1955 Porsche 356 A `Silver Bullet` Custom Hot Rod

I'm a bit of a "Porsche Purist", what others may call a snob. For the most part, I like my Porsches to be original, true to what the manufacturer intended with little to no modifications. As an example, my 1973 911T was all original (including paint and interior) with no modifications. My current 1997 993 C4S is exactly the same, all original, no modifications (except the options from the factory)

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However, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate anything else. I understand the need and desire for modifications. My 993 would, in some people’s opinion, benefit from a suspension modification (lower it to ROW specs) and get rid of what is routinely referred to as the "SUV" ride-height. Based on cars I've seen with this mod, I tend to agree and just might do this to my car. Compared to the subject of this post however, this type of suspension modification is infinitesimally small. Not surprisingly, it takes things a little too far for my taste.

Jeff Dutton's 1955 Porsche 'Silver Bullet' Custom Hot Rod.

Built on a 914-6 chassis with a body based on a 1955 356 Continental, it is fitted with a 3 liter, 279hp RS-spec engine, and a 915 gear box. Momentum created by the racing spec’d engine is temporarily halted with addition of "full-trick" 934 brakes. The polished disc wheels are 17” in diameter and match the other accents/trim on the car.

Putting technical specs aside, which are impressive, I would prefer to focus on the aesthetics of the car. According to an article I read in Keith Martin on Collecting Porsche, the idea behind the car was to create an "Outlaw Porsche" (chopped hotrod) that still remained true to the original design theory and production of legendary Porsche designer Erwin Komenda. While I agree that it is still recognizable as a Porsche, I’m not sure I would have spent the money (hundreds of thousands is the claim) to build this car. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves and you be the judge. Click on anyone of the thumbnails for a larger image and take a look at the Fantasy Junction listing for even more images.

The car is currently offered for sale, on consignment, at Fantasy Junction. According to Chris Christianson, of Fantasy Junction, the current owner placed the car on consignment in early February and has set the asking price at $175,000. I tried to research previous owners; unfortunately, all I found were references to an attempted previous sale in 2001 at RM's Monterey auction where the car was bid to $55,000 and did not sell.

Builder of the Porsche 356 Outlaw

If you’re curious about the original owner/builder of this car here is a little more info I found while researching for this post.

Jeff Dutton comes from a family filled with impressive automotive accomplishments. In 1911 Jeff's grandfather, Albert Octavious Dutton, began a coachwork-building business that specialized in the creation of bodies for Rolls Royce, Franchini, Isotta, etc. As Albert's reputation grew, so did the shop's capabilities. In 1953 Dutton's became the first Porsche factory-appointed repair shop in Australia.

Today, Dutton's has expanded to include a new dealership that stocks both classic and current model Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati and other hi-end luxury brands. In addition, Jeff's son has branched out with the creation of DuttonDirect (an on-line luxury directory and magazine that covers automotive, marine, aircraft and lifestyle products). Dutton's success has given him the means to pursue his passion of collecting, creating, driving and racing Porsches.

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[Source: Fantasy Junction, Keith Martin on Collecting Porsche]