We talk about originality and what it means to be original quite often, but we know that many times these claims aren’t completely accurate. A find might be somewhat original, but things are going to wear out on a car that is driven. It isn’t uncommon for a car to have been restored once, even two times before going into storage. Knowing a car is truly original takes a keen eye, lots of knowledge, and some modern technology. Brian P, from Motoring Investments recently sent us a find he discovered hiding in a garage. On closer inspection of this 1965 Porsche 356C, he discovered it was completely original.

Brian deals with a lot of classics and has learned that when they look this good, it usually means they have been repainted. Checking the paint’s thickness can tell you a lot about the cars history, so he used his electronic paint meter and measured the paint. What he discovered was rather surprising. The paint measured between 3 and 4.5 mils, which means one of two things. Either this Porsche is wearing its original paint or someone stripped it to bare metal before painting it. Given the rest of the cars condition and the fact that the previous owner had it since the 1970’s, it seems likely that it’s all original.

Here is what Brian told us about the car in his own words: “It had sat in a San Diego garage since about 1987 when the clutch cable broke (he kept up the registration until 1992). I had looked at the car 8 years ago but any offer made at that time was “not enough” for the longtime owner (bought it in the early 1970’s). Finally estate planning got the better of them and the neighbor called me up as he had saved my phone number all these years.”

Proving a car is as original as the day it left the factory is nearly impossible, but there are plenty of things to look for. From what we can see, this one looks original, but it’s impossible to know without inspecting it in person. We are glad that someone will have a chance to get this one cleaned up and running again. Hopefully Brian will keep us updated on what he decides to do with his find!