pictures (wish others would do this). Then worked with Cogscogs, who has worked with Black Forest, to get a rebuilt transmission with warranty. So happy to have found these two sources for my 79 Porsche 914.

Super nice group of guys. They are a race/custom shop but do standard maintenance as well. Had them change the pads on my Macan GTS. Highly recommend them.

I have used Cody Forbes and his team to support my Porsche GT4 Clubsport for several years. Cody's Porsche knowledge, old and new Porsches, is unmatched. I would trust him with any issue on my car. He is also well known within Porsche Motorsports and the Porsche racing community. The only disadvantage with Black Forest is that they are a fairly small shop and may not be able to squeeze you in!

Race Support +++
For my first racing may years I wasn't sure what to expect, wasn't sure what I would need. I hired BFR for support "just in case" but figured I could handle it on my own as i had done in the past...
What en eye opening experience. There was so much I was not anticipating or expecting. Cody was there checking over the car before and after every session. Great sense of comfort knowing a pro is going over things to ensure nothing was missed or forgotten. Once on track Cody was there providing support and spotting, again confidence building. Then after finishing a session, he was there to review data and help focus my attention for the next session/race. Not to mention mechanical support. Cody was right on top of things when I had a mechanical issue (cracked header), He had it out and repaired with time to spare, I didn't miss a minute of time.

Thanks Again!!!! You were there with assistance I didn't know i needed.

I purchased a 2005 Porsche 911 from a used car dealer. Decided to have the IMS bearing replaced. Found out that a previous owner had poor quality repair work done! What followed next was that I decided to have the engine rebuilt. Cody walked me thru the process and kept me posted as things progress! It was stressful but I fully trusted Cody to do a good job. He did a fantastic job from start to finish! The car runs great and I could not be happier! Highly recommended!

Excellent service, they where able to get my GT4 Clubsport in right away to reprogram after a repair. Nice to know a shop with a Porsche scan tool other then just the dealership!

I've been thrilled with the knowledge and quality of work! Cody listened to how I was using the car (street and several fast track events/year) and made perfect recommendations that worked within my budget.

One of the most important benefits of BFR is their knowledge and experience. Not only knowing what are the 'best parts to bolt on' but HOW to set the car up. Cody spent the time talking with the chip upgrade maker to clarify an intake question. He also talked with them about my Fabspeed header / Borla cat back exhaust set up, pre/post dyno runs, etc.

On top of that, Cody let me know that EVOM, the chip maker, offered him a discount because he was going to send them my dyno results. So Cody passed the savings on to me directly. This speaks volumes to his integrity.

I live in Charlotte and there are local shops that "specialize" in what I wanted done. I talked to them all and BFR is heads and shoulders above. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

John is a true professional and a wealth of knowledge. We recently had a 356 restored. The entire process was exciting and John made everything go smooth. His attention to detail is second to none. I truly want to thank him for everything. Hands down the best!

These days it seems like the internet is filled with horror stories about businesses that constantly fail to do the right thing by their customers. Having spent my entire working life in and around various aspects of the automotive world, I see it all too often.
My 1990 911 had one of these 'mystery' issues that had more than a few Porsche guys scratching their heads. Many fixes and experiments were tried and many theories fell short. Having already spent far more than I'd wanted to, the last thing I wanted to do was drop the car off at yet another shop for another couple of weeks, only to get it back in much the same shape I'd left it.
I was told John is established and trustworthy among local PCA members and as a last resort, I decided to leave it with him. Over the course of days spent at Blackforest, John and Cody quickly identified various things in need of adjustment, some missed details in previous 'fixes', and a couple of items that were well beyond their 'sell by' dates. This was a starting point and while the car was noticeably better after all of this, we all agreed it hadn't yet reached it's full potential. As a result, John and Cody would ask for more time. It was clear this had become personal for them and I appreciated that they were more interested in solving the problem than finding extra things to bill me for.
A week later, mystery solved. Phrases like "it's a completely different car now" pretty much summed it up. 3 months later the thing starts, idles, and runs like a clock every day - and I couldn't be happier.
Throughout the time spent at Blackforest, the only parts that were replaced were parts in obvious need of replacement. Nothing was touched unless it related to the issue at hand and I'd been spoken to about 'why' & 'how much'. It's an old school approach that's often promoted but seldom practiced.
When it was all said and done, they probably could have charged more but they didn't. They fixed a car, but more importantly, they earned a customer.

Tuned my 944 Turbo and make a world of difference! So much more power and better driveability, highly recommended for anything Porsche!

My apologies, I did not leave a review but since it wasn't 5 stars I have corrected it. 5 stars were definitely earned and I am completely satisfied. I will be a returning customer when the time comes. Thanks for everything!

The best. Prices are reasonable, work is first class. Saved me buying a dud with a PPI, always happy to answer questions. I wouldn't go anywhere else.

Truly experts at racing and Porsche in particular. So helpful and willing to share knowledge/experience. Top notch!!!

Quality service at a reasonable price. They’ve serviced my vehicle twice and I’ve been pleased with the work.

If you have a Porsche that needs some lovin, these are your guys, if you like Porsches, these are your guys, if you want to see some amazing pieces of history, stop by, these are your guys. If you want to talk Porsches, you guessed it...these are your guys.

Great Porsche Shop in North Carolina

Very knowledgeable and highly recommended. Can't go wrong with Cody and his crew.

One of the few remaining classic Porsche mechanics left and one of the best