Sorry for another ebay post, but could this piece of junk have a '65 356 engine?

[JK-81SC]

My friend sent me this link as a joke, but if the engine is legit, then it's worth the $100. Unfortunately there are no pictures of the engine to support his claims, and it could just be a VW engine.

If it really is a 356 engine (he calls it a 365) then someone in the Atlanta area could check the engine VIN. If it's real, throw away everything but the engine. I doubt anyone could get any intelligent answers by contacting him.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7251&item=2426123781

[CHILI]

1965 Porsche Model T dune Buggy.............When I saw this Von Dutch styled Model T , Hand Crafted VW Dune Buggy on the Road I knew that I "JUST HAD TO HAVE IT" !!!!...

What the hell? This guy needs to lay off the crack!

[tiorio]

What the hell is right! Single carb? Not on a 356 (an industrial maybe, in fact, I have an intake manifold for an industrial) but the Oil Filter can is right there, in the wrong...

Wait wait wait...that may just BE an old 356 industrial engine! Even with the old carb and manifold and some VW parts to make it into a 'car' motor...

In fact the more I look at it the more I think it is an early industrial.

Ifin it is and it runs, and assuming it hasn't been rebuilt (the industrials got very little hard use, esp. with the single carb so it's likely that the case has NEVER BEEN OPENED) it may be a great 'found engine in a barn attached to rolling scrap-heap' story...

Hey, a guy at Pomona once gave me a clean set of 356 rods 'cause he couldn't figure out what VW they went on...

Any other 356 motor fans out there care to comment?

[Wayne 962]

Weird...

-Wayne

[CHILI]

Actually, I don't know anything about 356 motors, I was just commenting on the fact that he "had to have it" when he first saw it. I think if I saw that thing in person, I might puke!

[jmohn]

I'm not up on VW's, did the VW use a bail to hold the valve covers on similar to the 356's? Anyway there is a picture of a manufacturere's plate that says it's a Porsche industrial, of course anyone can screw a plate onto anything. It would almost be worth the $100 or so to see if it really is a 356 engine, of course, unfortunately, I don't have a 356 to put it in. All that aside, that's the biggest POS dune-buggy I've ever seen.

Jerry M
'78 SC

[RickKlem]

So they loaded up the truck and moved to beverly, hills that is swimming pools, movie stars.....................

[Todd Simpson]

Those appear to be Porsche valve covers.

Here's part of a story from "the Maestro" about the Industrial motor he built up for Jerry Seinfeld's speedster.

.....Eventually, Jerry saw the wisdom of the Maestro's suggestion and agreed that a later-model 356 Engine would be better solution. And the BEST later-model engine the Maestro has are the Porsche Military-Industrial Engines. Especially those from a batch of 100 hour Swiss Military Engines that he's been saving for just such a Special Occasion.

.....The Last of the Industrials (how about that for a Movie title?) were made in 1973, long after the last 1969 912 rolled off the line! With only a couple of hundred very benign hours on 'em, these guys have PERFECT late-model Cases, beautiful "C" cranks, pristine 912 rods, absolutely Virgin C/SC or 912 heads, unworn Valve train, etc., etc. Even the plated Hardware looks like it was just put on yesterday. These engines were well-protected and maintained, little used and never abused. What more do you want?

.....Yes, you gotta overhaul 'em and replace the Cast Iron Cam Followers and the low-compression big bore kit the Industrials have, and the funky flywheels with the starter ring gear teeth on in a different plane, but having only 100 or so hours on 'em, the Industrial's major internals are like NEW! Primo. The finest fodder for fantastic street/race engines money can buy.

.....So the die was cast. The Maestro uncorked a Virgin 1973 Industrial. Tore it apart. Found what he expected- Perfect Parts- and began the rebuild.

[GSpreeman]

If there are any Pelicanites living in that guy's area, I'm in need of 356 motor. And, it looks like the price might be right.

[dvkk]

That is absolutely 100% not a VW engine of any kind. There is no doubt its a 356 engine. The engine case by the distributor isn't VW. The oil pump isn't anything VW. The valve covers are the biggest indicator. They are wider at the top to accomodate the exh valve angle of the 356. But on all VWs the valve covers are narrower at the top. The intake manifold is nothing like any made by VW, or for a VW. It appears to have a 3pc engine case. Hard to tell, but I think its a VW transmission.

[Sonic dB]

That thing is halarious! Awesome piece of work. and...its a Porsche too.

[Joeaksa]

Was based at Berlin Tempelhof Air Base for almost ten years in the 80's and 90's before the wall fell and the base was turned back over the the Germans.

They used these type of industrial motors for power units all over the place in Berlin and they were being sold as late as 1990 for next to nothing brand new in the crate. The motor in these pics sure looks like one of these old industrial motors. The exhaust ports are pure 356 if memory serves me right.

Should have bought 100 myself...

JoeA

PS I love running the fuel line right on top of the LH exhaust pipe. God sure watches over the idiots...

[tiorio]

Ok, I did a little more research and craked open my box of Porsche industrial engine parts for comparison purposes...

It's a Porsche 4-cylinder industrial engine. No doubt in my mind.

Heads are 100% Porsche, look at the 'rectangular' rounded exhaust ports among other things. The single carb is a rarity, I imagine it may be the only running single carb 356 around! All the other points are valid as well but of course the really telling point is the fact that it's a 3-piece case! P-car for sure.

It is also most definately 'used' but there is a GOOD chance that it has never been cracked. It also has a dual pulley, similar to what was on the 1968 only 912 with air-pump (before the '69 with the teflon coated intake manifolds). The industrials can be found with larger pulleys so the fan could run fast enough at the usually slower operating speed of the industrial. I can't tell if this pulley is larger or smaller, looks like a '68 but I can't be sure from the pics...

Damn, makes me want to rethink the sale of the 912...

Anyway, it's certainly worth a look. It's definately worth a couple of hundred regardless of case condition. To make a proper 356 you will certainly need some carbs (Solex + manifolds) and associated hardware, pistons and cylinders (assuming it still has the low compression pistons/cylinders of the industrials) some sheet metal, exhaust (well DUH!), and a lot of work.

It really needs to go to someone with a 356 that needs a short-block but has all the associated and asundry goods to go with it. It probably needs to be rebuilt if for nothing other than to save the case...

If I could see it, I might just buy it. If I was keeping the 912. Or just needed another 356 project motor. Or was a sucker for 356 stuff or old Porsche stuff like a box of industrial stuff. A sucker....

It's probably an old Gene Berg import.

I gotta stop looking at these posts or I'm never gonna pay off my CURRENT projects. Maybe just a low-ball bid, you know, just in case...

[tiorio]

Soo...

Anyone in the area care to give a once-over on the motor?

My wife may kill me...