Used 1957 Porsche 356A for sale in Costa Mesa, CA

1957 Porsche 356A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster VIN 83208 was completion on May 6, 1957 According to the Certificate of Authenticity & Kardex, this GS/GT Speedster was originally delivered in White exterior with a Black leatherette interior. Extensive race history in San Jose, California area from the 1960s to the 1970s in SCCA, California Club races, PCA rallies and AutoX. The current owner had the Speedster completely restored in period correct Glasirit Silver Metallic with a Black GT interior. The 4-cam engine P90592 (type 547/1) was rebuilt by Billy Doyle (Rennwagen Motor Company), who rebuilt the crankshaft. K pistons, K cam lobes, rebuilt cylinder heads with new valves, and numbers matching gear set. The 644 transmission was completely disassembled and rebuilt by Al Cadrobbi with all new bearings and synchromesh as 741 7:31 ring & pinion and differential was installed with BBAA gearing. European Collectibles did a complete mechanical refresh including complete braking system & suspension rebuilt, engine out service, rebuilt both distributors, SOLEX sand case carburetors and ran the engine on the dyno. Equipped with full GT options: 60mm GT front brakes with vented backing plates, five (5) date coded GT alloy wheels, GT 80 liter fuel tank, roll bar, lightweight GT interior, GT seats, GT deco trim on the bumpers, and GT side mirror. Additional options include 12-volt electrical system, Moto-Lita wood steering wheel, new soft top and boot cover, upholstered Speedster seats in black leatherette with white piping. The undercarriage is fully detailed to GT specification. Excellent condition, complete with tool kit, jack, owners manual, original Carrera Supplement signed by Dr. Ferry Porsche, Kardex, Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche & excellent documentation going back 30 plus years. Ownership Delivered to Hoffman Motor Sports - New York, New York 1st owner Mr. Edward B Myers - 1957 2nd owner Mr. F Block 3rd owner Mr. Tony Starbird - San Jose, CA - the mid-1960s 4th owner Mr. Ed Bowman - San Jose, CA - 1967-1968 5th owner Mr. Jim Perrin - Hillsboro, CA - 1968 - 1970 6th owner Steve Beck - San Jose, CA - 1970 to mid-1970s 7th owner Mr. Ned McDaniel - San Francisco - mid-1970s - 1983 8th owner purchased from Berkley Porsche in Pleasanton, CA - February 15, 1985 Specification 100 bhp, 1,498cc DOHC air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with dual Solex carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with torsion bars, an anti-roll bar, trailing arms, and telescopic shock absorbers, independent swing axle rear suspension with torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers, and four-wheel drum brakes. History By 1956, Porsche had manufactured 10,000 cars and its racing credentials had been firmly established with the help of strong finishes in the Carrera Panamericana. To celebrate the Spyder's class victories in 1952, 1953, and 1954 (the last bringing in a 1st and 2nd in class and a 3rd and 4th overall, behind the much more powerful 4.5- and 4.9-litre Ferraris), Porsche decided to install a slightly de-tuned version of the 550's complicated 1.5-litre, four-cam, twin-plug racing engine into a limited number of production cars. The new high-performance 356 A was introduced at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1956 model. The new model would, of course, be named the Carrera-a name that has resonated to the present day as representing Porsche's fastest street machines. The new 100-horsepower Fuhrmann-designed, dry-sump, roller-bearing engine, with chrome-plated cylinder bores and 8.1 compression-down from the Spyder's 9.5-could be ordered in all three of Porsche's 356 A models, the coupe, cabriolet, and speedster. The oil tank for the dry-sump lubrication system was mounted in the left-rear wing well, being protected from road debris by a mesh screen, which carried the car's chassis number. A pair of Autopulse fuel pumps and a pressure-reducing valve-controlled fuel flow. There were numerous chassis improvements, including revised torsion bars, larger shock absorbers, and revised suspension bump stops, which all helped make these potent little cars much more enjoyable to drive. Wheel diameter was reduced to 15 inches from the 16-inch size of the Pre-As, and wheel width was increased by a full inch to 4.25. Tire size was increased to compensate for the additional 47 kilograms of weight. Externally, there were few other clues beyond the gold-plated "Carrera" scripts on the front wings and tail panel that revealed that these little cars were capable of almost 120 mph and could easily cruise at "the Ton" for hours on end.