Another Green Coupe

OK, folks, a few of you may recall I have alluded upon occassion to an old Typ A Coupe I owned once upon a time; took it across country in '67, and generally ran it until it fell apart -- the old rust story, familiar to original 356ers. Anyway, I have been gatherimng old family photos for my daughter-in-law and knew there were a few shots of this car and also maybe some of my old '61 B S90. Have not found pix of the S90 yet, but here are two of the old '56 A. After a day spent by my brother and I w/ untold amounts of white polishing compound and good ol' Simonize. It never looked better while I had it nor since the picture was taken. When I sold the car some years later (actually gave it away) it came out of the garage in two pieces 'cause it fell apart when lifted. Photos ca. 1968.

Would love to have the old plates off it now (including the Arlington one)! The red rear fog light looks out of place on a US Spec 356 - is that what you were referring to as non-OEM? I'll have to find shot of the '62 Karmann knotch back 356 I had back in '74. I think the shift rod was what held it together (and the STOP sign I riveted to floor).

inboard taillights are truck running lights.

BEAUTIFUL ! ! ! And a wealth of detail and component placement information. I really didn't realize that the "shine down" plate lamp mounted so high up on the rear bulkhead.

Please post as many original pics as you have or come across.

Kelly--thanks for showing us that car. In 1962 as a junior salesman for Bristol Myers I never went to Greenville, SC without going into the Porsche dealership and LUSTING after such a car as yours. We were free to buy any car to use as a 'company car" and charge mileage. I had it all figured out--I would get the 356 coupe in a sedate flat gray color so as to not look too racy but alas it never happened.

I once had a 1946 Packard--closest thing to the shape of a 356 coupe.
Only I appreciated that shape and am still crazy for it! --Jack

Jack,

My father had a '49 Packard (Clipper??), and I have a picture or two of it in the files somewhere. Will post it after I get home. What a massive car that was. Straight 8 flat-head, I think, although I was just 14 or so when it was around and I was busy plotting how cool it would be to drive. I could sit in the back w/ legs stretched out and still not touch the back of the front seats. Seemed like a great make-out car to me. Spent many hours polishing all the chrome inside -- an activity my father was very puzzled by. This would have been around 1960, and this monster was just his beater to get back and forth to the Pentagon. My plan to bomb around in this land yacht never materialized as DoD died a few days short of his 50th B-day, and mom could not -- would not -- understand my passion for the car, nor my young age (still no license, and none to come if it were up to her) nor the expense of keeping more than one car. Short of that story: the car was sold, and I never saw it again.

I am still looking for other photos of my two Coupes, and the ones seen here are the only ones I know of for sure of the '56. If I find more, I'll put 'em up. wrt shine-down: now you know why my Speedster has a shine down. As far as I am concerned, this is the only way to do it.

PS: The tail lights are the ones that came w/ the car to me, but were Pep Boys specials, I think. Cut down to fit in there bezels. Also, the right door is open in the one shot to hide the seriously crumpled rt. fender and the really awful job of replacing the front clip that someone did before I got the car. Further history: I paid $600 in cash I did not have (borrowed funds against my promised employment) after graduating from college in 1966. The $600 soon paled in comparison to the investment demanded by the engine, which lasted just long enough to get me home, roughly 500 mi. All my summer earnings went to rebuild the engine, and pay off the loan. But the rebuild was done properly, just back to Normal specs, and the engine ran like a top for many years after.

Kelly--a wonderful story. Funny how cars figure in memories we keep all our lives.

The'46 Packard was a Clipper---had a straight six cylinder engine.
It really was exactly like the pre war '42 as they just cranked the plant up and made what they were making prior to the war. It was straight drive and a pleasure to drive. I have seen these for sale on ebay from time to time but the Speedster fulfills my car fantasies
sufficiently.

We have a very large building here in Hot Springs --three stories and it actually used to be a large Packard dealership in the 20's and 30's. Hot Springs was always a sophisticated town with open gambling and a thoroughbred horse track that opened in 1904 (same year as the Wright Bros. first flew I believe)famous as well as notorious folks such as Babe Ruth, Al Capone and many others came here for the gambling, racing and the hot baths. We still have a dozen 1890's bath houses downtown that are maintained by the National Park Service. Google Hot Springs, AR (Not GA) and you can almost see old Packards crusising in fromnt of the bath houses. Today the residents see me cruising in a Speedster!!

Sorry to ramble so.---Jack


---Jack

Hi Kelly,

I was referred to you from another member. To recap: I am in the process of looking to purchase the 356 and would like to see and perhaps drive it. It appears that you live in the area where I went to high school. Would you consider showing me yours? If so, I can be available most anytime.

Thanks,
JP

JP, Jim, James:

I'd be delighted to show off the Baron, aka my 2007 JPS turn-key Speedster replica. Pictures in my gallery on this site. And you say purchase a "356", and by that I figure you mean a replica, else why would you be posting on this site?. If you mean a real old 356 of one sort or another, then I do not have any of those left. The pic in this thread above was taken in 1967. Send PM at kelly.frazer AT jhuapl.edu and we can figure a time/place. If we pick a dry day, then driving will be part of the tour.