1958 Porsche Speedster -- Restoration in Progress

1958 Porsche 356 Speedster Description

1958 Porsche Speedster

Chassis no. 84796 is a late-production T-2 Speedster, considered by many aficionados to be the most desirable and drivable version of this rare, iconic collector’s car. Fewer than 1200 T-2 Speedsters were produced in total (from late 1957 to early 1959), and this one is among the final 150 made. Further contributing to its rarity, this Speedster was outfitted at the factory with a number of unusual options. (See notes below that reference the Porsche Factory Kardex.)

The extensive collection of new (see lists below and the link to photos at the end) and original parts and the considerable restoration work already completed (see photos and notes below) set the stage for this Speedster to be restored to any desired level at far less expense than the restoration of an intact car.

My father acquired this Speedster on April 26, 1966 from a certain H.P. Cochran of Baltimore, Maryland. It has remained in our family ever since. The car is currently paired with an engine (no. 65131) from a sister car – a 1957 356 Coupe that my father also owned, and that was sadly totaled in a wreck in December 1965.

The Kardex (see photo) indicates that this car was delivered from the factory on April 18 of 1958 to Autohaus Kahrmann in the beautiful and historic city of Fulda, Germany for a Lt. Joseph M. Taitano, who was stationed in Germany from his home state of Maryland. The service dates on the car while it was still in Germany, as well as the dates for Lt. Taitano’s two-year tour of duty in Germany, suggest that he brought the car with him to Maryland probably in late 1958. H.P. Cochran (also of Maryland) subsequently purchased the vehicle and then sold it to my father. As noted, the Speedster has remained in our family since April of 1966.

The Kardex also reveals that this car was unusually well-equipped for a Speedster, including a rear seat, a windshield washer, electric clock, lighter and ashtray. None of these were standard on a Speedster and most were extremely rare. The car was delivered with crested hubcaps (these were standard on 356 Supers and were an option on Normals like this one). Originally the car was ivory white with a red leatherette interior and oatmeal carpet.

The Speedster was last driven from Maine down to Virginia in July of 1979, and was then garaged for 19 years. In March of 1998, a restoration was initiated.The engine was rebuilt by GT Performance, Inc. of Edgewood, Maryland. Unused since its rebuild, the engine has been carefully stored, lubricated and turned over by hand periodically.The body was bead-blasted. Structural repairs of the body were completed including replacement of the following pieces: front and rear floor pans, battery box floor, left and right jack ports, fender braces, tow hook. The shift tunnel was rebuilt and various other miscellaneous rust holes were patched with sheet steel. After the structural work was complete, Bill Zink of Bel Air Maryland prepped the body, then primed and painted it with Glasurit paints, in a period-correct Fjord Green, followed by multiple layers of clearcoat.

When the bodywork and painting were completed, I noticed some unacceptable defects on both doors and the front lid. I retook possession of the car. The defective work was corrected; however, the subsequent paint job on these parts is an inadequate match to the rest of the car. The car needs a complete repainting.

Also, after more than a dozen years in storage, several areas reveal signs of rust under the paint that should be addressed prior to repainting. There is one truly bad area of rust. It is on the dashboard, potentially requiring patching or filling. I scraped off some of the paint and documented this rust with two photos in the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/DI6WzUH95EfHBRrGtz2orvuJ30qTamIOMOu7wpMyAUi?v=grid&ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

The other areas of rust that I can detect are far less severe, and are located as follows:On the exterior near the top of each door, in one small patch, there are tiny bubbles showing through the paint that may indicate rust or another surface prep problem. On one rear fender, there is a patch similar to that described for the doors. On the rear seat bench, there are obvious though small rust bubbles that show through the paint in a number of places and these are visible in some photos.

The undercarriage of the car requires attention.The suspension components and transaxle have remained in place throughout the restoration work, and so the cleaning, rust-removal and undercoating were not thoroughly completed. Other than basic lubrication, the transaxle has not been serviced.The brake system has been largely removed with new parts purchased as noted below.The new rear brake lines were included in the rebuild of the shift tunnel.

Parts and Extras

This sale includes a complete set of parts as installed at the time of my family's purchase of the Speedster in 1966, including those that may be viewed in the photos. Some extra parts -- salvaged from the aforementioned ‘57 coupe – will be included with the sale.

In addition, there are many new parts (purchased in anticipation of the restoration) that will be conveyed to the successful bidder. NEW PARTS include the following:

• Interior – Grey-beige leather from Autos International (the bucket seats have already been upholstered by AI as shown in the photos; the full matching leather interior is precut, ready to be installed); original German square-weave wool carpet in oatmeal; black floor, tunnel and luggage mat set; tan German canvas ragtop with bow-wrap kit
• Complete side trim, bumper decos and rocker decos
• Complete set of rubber seals and other rubber parts like floor pedal covers
• Bumpers -- unfinished and unfitted set (from Stoddard. I also have the original set from the car that would need some patching/repair but definitely they are in decent shape as these old bumpers go -- with guards.)
• Complete set of new OEM badges (see photos; these are in addition to the complete set of originals).
• Teardrop taillights.
• New Headlights and covers, plus replacement metal grates for headlights.
• License plate light.
• New break set, including ss lines, double reservoir master cylinder, complete set of calipers and shoes, along with mounting hardware.
• Tension rod (for mounting rear view mirror)
• Aero side mirror (along with the original mirror that could be refinished)
• New exterior door handles (originals need refinishing but are in good shape)
• Horn grills
• Grab handle (for dashboard; original may be refinished).
• OEM speedo cable.
• Four new “super” hubcaps with crests (Three original “baby moon” hubcaps from the ’57 Coupe are also included, as are the original crests and hubcaps from this Speedster.)

Other original items of note: All original VDO gauges (plus the original dash clock – a rare Speedster option, and the VDO gauges from the coupe); the original jack; the original “Type 356A Driver’s Manual” and “Maintenance Instruction for Porsche Bodies;"original key, lock-inserts and ignition; two gas tanks in decent shape (one from the coupe); two steering wheels (black from the coupe, ivory from the Speedster with a horn ring, both are true but need restorative work); wooden front seat frames that support the bucket seats; an extra complete rear bench seat (from the coupe); and lots of miscellaneous hardware, some of which will require restoration.

Half and full tonneau covers also came with the car in an olive green, very durable naugahyde that still appear in usable condition. Myfather replaced the side curtains with custom aluminum-framed slidable plexiglass windows. The plexiglass is completely spiderwebbed,but could readily be replaced.

In addition to these lists, acareful review of the photos reveals many of the original, new and extra parts included in this sale.

Why You May Want this Project Car Instead of an Intact Car

The new owner will have the opportunity to select from among the many new and original parts to complete the restoration to his or her exact specifications at far less expense than restoring an intact car. The considerable work done to date and described above can be built upon and improved upon as desired before completing the full restoration. This Speedster deserves to be beautiful again, and she is well on her way.

Additional photos are available at these urls:

Car: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/GUnCUnbUQegNJ4l6HQvEreVDUB6DCa1ufKWPeZUjHIo?v=grid&ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

Parts: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/1y5Ua9qirO2rwXLbGMHUA4ttznzF8b6Bx5gJRsiNYSe?v=grid&ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to describe accurately and fully this 1958 used Porsche 356A T2 Speedster that has undergone extensive work over a period of years. As a "project" car, the vehicle and associated parts are being sold “as they are." As such, no warranties or representations are made by the seller; nor should any warranties or representations be assumed by the bidder.