Newbie 356 Questions

[Dottore]

I'm an old-time Porsche guy, having owned nine or ten 911's over the years. I've always toyed with the idea of a 356 for weekend tours and old-timer rallies. A few weeks ago I was able to participate in an Alpine rally in a 356 SC owned by a close friend, and it was a revelation. I really enjoyed getting the famous "Porsche feeling" at lower speeds, the incredible tractability of the engine, the lovely look and feel of the old design—and of course all the waves and smiles from people on the street.

So now a 356 is on my bucket list, and I want to start a serious search in North America in the next month or so. In this regard I have a few questions.

1. I assume an SC is better than C. At least to me 90 or 95 hp sounds better than 70 or 75 hp. I would welcome your thoughts. I would also welcome your thoughts on other models that would make the best weekend drivers/rally vehicles. (I prefer a coupe to a convertible—and a Carrera is too rich for my blood.)

2. I would like to buy the best possible car I can afford. I do not want a project car. It should be at least a "2". I have had dealings in the past with Sloan and European Collectibles. Can you recommend any other "go to" dealers for 356s? (Dealers with solid reputations.) Any other niche sources (ie. not Craigslist or eBay) I should be looking at?

3. I know a bit about cars (and 911's in particular) and have a good sense of what I should be looking for in these cars (shut lines, floor pans etc), but I would welcome any and all tips about 356-specific issues I should look out for.

Any and all advice will be very gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance.

Mark

[R K T]

You can start with checking in with 356Registry.org where you can spend hours and hours if not longer......kinda like here!

Long time friend, Bob Campbell owns 356Sales.com and usually has some very nice 356s at un-like European Collectible prices. Bob is one of the good guys that you can trust.

Beware.....it's hard to kick the 356 addiction once you start!

I regret selling ALL my 356s over the years, but Bob has one that might be my next one.

[Dottore]

Thanks Rob. I appreciate the tips.

Cheers, Mark

[Shuie]

The 356 registry is the first place to go. I found my car on the classifieds there. The best car I could afford was a numbers matching restoration project, but they will have cars listed at every price point.

I too had owned a few 911s before buying my '65 Normal Coupe last year. Almost every 356 I've seen has either been restored or needs to be restored at this point. A lot of them have been through multiple half-assed patch jobs and partial 'restorations'. If the work has already been done and the car is alleged to be a 100% no-excuses, do your due dilligence to make sure it's all documented and the folks who did it really knew what they were doing. The replacement panels and correct parts for a '64-'65 are almost all still available, so there is no reason for properly restored car to not have them. The exterior panels were all still handfit in '64-'65. If the car was patched up or restored with non original doors, hood, or decklid make sure that everything fits right and the metal work is proper.

All other things being equal, an SC is more desirable than a C. Coupes with sunroofs are more desirable than coupes without sunroofs, and both are less desirable (cheaper) than convertibles. As far as the stock engines go, I'm keeping my stock engine fully assembled and ready to run on an engine stand and building a 125hp T1 VW stroker to drive the car with.

Have fun with it. These cars are a hoot.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by Dottore

In this regard I have a few questions.

1. I assume an SC is better than C.

If you drive them back to back, yes. I had a C, and while it's lovely, I found the SC/912 level of HP to be more adequate to modern traffic. Also had an A (prettier) with a big bore 912 engine, best of both worlds except for the drum brakes and long shifter throws. In isolation, if you find a nice C, or B, don't let that hold you back ! If it's power you are after, you can always make it a big bore engine at the next rebuild, that's not too expensive all things considered.

2. I would like to buy the best possible car I can afford. I do not want a project car. . I have had dealings in the past with Sloan and European Collectibles.

You had dealings with sloan? Everytime I see his ads or emails, he seems to charge 100% over market ;-) Unfortunately, finding one is going to be hard now... You either pay $$$ or buy a project ( and pay $$$ in a deferred manner). You want a #2 car, it's gonna cost you. +1 on the sources above. I'm starting to regret I sold my perfect 65 with ratty paint for $15K 8y ago, it's worth 3x more now ;-)

>3. I know a bit about cars (and 911's in particular) and have a good sense of what I should be looking for in these cars (shut lines, floor pans etc

Same as you on the 911 front, except I've had a 65C and a 57A. You sort of look for the same things on th ebody, really. Is the battery box rotten, front suspension rot, underside rust, door sills rust , holes in the floors.... Are all the interior bits there? just add $$$ to your 911-eyeball-estimate as most parts are rarer or more expensive. Mechanically, think older suspension, frozen grease nipples, loose king pins or what have you.... The most common thing that'll jump at you is a poor fitting hood, bowing out a little in the middle, because people pushed down to close them instead of releasing the catch properly (by pushing it up first).
but really, it's like a mini 912/911, you'll do fine if you poke around !

4. Advice:

Totally out there, and it's not what you asked for, but may I suggest expanding your search to an early SWB 912, too ? Still affordable, similar great porsche feel at low speeds, same engine & sound, just as slow, and easier to find. That being said, if money is not an issue, *do* get a 356 for the collectibility. Personally, I sold my 356s when I got tired of not driving them as much - too nice to park in the wild or risk an accident. I also almost got rear ended many times (poorly lit brakes) and that would have been unpleasant (likely impaled by the straight-shot steering column). In the end I missed the flat 4's simplicity and the car's easy to reach limits at lower speeds (safer for the driving license) and got a couple 912s - not as cute as 356s, but they fill the gap nicely for less money.