1965 Porsche 356C Coupe on BAT

[Baz]

Sitting at $38,250 with ~21 hours left.

That's DIRT CHEAP for a car like this in this condition!

Wonder where she'll end up.....

Location: Sausalito, California 94965
Listing Details

Chassis: 221130
7k Miles Shown, TMU
1.7-Liter Flat-Four
Four-Speed Manual Transaxle
White Paint
Black Vinyl Upholstery
15" Steel Wheels
Four-Wheel Disc Brakes
Twin-Grille Deck Lid
Luggage Rack
Body-Color Bumpers w/Overriders
Pop-Out Quarter Windows
Blaupunkt AM/FM/Cassette Stereo
Pioneer Speakers
Driver's Manual
Partial Service Records

[LWJ]

Love to have this!

[Scott Douglas]

I'll never forget when my old auto shop teacher bought a similar car way back in '68 or so.
Really great looking car but he found out that the door bottoms were completely rusted out and promptly sold it.
He ended up with the sweetest 912 coupe I've ever seen. He added every option he could to it. Drove it from Malibu to Santa Monica to teach and you could eat off the engine any time, it was that clean.

[Baz]

Should go for over $50K and really should be closer to $75K for one in this shape.

That said......I haven't kept up with 356 valuations, so I could be way off.

For those who have always yearned for one......this might be the time to buy......

[wdfifteen]

That’s a beautiful car. The engine is a major drawback. “C” engines are considerably more desirable than a 1960 S. It would be a great driver. I didn’t see many pics of the underside. That’s a car I would have to see in person before I bid. If it’s solid I would expect it go north of $60 k.

[Turbo_pro]

The market is softening. I was watching a 69 RS replica with a 2.4S engine [a little rough] go up a few weeks ago. It didn't make reserve @ around $50K but the stranger data point was that it didn't make reserve in August @ $ 65K.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That’s a beautiful car. The engine is a major drawback. “C” engines are considerably more desirable than a 1960 S. It would be a great driver. I didn’t see many pics of the underside. That’s a car I would have to see in person before I bid. If it’s solid I would expect it go north of $60 k.

The misfit motor is bothersome. For that kind of money I'd want the original.

The cold start video was interesting because I was very familiar with a '65 SC owned by a doctor next door when I was 18 or so. It didn't start anywhere near that smoothly and it was brand spanking new. Snotty little motors with a bit of a cam sound (lumpy idle — just).

That one was black over red and it was really sexy. He traded in a Ferrari. Probably the biggest mistake ever, but he got the reliability he needed for a daily.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That’s a beautiful car. The engine is a major drawback. “C” engines are considerably more desirable than a 1960 S. It would be a great driver. I didn’t see many pics of the underside. That’s a car I would have to see in person before I bid. If it’s solid I would expect it go north of $60 k.

One of the comments was a person asking for pics of the pan and underside.

I would think the listing would have those so kinda fishy.

That said......I bought mine sight unseen from an eBay ad that only had a few photos and got a fantastic buy. It had only been listed a few hours in the early morning hours and I knew I had to strike quickly before someone else placed the first bid. I bought in with the BIN feature. Got very lucky there....but also used my spidey senses.....

BTW....there were some photos in the glove box of the car on a rotisserie in it's original paint so at some point the underside was repaired.

Originally Posted by Zeke

The misfit motor is bothersome. For that kind of money I'd want the original.

The cold start video was interesting because I was very familiar with a '65 SC owned by a doctor next door when I was 18 or so. It didn't start anywhere near that smoothly and it was brand spanking new. Snotty little motors with a bit of a cam sound (lumpy idle — just).

That one was black over red and it was really sexy. He traded in a Ferrari. Probably the biggest mistake ever, but he got the reliability he needed for a daily.

Same combo as the one my Dad bought back in the mid 60's. It was a real beauty!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Baz, that may come close to doubling in price with the final bid. I see a lot of cars that seem low all the way to 10 hour mark and then you have 2-4 guys battling it out to get the car. A lot depends on pics, info, receipts and very importantly seller involvement.

I don't follow 356s but the 911 market continues to be red hot.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Love to have this!

So, bid away!

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Baz, that may come close to doubling in price with the final bid. I see a lot of cars that seem low all the way to 10 hour mark and then you have 2-4 guys battling it out to get the car. A lot depends on pics, info, receipts and very importantly seller involvement.

I don't follow 356s but the 911 market continues to be red hot.

Yep - no different than the end of an eBay auction except for that pause that takes place after the last bid........that allows another bid to take place....thus no sniping!

[rwest]

At $62,500 this morning with a bit less than 7 hours left.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by rwest

At $62,500 this morning with a bit less than 7 hours left.

Yeah there's no deals on BaT - haven't been for years now. BaT is for selling well, not buying cheap. Too big, too visible to too many people all over the world, some of which have all the money and do not care about market values (only takes one). Not gonna find a $75K 356 for $40K 356 there.

I've been waiting for the original owner die-off (sounds awful but it's a fact of life) for a decade now to try and get back into a 356, but looks like inflation will negate any market softening. Engine rebuild costs are now astronomical vs "in my days of ownership" - $20K for 75-90hp, that stings a bit. Guess I should consider myself lucky I owned a C and an A years ago, replay the memories in my head, and move on.

[wdfifteen]

356 guys are idiots. They are nit picking over the color of the gas tank! The owner states it has an older engine in it. Who the hell cares if the gas tank is original? Oh - the 356 snobs.

$60k is too much for a car with so many of the typical rust areas sight unseen. Refusing to take pictures of the closing panels and front strut while inviting people to come look at is red flag.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Yeah there's no deals on BaT - haven't been for years now. BaT is for selling well, not buying cheap. Too big, too visible to too many people all over the world, some of which have all the money and do not care about market values (only takes one). Not gonna find a $75K 356 for $40K 356 there.

I've been waiting for the original owner die-off (sounds awful but it's a fact of life) for a decade now to try and get back into a 356, but looks like inflation will negate any market softening. Engine rebuild costs are now astronomical vs "in my days of ownership" - $20K for 75-90hp, that stings a bit. Guess I should consider myself lucky I owned a C and an A years ago, replay the memories in my head, and move on.

I bet you could rebuild the engine with the help of one of the machine shops that do air cooled stuff and it would not be traumatic. Used to be the cost of doing a 911 motor was 10% labor and 90% parts and outside services. With today's shop rates all I want to drive is an older simple car or truck.

But if I had a jones for another aircooled car my first purchase would be a lift.

[DonDavis]

Gavel dropped at $63K

That's a lot of money for unanswered rust questions.

[Baz]

Looks like the seller posted one pic of the pan....3 minutes before the auction concluded.

[Baz]

I think $63K is a great deal for the buyer for this particular car in it's condition, as presented.

Of course, no way of knowing more than what has been presented so it's possible something could turn up to change my opinion.

I still wonder what the values for these 356 cars will be say 10 years from now. I know the open cars including Speedsters will always be worth a lot. But in general?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Just remembered, I once witnessed a hack rust patch repair at a body where they just glued in a piece of steel in place and then undercoated the hell out of it so it blended in. It was under the center tunnel so "no one will know" they said. The body guy was real proud of himself and bragged about how much he was going to charge for this 20 minute "repair". I was disgusted.

Probably why I would never buy a car I couldn't see firsthand.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Engine rebuild costs are now astronomical vs "in my days of ownership" - $20K for 75-90hp, that stings a bit.

I would be very wary of paying extra for a car with a "rebuilt" engine unless I had the build sheet. You can throw new bearings, pistons and cylinders, do a valve job, and call it a "rebuild" for $5 or $6k. Or you can do it right and it will cost 3 times that amount. I'd rather buy a car with a running engine and rebuild it myself if it needs it.

I had to rebuild the 1960 N engine in my '56 coupe three years ago.
The heads only had about 12k on them, so I just lapped the valves in and gave them a good cleaning.

Bearings
Used, replacement rods
Machine shop work (magnaflux crank and rods, install rod bushings, measure case bores, etc)
Gaskets
Rebuild carbs
Rebuild fuel pump
Rebuild distributor

All came to less than $4k