Shane Balkwitsch wrote in with this outstanding project that he’s undertaken, and looks nearly complete. Hamilton Classics is assembling this very promising 356 outlaw, with some interesting specifications. As you can see in the ‘before’ shot above, this was no small matter of a paint refresh and some tweaks to the motor. When the car was found she hadn’t been on the road in more than 25 years. As is so often the case with these types of long dormant cars, the disassembly happened and then…. 20 years in a garage.
Shane has documented the progress very well as he keeps tabs on the project remotely. The Internet and digital photography must make these sorts of projects so much easier to keep up with. I’d imagine that in the past, you had to send your car to the specialist that would restore the body, then you’d see it again months later; with nothing but phone calls and an occasional mailed photo along the way. Today owners can receive frequent updates on the status of their projects—perhaps to the dismay of restorers, who must feel they are spending as much time photographing and emailing as beating panels.
The new paint looks marvelous and has a bit of a story of its own. Shane wanted to imbue the car with some Porsche history, despite the updates and mods. What better choice for a color then, than the original shade of silver grey that bedecked Porsche No. 1—the first example Porsche produced in 1948. A phone call to the Porsche Museum later, the paint code was in hand (K45-286). It’s a lovely shade, even if you don’t know the story as it passes you by on the freeway.
Still to come on the project, engine upgrades to boost the factory 95hp motor upwards of 150hp. That, coupled with the modifications that have already been completed to strip weight from the car, are sure to provide no shortage of smiles when Shane travels to Texas to drive her for the first time. Have a blast, Shane! And we wouldn’t mind seeing some photos of her maiden voyage.
More information on Shane’s project site.