Our Car's Story...New Member - The Porsche 356, 912, 914 Forum

Every Car has a story...I want to introduce myself and share the story of my special car. Sorry in advance for the lengthy post!

In 1977 I was 10 years old. My dad bought a 1961 356B Roadster that he was going to restore and drive for the rest of his life. The car underwent a 3 year restoration at Schneider Auto Haus in Santa Barbara, CA. My dad converted it into a Super90 and changed the color from its original blue to silver. The paint was his custom blend. New seats were installed, covered in connelly leather. At least original German carpets were used.

The restoration saw the car repainted numerous times because it was never quite perfect. Originally my father intended to install a turbocharged 914 motor but decided to try to keep the car original. As such the original motor was built as a 1750 with Mahle pistons, forged connecting rods, and dual webers. Everything was powder coated (this was when they first invented the process) the original colors.

Originality was sought to the extent that he had sun visor brackets custom made patterned after the originals. Since the car never had a radio, he had one installed under the floor boards and a remote control built into the ash tray. For some inexplicable reason he even added a CB radio.

After the restoration the car spent a year on the PCA Concours circuit. It was a winner right out of the blocks. My job (and my nickname) was undercarriage. Hey...I was only 13 at the time and hence the only person who fit under there. The entire family traveled around with the car loaded in a big red box truck. We all had our assignments and the car was as close to perfect as it could ever get.

Since the completion of the restoration our 356 has traveled less than 3,500 miles. Garage queen barely scratches the surface of this car's life. The top has not been up for at least 25 years. While sitting in the garage it is protected by a toneau cover and dust cover. I wonder what shape the top is in...

Sadly the car is about to pass to me. Today I finally got it started after it sat for months on end. I filled the tank with 100 octane unleaded, put the battery on a trickle charger and let the auxiliary electric fuel pump run of 20 minutes. That little motor still runs like a champ. I look forward to warmer weather when I can cruise around with my children and keep the torch lit.

Thank you for reading this story. I look forward to actively participating in this forum.

Randy