What the heck is going on with this car?

Is this the proverbial bad penny, or what?
(Parts Obsolete's red racer is on the auction block AGAIN.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-356-1955-Porsche-356-Speedster-Racer-by-PARTS-OBSOLETE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6428QQitemZ4640742238QQrdZ1

I agree. The bid price goes fairly high on this thing everytime it's listed. You think it's sold and then it shows up again on e-bay a week later or two later.

I think that it's some sort of talisman or such. As long as that car is on auction, the world continues as it is, life goes on, the stars remain in the heavens. If it is EVER sold or taken off of Ebay . . . .

we're doomed!

Actually Cory, if the chance affords you, come out to Oregon and go to the Parts Obsolete Campout. Its in August. They let all of us run amuck through their buildings, show movies at night, have a BBQ and you get to some cars DRIVEN that are usually relegated to the museums.

What you will love about these guys is they build nasty little hot-rod outlaw 356 racers with unbelievable craftsmanship. Frankly this car is worth every penny of its price (currently $78,000).

angela

It's over 79K now and Reserve hasn't been met!!...

...I second what Angela says!

I first met Gary Emory (owner Parts Obsolete) in the late '70's when his shop was still in SoCal (Costa Mesa). I was re-building a '68 911S Targa (soft-window) and Gary was most helpful in tracking down hard-to-find parts. A real down-to-earth guy!

It was evident, even then, that his one-off designs (built with jewel-like precision) were going to be eye-openers. Consider his outlaw projects like real estate. Over time it's value may experience a lull, or even a slight drop, - BUT,it always continues to climb the value chart. IMHO.

I wonder if he knows his work was inspirational to me. S'pose he's got a spare tin body lying around I could hack up and replace my CMC pieces with?
Heh, heh.
But I really wonder if he'd like the Hoopty enough to let me bring it to one of his shindigs? My son's in Montana -- very much on the way.

There aren't a whole lot of people around with both the will and the way to buy this car. Realistically, you would run this in Vintage Races. (Its almost too pretty). Either that or trailer it to shows. $90-100K for the car, then you can look at tow car, trailer, spares, tires, fire suit/helmet, etc and then 25-30K a year for a modest campaign. Fun yes, but not something I could afford to do.
ed

"S'pose he's got a spare tin body lying around I could hack up and replace my CMC pieces with?"

If you're just looking for some pieces to form a metal Porsche "shell" out of, and keep the inner bracing, pan and associated craftsmanship that went into your roller/chassis.

Maybe something like this would help get you started?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/070e9e9a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/42fd449a.jpg

Every bit as good. body wise, and fifty times better, trim and additional necessary parts wise, as the one that went for over $800.00 on Ebay.

I'm looking to grab it up in June, just 'cause I HATE to see it sit there. If all goes well and I get it home and it's something that you'd like . . . well . . . I have a four wheel car trailer, and Carlisle is coming up in less than a year, and . . .

If you're interested, I'll let you have first dibs. You can decide for sure later.

I ALSO have a near perfect bodied 914, fiberglass 916 fender bulges, fiberglass front and rear 916 "bumpers" and a fiberglass rear deck lid. The car is all legal, titled, and ready to chop up and mount on something fun . . .

Either one, this beauty or the above beast would let you play with the genuine Porsche crowd. Might even noodle your way into the PCA events.

Here, TC. For future reference.

FYI - I'm not a huge fan of the PCA anymore. Once, in my younger days. But I'm really liking you guys and gals.
I'd want a metal body to tinker with; something I can weld directly to. Grafting to the 'glass isn't my bag, and I'm better with the welder than I am with the trowel. I have kicked around the idea of buying all the pieces from Tweeks or some such outfit and making them work.
Where did you find THAT wonderful hulk? Is it just sitting somewhere? I see stuff I could use from it already!

Cory, Gary probably has 50 cars laying out in the fields in various states of wreckage. And no has ever been excluded from his Campout unless perhaps you don't drink beer.

"FYI - I'm not a huge fan of the PCA anymore. Once, in my younger days. But I'm really liking you guys and gals."

I figured as much, that's why I thought that a ride like yours, with a metal Porsche skin, would REALLY cause a rucus with them, AND you might want to be the cause of it all.

I ALSO once considered buying sheet metal piece meal and skinning a chassis, I kinda went for original, albiet, sometimes rusty factory issue sheetmetal because of the VIN situation. Plus, whole cars are WAY cheaper than chunks of sheetmetal.

That hulk carries a hinge cover VIN plate along with a stamped VIN on the front clip and the inner braces of both doors. Instant pedigree, a number to enter into the Registry to track the last of this breed, and something to hang a genuine Porsche title on. Some folks don't care about such things, but buyers ALWAYS do. Regardless of the underpinnings, the factory metal and stamped VIN says it's a Porsche, which means that you get to tell everyone who squaks to just go shove it!

Oh, the "car" is at the far end, the ORIGINAL "junk yard" plot of land, of an enlarged scrap metal yard in Connecticut. I'm picking it up for the cost of scrap weight, around $50. just have to hook up with my Buddy (I working to his timetable) and haul it home. Maybe not a WONDERFUL example, but lots of good metal and parts, certainly a workable "shell" and besides . . . here in the North East we work with what we can get.


Another misguided soul . . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964-PORSCHE-356-C-BODY-PARTS_W0QQitemZ4643286924QQcategoryZ39405QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Dude. I'm in, even if it never happens. Think it could be made to work with the chassis I already made, or would I need to make another one?
I've been looking for a destination for my first road trip. Might be cool if we could work something out, huh?
And the misguided soul must have really needed that rear quarter for something else. ...

I just called Gary in Oregon and sent Hoopty pictures to his Parts Obsolete e-mail address. It'll be interesting to see what he thinks.
WOO-HOO! As long as he doesn't pooh-pooh the projekt, this might just make my day!
That guy's a genius!

"That guy's a genius! "

Then WHY don't the gauges match in that red Ebay Speedster ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? !

The combination gauge looks like a late 911 and the tach is out of a 924/944. Even though the tach now has flat glass installed, the bezels still don't match . . . . it's KILLING me . . . honestly . . . . it's just KILLING me.

THAT and the smoothed out floor under the pedals. The boards look like some one poured fiberglass resin all over them. Too smooth, no stamping indents or natural character.

Boyd Floors. Know what I mean?

A a a a r r r g g g h h h h h ! ! ! ! ! ! I just took another look at those bezels!

I said genius ... not Evil Genius. Speaking of matching gauges, have you ever seen an AutoMeter gauge to match my tach? Something about half the size with a 0-140 or so speedo and odo?

Nope, but I could make you one . . .

It's Easy Peasy to do up a speedo face to match that AutoMeter tach on my computer. I have a 150 mph 914-6 tach somewhere on the shelve(s), and I could get reasonably close to that AutoMeter bezel by painting or slightly filling (with gel resin) the stock piece.

For your own good, however, you REALLY ought to drop a 914 face plate onto that dash, AutoMeter tach front and center, speedo on the left and combination gauge (oil temp/fuel gauge) on the right. It'll make the car look much more like a LeMans prototype or whatever and carry the Porsche heritage into that dune buggy interior.

Had my fill of aluminum dashes with the V8 Beetle panel truck. The "cool factor" wears thin in no time. Just nothing to look at . . .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Panel%20Truck/8b247298.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Panel%20Truck/185f097b.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/Panel%20Truck/bfeef0ae.jpg


And your seats HAVE to go . . .

IMHO

Cory
Parts Obsolete Campout welcomes our replica cars with open arms. The group that shows up there has the 'does it drive well - then bring it!' attitude. They like people who think outside the box. There is a car show during the campout and the replicas have come home with awards over the last couple of years. Remember that the voters are the exhibitors who mostly have "real" porsche's. Real open minded crowd.

You will have a GREAT time crawling around the parts storage area. Gary puts everything on sale - you haul it off - during the campout. As an aside, the Evergreen Aviation Museum is just a couple of miles away. Among other things the museum houses the Spruce Goose. Can't believe anything that big actually FLEW!

If you come out - our case es su casa. We'll drive up north together along with anyone else who comes along (maybe Bruce Williams).

angela