356 welding questions

porschenut66 · 06-18-2006, 01:59 PM

Hey guys, considering buying a '63 356 that is in good exterior shape, but needs pans, longitudinals, front suspension pan, basically everything underneath...replaced/welded in. I'm not looking to restore the car beyond any more than driver quality. I am not a welder, so I'm looking for feedback as to what it will cost (ballpark) to have the job done. I know there are a lot of variables, but again, just looking for a rough idea. I can get the car pretty cheap. Interior is decent. Body is straight. Is it worth doing? Thanks, and if anyone reading this is in the Pittsburgh area I'd love to talk to you if you can weld. Thanks, Dan

72olive911T · 06-18-2006, 05:12 PM

Hi,
It looks like a fun project. A few years ago I bought a Miller
175 to "learn" to weld some small projects; the ultimate
goal was being able to replace the front suspension pan on
my 72. Thank God I chickened out !
I found an expert restoration guy (in Tennessee) that did some fabricating, too.
It was worth the $1500 or so I ended up paying him. There was
a lot more rust than I thought. I still use my welder, just not on
the Porsche. Mostly for friends; broken lawn mowers and garage doors! Hmm, they like to borrow my truck, too!
Good Luck.

id10t · 06-19-2006, 04:59 AM

That much on a coupe and you'll be upside down. I'm in a similar boat with my 65 C coupe, but I have vast amounts of sentimental value in it and would pay any price to get it going again.

wrecktech · 06-19-2006, 06:57 AM

Too bad you are not close to me I would be happy to help you out.

porschenut66 · 06-19-2006, 08:02 AM

So what's a rough dollar amount?

wrecktech · 06-19-2006, 08:19 AM

If you were to take it to a body shop that does restorations it could easily be $3-5k

porschenut66 · 06-19-2006, 09:45 AM

I can get the car for $4500. Any one think it's worth doing?

wrecktech · 06-19-2006, 10:05 AM

For what it is worth, I rebuild wrecks and as a general rule, I buy a parts car before I buy the one I am going to fix. Parts are usually hard to find when you need them. Sit down and figure out what the parts will cost first and figure a more extensive repair than what it appears to be. It really comes down to how badly you want one. Good luck.

Tim Hancock · 06-19-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by porschenut66
I can get the car for $4500. Any one think it's worth doing?

Probably better pass. By the way, could you PM me the phone number of the seller?

porschenut66 · 06-19-2006, 08:10 PM

Seller is going to have car towed to a garage and take a bunch of underside pix. This will help with my evaluation I hope. With the cars bringing $15-30k, doesn't it make sense if I can get it for $4500, spend $2-3k on welding, another $3k on the engine/tranny (I'm guessing)...interior is pretty much there, just a freshen up with new carpets, etc. Anyone else want to chime in? I really need some help on this one. Thanks, Dan

72olive911T · 06-20-2006, 04:02 AM

This is a tough question.
Maybe getting the seller to come down in price is the first
priority. My friends that have running 356's say they wouldn't
get into it at today's prices. As a piece of automotive history
it would be a nice car to save.

Is it your dream car? Would you spend $10,000- $15,000 or more
on a complete restoration that would take years to complete?

Or, do you just want a driver? In that case maybe there is
another one out there that is in better shape for driving. Then,
someday you can restore that one to show quality if you want.

Is this a case of stumbling on a opportunity just because it's
there or have YOU always wanted this car, this year, this color....?

I was really impressed with how much fun a 356 can be.
Great little sports cars that look wonderful, maybe not as
much fun on the interstate in the summer with no A/C....

Best of luck to you in your decision.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

So what are the other 355 questions?

porschenut66 · 06-20-2006, 05:35 AM

It's nothing I stumbled upon, it's just an advertised car. He's pretty firm at the $4500, I might be able to get down to $4k. It's 6+ hours each way though, so I want to do my homework first. Red's okay, the white seats are okay, nothing special other than if I could get her on the road for around $10k I'd be happy with it. That might be wishfull thinking? Any more thoughts? I've seen some out there for $15ish that appear less rusty. Maybe in hindsight that's the better way to go? I just like keeping my toys in the $10k range so I can unload easily if need be.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by porschenut66
Any more thoughts?

Where's the rest of the parts?

I've seen some out there for $15ish that appear less rusty. Maybe in hindsight that's the better way to go?

Almost without exception, it's better to buy a more complete, straight, dry car for more cash than to buy a cheap one and track down all the parts/fix the rust/straighten the car yourself - let the other guy take the $^2 hit.

You could spend $10k on the best metalwork, but you're still 'competing' against orignal un-molested cars - the car won't be any more valuable just because you sank a bunch of cash into it.