Stoddard WCSTA contest

[Jack Staggs]

Hi folks. As many of you know, Stoddard is hosting a contest to save long neglected 356's to put them on the road again. A young person that I know , Trevor Gates, purchased such a car a few short years ago. Some of you may be aware of him and his project. It was long abandoned, and left for dead years ago, as were many others in the contest. His car was completely stripped of nearly every part, and had to be sawn in to 3 pieces to extricate the rusty hulk from it's location. Upon his purchase, he immediately began working on it, collecting rare parts for this 57 T1. Steve Hogue fitted it on his chassis jig and welded it back together as one unit. Trevor then built an ingenious rolling rotisserie, of his own design, to mount the body to. Recently, he has been busy restoring his '67 Cadillac convertible at the same time in his tiny garage at home. This included overhauling the tricky original engine, buying a tig welder, and learning how to us it for the first time. It is now in the paint shop and will be done in a few weeks, ready for assembly.
In the meantime, he has run for office on the 356 Registry, but was not elected. He since has secured a place on the So Cal 356 club board, and most recently volunteered his time at the North South gathering at Cambria, even though he has never owned a running 356. One of the criteria of the contest is that a participant finish the project in a timely manner. While several others have deserving projects, many have languished for decades, with little or no progress. I feel that Trevor, self employed, with a wife and two young children is deserving of a vote by Registry members.

[JTR70]

He definitely is an all around good guy. My coupster project didn't make the first cut so Trevor's got my vote!

[Trevor]

Thanks Jack and Justin!

[bbspdstr]

Yes, Trevor deserves support. It should be a contest between amateurs anyway.

I have a '59 Cab at my shop that would be a hands-down winner if pros were unashamed enough to enter such a "contest." The owner inherited his father's 356 some years ago, but it remained in the leaking damp and mouse-ridden garage where it lay dormant for decades. It has that 'damp rot' that is so nasty and every part needs major detail restoration or replacement. It will truly be an A Cabriolet built around a serial number. Meissen blue and red, tan mats are evident here and there and it must have been a nice 356 under time and poor conditions took over. It folded in half when trying to remove the engine without bracing and everything is frozen, everywhere on this derelict 356.
It will be rebuilt on a jig and discreetly reinforced and eventually look as "original" but it won't be easy or inexpensive.

Why is it being restored/rebuilt? The owner remembers sitting behind his dad as a very young boy with his chin on his dad's shoulder while they whisked around country roads with the top down and the wind in his face. He is eventually coming into a nice inheritance and wants to rebuild his dad's 356 with some of that money based on that memory even though I told him that replacing 50% or less of the originality is restoration and more than 50% is replacement...but he is undeterred.

-Bruce

[Trevor]

When appropriate/allowed by the owner, I'd love to see a pic or two Bruce. I think Adam from Unobtanium posted a pic once of him sitting in an open car that had split in two.

I had no problem with shops entering the contest. Anything that gets the car back on the road and the story out there - all the better. As a matter of fact someone who is going to pay a restoration shop to put a 356 back on the road I'm sure has a good story to go along with it.

[DG58INNM]

I remember Trevor's 3-piece A coupe. Very cool project. It gets my vote! Along with that rolling cage (gotta build myself one of those).

Have been slightly amused by the WCSTA hubbub on the R site. I guess Stoddard has decided to jump on the free advertising bandwagon that Unobtanium has been using all these years! Nothing wrong with that (IMHO). Nice to see all the enthusiasm for projects. Long ago I wrote Barry Brisco several times about adding the "projects" section. For a while he argued there would not be enough interest, but eventually relented. I'd like to think I had something to do with that section getting started, though probably there were many others urging it too. But the best project threads are still right here on ABCGT, with Justin's Carrera and Coupester sagas in a class all by themselves.

DG

[bbspdstr]

Trevor,

The potential WTFWSTA candidate in the Wet Rot category IS:









I have more depressing shots that I need to find, but this Cab looks better in pictures than in person.

-Bruce

[Jack Staggs]

Whoa, Bruce, that's really bad. That damp storage will allow rust under every layer. Looks like it will need every bit of work that Justin is doing on the " coupe to speedster" project.
Back to "Trevor's endeavours". Please encourage any Registry members that you may know to vote for this deserving young man. Here's a link to his Registry posts on the project:
http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29204

[bbspdstr]

Jack, Trevor, it's good to see good guys who are cross-posting here and on that site I used to frequent. Tom and David with Justin and many others here can lend support and encouragement in spirit and words if not physically.

There are guys like me who may be better at telling what NOT to do better than what TO do....but that's another story.....

I had seen those pix long ago, as well. Better than what I was shown a few weeks ago as a project for me to plan on for future restoration....a T-6 Roadster in pieces big and small, in boxes and on a pallet. It was in a building which housed an impressive private collection. The pile o'Roadster was surrounded by a 906, a 275 6-carb GTB Ferrari, a Gullwing AND Roadster 300 SL and many, many more great autos, so we know those who take car collecting seriously think certain 356s, if not all, are worth saving.

I need to put in an hour a day to finish my own A. I noted how polite the R-forum acronym was from Trevor..."WTH." I hope y'all noticed my deviation for the thread..."WTF, WhySaveThemAll"? Really? It's "WTF" when you are cutting and welding, getting dirty, breaking things and getting scarred....for the satisfaction of some primal desire to save something considered an 'underdog.'

Still, one of my favorite sayings has been "When one Ming vase gets dropped and crashed into a million pieces, the rest that remain intact go up in value even if the broken one is nicely glued back together."

I'm a gluer; MIG, TIG or torch. I like old Porsches more than vases even if the old Porsche has better potential as a planter.....

-Bruce

[JTR70]

Thanks David, That's really nice of you to say. Appreciated!


WOW! That is a crispy critter Bruce. The severe electrolysis on the drums really sets the tone on this one.

Is this the same car???

[Jack Staggs]

It's pretty sad that only 133 Registry members have voted on this as of now.

http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=39152&sid=a05b935e3b24abbdb8cb79e90d681fce

[bbspdstr]

That black Cab was almost as bad....and a very sad father/son story instead of the reason for the crusty Cab being restored...the good childhood memories of a son in what is now, sadly, a really bad 356.

The owner has the black car on a great site he created so it can (again, sadly) be sold.
http://www.1959-356a-cabriolet.com/for-sale/

Life is full of twists and turns.

BTW, Jack, the 133 "votes" are proxies from......aw, I won't say it

[Jack Staggs]

OK, folks, tomorrow is the last day to get your votes in for the contest so graciously offered by Stoddard. I agree with a previous post here at ABCGT, that the prize should go to an amateur, particularly to someone that will be doing most of the work themselves. While all are worthy, I personally would rule out contestants that have had cars languishing for many years, with little or no progress while in their possession, or cars that have completed value in the stratosphere, (Speedsters, 4 cams, etc). Do we really need to feel sorry for these owners? Remember, the contest requires likelihood of completion, a good background story, timely updates as work progresses, and a DESERVING project/candidate. I might add to this, continuing contributions to the 356 community at large, and significant personal sacrifice to save a forgotten 356 from being scrapped. Trevor Gates meets all of this criteria, and more. I encourage anyone who can, to give him your vote to keep him in the running. Please encourage any Registry members that you know to do likewise.

[JTR70]

I cast my vote for Trevor a week ago. Hope you win!

[Jack Staggs]

Well, Trevor Gates has advanced in to the FINAL ROUND OF VOTING!!!, thanks to all of you that cast your votes for him, and encouraged others to do so as well. This final round consists of just the four contestants that garnered the highest votes in the second round, so this one is for all the marbles! Voting for this round is open now, and will run for only one week, ending Sunday, May 31, so get your votes in soon, and spread the word! Once again, you must be a Registry member, and you must log in to the forum to cast your vote. Good luck Trevor!