Welcome to Abcgt Forum

[roy mawbey]

George,

Like your car, very nice indeed. I also like your photo becuase it fits in with the text very neatly. No loss of picture that I seem to experience. What is the trick,
tell me please I have tried the 'shrink' ( not the doctor ) but the message button on the left of the reply box and it does help, but not enough as the r/side of the photo I post seem always to be cut off.

Cheers in anticipation

Roy

[JTR70]

Sorry to hear this is still a problem Roy! My tech-guy said it has to be the way your computer is formating it on your monitor. Is there a computer guru in the family that can help correct this on your end?
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

I reckon I will sort that out in the end. I am almost there with it now, so will manage it in the end I hope.

Roy

[spyderwerks]

Thanks first to all who have put this site together, Justin, Roy & others. My name is Max Handley, and my introduction to Porsches in general started with my purchase of a new 1966 VW Bug. I had just gotten off active duty with the USNR and needed a car. Just before my active duty begun I traded in my 1960 Sunbeam Alpine to Ellis Brooks Chevrolet (San Francisco) for a New Chevy Malibu in dark Green with saddle interior, hurst 4 speed, posi traction, with a 327. This was a special order ( Spring 1965 ) that was to be ready upon my return from active duty to the Bay Area. While on active duty I received several telegrams from the dealership that the options I ordered were no longer avail so I cancelled the order.
Once home I went looking for a replacement Malibu & found a new & striking white Malibu Convertible ( PUSSY WAGON ) with all the options , this was the fall of 1965. I had taken my Dad along for some reason & he convinced me what I really needed was a new VW bug. For some reason I had listened to him, and to this day can't really figure out why but am glad I did. The VW was a great little car but before long it peeked my interest in its relative brotheren the Porsche 356. I was working for the Telephone co. as an outside repairman and one day on my route I saw the most beautiful Ruby Red Speedster in a driveway, well as you might guess that was it, "love at first sight", it was all over ,the chase was on. I found my 1st Porsche Speedster several months later a 1957 Super in Silver with red Interior & oatmeal carpeting, this was the spring of 1967. I gave my brother the VW & the love affair began, some 47 years later & at least 36 Porsches hence ( Most 356's with a few early 911's & 914's both 4 & 6 cyl.) I have kinda come full circle with the recent purchase of a 2003 Intermecannica Speedster. This is a wonderful tribute to the Porsche I've loved the most and will enjoy it for some years to come.

I must also mention I'm really impressed but the younger enthusiasts of this site & the 356 Registry site who are getting there hands dirty & doing some outstanding work & keeping the flame burning for a future generation. The torch has been passed & its in very capable hands.

[merbesfield]

Welcome Max, great story. Did you build your car yourself? It has a great stance.

[spyderwerks]

Mark

These cars are built by the mfg. Intermeccanica in Vancouver B.C. The car was originally set according to the picture I posted in this forum, It was basically lowered to its max. position, that is as low as the front & rear adjusters would allow. Yes it looked "BAD ASS" as they like to say but for anything other than a HollyWood Appearance it was truly not only bad on Your Ass but most likely on the chassis itself. I've now got it approx where I like it , still with good Neg. Rear camber but more akin to where a real Speedster should sit, that is my opinion of course, and God Bless those who like to drag their tail, hell the stinger on this Speedster was throwing sparks before my adjustment.

Picture here shows current ride height, much nicer on my ass and the I.M.'s as well.

[JTR70]

Thanks for sharing your background history Max. A very interesting story. The malibu pussy wagen is hystericle! When you boil it all down I think all of our toys fall into that catagory. How does that old famous quote go; "everything a man does in his life he does so for the love of a woman" or something to that effect. You have had quite the run of Porsches; anything (besides the speedsters) super rare that you kick yourself for selling? Your Speedster is so well executed that I would bet that it would run rings around an original performance wise. Also including the top frame and side window performance over the original!
Thanks again for posting! Justin

[merbesfield]

She's a beauty. What motor do you run? I have seen some very nice replicas done w very good parts and just the right amount of patina to give them character. I have also seen some low cars with seats made of aluminum and little to no padding. No way could I do that, my back would be worse than it already is. But they do look "bad ass".

[spyderwerks]

Mark
The engine is one built by Pat Downs of CB Performance here in Ca. Its based on the VW Type 1 , but thats were the likeness ends as this case & all components are performance driven. Its a 2110 cc displacement with some wonderful performance enhancements developed over the years by the Hot Rod VW enthusiasts. The engine is dyno'd at 137.50 hp at 5500 rpm with 136 ft. lbs of Torque at 5 to 5.5 k rpm.

Its feed by two 44IDF Webers with a full flow oil system & external oil cooler. Its very smooth & lively & the gear box has a higher 4th gear ratio which makes for some great highway cruising. Overall weight is 1850 lbs.

[merbesfield]

At only 1850#, that thing must be a blast to drive! Have fun.

[spyderwerks]

Yes, and oh so sweet the sound, the power compares nicely to a 71T I owned with 3.0 & PMO's

[JTR70]

WOW! pulls like a 911 with a 3 liter in it? That is nice!

[RT]

Hi Everybody,

It's nice to find this forum. I'm here because George Walling and I were talking today about the disaster that is the present Registry website / technical situation, and he proposed I join up here. I met George earlier this year when he responded to my Registry ad selling a rebuilt engine. Earlier in this thread George writes how "we" built the engine ... in short, things were taking longer than I'd have liked, but I invited him into my shop to pick up his new engine and deliver his several-core-engines worth of bits that I was accepting in trade. So, he and his (90+ year old) father John visited with me for two days while I finished it off. Since that time, George and I have become good friends.

So... ...Given the story about the Malibu and the pussy-wagon, I suppose I could give a brief accounting of "how I got here." Yeah, the "for a woman" part has a role to play!

At birth, I was brought home from the hospital in the back of an oval window Beetle, so I guess that's the start! I can remember at 6 or so defending the venerable Beetle to my hot-rod oriented peers! Some years later in the second half of the '70s, at fourteen, I think, I was working for Technical Associates of New Orleans (TANO) corporation as a computer programmer while also working my way through school, and I was loaned an Invader GT V "kit car" from a colleague after having been struck by a car while using my bicycle to commute. The Invader needed a speedometer - the price of the rental - and I bought a '52 Beetle to get it...

I later bought the Invader, and my girlfriend observed one day, to paraphrase, she thought I should step up to the Karmann Ghia. I bought a '71 KG Cabriolet, and in less than 3 years had a collection large enough it drew in others who asked me to help them - they called me Mr. Ghia, and were VERY happy to pay me for the help. One of my customers, Bob Sturm, drove over an original paint, Champagne Yellow low mileage Porsche 356 SC Coupe' he'd just bought. He said it was 5 serial numbers off from the one he bought new, and had to have it. Only a month later or thereabouts he said he found the car that was ONE serial number away from his, was the same color (white), sold at the same dealer, and only had about 30,000 miles on it! HE HAD TO HAVE IT!



Of course, I bought the Champagne SC so he could buy the White one!

It was then that I realized my mistake!

I should have been out collecting 356s rather than Ghias! Oh well, love them both.

Bob also introduced me to the Porsche community in Colorado. I quickly became an unofficial apprentice of David Brown at Weissach Engineering. David was the shop-keep, engine builder, and racing foreman / crew chief for Weissach, and that year ('86) Dave ran the show for the Porsche Cup winner. I spent several evenings a week at his shop, learning, and more than a few weekends. It turned out that I got myself involved in the restoration of a '58 Carerra and I was the guy who managed to convince Mahle to make new replacement pistons and cylinders for them! (LONG story!)

...There were others, Ron Redden, etc, but I won't bore you... The PCA people in Colorado were not particularly receptive to a young man with an ancient Porsche - it was my first introduction to the attitude problem some Porsche people have about the older vehicles.

Later, I returned to the SF Bay Area and someone introduced me to Richard V. Lukes - it was 1989. Richie was a great guy - I hope his reputation precedes him! Richie's Lukes and Shorman business in Berkeley is famous for their race-preparation during the 356 era ('50s - early '60s).



Meanwhile, I was using my income from computer work to fund my WAY over the top Porsche Habit, and was buying up shops that were closing, collecting the factory tools and a lot of parts. So, I rented a bunch of space from "Red" McClintock, who ran a business called simply "Porsche Services". Richie taught me about the old stuff, Red taught me about modern Porsches... I also became close friends with Harry Pellow. I learned a lot from all three of these men, and I'm proud to say we were good friends but unfortunately, all three have passed now.

As a member of the West Coast community of 356 people, attending the various events, of course I know a LOT of people - I'm just calling out the ones who were most important to me.

Along the way, notable vehicle include: a B Cabriolet 1600S I got from Dave Merz in 1990.



Then, a "'52 / '54" which Jim Perrin authenticated as having been sold twice as a new car by Porsche - the second time as a 1500S. Then I got a 32K mile, first paint '69 911 - WOW! Dancer, a Convertible D I picked up from Christopher Stavros got her name on the return trip from San Diego!




So... I got involved with Earth Science in the mid '90s, founded my own company to serve that community, and after George W has gutted earth science funding, it's been hard making a living there. So, to help ends meet, I started 356 Coachworks. I've also gotten involved with vintage Land Speed Record racing and have been campaigning a Denzel-engined vehicle since 2009.



...YEAH, I'm _way_ into engine building! ...Ask George Walling how well my engines run!

So, perhaps that's enough of an introduction - glad to meet you!

Richard

[spyderwerks]

Richard troy ?

Do you remember building an engine for Pat Henry's 59 Conv. d, probably in the 80's. A 64/65 SC engine ? A very nice engine BTW.

Max Handley

[RT]

Richard troy ?

Do you remember building an engine for Pat Henry's 59 Conv. d, probably in the 80's. A 64/65 SC engine ? A very nice engine BTW.

Max Handley

Hi Max,

I'm such a newbie - I haven't yet figured out how to contact you directly instead of in the forum! Try reaching me through 356Coachworks.com, if you would please.

Richard