Fantasy Junction

Description

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1956 Porsche 356A Sunroof Coupe Outlaw
s/n 55432 engine no. 6314555
Smyrna Green with Beige Leatherette

The “Outlaw” 356 movement is fairly well-known within Porsche circles and the basic formula for creating an Outlaw 356 is simple. However, there is tremendous breadth for individualism and interpretation and some cars are more successful and impressive than others. Generally, they are instantly identifiable as Outlaws, but this particular car is extraordinarily subtle from the outside, and plain extraordinary on the inside.

Based on a 1956 356A Coupe, the philosophy of this car is simple: to build wildest 356 possible while retaining an appearance that is as close to stock as possible. Underneath the skin, this car is essentially a 911, and not a run of the mill one, but something that hails squarely from the R-Gruppe corner of 911-dom. The heart of the car is a 3.0 liter 930/10 European high compression engine from a 1981 911SC, topped by Weber 40 IDA 3C carburetors. The engine was updated with hydraulic chain tensioners, Raceware head studs, and electronic MSD ignition. The exhaust system uses SSI type heat exchangers as a basis, but with custom lightweight heater boxes and custom fabricated muffler. There is an auxiliary oil cooler in the front right wheel well, and the engine has gone less than 15,000 miles since the cylinder heads were rebuilt.

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a 915 gearbox, and the brakes and rear suspension are from a short wheelbase 911. The front trailing arms are boxed for strength, and Weltmeister sway bars were fitted front and rear. The wheels were custom fabricated to employ offsets that allow dramatically increased contact patch while still fitting inside the factory fenders. The rear wheels are 7.5 inches wide and the front ones are 5.5 inches.

The car was restored and built up in the late 1990s by its fastidious and enthusiastic owner, who previously owned a restoration shop specializing in 356s. The car was sold new in California, and he bought it the car in 1985, eventually starting the restoration 13 years later. Originally intending to fit a 2.4 liter engine that he had, the owner found a low mileage European 3.0 liter SC engine instead. Since the injection system would not fit inside the 356 engine compartment, he converted the car to Weber 40 IDA 3C carburetors, sourcing many parts for the conversion from Porsche Mailorder, now known as PMO. The owner was quite fastidious, writing the following to its new owner when he sold it in 2005: “I remove the engine and tranny every two years. It takes about a day to R&R but it provides a good opportunity to check out everything and detail the engine for showing.”

The body shell was completely stripped, restored, and repainted in the period shade of Smyrna green, and the owner added a factory Golde sunroof as well. Countless hours of fabrication went into the car, particularly in the rear suspension and transmission areas of the body shell to get everything to fit and work properly.

The result is truly spectacular. The car is incredibly well-resolved, providing an excellent cosmetic presentation and a truly special driving experience. Following the car’s completion, it was shown the 356 North/South event and PCA shows, taking awards in all of them. The car was also featured in the May of 2000 issue of Excellence Magazine. The owner who restored the car sold it to its current owner in 2005, and he has driven the car approximately 5000 miles since, performing regular maintenance to keep the car operating well.

Cosmetically, the car presents quite well, despite the passage of 15 years since its restoration. Aesthetically, the car appears close to stock, although the offset and width of the wheels, as well as the ride height, gives away t the car’s sporting intentions. Additionally, the stone guards on the headlamps and louvered engine lid also provide a competition aesthetic. The bodywork was completed to high standards and all panels operate well while displaying excellent fit. The paintwork was also done to high standards, although there are a handful of bubbles at the bottoms of either door, but nowhere else. On the whole, the car is extremely solid, reflecting its lifelong California ownership. There are a few small chips about the car from road use, but no major imperfections to detract significantly from the car’s presentation. The color is a beautiful shade that photographs do not capture, with a richer and greyer hue than appears in the photos, which is nicely offset by the yellow and black California year-of-manufacture license plates. The chrome is very good to excellent throughout, with a bit of wear in places, such as the left front over rider, where the chrome finish is chipping. The lights, lenses, and glass are excellent, as are the wheels.

The interior displays excellent workmanship and is virtually unworn since the restoration. The workmanship is excellent throughout and attention to detail is very high, as demonstrated by details like the shift knob, which has been redone in beige to match the rest of the knobs inside the car. Another great detail is the tachometer face, which, when restored along with the other gauges by North Hollywood Speedometer, had a new face silkscreened with a 6200rpm redline to correspond to the 911 engine. The carpet is the correct square weave type, and interior trim was rechromed and remains excellent. The wood-rimmed steering wheel is in beautiful shape. The car is equipped with headrests and has a number of upgrades, including the car’s crowd pleaser at shows: electric windows that are operated by pushing up or down on the factory manual window winders. The car also has had a conversion to 12 volt electrical system, with triple auxiliary power outlets mounted below the dashboard. The cigarette lighter now acts a fan speed switch for the electric blower for the heater. The car also three point inertia reel seat belts and a modern radio with auxiliary input concealed in a period-appearing system.

The engine compartment and trunk are both very tidy and reflect the quality of the restoration. The engine fits snugly, but the builder reported that it was necessary only to fabricate new engine mounts and notch the latch plate for the rear deck lid to clear the 911 fan shroud in order to fit the engine. The wiring is tidy throughout, and the installation very clean. The engine mounts are of the correct 911 type. The front compartment is clean and free of corrosion. It was fully restored, and is well-detailed with windscreen washer fluid bag and leather spare tire strap.

The undercarriage is clean, solid, and free of corrosion. On the whole, the installation of the 911 engine and rear suspension looks natural, which is a testament to the quality of the workmanship that went into the conversion. Certainly, the car is impressively engineered and also very tidy. The brakes are vented discs (which is why 911 brakes were used instead of 356C brakes) and most of the suspension was been powder coated since the car’s owner owned a powder coating business.

On the road, this car is, in a word, awesome. It constantly gives the driver a sense of disbelief because it is so entertaining and capable. The engine starts easily, revs immediately and is extremely well-tuned. It pulls cleanly through the rev range, and the power to weight ratio is exceptional, easily outpacing modern traffic by a wide margin. Pulling away from a stop, the clutch takes up reassuringly and positively, and the gearbox has excellent synchros, with the characteristically long throws that actually feel quite similar to those of the original 356 gearbox. The brakes are heavy but effective in operation, and the car handles superbly. Despite the weight of the 911 engine, the car’s handling is noticeably more neutral than a standard 356, likely because of the hefty sway bars, 911 rear suspension, and large rear tires. Its limits are considerably higher than when stock as well, and overall, the car feels and communicates like a hot-rodded 911, from the way it sounds, to how it shifts and accelerates, to how it steers and handles. This is a genuinely fast and sorted car that begs to be driven enthusiastically instead of gingerly, perfectly embodying Jerry Seinfeld’s quote that a Porsche “is a car that impresses the people inside it more than the people outside it”.

This is a truly unrepeatable opportunity to acquire a one-of-a-kind car. The attention to detail and level of execution make the car impressive enough to behold, but once behind the wheel, the car is such a riot that it seems unreasonable that anyone should ever look at it instead of driving it. The car is truly well-thought out, from an engineering standpoint, from a usability standpoint, and from an aesthetic standpoint. It comes with documentation, including a few photos from the restoration, a copy of the issue of Excellence Magazine in which it was featured, some restoration documentation, and receipts for maintenance since the restoration.

The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated. All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Vehicles are subject to prior sale. All advertised to be true but not guaranteed. We assume no liability for errors or omissions.

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Fantasy Junction  •  510-653-7555  •  1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608