Gone Fishin'!

The true story of a man and his Porsche.

The year is 1952. The place is New York. At Max Hoffman's import car dealership, young Phillip is among the lucky few to work on the sensational, newly introduced German sports car, the PORSCHE. He is hooked right away and promises himself to--someday, somehow--own a new Porsche.
Years go by. Marriage, family, saving money, the move to Southern California. Finally, in 1964, the long held dream becomes a reality: he buys himself a shiny, new, Irish green 356 C Coupé at Competition Motors in Culver City, Calif.

The car is being treated like a baby from day one. It is always covered, never driven in the rain.

The love affair lasts almost 36 years. Being a widower, the retired executive has now decided to sell his Malibou Lake estate and spend his remaining years on the Pacific island of Mindanao, indulging his other passion in life, big game sport fishing.
Above: The original keys, owner's manual, California pink slip, and--count 'em--36 registration cards. Porsche is currently licensed through December 2000.

Phil took his care for the Irishman from Zuffenhausen to the extreme. The seats were covered by real sheepskins, the rubber floor mats protected with velour overlays. On extended trips, the car wore a front 'bra' and a flannel car cover was taken along. Whenever necessary, specially made foam rubber shields with embossed PORSCHE logos were fastened to his baby's vulnerable flanks.
Thanks a million, Phil!

Flawless original paint on the dash board. Gleaming chrome throughout. Perfect dash cover.
E-ve-ry-thing works, including the clock.

Below: Porsche's ingenious shift lock. Who needs an alarm?

All these photos were taken on March 7, 2000.

The Porsche has been driven less than 5,000 miles since a show quality, bare metal, windows-out repaint in 1995. Upon re-assembly, all new body and window rubber was installed.

The rare and desirable Irish green, Porsche factory paint code # 6406, is a most striking color, indeed! Except for about five minuscule road chips up front, absolutely NO orange peel, nicks, dings, dents, scratches, or imperfections of any kind mar the glossy surface. This car is arrow-straight with perfect gaps all around. Of course, it still bears the last three digits of the VIN stamped into hoods and doors at the factory.

No oil leaks, no broken cooling fins; stock heater boxes and virgin floors!

Dirk-Michael Conrad, in his book "Porsche 356 - Driving in its purest form," writes:

Without a doubt, of all early Porsches, the C-series of the 356 is the one best suited for everyday use; a C might even take the place of a modern car, thanks to this model’s reliability (after correct restoration), modern performance, pronounced driving comfort, and a secure supply of spare parts . . . It is pure pleasure to enjoy its unmatched seating position . . . road characteristics and drive quality . . . the C is a remarkably manageable automobile. (p.209)