1954 Porsche 356 A Speedster
The Italians would probably call a Speedster 'Spider', but that's a different story for Porsche (Look here). Maybe a
Speedster is not as comfortable as an Italian Spider, more like an English Roadster.
In any case, the 356 A Speedster, originally intended only for export to the USA, has a smaller windshield, which is also differently inclined and more rounded. The simple fabric top, still foldable from back to front, is at
its sides pulled down so deep that only small side windows are needed. They end up in the luggage room when they are not needed, in California perhaps more often in the garage.
So it comes down to less air resistance, which is already neglected by the roof due to the headroom arching slightly higher. There is no glove box. You sit on relatively simple bucket seats but with good lateral
support. Otherwise, the car is very similar to the convertible. See here a later version of the Speedster, more
comfortable.
Actually, Jay Leno's garage is a well-known address. But presumably the Americans do not take much care on the fidelity to the history of a vehicle and handicraft basic knowledge. The Porsche 356A Speedster is
really nice to look at. But original is maybe the gearbox. And probably only because it is almost inseparably connected to the rear axle via the final drive.
| Seats, steering wheel, exhaust system, all not original. |
The engine comes from the 912 or 356 SC and has nothing to do with the actually belonging to the vehicle. The rims fit more to the 911/912, because of the
wider tires. Even the fenders are issued a little. That's not badly done, though. The 356 A did not yet have disk brakes. In Germany, the car would probably fail in the test for originality.
For the fact that the conversion has taken seven years and 2000 working hours, the badly welded dashboard (video 2.50 minutes) looks pretty strange. Compare it with the finished dashboard and estimate the
amount of filler. 01/18
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