Sailing An Expensive Hobby..?

Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
This past week I stopped by my dad's house down in NH. He has the ultimate barn/shop for his hobby, which is antique German cars. I needed to use his bead blaster, which I often do, just be cause I can.:)

While there I realized one of my favorite cars was missing. When I asked about it he said she was in the paint shop for a complete body off concourse quality restoration. This means every nut bolt and washer is stripped, cleaned, re-plated, re-chromed, or basically what ever it takes to make it 100% as close to perfect & factory original as is humanly possible.

The car is a 1959 356-A Convertible D Porsche Speedster. This car, by just about anyone's standards, including mine (well OK not totally) was as close to pristine as it gets and had been his "driver".

In the last five years the value of his 356 collection has more than tripled so he decided to bring her up to the ultimate standards because he will still be under what the car is worth and the resto will nearly double the current value.:eek:

She when in the paint shop on January 1 and is not predicted to be out until at least April 1. Every body panel will be brought back to original factory spec meaning every panel junction will be exactly a 2mm gap, no more no less. She will get multiple coats of German Glasurit two part paint and hours of buffing each panel. There will be no Bondo anywhere, not that there was, only real old fashioned tin knocking and English wheeling to meet the specs. Every nut and bolt will be cleaned, re-machined or replaced with the exact nut and bolt that was used in 1959. Many of these are now only custom made one off reproductions so it is wise to never wreck one. The rest will be new old stock, "NOS", that my dad paid an arm and a leg for. The car will go back to her original factory color because she is already a numbers matching vehicle. She will be exactly as she left the factory in 1959 except better, much, much better..

He estimates the body work alone will be close to 40k then the car has to be completely re-assembled & upholstered with NOS material. She will also get a new top of NOS German cloth. He is targeting a 60k restoration but admits it will certainly go over. Of course my step mother thinks its 40k total restoration....;)

So if you guys think I'm anal retentive and detail focused please understand where it comes from..:doh::doh:

This is before the restoration! Again, by anyone's standards this car was a perfect ten but not to a concourse judge or my father..

Unfortunately no she won't be driven much after this restoration..:cry::cry:



We're not the only ones with expensive hobbies..;);):eek:
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,923
- - Bainbridge Island
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

That is breath taking.

Reminds me of a guy I know here on the island who refurbed a '56 Chevy for his wife. He not only restored the interior and exterior, but he brought things like brakes and some engine components up to modern spec so it would more or less drive like a new car. $100k later...

Really does make boating look like a poor man's hobby! :)
 

Bob V

.
Mar 13, 2008
235
Catalina 42mkII Lagoon Point
Now I see where you are coming from.

Looks like the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.
 
Jan 4, 2006
262
Catalina 36 MKII Buford, Ga.
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

Hi there Main Sail,
Thats one gorgeous machine !...it would be a blast to drive on a winding road with the top down and the sun out. Speaking of show class cars and care, I use Griot's Garage products on my daily driver. Do you have experience with their products?
 

Ctskip

.
Sep 21, 2005
732
other 12 wet water
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Keep it up,
Ctskip
 
Jan 27, 2007
383
Irwin 37' center cockpit cleveland ohio
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

Makes me ache for my first car...Austin Healy 100/6 1957.
 
Oct 10, 2006
492
Oday 222 Mt. Pleasant, SC
I'll give you three guesses what my other passion is by my name :confused:. I've been a classic car guy since before I discovered girls. I have to say, that Porsche is unbelievable BEFORE the resto! I can't wait to see pics after. I have seen concourse cars and to the lay person there isn't much that would stick out as not perfect. But they will usually get down to getting the overspray right, paint marker notes on the undercarriage or frame, and factory correct tires, to name a few. I can't tell from the pictures if he's currently got radials or bias on there right now.
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

I think I'm in trouble! When I married Maria in 1964 we had a 1959 Porsche 356 B 1600S. As the family grew we and the Porsche moved on. When we retired we took up sailing and are now on our 4th sailboat.
So why am I in trouble? Well, we just started up, for the first time today, the engine of our winter hobby. A stunning pro-street 1957 Chevy 150 2dr post that we've built along with grown kids. So who gets it when we croke? ME! It'll be the anchor for the sailboat we're burried in.
Ray
 
Mar 21, 2004
2,175
Hunter 356 Cobb Island, MD
Beatitfull Car

My Dad, had one of those. Remember going from Houlton to Bangor just for breakfast. That was back in the days before 95 went up to Houlton. It was a wild ride and breakfast was good..... He got rid of it because no one in Houlton knew how to work on it. Every time he wanted it serviced he had to goto Bangor. Bummer he didn't give it to me....
 
Jan 25, 2007
339
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
Re: Boating an expensive hobby..?

Very impressive Maine sail, she's got a bright coat, nice lines, and a great history. A Drauz roadster is probably worth more than five times my sailboat, I'd call your Dad's hobby a more stable and wise investment. Thank you for sharing.