Every automaker sells accessories. You know, the shirts and hats for sale next to the service department. Porsche Classic is a restoration shop filled with master coachbuilders. Located near the factory, their goal is to offer only the best parts for dealers and owners.
We were looking to get Mr. duPont a Christmas gift for his classic 356 Spyder. Not only does Porsche Classic offer the usual items, like tools, car wash soap, and owners’ manuals, we fell down a rabbit hole at their immense online catalog. After sharing the link around the office, here are our choices for the strangest parts they have for sale.
10. Brake Drums For The 356
For those looking to restore a Porsche 356 to showroom condition, replacement drums have not been available for years. You might wonder why anyone would keep such small brakes, but consider how light the original Porsche was. Sure, they could have had decent quality drums from cast iron made in Asia, where almost all brakes come from. But Porsche chose the path less traveled. They modeled original brakes in 3D software before firing up the furnace. Forged from the best steel, a set of four costs more than a good daily driver. They are $1,200 each, a small price to pay to keep your 356 in proper condition.
9. Crank Bearings
After browsing through all the accessories and merchandise, Porsche cares about your crankshaft. If you have never rebuilt an engine, crank bearings are not normal wear items. They are the most important part of any engine, so they are supposed to last a decade at least. A high-quality replacement set can be hard to find, so Porsche Classic has these on sale for $788.74. They will fit most 911 engines from 1987 to 2001, but you should probably not install these at home.
8. Rear Crossmember
Rust treats every car the same way. If you are restoring a 911 or 912, odds are the rear cross member has some form of corrosion. Just like Lebowski’s rug, it really ties the car together. In all honesty, this piece of steel supports the rear bumper and literally holds the car together. If your car is missing this, you might want to reconsider your notions of safety along with the cost of the restoration. It fits every 911 from 1965 to 1989, and it’s only $699.61
7. Brown Floor Mats
Look down and frown at your brown. Floor mats don’t last long under proper heel-toe shifting. Any aftermarket mat will not have the exact contours of the 911 floor pan, so these are easily worth $223.34
6. Speakers
Ok, stock speakers? Up until a few years ago, every car arrived with garbage speakers. An entire generation was raised on aftermarket audio, and we know that decent sound cannot be made by a 4″x6″ coaxials with a paper cone. Oh, and they are $223.68
5. Oil Bag
A neat idea to keep your oil and funnel organized and out of sight. It is shaped to only fit Porsche’s 1-liter oil cans, so don’t go cheap on your lubrication. $46.45
4. Reprinted 356 Body Manual
3. GT2 & GT3 Foam Tool Tray
If you want your GT2 or GT3 to go faster on the track, the foam tool tray was probably the first item to be tossed. This proves that Porsche cares about all parts equally, Why can’t all manufacturers do this?
2. Octane Sticker For Turbo Cars
1. Tire Pillows
The ultimate example of Porsche’s loyalty to their customers. These innovative devices cradle your tires to prevent the formation of hard spots. Or, you could drive your car once a week. A set of four is only $599.49. Included is a warning against tires wider than 255mm (10″). We wonder what Freud would say about size comparisons…
We can’t make this up, and everything you see above is available at your local Porsche dealer. To be honest, every automaker sells items just as intriguing. So if you like this format, tell us which parts department we should visit next.
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