B-B's Speedster

[JTR70]

Here's a link to a recent article featuring Bruce Baker's old racing Speedster now fully restored to hot rod/street specs:
http://www.providencejournal.com/cars/content/20141122-auto-biography-jamestown-man-s-porsche-speedster-has-been-around-the-track----and-back.ece


Before

during

and today

What an interesting history and beautiful final transformation Bruce!

[Jack Staggs]

I love the top pic. The "just plain staring at it " stage ( term stolen from Vic).

[bbspdstr]

The proud third owner, Steve Limbert, posing with 84255 c.1980. His prior crash on the left side against a wall in an SCCA race at Bryar, NH put him in the hospital for 3 days with a broken shoulder.




The SCCA rules changed c.'76 allowing flares for 7" wheels, so for Vintage racing, those had to come off and donor A fenders were put on.





The old rollbar was removed and I constructed a stronger version, tying together upper and lower torsion bar tubes, front, to the rear...in place of heater tubing and the main hoop to that rear tube, as well...braced well and with side intrusion bars for side impact safety. The dash and front cowl were removed for access.

I have more construction pictures...I just need to find them.

-Bruce

[JTR70]

Thanks for sharing these old shots Bruce! Yes, the hand on the fender or roof is the surest display signal of proud ownership or possession.
Love the sub-frame build shots. When you restored this car this last go-around did you remove that square stock and rebuild the stock heat tubes or just leave as is? Thanks again and looking forward to any more you run across! Justin

[bbspdstr]

.......When you restored this car this last go-around did you remove that square stock and rebuild the stock heat tubes or just leave as is?........ Justin

Left it in for strength. Speedster...heat? The replacement rear torsion tube that replaced the one that got whacked on both sides and bent got welded to that rectangular 2x4 steel tubing on the jig.

I'll post more pictures as I find them. It's "all original"...at least the floor and both cowls and the dash......and the outer skin of the front hood. The rest? It's really fun to drive and "numbers matching" becomes irrelevant as soon as a wheel turns, doesn't it?

[JTR70]

I'm with you, matching #'s museum pieces you cannot drive and enjoy do very little for me too.

[Meissen540]

+2 on the numbers matching comment.
Will never do that again....

Tom

Atlanta

[bbspdstr]

I found another of the 'second coming' (while I owned it) pictures .... the nearly complete re-re-re-repair of 84255



Then, when finished and at a show, the original owner sat in the car:



....and then a young man wanted to see and feel what that car was all about:



A natural progression and proof that the cars can be kept young while we can't. (A certain car club needs to deal with this issue better than it has.)

Thanks again, Justin, for the chance to tell this car's story!

[JTR70]

Thank you for sharing its history Bruce! I'm also enjoying the details and history concerning the '51 you sold to Brett. Great photos!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Great photos Bruce. And that young lad will remember sitting in the Speedster. I remember like yesterday sitting in my dads ex-war dept Austin 8 tourer the day he got it in the early 50's and before he restored it. I was fascinated by the red ignition light and its dashboard.

I also remember standing by my uncles Sunbeam Talbot 90 saloon. It was so low in height for its time in the early 50's. The first time I stood next to a 356 again very early 50's I compared it to the Sunbeam and the 356 was even lower! I found that so interesting

I try hard to influence kids on good car body design. The 356 has that in spades.

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Found a couple of pictures of 84255...one is an embarrassing 'nude on the rack' shot making sure the suspension pick-up points are where they belong.....but the other is of Steve Myers right after he painted the shell for me with Spies-Hecker paint. He was a local demo rep for Spies and Spies-Hecker donated the paint for their name on the car.

[JTR70]

Thanks for sharing these Bruce! I believe I'll be using the same brand of paint on my coupe. Looking forward to any more shots you run across!