Page 36 - KCRPCA MarApr 2020

across a table, waiting to be carefully reunited with the 356. In bags were door handles, hinges, knobs and more, all tagged with the body’s’ serial number so as not to get confused with other ongoing projects. Some components were not tagged, relying on Bills’ memory to find their rightful place back on the Porsche. Later my attention gravitated to the rows of floor to ceiling bicycles. Most of these were road or racing bicycles, some still ridden by Bill. These are sleek, fragile appearing bikes, looking as if they could support no more than a child’s weight. Bill motioned me over to one bike and explained how two wheeled racing bikes incorporated some of the same tricks the four wheeled kin do. As weight is a curse to speed, this bike had many nonstructural components, such as sprockets and levers, appearing with swiss cheese like holes in them. This process left the bike lighter and looking like the inside of a fine swiss watch. When I first entered the shop, I had noticed a large faded black and white photo hanging on a corridor wall. This photo captured Bill’s Dad’s service garage in a 1950’s pose. It is here that Bill began absorbing his knowledge of the inner workings of cars and trucks that would benefit him later in life. After high school, Bill was fortunate to continue his formal education at Wichita State and the University of Kansas. From KU, Bill graduated with a medical degree, specializing in gastroenterology. Working in the medical profession and helping his wife raise a family consumed Bills’ days and nights for several years. However, as this page in life turned, Bill began having fun racing BMWs and Porsches. 36 Der Sportwagen In 1991, the racing thrill was ebbing and costs were rising. Enter Porsche restorations. At first, there was just the one project, and then another and another. Successful results led to word of mouth news within the 356-restoration community, which often found Bill toiling away in his garage for the next 30 years. Rather than deal with