Thanks Dad: '56 Porsche 356A

[pdxjim]

Sadly, my Dad passed away the Friday before Christmas.  He had been in decline since a stroke a couple years ago, and long-term congestive heart failure.

Thankfully, he passed in his sleep with his arm around his wife, in bed in the house he built on the piece of land he loved. 

He made his career at GTE/General Dynamics as a prototype development engineer, and had the skills and aptitude to design, fabricate and repair anything that was asked of him.

He left me a lot to clean up, including his shop FULL of vintage and modern hifi stuff, ham radio gear, oscilloscopes and electronic test equipment, antique gas engines and farm equipment, a few lathes, a Bridgeport mill, and about 10 each of anything else you could imagine.  He was a hoarder to be sure, but mostly of the useful good stuff a relentless DIY'er needs to get the job done..

The cream of the crop is the 1956 Porsche 356A he bought in the early '60's to drive back and forth between San Luis Obispo and Sacramento while in college.  He permanently parked it in his garage around 1970, just after I was born, where it has stayed ever since.  Just 77,000 miles on the clock and not a speck of rust.  Mostly stock condition, with a paint respray early in life, and a period "extractor" exhaust.

I've been waiting for this car my entire life, now I just need a safe place to park it.  More pics coming in a few months when I drag it out of the garage and give it it's first bath in 50yrs.

[85RZwade]

Sorry for your loss, Jim. My condolences to you and your family, brother

[pdxjim]

Sorry for your loss, Jim. My condolences to you and your family, brother

Thanks, Wade. 

[SoCal250]

 Condolences Jim. Your dad sounds like he was quite a guy. Sorry for your loss.

[Kawtriplefreak]

My condolences Jim.

[m in sc]

Jim, sorry about your father, that sucks. :(


that porsche is sweet though.

[Economy Cycle John]

Condolences to you and family Jim. Cool Porsche, little time capsule!

[Evans Ward]

Very sorry to read this Jim and many of us here know the grief of losing our fathers.. It's a hurt/ heartache that will never go away.

[pdxjim]

Thanks, Fellas.

I had a great childhood with him growing up.  He taught me a lot, especially that with the correct tools I could do anything. 

Really looking forward to getting this car back on the road as a tribute to him.

[pdxjim]

I got a few boxes of my dad's slides digitized, and found some gems.

[85RZwade]

Is that you in the blankie?

[pdxjim]

Is that you in the blankie?

It is indeed, Wade. 

Like I said ... my entire life. 

[85RZwade]

That is a great picture to have 

[Brad-Man]

My condolences.  My dad passed 5 years ago and I still want to take him out to his favorite watering hole...I remember working on our 1965 Mustang convertible together that was gonna be mine when I got my driver's license.  I Later on rebuilt engines and swapped 'em far surpassing simple intake swaps and header installs we did together.

I remember him getting back from out of town, standing at the top of the yard hands on hips as I mowed my way up to him and shut the mower down saying - well?

I said well what?  He said Well where are the keys to the new (1975 RD350) bike ?  I wanna ride it!  He came back with a big grin on his face...

[STLMike]

Sorry for the loss of your father. However, it looks like you have some great items of memories from the Porsche, pictures and memories.

My father is 80, multiple strokes, beat prostate cancer although it spread to lymph nodes. He is not the man he once was but I learned everything from mechanical to life lessons from him.