Emory Motorsports specialises in tuning the classic Porsche 356, and rockstar John Oates of 1980s iconic band Hall & Oates now owns one of the company's special machines. Oates asked the firm for the perfect 356, and Emory delivered.
Gallery: John Oates Porsche 356 Emory Motorsports
Oates' new car started life as a 1960 356B Cabriolet. Emory fitted a removable hardtop that gave the car an interesting flat-top silhouette, rather than the vehicle's usual graceful silhouette for the coupe's rear deck. The donor machine had a damaged front end, so the build team incorporated the smoother shape of the 356A at the nose and windscreen frame. The 356A's smaller bumpers also added a sleeker look.
The Porsche 356 is a classic:
Inside, there is a pair of low-back, vintage-style sport seats with cognac-coloured leather. The rollbar is removable.
Power comes from Emory's custom Outlaw-4 engine. The 2.4-litre air-cooled flat-four powerplant uses the design of Porsche's far more modern Type 964 flat six as its basis. Twin spark plugs per cylinder, computer-controlled ignition, and custom headers make the most out of the mill's displacement to produce 200 bhp. A five-speed manual gearbox from an early 911 sends the output to the rear wheels.
Oates' 356 should be quite a canyon carver, too. It uses the independent rear suspension setup from an early 911 with the addition of modern Koni adjustable shocks. Emory's proprietary four-wheel disc brakes should bring this 839-kilogram sports car to a very rapid halt.
Oates debuted his 356 at the Porsche Experience Centre in Atlanta at an event in late October. He won't be able to drive it there much longer this year before chilly weather takes the fun out of driving a convertible.