Looking for additional background on my 1959 356

[Ed Lawrence]

Hello All,

I've been doing research on my 1959 sunroof coupe. I'm the fourth local owner here in Georgia, previous local owners are in the 356 Southern Owners Group and all fantastic people.

Some details I know via documentation:

VIN - 107231 affectionately known as Pepper.

Pepper was built in April 1959 and the handler was Hoffman, New York according to the Kardex.

Ned McDaniel, via email exchange with George Jewett in 1998, indicated that the engine was rebuilt as a 1600 Super. A friend of Ned’s (friend's name unknown) bought the car around 1974 and at that time the car was a basket case. The car sat under an Oak Tree in Santa Cruz for over 10 years. The carbs and brakes were taken and used on other projects. When Ned bought the car (year unknown, maybe 1986 or 1987) the interior was rotted and the sunroof was sealed with dirt. Lichens were growing all over the car. Ned says every panel had some sort of dent and he set to ground the paint off at a friend’s body shop. Ned used a DA sander and ground off the paint, which was about 6 different colors, but luckily no rust. Ned worked on restoring the car from 1987 to 1993. Surprisingly, the car retains the original engine and transaxle.

11/02/1990 - Title issued to Ned McDaniel in California (San Francisco)

10/05/1996 - Karl Boegner Purchases Pepper from Ned McDaniel

1996 until now history and owners are known.

Does anyone know any details/background before or while Ned owned the car?

Thanks!

[Steve Douglas]

You are going back a ways, but here's what i remember, the car was part of a Porsche yard sale in 1984, held by Richard Telfer in Soquel, (Santa Cruz). Richard is still there a retired realtor, and his so, Kelly, who was in VW scene doing auto event T-shirts. Kelly is still doing art rktelfer@yahoo.com. Ned bought a 59 coupe mainly because it had GT seats, thinking it was silver. There were several cars and lots of parts, all disappeared that weekend, except for Kelly's Speedster and Richard's 911, don't know what happened to them. Ned also had a 59 Coupe that he got somewhere in Los Gatos, (Santa Cruz Mountains) through the guys at Flying Porsche Ranch, it was pretty rough and I think he cut it up saving the sunroof.
I think the 59 car belonged to Dick Pettigrew back in the 70's, as he lived in the Oakland Hills, but then Jim Barrington, rented that house from Dick, and Jim has had a lot of 356s. I remember that Dick ran an ad in the Registry, guessing maybe Volume 3 or 4, for a 59 coupe, one of two he had, and thinking that was the same car. Maybe Jim might have a better memory of the car.
That was back in the day, Santa Cruz had a lot of things related to 356s going on, hazy memory of that time.

[Ed Lawrence]

Steve, thank you! That is just cool to hear some of the history, even if your memory is hazy. Very much appreciated!

[Harlan Halsey]

I recall an A coupe fitting your description which Ned had for sale at one of the Carlsen swap meets in the 80s. It was on a trailer at the end of a row and I think he wanted about $3,500 for it which seemed to me to be about $4,000 too much. There wasn't much interest in that car and he didn't come close to selling it.