356A Carrera - Ex Dean Jeffries - Bonhams at the Quail

[Jack Walter]

And the guys at Jalopnik are saying its ugly.....

https://jalopnik.com/dean-jeffries-cust ... 1827954007

But any publicity is good publicity so if a heathen wants to call my car ugly you just say "Aren't you special" which is a polite way in the old South to say "you're an idiot."

[Adam Wright]

And the guys at Jalopnik are saying its ugly.....

https://jalopnik.com/dean-jeffries-cust ... 1827954007

But any publicity is good publicity so if a heathen wants to call my car ugly you just say "Aren't you special" which is a polite way in the old South to say "you're an idiot."

Calling it ugly I think is just poor understanding of the car and the builder's vision. Since it is such a dramatic departure from the normal lines of a 356, many will not appreciate it, which is fine. Personally I would rather my car stood out in a line of cars at the next concour, even if everyone didn't agree. Years from now someone will be very thankful that you chose to restore this car in the builder's vision, even if not everyone gets it now.

[George Kehler]

I agree with you Adam !! One of a kind !! Part of Porsche/Kustom Rod history !!

[Jim Liberty]

Probably the only 356 custom I've ever loved. "Bitchen" indeed. ..................Jim.

[Jack Walter]

I'm just hoping that whoever buys it doesn't get the idea that it might be more valuable if it was returned to "stock" condition. Somebody once asked me what it would take to undo all of Dean's modifications. I would not knowingly sell it to anyone who would seriously think about doing that. I was thinking the other day that when I bought this car as a 19 year old with limited mechanical skills that my dad was probably right thinking that I was nuts to buy this old beat up Porsche. But as time went by, I educated myself and with a lot of help from friends - particularly Ernie Cabrera - I can mark this project complete, proving that if you are persistent enough a long term goal can be acheived. I wish my dad was still here to see how the car turned out.

[Adam Wright]

I'm just hoping that whoever buys it doesn't get the idea that it might be more valuable if it was returned to "stock" condition. Somebody once asked me what it would take to undo all of Dean's modifications. I would not knowingly sell it to anyone who would seriously think about doing that. I was thinking the other day that when I bought this car as a 19 year old with limited mechanical skills that my dad was probably right thinking that I was nuts to buy this old beat up Porsche. But as time went by, I educated myself and with a lot of help from friends - particularly Ernie Cabrera - I can mark this project complete, proving that if you are persistent enough a long term goal can be acheived. I wish my dad was still here to see how the car turned out.

Reminds me of a friend who bought a Porsche in the 80s for $10,000 it was missing the motor and had been in a fire, everyone said he was such an idiot. He worked slowly and spent the last 30 years restoring it, even finding his original motor, I don't think anyone is laughing now...

[Jack Walter]

Yeah - what an idiot...
Just like when I could have bought Ernie's Spyder 550A-0113 for $6800 in 1978 - or a lightly crunched 289 Cobra for $1900 in 1972

[Jay Wiener]

Well, I’m happy to say that the car is returning to southern Ca- right where it started. In fact her new home isn’t that far away from Deans old shop. I’d like to add that deans shop is now a Prius repair facility! Horrible I tell you! Thank you jack and the rest of the 356 community!

[Bil Brown]

What did it sell for?

[Emil Wojcik]

Bonham's lists the sale price as US$436,750 including premium.

[Jay Wiener]

Would you guys think I’m crazy if I drove it 300 miles to LA and then back up for rennsport? Because I just might do it!

[steven mclean]

There made to drive,you won't be able to wipe that grin off your face.Nice ride a beauty!

[Bil Brown]

Jay........seems like these daze people forget that these are CARS! I drove my roller crank Carrera Speedster 15,000 miles b4 I sold it, after a fresh resto with that incredible Wellington engine!......Drive it!!

[Ibrahim Kuzu]

Jay, congratulation on a super buy....
One think to consider .
As far as I know Carrera now has plain bearing 1600cc engine ( Jack traded his Spyder 1500 cc engine with this one in the car from his posting i have this info )
So, as you know Plain bearing engines needs oil cooler in front , first
I would test the Carrera in town see how she does on the temp needle....
Than hit the high way of long distance....
It is good, get to know the car first ..
IK

[Jack Walter]

Rod Emory called me a couple of weeks ago to invite the Carrera to the Rennsport Reunion on behalf of Porsche. He has been put in charge of the display of outlaws that will be in the pavilion in the paddock. He said the invitation would be extended to whoever bought the car.. Also this coming Tuesday, August 28 the Caffeine and Octane car show on NBCSN is supposed to have the episode where Magnus Walker interviews me about Dean's Carrera at the June show.. I can't tell you guys how relieved I am that the Porsche has been bought by Jay as I know it is going to a good home and will be preserved to honor the memory of Dean Jeffries, Bill Hines, George Barris' and all of the other guys who worked in the shop during the time the car was being built in 1957. Maybe Jay will drive it to the Barris' Fire Day remembrance celebration on December 7th. Congratulations to the Wiener family for winning the bid for the Dean Jeffries Carrera.

I always wanted to ask Dean if he ever let his buddy Steve McQueen take the Carrera for a ride up Mulholland Drive - I think it's pretty likely considering Steve's love for Porsches but somehow I never remembered to ask Dean about it. I was talking to Alain De Cadenet at the Pebble Beach Tour on Wednesday morning and he said Steve once borrowed his Triumph motorcycle for a spin and didn't return it until sometime later that night. He said he was spotted on it more than twenty miles away that afternoon.

The Carrera IS a bit loud with the Sebring exhaust on it... A 300 mile trip might be a good start on catching up to me in the hearing loss I have after 34 years in an airplane factory.