Gulf Coast Holiday

The Gulf Coast Holiday was a real blast. We were one of only a few couples that did not bring our own cars with them. I would estimate that a third were from Texas, the rest were from all over the country. The longest drive (in his 356) was a guy that drove from Maryland.

Theresa and I did not participate in drive on Friday. Instead, we made the rounds in Gruene, TX. That evening, everyone boarded buses (3 buses) for a private tour of the Alamo and dinner on the River Walk.

The Concourse was set up for Saturday where almost 150 356's were displayed. My photos can be found here along with links to Bill Hamilton's photos. That afternoon we attended the swap meet and picked up a pedal assembly from Jim Kellogg and a 356A electrical book from Joe Leoni. The evening was finished with a fabulous banquet and award ceremony.

My two favorite cars were both from Jones Autowerks - a '59 Carrera Coupe and the 356A training car. The '59 Carrera was a marvel of it's own as it is the grandfather of the modern day Carrera.

The training car was great because it allowed me to take many photos of the way thing ought to be. It was used back in the day to train mechanics and was restored years later by Bill's shop.

It was great to see so many 356's in one place. It was amazing to see many of the cars that you see on the web or in magazines. It was also great to meet some of the people that I have exchanged emails with over the past year and who have supported our efforts. I don't know if there will be a Holiday close to us again next year. Regardless of where it is we hope to have our car ready to go.