Low-Mile GT-Style 1958 Porsche 356A Coupe up For Grabs
A beautiful Aquamarine Blue Porsche 356 made its way here from Germany and looks no worse for wear.
Cool Find
We come across our fair share of unique, interesting, and downright incredible Porsche vehicles all the time. But this gorgeous Aquamarine Blue '58 356A that recently sold at Bring a Trailer is certainly one of the coolest finds we've seen in some time. So it's really no surprise that once the dust settled, the car raked in a healthy $177,000 at auction.
Photos: Bring a Trailer
Long Journey
This particular 356 was sold new in Germany. It's believed that the car made its way to America sometime in the '60s. The seller acquired it over twenty years ago, and along the way it was transformed into a GT-style car inspired by a similar 356 built by Bob Garretson in the '60s.
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Extensive Work
That work proved to be rather extensive as well. The rear bodywork has been widened, and the originally black car was stripped down to the bare metal before the new paint was applied. The car's wider rear bumper was actually acquired from the Garretson car that inspired the build.
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Overhauled Interior
The red interior received an overhaul and color change as well. Now, it's been outfitted GT style with black leather Fibersteel Speedster-style seats, square-weave carpeting, GT-style “alligator skin” material on the front footwells, a custom aluminum tunnel cover, and a factory bolt-in roll bar.
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Built Up
Of course, as you might imagine, the 1.6-liter flat-four cylinder engine has received a host of upgrades as well. Built by Chuck Forge, it's based on a 1956 engine case and filled with an Elgin camshaft, Mahle 1600 Super pistons and cylinders, Forge-flowed cylinder heads, and rebuilt Zenith 32 NDIX carbs. The motor is backed up by a Type 741 four-speed manual transmission.
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>>Join the conversation about this classic 356A right here in Rennlist.com.
Rounding Out
Quite a few other exterior modifications were performed, including the addition of a through-the-hood fuel filler, an aluminum rear decklid with GT louvers, Plexiglass door and quarter windows, custom hood straps, and aluminum GT-style bumper trim. A set of staggered steel wheels complete the look and are wrapped in BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires.
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>>Join the conversation about this classic 356A right here in Rennlist.com.
Fruits of Labor
Throw in a slew of suspension and brake upgrades, and you've got one seriously cool retro-styled 356. Clearly, this car was one man's labor of love for multiple decades, and whoever brought it home is lucky to have it. And while that obviously wasn't us, at least we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of the seller's labor.
Photos: Bring a Trailer
>>Join the conversation about this classic 356A right here in Rennlist.com.
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