Amazing barn find and a journey of discovery

[210bhp]

We had three immediate objectives.

To write to Paddy McNally for any period information and photos.
To contact the Porsche archive to find out the details of the first six months of it's factory 'mule' life.
To contact DVLA to stitch together it's UK status and when that started.

We had the current number plate which gave an indication of when it was likely to have been imported from Switzerland. The car is an 'H' reg..
Brendan composed two fine letters. One to the DVLA asking for the names of the UK owners. We were hoping this might be just one or two and that the car may have come straight from Geneva to Paddy McNally's UK address and then perhaps to Glasgow. 

A letter was posted off to Paddy McNally  just before Christmas. We did not hold out too much hope. This was a busy time of year. We weren't sure which address he would be at. We were talking about events over 40 years ago. He probably had many cars, important cars, maybe several 911's but we assumed he brought the car back to the UK himself having ordered the conversion to RHD. This was a logical assumption, we thought, and it might therefore be a car he just about remembered. We did not think there would be a lot of point having a RHD car in Switzerland for too long. We assumed he had plan to return to the UK with it following his journey to South Africa for the Springbok Series racing the TR.

The letters were sent and we waited..........

[KS]

...and we waited.....

[shortwheelbase]

The middle car is another famous car though!

Elfords car - GVB 911D?

I think so Mick

It's alive and well and lives in Essex! Been in the same family since the 1980s.

[Bruce M]

Inside a 1969 'T'.....

Red interior with (apparent) orange paint? Really? Ooooo. No. That's not to my taste.

It's from an old eBay advert that a certain Magnus was sniffing at.
The exterior was originally silver a much better match.

[210bhp]

The reply from Paddy McNally was speedy and illuminating.
He remembered his car, confirmed it was light ivory with a special red interior. He remembered it was RHD. He was not able to give more information about the car or provide any period photos but did supply a surprising titbit of information. 
Mr McNally said he only owned the car for about a year and he had bought the car from a very good friend of his who was, in fact, the guy who had commissioned the RHD conversion.  

[210bhp]

Paddy McNally bought the car from his friend Robs Lamplough.

[johnM]

Keep going!!!!

[210bhp]

So, a second brief thank you letter to Paddy McNally with a few additional questions and an email to the Porsche archive were now sent.
There were no more important details in Paddy McNally's second letter and the factory archive seems to have blanked us. We have not had an acknowledgement from the archive, nada, nothing.

[964RS]

Paddy McNally bought the car from his friend Robs Lamplough.

For all those not quite as old as you Mike I'll save them googling like I have to with every one of your posts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lamplough

[210bhp]

We now had a trawl to find out some details about Robs Lamplough, a name we had never heard of before. He obviously was some kind of racing compatriot in the late 60's/early 70's of Paddy McNally's. If anyone has period details of his racing career we would be very grateful to hear about it.

[964RS]

So, a second brief thank you letter to Paddy McNally with a few additional questions and an email to the Porsche archive were now sent.
There were no more important details in Paddy McNally's second letter and the factory archive seems to have blanked us. We have not had an acknowledgement from the archive, nada, nothing.

That's really disappointing about Paddy McNally...I'd have hoped to get more info, maybe a pic or two. I also found though that when restoring my 964RSR the original owner said he had nothing and only when I visited him in Germany did he manage to locate a whole file of info and hundreds of race pics!

If Mr Mcnally is no more forthcoming then you have to get this restored sharpish (while he is still with us!) and organise a reunion with him and the car...I bet that gets him interested, brings back some memories....and photos

When dealing with the factory you need someone on the inside to get you 'in'. A referral from someone who works there and knows who can help in the archives.

Between us all we must know someone or be able to get you to the right person. I know one or two and can try but I'd expect someone her or on one of the other forums may know someone close. I can do some digging if you want....

[964RS]

We now had a trawl to find out some details about Robs Lamplough, a name we had never heard of before. He obviously was some kind of racing compatriot in the late 60's/early 70's of Paddy McNally's. If anyone has period details of his racing career we would be very grateful to hear about it.

You want Cars for The Connoisseur March - Sept 2005 Editions

http://www.carsfortheconnoisseur.com/hi ... r2005.html

[210bhp]

Eventually we traced contact details for Robs Lamplough. After New Year we wrote him a letter and we heard ............ nothing.

Brendan penned a second very nice letter a week or two later and sent it to a different address and we heard............. nothing

We were beginning to dry up on the Robs Lamplough front and yet he held the key to the time between the factory and the car's release on to the open road....... Damn damn,

And then.........

[TheEasyLife]

Congrats guys. You have a once in a lifetime find there. I can't wait to see it finished.

Have you noticed the 69S targa on us eBay with the vin of 119310010? BIN of $16k!!

Cheers

James

[210bhp]

Brendan got a phone call, out of the blue, from Robs Lamplough

I am going to reproduce here the notes Brendan took of that phone call as he wrote them down.

We need your help here guys because some of this makes sense but some is not easy to understand
( at least for me) especially the bit about the £50!


He clearly remembers the car and the registration and it was White (Light Ivory).
 
 
He said that they had a way of getting prototype cars directly from Porsche via John Adlington, owner of AFN.
(I took it that 'they' were the connected motor racing fraternity. This was therefore a back door car and not on the AFN Books).
 
He mentioned that there was a limited of bring £50 cash into the country.
(not sure if this was then some sort of scheme to get money into the UK as way of payment??).
 
At the same time he purchased a stripped out, roll caged red 911T that was used by Richard Attwood as a reggie car on the Targa!!!
(Wonder where that car is now?)
 
He confirmed that he sold the car to Paddy McNally.