1958 Porsche 356A
Featured in the inaugural issue of Classic Porsche Magazine, this 1958 Porsche 356A belongs to air-cooled fan Phil Jarvis.
The car was originally brought into the UK in 2009 and was sold on to Phil a few years later. Although its lowered stance and black steel wheels gave the car an aggressive look over a standard 356, the bright red paint was less desirable as the car had not been properly prepped before going to paint.
The original plan was to repaint the car in red and then keep it like that for a few years. But when Phil contacted Andy Finch at Spikes Vintage Restorations, he discovered that we are not a place to cut corners so a 'quick' respray was not going to work.
"This project wouldn't have happened without Spike and his team's dedication to their work… without their knowledge I don't think the Porsche would have looked half as good as it does now."
Phil Jarvis
After spending some time with the car, we realised it was in much better condition than originally thought. After bare-metalling areas of the car, we found out that under the poorly painted red, there was hardly any sign of rust and solid factory original metal underneath. Further discovery proved that when it came to body panels, including the doors, engine lid and bonnet, that the car had matching numbers, carrying identical serial number stamping.
Records showed that the 356A came out of the factory wearing a coat of Meissen Blue, but Phil wanted something a little different - especially after previously owning another 356A in a similar shade of Aetna Blue. Era-specific colour swatches revealed Turkish Red, which led on to the final choice of a 1955 Terracotta colour.
We initially treated the Porsche's bare body shell with a colour-matched epoxy primer. It was primered a second time, before being flattened and then a third coat of high-end primer applied. A final rub down then saw another coat of primer added. It was time to apply the Terracotta paint, before finishing the Porsche with a clear coat to really make the car shine and depth to that 1955 shade.
The car's interior was kept fairly standard. But we installed Speedster bucket seats after painting them to the match the exterior Terracotta (also painting the backs in black satin), while our friends at Dubholstery trimmed the seat pads and backrests.
It was only on assembly that the idea of a black strip down the centre of the car was discussed. To this we added gold details such as the pin stripes either side of the main racing stripe, along with the bonnet handles and drums.
All of these elements add up to give this classic Porsche a really striking look, especially when paired with those yellow tinted lights and the white-lettered Goodyears.
The entire project was completed in just 3 months and was one we really enjoyed working on. Sharing our love of air-cooled classics, Phil was a fantastic client to work for, and we were proud when he allowed his 356 to play a part in the Spikes Vintage Restorations display at Hedingham's 'Classics at the Castle'.
Photos: Paul Knight
As featured in Classic Porsche Magazine Vol.1