Porsche 356 is the company’s first production model, manufactured between 1948 and 1965. This car laid the foundations for creating the 911 and all of Porsche’s ensuing success.
It’s an all-time classic and a heavily sought after collector item. A working 356 in good condition can fetch you a six-figure sum in an auction. So, when we saw one rolling in the Hoonigan shop for a Build Biology dissection, we knew we were in for a treat.
It’s a one of a kind, 100% custom build by Porsche specialist Rod Emory. Initiated into car building by his grandfather, Rod has been building and racing vintage Porsches all his life.
He calls it the Porsche 356 RSR. The project started with a barn-found 1960 Porsche 356 B Coupe. With most of the body corroded, it was the perfect donor to chop up and create this masterpiece.
The car retains its original silhouette and side profile, but that’s just about it.
The front end lost its bumper and the lighting elements got integrated into the panels, resulting in a smoother shape, producing less drag. The hood and fenders received new intakes and cooling vents to achieve the necessary air flow for the oil cooler, positioned up front.
On the side, you see extended wheel arches encompassing the larger wheels and tires – 255 in the back. There are massive air intakes on the rear quarter panels.
Our favorite is the chopped up rear end, exposing the engine bay. It’s inspired from Porsche’s Le Mans-winning 935 race car. But where the 935 featured a crazy mix of surfaces and hard edges, Rod Emory preserved the teardrop shape of the 356 and extended it over the rear end.
Bear in mind, all body panels were shaped by hand, using many of the old tools Porsche would use in their factory 70 years ago. It’s a stunning display of craftsmanship.
Even more interesting is the unique engine powering the 356 RSR. It’s derived from the 6-cylinder boxer engine in the early 90s Porsche 911. Rod Emory got together with Jeff Gamroth from Rothsport Racing to develop the Emory-Rothsport Outlaw-4 engine.
They eliminated the two central cylinders on each bank, turning the 3.6-liter flat-6 into a 2.4-liter flat-4 engine. To do that they designed an entirely new engine case, cylinder heads, shortened cam and crankshaft that would mesh perfectly with the original Porsche parts.
As a bonus, they added two small, fast-spooling, Garret GT28R turbochargers feeding either bank with 0.9 – 1.2 bar of boost. Thus, the turbocharged engine produces just under 400 hp. That’s not bad for a car weighing 1,950 lbs.
Other than the engine, most of the underbody and suspension are also taken from a Porsche 964 (911). There is a mix of OEM and custom fabricated parts to make everything work together. The result is a confident, stable ride.
If you think the car is not vintage enough, it sports a 5-speed manual transmission and a manual steering rack.
Finally, the car was built in partnership with Henrique Cisneros – the owner of MOMO, so there’s plenty of MOMO accessories inside and out – the 5-spoke wheels, steering wheel, shifter nob, pedals, belts.
Production cars are great and all, but it’s custom projects like these that show the real passion for motorsports. What a car…
