Willhoit Auto Restoration
Porsche 356 specialist
Fifty years on the Porsche 356, with the 911 alongside, from a 14,000 sq ft Long Beach workshop — deliberately small, with the stated goal of being the best rather than the cheapest, and an emphasis that a 356 should be a pleasure to drive rather than only stunning to look at. Three things set it apart: a custom spray booth large enough to paint an entire 356 in one operation, replicating the factory procedure; a complete factory paint library holding samples of virtually every standard Porsche colour from 1950 to 1965, with sample cards sold to owners using their own painter; and a chassis rotisserie allowing floors to be replaced without twisting the shell. Every rebuilt engine is dyno-tested, and — unusually in this trade — any service within a complete restoration is available separately to owners restoring cars themselves. A parts line, WR Products, includes the shop's own 2.2-litre engine.
Fifty years on the Porsche 356, with the 911 alongside, from a 14,000 sq ft Long Beach workshop — deliberately small, with the stated goal of being the best rather than the cheapest, and an emphasis that a 356 should be a pleasure to drive rather than only stunning to look at. Three things set it apart: a custom spray booth large enough to paint an entire 356 in one operation, replicating the factory procedure; a complete factory paint library holding samples of virtually every standard Porsche colour from 1950 to 1965, with sample cards sold to owners using their own painter; and a chassis rotisserie allowing floors to be replaced without twisting the shell. Every rebuilt engine is dyno-tested, and — unusually in this trade — any service within a complete restoration is available separately to owners restoring cars themselves. A parts line, WR Products, includes the shop's own 2.2-litre engine.