Customer Projects

What do you do to mark your faithful Speedster turning 70?

You might give it an oil change or a wash and polish. But owners Mark and Kerry from England wanted to mark the day, Sunday 3rd August, by taking their Speedster back to Stuttgart, where it was ‘born’ 70 years before.

Opposite the amazing Porsche Museum is the original Reutter factory, still there, but now surrounded by a modern Porsche factory set up. These original Reuters buildings are now where Recaro seats are made.

Through the Grundmans in Germany, who are avid Porsche and VW collectors, and organised of the HO26 show next year; Mark and Kerry were able to park their car outside the museum whilst they enjoyed a private tour of the museum’s workshop, amazing archive / library and then a guided tour of the museum, that taught even Porsche fan Mark lots of new details of Porsches early history.

To round the trip off they stayed at the V8 Hotel, a Mecca for car fans about 30 mins from Zuffenhausen.

The Porsche is very original, having survived 70 years without any obvious welding repairs. The cars maintained by Mark, using Stoddards range of parts supplied through UK a distributor. 

If anyone recognizes chassis number 80318 from its time in the USA, Mark and Kerry would love to know its back story and how it’s survived so well.  You can email us at parts@stoddard.com if you have any backstory on this beautiful septuagenarian

We love it when our customers keep driving and enjoying them.

Automotive Reisen in Burr Ridge, Illinois has wrapped up the restoration of this 1955 Pre-A Speedster, which was used as a race car in the Midwest with the SCCA, mostly competing at Road America in Wisconsin. It had been wrecked numerous times and rolled at one point.  The work included removing pounds of body filler that had been used to "fix" prior damage.  

The customer chose to keep the upgraded disc brake and they present a neat look with narrow 356C wheels painted body color.  

The three-year project at Automotive Reisen in now just a couple of weeks from completion.  All of the lights, instruments and horns work perfectly.  The final objective was to make every area of the 356 totally operational and attractive as the beautiful exterior look of the body.

Although it took months to get the engine done, it took lots of help to source all of the under-engine parts, cables, hoses, mufflers.  Pat writes, "Thanks to Maurice at Stoddard we were able to get most parts necessary.  Pre-A heater/muffler cans were impossible to get so we took those used on a A car and modified them so them looked exactly like the Pre-A.  We also paid attention to making it cosmetically as neat as the topside."

Because of the international pandemic, the carpet set took a long time to be delivered.  This was sourced through Stoddard using the same weave pattern and color as original.  "The installation partner commented on the high quality of the material and the pre-cutting was dead on."

The seat rails and wooden frame for a Speedster were exact as to dimensions and hole fit.  It was more economical to buy new rather than replate.  "Everyone is having long delays with chrome suppliers in the USA" 

It's almost done!   Just a few more details to finish up. 

Here are some updates from Automotive Reisen in Burr Ridge, Illinois  They've rebuilt the entire inner structure and the results are spectacular.  

We have made major progress on the ’55 Speedster with the interior metal completed.  This was part of the rear that had been crushed in one of its’ many track experiences

The bottom pan was replaced but we noted exactly where the factory had placed the seams and spot welds.  The old pan was unsavable not due to rust but rather the aggressive track use of this Speedster.

Primer and five coats of Glasurit paint with hand sanding between each coat.  The white formula is exact to the original single-stage paint.

The entire exterior painted surface was covered with foam sheet to protect the surface during reassembly.

We are now installing all of the control cables in the tunnel and then the engine goes in.  We expect to be completed in mid-May.  

A racetrack wreck to a show piece

Automotive Reisen in Burr Ridge, Illinois is tackling quite the project!  This 1955 Pre-A Speedster was used as a race car in the Midwest with the SCCA, mostly competing at Road America in Wisconsin.  The new owner wanted to restore it back to "As New" condition and shop's Pat Yanahan was up to the task.  "After we sanded off over two 5-gallon pails of body filler our forensic examination show that the right front had been crushed and the rear had shown signs of a total rollover."

Automotive Reisen assembled a crew of 356 body experts along with fabricators who were up to the challenge for a project that was to last three years.  Here's the first few pictures of the restoration—more to follow! 

After the filler was ground off the outer bodywork, the rear tail skin was removed, revealing quite a mess.  

This is what the rear inner structure looks like after years of racing and sometimes rolling.  

New sheetmetal, sourced from Stoddard, is ready to help put this Speedster back to original. 

Here's a shot of the inner structure coming back together.  Panels are clamped on for fitting before the welding begins.  

From the front, you can see the Speedster shape coming back together.  

Stay tuned for more in a couple of weeks! 

Automotive Reisen

7754 S County Line Rd.

Burr Ridge, IL 60527

(630) 395-7000

https://www.facebook.com/Automotive-Reisen-125296761509/

We got a chance to shoot Jerry Paytos' 1956 356A Coupe.  It's a real beauty that's been treated to a very nice restoration here in Ohio.  

Last year, we posted some pictures that George Malos of Davis, Illinois working on the restoration of his five-speed 1966 912. Now that project is just about done.

A friend of Stoddards, Dan Mainzer is working on a Concours-level early 914-6.  We stopped by and took some pictures of the assembly project. 

We recently got a very nice note from a customer of ours, Dave DiMaria of Vintage Car Works.  A 1966 911 that they just restored has been doing well in concours events in Southern California.  The pictures look stunning!