Interesting early toolkit...

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

I obtained this toolkit from an individual in Europe and it has an interesting history. It originally belonged to the seller’s uncle who owned an early 911. How early? The seller has a distinct and dated memory of visiting his uncle in Germany and being allowed to drive the car as a special treat on his 18^th birthday - January 12, 1965 - and he has a hand-dated photo from the day that matches his memory. So, almost without a doubt, a 1964-built car. The uncle was, according to the seller, the black sheep of the family and all they really remember about him professionally was that he was “in the car business” and did some racing. He passed in 1992 and this toolkit and a stash of early parts and documents was inherited by his nephew who sold everything to me last year. This was reportedly the only 911 his uncle ever owned and was sold sometime in the 1980’s they believe.

The toolkit itself contains the usual tools you’d expect in an early kit including the ’65-only 12mm spark plug wrench and allen. Oddly, the fan tool is missing the usual P208 marking. Most interesting is the bag. The black outer vinyl is an exact match for the unique black vinyl on two of my other confirmed 1965 bags including the original bag from my personal car, VIN 301100, but it does not have the 356-style tabs and the interior is two-tone.

Thought tool-geeks would find this interesting. Obviously, nothing is 100% after almost 60 years but the 12mm spark plug wrench shows this to be an early toolkit and the seller’s dated memory certainly adds some credibility to the provenance. As for the unique bag, “who knows what the hell Porsche was doing in 1964?” is the best answer I can come up with.

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

And, yes, everything needs a good cleaning. Just didn't want to touch anything before I posted photos.

[Aussie24 300357 Find all posts View Profile Close Aussie24]

JP, Have been having conversations with Frank and

haul

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haul about the correct kit for 300357, thanks for posting these photos.. It will be helpful in my search..was offered a kit for what Frank said was not '65 ..the price was $6,500 which at that amount falls in the category of jewelry to me... If you stumble across a kit surplus to your needs, please keep me in mind..Thanks, Frank

[Frank Beck Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Frank Beck]

Frank, due credit goes to John for exposing a fraudster.

I'd like to own this kit if it's a legit '64!

[soterik HTH....! Find all posts View Profile Close soterik]

Non-riveted clasps is odd. The contrast material bag looks right though, and the material appears just slightly different from the 1968 material (which if 65, would be accurate). The 65 material is slightly thinner than the 68 imho, though they look very similar. The rest looks correct.

E

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

JP, Have been having conversations with Frank and

haul

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haul about the correct kit for 300357, thanks for posting these photos.. It will be helpful in my search..was offered a kit for what Frank said was not '65 ..the price was $6,500 which at that amount falls in the category of jewelry to me... If you stumble across a kit surplus to your needs, please keep me in mind..Thanks, Frank

$6,500 actually sounds like a bargain to me for a real '65 kit, although not so much for a faked '65 kit. I wouldn't sell the couple correct kits that I have for that.

Your car, 357, would have been delivered with the kit that is widely considered the default kit for cars up through VIN 301100 or so. Same tools as the kit I posted above but with the tabbed clasp bag (like the 356 bags). Here are a couple photos:




The kit I posted further above is interesting to me because it was likely from an even earlier car and the bag is one of the "orphan" bags that nobody is quite sure where they fit into the 356/911 world. I've seen people refer to them as '65 bags before and I'm starting to think that they may have been one of the bags used for very early cars. My guess is that the tabbed clasp bag we've all come to see as the default '65 bag was not used on the earliest, '64 cars. Given what we know to be the handmade nature of the earliest cars, and the small details that seem to be in flux from car to car, it seems unikely that Porsche would have already standardized and ordered in quantity the bag that would eventually become the standard bag. If that's so, then what did they use in the very early cars? I'm doing some research to try and determine the earliest car we've seen with the standard '65 bag now. I have a note that car 343 came with the standard bag but can't seem to find my source for that.

Developing...

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

Non-riveted clasps is odd. The contrast material bag looks right though, and the material appears just slightly different from the 1968 material (which if 65, would be accurate). The 65 material is slightly thinner than the 68 imho, though they look very similar. The rest looks correct.

E

Weird for sure. It's definitely the '65 vinyl which, I agree, differs from the 68/69 vinyl. Thinner but less flexible if that makes sense. I have a recollection of someone posting a similar bag at the old hang and claiming it was from a '65 car and him being shouted down. Now I'm reconsidering. Clasps are odd for sure but just can't make sense of the '65 vinyl that I've never seen on any other year bag and the two-tone interior

[bob joyce 2.4L Find all posts View Profile Close bob joyce]

that clasp reminds me of my Roadster map pocket clasp.

[Aussie24 300357 Find all posts View Profile Close Aussie24]

JP, Recently view the '56 356 kit sold on BAT, obviously I'm well behind the market on kits...Paying $14,000 for a tool kit is baffling to me as I started selling Porsche in 1958 at Continental Cars in Shrewsbury NJ ..That amount would then buy three cars! Knowing that you and Frank posses proper kits, If or when I sell 300357, I'll mentioned I know two guys that might part with one... Thanks for the photos of the proper type, one never knows a 'barn find' kit may appear! Frank

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

JP, Recently view the '56 356 kit sold on BAT, obviously I'm well behind the market on kits...Paying $14,000 for a tool kit is baffling to me as I started selling Porsche in 1958 at Continental Cars in Shrewsbury NJ ..That amount would then buy three cars! Knowing that you and Frank posses proper kits, If or when I sell 300357, I'll mentioned I know two guys that might part with one... Thanks for the photos of the proper type, one never knows a 'barn find' kit may appear! Frank

Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if, when the time comes, you just sell 357 to me??

[Kevin-Allocca 1968 912 Find all posts View Profile Close Kevin-Allocca]

Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if, when the time comes, you just sell 357 to me??

JP, you would be 3rd in line

[haul it´s easy on a triumph Find all posts View Profile Close haul]

Found again the pic of the prototrunk with the suitcase and the early toolset

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

Found again the pic of the prototrunk with the suitcase and the early toolset

Now that's interesting. What I wouldn't give to see inside if it's two-tone or just a 356C style, single color bag.

[ronn356 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close ronn356]

I was researching what a bag should look like and contain after I "inherited" a 1967 toolkit that came with a parts purchase. I know it's from 1967 because I have the sales contract receipt that came with the bag. I went and found a range of bags for 1965-68 (SWB). I'm somewhat surprised by the variety; mine is a vertical ribbed black vinyl with non-riveted clasps. It took some time to clean it, but after I read the article in 000 magazine, issue 18 about toolkits, I contacted its author, Jerry Manna, about cleaning and preserving it properly. One tip from Jerry: never leave it unattended at a car show!
KTF,
=rdsieber

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

Jerry's a bad guy. Be careful. And that article in 000 isn't anywhere near the best information on the subject of early toolkits.