1963 S Coupe

After being imported through Competition Motors of Los Angeles in May of 1963, this ‘63 356B T6 Karmann Coupe (VIN# 213956), was driven by its original owner for nearly twenty years. In 1980, a failed rod bearing (#3) forced it to be stashed away in a nearby Southern California backyard until it was discovered in early 2002.

The car was found unmolested with the engine still in the car, complete with the original purchase paperwork, Porsche owner's manual, service booklet from Competition Motors, both black California license plates, and nearly all of the California DMV annual registration cards. The correct 1600 Super engine (#700721), with 741 transmission (#64867), all five date-stamped wheels, and the two date stamped Zenith carburetors were found intact in their original condition as well.

The car had been sitting outdoors in its "almost final resting place" for over twenty years, as a result the floor pans were rusty front and rear, as was the rear seat area. The required metal work was completed with new floor panels and door bottoms from Restoration Design . The engine was rebuilt by John Weaver Engineering of San Diego using the original case, a replacement late B crank shaft, and upgraded 912 rods from a donor engine. The oil pump cover was machined to provide 100% oil flow to a remote oil filter mounted out of view in the wheel well compartment.

The Kardex reads ivory color (6204) with black leatherette interior. Two factory options were also listed; 1. Chrome Wheels, 2. Dunlop Tires, both were incorporated into the restoration. Paint was done by Bruce Lemm of San Diego. The interior was done by Thomas' Auto Trim, also of San Diego, using leatherette throughout with the exception of genuine leather on the two front seats. Gauges and instruments were professionally restored, along with re-chroming of all window frames and interior hardware. The only departures from the original design were the addition of a period Nardi steering wheel, installation of a dual-circuit master cylinder for safety reasons, and a transparent 12-volt conversion using a Pertronics 12 volt module, a re-wound generator and a 12-volt regulator encased in a 6-volt frame to maintain the original appearance — both mechanical modifications were done with the assistance of Zims' Autotechnik.

After three years of restoration, the car resides today in La Jolla, CA and is once again enjoying its moment in the sun throughout the roads of beautiful Southern California.