1961 Porsche 356B Coupe Outlaw 912 Engine $100k Bare Metal Restoration-Build

  Stock #1587   VIN # 116xxx**   ENG# 744xxx (616/36)** – 1966 912 Engine   17,300 Miles on Odometer   14k Miles on Bare Metal Build   Silver Metallic on Black Speedster Seats w/Red Accents   4-Speed Manual Transmission   4 Wheel Disc Brakes   Porsche Classic Certificate   Clean and Clear California Title   SoCal 356 Restoration Specialist for 40 Years   356 Registry, SoCal 356 Club, & PCA Member   Extensive 35+ Years of Documented History
$114,990

The 356B T5 coupes were a 3-year transition between the late A coupes and later T6 coupes.  Reutter made the bodies.  These cars were lighter than the later models and still had the smaller windows like the earlier A coupes, as well as a cleaner bumper design.

This 356B was built in June of 1961 and sold new by the Porsche dealer/importer Rossel in Wiesbaden, Germany.  It was ordered with the following specifications/options:

  • Ruby Red (6002)
  • Black Leatherette 
  • Driver Headrest
  • Compensating Spring
  • Luggage Rack in Silver Metallic

This information was provided by a Certification from Oberhofer and Astrid Breitling at  Porsche Classic GmbH.  The MSRP was $3,920.

It appears that the car was in Arizona as early as 1973.  The earliest owner on record was James Verrecchia of Phoenix, Arizona.  The vehicle was titled to him on January 18th, 1984.  It appears he sold the car on May 1st, 1992, to Henry Robertson of Westchester, Pennsylvania.  Henry kept the vehicle for the next 25 years.  A year or so after he purchased the car, he had a complete bare metal restoration and turned it into the outlaw/hotrod it is today.  In July 1992, he hired Porsche specialist Auto Research, Inc. of Springfield, PA, to perform a complete ground-up/bare metal restoration/upgrade.

The build was completed in March of 1993 and included the following:

  • Rebuild/modify gauges for 12V by North Hollywood Speedo
  • Interior restoration by Autos International
  • Reinforcing front trail arms by DP Metal Craft
  • 912 engine block for new engine build
  • Grinding lifters by D. Elgin Cams
  • Engine machine work and misc engine work by 356 Enterprises
  • Sodium valves
  • Piston and cylinder work by Ed LaBelle
  • Clean cylinders / lap into heads
  • Install rings on pistons and fit pistons and cylinders
  • Custom “Super Duper” emblem by Frankfort Plating
  • Metal blast deck lid from late 356 and fabricate louvers

  • Polished and magnafluxed crank shaft
  • Shasta pistons
  • New camshaft
  • 15 gallon (est.) fuel cell
  • 12V generator and coil
  • Weber carburetors
  • “C” main bearing
  • Chromoley push rods
  • Carillo rods
  • Holley pressure regulator and 12V fuel pump
  • Lightened flywheel
  • Clutch kit
  • Disc brake conversion (from 356C)
  • Rebuilt front and rear disk brake kit and restore/repaint calipers
  • Steel brake lines
  • Rebuild emergency brake system
  • New wheel bearing seals
  • New rear axles
  • Replaced shocks, sway bars, and camber plate
  • Zims differential carrier

  • Rebuild transmission with all new bearings, synchros, and replaced 2 gears
  • New 3A gear and used 4B gear
  • 15×5½ painted disc brake wheels
  • Reinforced spindles
  • 12V wiper motor and voltage regulator
  • Turn signal switch
  • Disassemble car to bare metal
  • Remove drivetrain, suspension, trim, glass, and interior
  • Glass bead engine tins and heater box
  • Sand body and floor
  • Undercoat floor, trunk, and engine compartment
  • Refinish body in factory silver metallic
  • Replace all rubber seals throughout body
  • All new wiring harness throughout car
  • Rewire all gauges and clean up underdash wiring
  • Reassemble all exterior trim, glass, lights, and seals

There is a 10-page build document that shows Henry spent $42,835.43 on this restoration/build.  That’s around $100k in today’s dollars.

In February of 1993, after Henry put 500+ miles on the car, he brought it back for its break-in service/valve adjustment and various minor restoration sorting issues.  He drove it for another 600 miles and, a month later, brought it back for the final valve adjustment/break-in service.  Henry continued to drive and service this 356 for the following 13 years.  Besides routine services/tune-ups, he repaired a few oil leaks throughout the years and rebuilt all the shifter components.

Henry sold the car in June 2016 with 12,800 miles on the odometer to Ron Keyser of Camarillo, California.  Ron kept this 356 for the next 7 years and installed new square-weave carpet and speedster-style seats. Ron sold it to the current Orange County owner via Tom Drummond on May 24th, 2023, with around 16k miles on the odometer.

The current owner is a long-time 356 and vintage car restorer in Orange County.  He is known for doing more factory-correct restorations and wasn’t thinking of buying an outlaw-style 356.  However, he was taken by how well it drove and decided he had to have it.  His personal engine builder went through the car and performed a compression test.  Everything was in great working order.  Although he only used it to drive locally from his home to his shop, he did add quite a few tasteful touches to make it his own and give it a more period-inspired rally look. 

These included:

  • LED headlights with chrome grills
  • Wood 356-style steering wheel (Bruce Crawford)
  • Remote oil filter
  • Front GT style oil cooler
  • Carrera 2 rear skirt
  • Sport exhaust
  • Leather hood straps
  • Fire extinguisher
  • 3” lap belts
  • Bumper mounted driving lights
  • Custom wood shift knob to match original Bakelite plastic shape
  • Heuer rally stop watches with mount
  • Matching auxiliary VDO gauges including volt meter, oil temp, and oil pressure
  • Speedometer gauge calibrated and remarked by North Hollywood
  • John Jenkins distributor
  • Remote footwell light
  • Driving lights switch
  • Electric fuel pump
  • Hand painted “Pegasus” on fenders and pinstripes under side windows

For the past couple of years, this current 356 specialist owner has added just over 1,000 miles of local driving.  He enjoys restoration projects and has a 912 he’s getting ready to start.  We’ve known this owner for over 2 decades and have been fortunate to help him sell several of his cars over the years.  He’s well-respected in the 356 community as an active member.

The exterior of this 356 is in great shape, and the paint condition has held up well over the past 30+ Years.  There are minimal signs of wear with no major dents, scratches or chips.  There are paint flaws under both leather hood straps.  The Pegasus and pinstriping are hand-painted and can easily be removed.  The Carrera 2 rear bumper skirt is a factory steel part that was recently installed.  The front hood appears to be original to the car, with the factory VIN present.  The rear decklid was replaced with a similar year that was custom fabricated with louvers.  The brightwork is in good shape with no significant oxidation.  All the exterior lights work, and the lenses are in good shape.  The glass appears to be all original with the correct factory stampings.  There are no major chips or scratches.  “The steel factory 15×5.5” wheels are wearing Michelin MXV tires with over 75% tread life.  There are no signs of age, but the tires do need replacement due to age. “The disc brakes also have around 75% pad life.

The interior is equally as nice and restored at the same time as the rest of the car.  It has held up well with no major flaws.  The leather speedster seats have no tears or rips and minimal bolster wear.  These seats have tilt mechanisms for easier rear area access.  The headliner has no tears or sagging issues, and the headliner lights work.  The sun visors are also in good shape with no puffing.  The carpet has no major stains or heavy wear marks.  It was replaced within the last 8 years/3k miles.  The leather door panels have no tears and just some light scuffing around the window crank.  The dash pad looks fresh, and all the gauges work and light up.  The fuel gauge only works to quarter-tank indication when full due to the shape of the fuel cell.  The clock works as well.  The radio appears to be an original unit, but it does not work.  The auxiliary electric fuel pump switch works great if the car has been sitting for a while.

This 356 is easy to start and makes a healthy sound.  It pulls strong throughout the rev range with surprisingly low-end power.  The handling is light and responsive, and the car tracks straight.  The brakes have excellent bite with no fading or pulling.  The transmission shifts smoothly through all the gears with no grinding, and the clutch engages properly with no slipping.  This 356 would be fantastic on any vintage touring event or for weekend cruising.

California registration is paid to November 2025, and it is smog exempt for California.

This Porsche comes with 1 ignition key, 1 door lock key, 1 misc. key, Porsche leather key fob pouch, owner’s manual in vinyl folder, red square weave front floor mats, tool kit, jack, spare with space saver tire, and service records/history going back to the late 1980s.

**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud.  All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.

“Super Duper” means “Sleeper” in old-timey slang.

“Super Duper” is an informal and humorous term coined in the 1930s to describe something magnificent and powerful.

The “Duper” part was derived from the word “dupe,” which means to deceive.  Or, in hotrod terms, is what we call a “Sleeper.”

When this 356 was turned into an “Outlaw” back in the early ‘90s, it had 50% more power than stock, which was uncommon back then.

The term “Outlaw” for a 356 was initially used by Rod Emory’s dad, Gary, back in the 1980s.  He was known for modifying these cars, which was counterculture, so the Concours folks called him an outlaw.  

The moniker stuck and is now identified with any modified older Porsche.

I’m not sure if the owner who built this 356 nearly 3 decades ago wanted an Outlaw or something more vintage, race-inspired.

Between the stacks of receipts adding up to well over $100k in today’s money, as well as his long-term ownership, it was clearly special to him.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or [email protected]

This vehicle is sold “as-is” with no warranty, written or implied.  In some cases, the vehicle does have the remaining factory warranty still in place and will be described above if that is the case.  All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the listed price.  All vehicle sales will require a $170 administration fee.  The vehicle listed is described to the best of our ability.  The information is based on our own research and statements made to us by the previous owner(s).  To the best of our knowledge, the above information is accurate.  We are not responsible for errors in our description of options or any other details.  The above-mentioned vehicle is used and can be expected to show some wear and tear.  It is not a brand-new vehicle.  We do welcome all local pre-purchase inspections on vehicles to verify their condition.  For payment, we accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, or cash.  Checks take up to 10 business days to clear.  The vehicle and title will be held until all funds are cleared and verified.  Bank transfers usually only take 24 hours.

Note: For out-of-state buyers, California does not offer temporary tags/registration.  Each State typically has a grace period to allow buyers to drive their new out-of-state acquisition to their local DMV for registration.  Please check your State’s DMV website for more details.  Also, California requires us to surrender standard plates less than 30 years old back to the state and will not be delivered with the vehicle.  Personalized plates stay with the seller.