Help with value of a 356
 

I know this is the wrong forum but see allot of traffic so I want to try here to get a real world view.

My father is not going to be able to drive his 1964 356 sc much longer and I want to get a value on it for him . He is going to be going towards a porsche that has tiptronic or the likes. The car is in nice condtion but unrestored to our records. it has had spot body repairs as far as blended panels and in all honesty is probably a perfect car for restoration as it has always been well taken care of.

The engine was rebuilt about 3 years ago with big bore piston and cylinders all new bearings seals and gaskets, clutch at that time carbs cleaned and resync'd. It has 15X5.5 fuchs with new tire and also the steel wheels with new tires and proper center caps. It is champaign yellow with no sunroof. interior is in very good condition I think the dash pad is sagging in a few spots. The pan is in overall nice shape. No accidents that I can see. The car looks great from 5 foot but once you get closer you can see it needs a bare metal repaint. I will take pictures this coming week and get them uploaded in the forsale section but need an idea. The recent price guide from excellence had it fairly epensive but I want impartial ideas. keep in mind this is a very very nice driver and potential for a concours restoration.

sorry for the miss spell on the title

Drivers (64-65 C type) can be had for 20-25K. Depends on rust and if the engine original and overall stock pieces. The 356 Registry has a lot of information.

Good luck with the 356 Registry. I just posted a similar request regarding a car I come across and the moderator yanked the post since he felt like I was searching for a buyer. The site has closed its free trial membership as of the 19th so unless you are a paying member you won't have access to post.

Body condition is everything on the 356's, more so with the later years. It is very easy to put more money into a late model 356 than the car is worth so late model buyers tend to want cars in decent condition. That aside, assuming everything works and no major rust issues, the $20K-$25K range quoted above is realistic although prices have started rising again.

So the registry has converted to a pay site? Typical...while they have a lot of information they tend to be preachy and fussy old wankers. It MAY be worthwhile to join.

I'll never darken the doors again.

As someone said do the #'s match? Was the yellow the original paint? How many reprints? More details and pics showing the suspect paint in good light. After starts and stops those late model sc's are actually going up.

yes numbers match yes yellow is original paint though no idea on how many repaints if any any other then blends. to be honest my dad wants to get enough out of it to get into a 993 or 964 with triptronic that is well sorted. not sure if that is possibleaccording to what I am hearing though ebay shows promising numbers

It may be worth it to join the 356 registry hang out there awhile and get the vibe of the place ask some questions then sell it. I know it gets people that look at the cars there from all over the world. I've had several inquiries from Europe that state, let me know when you are ready to sell. It would be well worth it to take your time. I will say this I've rarely ever heard of a 356 guy say. Man I sure am glad I sold my 356. Everyone regrets it.

Is there any way you could buy it from your dad and keep it in the family? 356's are kick ass cars well sorted. They love the open road.

My dad is a member of the registry though does not do the internet thing. My dad simply cant drive the car as he once could he had polio as a child and his left leg is not as a strong as it once was so the clutch pedal is the issue. He has had half a dozen 356's over the years several 912's, 914s and a 924 turbo so he has been able to experience a wide variety of cars .

as to me buying it Unfortunatly not that liquid right now and cant have some thing of this value sitting collecting dust as much as i might want to

Take a look at European Collectibles web site.....They have three C Coupes right now. One is $28,500, the second is $80,000 and the third is over $100,000.
Without seeing pics of your Dads car it's hard to put a value on it since there is such a wide spread in values.
It sounds like your car would definitely be in the ballpark of a 964 or maybe a 993 Tip since Tips don't bring the demand six speed cars go for.
I think there is enough 356 knowledgable people here on Pelican that you can trust without venturing into the Registry jungle!

You are so right, biggest mistake I ever made! The 2 things in my life that I regret... selling my two 356's :(

HIGH RETAIL.....wouldn't use them for a reference. Aren't they guys that owned the cars on the open carrier got hit by the train coming out of German Auto Fest?

That was them....I was sitting in the Speedster an hour before they loaded it on the truck. Sickening.

As for "HIGH RETAIL"
The cars that EC has are only there for a short time.....before they SELL! Meaning people (some people) are more than willing to pay top dollar. Meaning, that's what those cars are worth....they are worth as much as someone is willing to pay.

So why shouldn't they be considered as a reference? The point is right now they have a full range of 356s to compare to the OP's car. I'm sure he would be pretty happy if his Dads car fell into the mid to high range of comparable cars.
In fact there would be a viable option.....send the car out to EC, let them sell it for TOP dollar, they send you a check minus their commission, easy!

I have always looked at these cars some what out of curiosity and some what seriously. The prices are on the rise from what I have seen. I see it this way, I have a '31 Ford Model A, A beautiful car but there is a looming issue that cant be solved. Its not fast enough. I dont mean its not fast enough to drag race I mean that its slowness is actually becoming a safety issue on the road. The brakes are so bad that its unsafe to drive with in 700 yards of some one in case they slam on there modern ABS systems. The car on occasion holds up traffic when climbing a hill because of how slow it is. The reason I say this is because cars like the 356 are getting to be the oldest cars you can drive on the road and still keep up with modern traffic. Thus there desirability has gone from a slow old car to a beautiful vintage car. That being said sales are on the rise. Pictures will make the difference here people wont say much until we see it. Rust is also a serious issue. Many of the 356's I have looked at for restoration are rust buckets. My 78SC is galvanized and I can some what ignore that issue with cars like that. The best way to price it is to hunt for similar cars and see what people are asking. Unlike a 911 this car may not sell over night. As a member of the younger generation on this forum many people around my age with disposable income, no wife, and a lot of time for a weekend sports car, are looking for some thing like a 911. Although I love the 356 and would kill for one, I am a rare man stuck in the wrong time period. It can never hurt to price it a bit to high and see what offers you get. It does not sound like you need to sell it tomorrow so I say put it up for well over what you want for it/think its worth, and see what kind of offers you get.

Regards
Dave

Feel the same, my 58 was beautiful but couldn't get out of it's own and stopped like a pregnant sow.

I was in the 356 registry several years ago when I had my 356B. I really loved that car. It just had the "cool" thing about it. But I did not like the other 356 owners. Real snobs! I know they are great cars but with only 60, 75 and 90 H.P. How can you be a snob?

AutoTrader Classics Vehicle Search - Porsche 356

I like to use this site to give me a broad example of ranges.

Would love to see some photos of the car!
I would love to see a 356 in my garage one day.
I don't think it will be soon, but maybe one day.

The extreme end but an actual sale.
Porsche : 356 Porsche : 356 | eBay
Like Dave said, you can always lower your price if you start high.