Working with a legend.

When I started Carchaeology my goal has been to do things that put me around amazing cars. I certainly have done that my whole life, but as I have thrown caution to the wind and decided to truly do what I love, with hopes that the money will follow, I have proven truth to that philosophy. While I do not consider myself a wealthy man when it comes to monetary standards, my wealth is living a passion filled life with a supportive family has been achieved, and I am forever thankful for that. Being in the car scene and playing with fun cars is exciting. While the cars I tend to bring in The Lab for analysis are normally what is within my budget, there have been opportunities to work with legends that are beyond my pocketbook. A number of years back when a friend of my brother's called about a collection of incredible muscle cars that the widow of a friend of his was left, I was happy to dive in and assist. That turned into filling The Lab with a Hemi Challenger, a Shelby GT500KR Fastback, and three other top shelf American muscle cars for me to study and learn from while preparing them for market. I sure would have loved for that Shelby to stay, but it was not in the budget for me. The opportunity to spend some intimate time with the car though was something I will always treasure. Recently I received a call from a friend and past client of mine about another car that was ready for a new home. The situation being a long term owner, and a need to sell the family jewel to fund more important things. This time it was a car I felt well prepared to handle in the most appropriate way, a vintage Porsche 356. Always up for an adventure I agreed to help in any way I could.

While I have been a Porsche 356 owner personally for well over 30 years, and grew up with a father that had a couple, I have not spent any real intimate time with the most desirable of the breed, the Porsche Speedster until now. When this beauty arrived at The Lab the opportunity to dig in deep I knew I was in for an incredible treat. This was not only a Speedster, but a truly stellar example in condition and history. Same owner for 50 years, this car has been a pride and joy of the man that held the key. In the 1990's he enlisted a top level shop to restore it to top specifications, and the attention to detail, and staggering stack of receipts and paperwork showed just how much love and money went into bringing it to the highest level. The owner and the restorer certainly did their research, chasing down elusive parts and making sure all parts and materials were correct for the model year and for the car itself. The only variation from factory being a slightly higher HP engine and 12 volt electrics for brighter lights and improved reliability. The car was shown in 2004 in Pebble Beach California at the 50th Anniversary of the Speedster model where it joined up with nearly 300 examples of this rare and desirable model. Other than that event, I dont know if it was ever shown, but it was obviously well cared for and protected from the elements until today. The car truly looks fresh, despite its decades old restoration, the tires dated 1992 still had the nipples on them and the paint on the exhaust still looked fresh. This was a proper time capsule, and my job was to bring it back to life after its hibernation. Mechanically it really didnt take much, other than a rebuild of the carburetors, a flush of the fuel system and some proper tuning (thanks to a Porsche master mechanic friend of mine). New tires were fitted for safety, other operating systems inspected and sorted out, and a full proper detail done to make it look its best. The other quest was to complete the tasks and details that the owner always intended to do, but simply ran out of time. The installation of rare original parts and accessories he had collected for it over the years was like applying the frosting to an amazing cake. Each little part and detail was SO satisfying to install, and every one making the confection just that much sweeter. Now the job is done and the car is going on the market in hopes of finding a home that will love it just as much as the previous owner did. We cant take these cars with us, but with the proper care and focus they will continue on to provide joy and value for generations to come. Like that Shelby, as I have turned the wrenches and polished the corners, the infatuation of being in the presence of a legend has been wonderful. Beyond my budget sadly, but maybe that is for the best. While she cant stay in my bed forever, the fact that we got to know each other on an intimate level is an experience I will forever treasure. Thank you sweet Speedster for our time together. May your roads ahead be magic and joyful. Check out our final drive together here. https://youtu.be/FToaFRYfkq4?si=gFoeniz3MNjnMCRu