The Official 356Talk Forum

I purchased my Pre A Speedster (81221) December 2007. It took 4-long years to complete its restoration. It is a numbers matching Speedster that has spent its entire life in Upstate NY. Throughout the restoration process I used as many original parts as possible.
81221 was completed by the Porsche factory on December 28th 1955 and imported to US Distributor Max Hoffman on January 4th 1956. 81221 was fitted with a 1600 Super engine with a Roller Bearing Crank. 1600 Super Pre A Speedsters are fairly rare as most Pre A's had either 1500 or 1500 Super engines fitted in them.

Details about the Speedster per the Certificate of Authenticity:
1956 Pre A Speedster
Speedster Blue, Red Interior, Tan Top, 1600 Super, Sealed Beam Headlights, Tachometer in Miles, Production Completion Date 1/4/56

Ownership History:
1st Owner RIT Librarian 56-60 (Tom Straiter? Need info)

2nd Owner: 60-71
Installed Roll Bar
Installed Spyder Brakes
PCA Parade Participant 1967 & 1968
Autocross events
Watkins Glen Driving Events

3rd Owner: 71-2007
Autocross events
Watkins Glen Driving Events

4th Owner (Me): 2007-Present


The Speedster was stored on a home made lift for many years Meeting the Speedster for the first time (looks like a barn find) A little help with fellow 356ers (Mark, Bruce & Tom) On the trailer and ready to come home! 12/8/07 At home with a few friends It's alive....at least a couple lights came on.. Cool stuff I learned along the way..
550A Spyder Brakes were installed in the mid 60's Original Pre A Speedster Side Curtains were 2-tone (Red on the inside to match the interior & Tan on the outside to match the Top) Last 3-Digits of the VIN behind the bumpers (221) Last New York Inspection was 1969!


Looks like I hit the max pictures, I will continue in another post..

Original Speedster Blue Paint! Speedster Racked and ready for the media blaster Cool piece of vinyl behind the crest on the hood handle Completely Media Blasted now off for metal work! New Floor pans... Metal Work completed by the skilled hand of Dr. Raes Underside done and being inspected by my son! The Doors! Speedster Blue Speedster!

Close up picture of the red side curtain Original 1600 Super Engine, Second 1600 Super engine for 1956! I know what you are thinking what is a 56 1600 Super engine doing in a 1955 Pre A Speedster. The answer is.....that is how Porsche made it! The Roller Bearing crank didn't make it during a track event at Watkins Glen in the 60's. I plan on the rebuilding the original engine minus the roller bearing crank. Getting a detail back in 1960! Second Owner back in January 1962! See the cows in the background 81221 waiting in line at PCA autocross event in Rochester NY (Xerox Parking Lot) What is left of the original interior! My Speedster on the cover of Christophorus? Probably not but you never know...It is Speedster Blue with a Tan top! Well it was not Christophorus but it was in Panorama in 1967! I learn something new every day...while posting the vintage pictures I noticed an antenna on the passenger side of the car!

Nice! I wish I had a history that complete.

zzzzzzzzzzz

Great shots and history. Thanks for posting.

Oh, and beautiful car!

Hi Chad,

Interesting about your antenna location... Our 58 cab also has the antenna on the passenger side and that made sense to me. Out of the way of the driver's vision... Then, at a large Concours even close to Denver this year I was looking down the row of 356s and almost all of them had the antenna on the driver's side. From what I could gather, it was the dealer's choice many times. I would have thought that was a factory thing, but there is a cut-out in the lower metal pieces on both sides so it could have gone in on either side. It must have been scary to cut through the metal to install it at the dealership!

Your Speedster is absolutely beautiful and the blue and red is such a neat combination. Looking forward to it all done!

Thanks for sharing!

Franny

Hi Chad,
Great story and photos. Thanks for sharing. I remember seeing photos of your car up on it's improvised "lift" a few years ago and I always wondered what the story was with it. Would you care to share how you found the car? It looks like it could have been close the proverbial "barn find". (or in this case, "stilts find".

Best regards,
-Greg

Hi Greg;

I have known about the car since 2000, but knew nothing about it other than that it was a speedster. I contacted the owner a few times early on but the car was not for sale. Finally one day out of the blue I got a call from a fellow club member stating that the owner had expressed interest in selling the car and the rest is history. The car was lowered from is stilts a few years before I purchased it. The owner was kind enough to provide me with a video of the lowering process....and what a process it was, first lower the front then lower the back then the front again you get the idea!
There were 2-very cool wooden boxes marked "speedster" filled with all of the original parts and pieces that have been removed over the years. Every thing that was originally on the car was saved! While the car has all matching numbers it certainly lived a hard life, daily driver, autocross, road rally, Watkins Glen club racing and drivers education events. The fact that the Speedster still had the masking tape that held the numbers on the doors tells the story!

Garage Find!! Yes the "Rack" really does work! I received the plans from Rod Emory ordered some square tube, fired up my Mig Welder and built a rotisserie.

Chad,

Very nice work, car looks great and super history. Goes well with your 356A coupe. I think I am correct that you own Meissen blue car as well?

Roy
RHD356A super75 106954

My Speedster CofA vs. Kardex

CofA (Note Porsche calls it a 356A but it is certainly a Pre A!) Kardex

Final wet sanding completed....few more details to take care of and my Speedster will finally be ready to be reassembled!
Hood and Hood Seal Fitted Engine Lid Fitted It is great to see daily progress!

After 3-Years My Speedster is finally home! I really like how Speedster Blue looks in the sunlight!

Here is a picture of Speedster sitting next to my Pre-A Speedster (yes my dogs name is Speedster!)

Finally parked in my garage!

It's looking great Chad! Keep up the posts with photos. It's fun to see things progress.

Cheers,
-Greg

Steering wheel and restored gauges are now installed! New wiring harness from YNZ going in this weekend!