The life of some automobiles gave a dramatic romance. This is the case with this Porsche 356 C Cabriolet, which will now be restored in the Sportclasse.
The Porsche 356 C Cabriolet you see in the pictures has already seen a lot – looking at its condition, perhaps it has already seen too much. Born in Stuttgart in 1964, fate wanted this Porsche to head from an early age to the city of Cologne (Germany), where it was sold and where it stayed for most of its youth. However, sometime between 1964 and today, someone abandoned him, condemning him for decades to the confines of a garage.
No one can say for sure how long this Porsche was abandoned, not even the Belgian responsible for rescuing this «Sleeping Beauty». His deep sleep is estimated to have lasted more than 20 years by a wide margin.
This is the part where the story begins to take on happy contours…
In the midst of so much misfortune, Jorge Nunes, owner of Sportclasse – independent Porsche specialist in Lisbon, decided to give a new destiny to this Porsche 356 C Cabriolet. From Germany to Belgium, and now from Belgium to Portugal, most likely this Porsche has already done more kilometers on a trailer than rolling. “Buying a car in these conditions, after so many years out of service, is a closed letter. We never know what we're going to find.” “Sometimes we're lucky, sometimes not,” confided Jorge Nunes to us.It was already on national territory, at Sportclasse's facilities, that the engine of the four-wheeled “Sleeping Beauty” was tried for the first time. Having changed all the fluids (gasoline and oil), the key was turned for the first time and crossed fingers. The moment was recorded on video:
It’s alive! The Porsche 356 C Convertible has woken up (something choked up is true…) and apparently everything is ok with the engine. “Working is a good sign, but there is still a lot of mechanical work ahead. And when it comes to mechanics, no compromises can be made. Porsches are very reliable but they have to be well cared for”, guaranteed Jorge Nunes.
Next step?
Complete disassembly. Piece by piece. Because as you know, bodyworks were not subjected to anti-corrosion treatments in the past. Without proper care, it's easy for the classics to be overtaken by rust – this is without a doubt one of those cases. In the coming months this Porsche 356 C Cabriolet will be completely dismantled and restored in the Sportclasse. Mechanics, sheet metal, painting, electrical parts and upholstery, a complete team will try to bring a happy ending to the dramatic romance that has been the life of this exemplar of the historic Stuttgart brand.
Whatever the ending of this novel, one thing is certain: there is a certain magic and melancholy adjacent to abandoned cars, don't you think? See the images:
As soon as there is news about the health status of this Porsche 356 C Cabriolet we will publish it here in Reason Car. Also because our office is on the premises of Sportclasse. Alternatively, you can follow Sportclasse directly through Instagram (believe me, it's a mandatory account for any petrolhead!). It's worth taking a 'take a look'.