Hi from Toronto

[Dugald]

My love of sports cars began Dad took me with him when he took his first Porsche (a silver 356B). A memorable drive because we ran out of gas on the highway. He didn't know about the fuel valve which had been turned off.

My mechanical training started when I bought my first car in 1970, a 1962 Austin Healey 3000 MkII. I didn't even know how to drive it let alone keep this tired and abused beast. Needless to say, I'd spent all my savings and would have to learn to maintenance to keep it. The next door neighbour who'd worked on everything from Stutz Bearcats to Model Ts ran a garage and kindly taught me the basics. I drove the Healey for 10 years. Rebuilt the engine, transmission and rewired it. It was exchanged for a Volkswagen Rabbit when our first child arrive. Healey's aren't easily adapted for Baby Seats and darned cold in a Canadian winter.

Dad's 2nd Porsche was a 1965 C he drove daily and retired when it got too rusty. I offered to store it and have kept it now for almost 40 years. Two more kids, a career in advertising, self employment, etc. kept me too busy to work on the car. Other than storing it out of the weather for most of those years, it has been the but of many family jokes about my keeping this rusty relic.

It was a shock to discover the utter surprise when, upon retiring 2 years ago, I cleared out our garage, rebuilt, rewired and insulated the garage to ACTUALLY START a restoration. Our son, now a carpenter helped. He's always loved the car, is keen to help and is eager to learn.

My wife has always known I would do this. Heartbroken as I was when the Healey had to go, we'd agreed I could get another car when the kids left home. The last one left 2 years ago.


I joined the Porsche 356 Registry to research the restoration. Many of the home restoration members have referred to Allmetalshaping as the go-to site for metal shaping advice. Given the shape of the Porsche, I'll need lots.