Restoring a Porsche

[npham]

I'm looking for some people to talk to, or some resources to check out, about restoring a 356C. I'm not really in a hurry, but based on my searching around, finding a car/chassis could take years. So I wanted to know what kind of a commitment it would be to do this. I'd restore it to daily drive in the summers; definitely not a 100 point Concours car. So far, I've checked out some build threads on porsche356registry.org and thesamba.com but most of these guys are in the US.

Things I'm curious about:

- Where to buy a car(Kijiji, Autotrader, etc are not showing up anything)
- Restoration shops to help with rebuilding engines/transmissions
- Parts? I know there are some people in and around Calgary, with barns full of parts, but I have no idea who they are, or how to contact them.

I'm all ears so any input or advice is welcome.

[Neil68]

Ken King of Calgary is knowledgeable about Porsches and his company Concept 1 is located in Calgary. They carry various Porsche parts in their website listings. Ken knows what is involved in restorations:

http://store.concept1.ca/

Here's one of his early Porsches shown in the 356 registry website from a few years ago (scroll down about 2/3):

http://forum.porsche356registry.org/...d723d&start=45

[Pacman]

I used to have the romantic notion of buying a 356 for many years. However, the recent Porsche bubble has killed that dream.

Many years ago, nobody wanted 356's and you could find nice drivers for 20k. Now, rusted out crap boxes are 50K USD.

Good luck. I hope you are able to find something fun to work on.

[npham]

Thanks for the info so far guys.

Ideally I would get a rusted out driver that has a good engine and transmission in it, but I suspect that's a pipe dream. I'll give them a call on Monday, as I've seen their shop listed on a few Porsche sites as the place to go to in town.

Something like this(but not for 20K):
1965 Porsche 356C Sunroof Coupe - $21,750

» Click image for larger version

For around $50,000 you can get this though:
1964 356C - $59,000

» Click image for larger version

[sputnik]

They are still out there.

My brother in law bought a decent 356B for well under $20k a couple of years ago from a widow.

Good luck on your search.

[muse017]

So what's with this Porsche? I am no Porsche expert but the price seems

[npham]

Originally posted by muse017
So what's with this Porsche? I am no Porsche expert but the price seems

From my limited knowledge, there was only 1000 or so Speedsters produced, and about half of that made it to North America. It's the most sought after model and highly collectible. If you search around, you'll see of them going for 200-250k Euros. Depending on the history(Porsche buyers love their car history) it can add a lot of value if you have all the original service and paperwork.

[Neil68]

I look through thesamba listings periodically, but there aren't many 356's available at affordable prices . As mentioned above, your best hope is to find one from a widow or family that needs to move the car quickly. Then you might find one for $20-25K:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=59

[rx7_turbo2]

Has OP considered a kit car? Truthfully if you're trying to make 356 into a decent driver, and you don't have a pretty deep bank account a kit might be a much better option.

[npham]

A kit/rep might be an option, but I want to at least explore getting an authentic one rebuilt first. Looks like I just need to keep my eyes open and act quickly if a deal comes across my path.

[zhao]

Have you driven one? I ask that only because they're so rare around here and most people have never seen one in person in alberta, let alone driven one.

I drove a 356SC speedster last year, and it was interesting just because of the value it was worth, but not something I would pay money for unless I was banking on it continuing to skyrocket in value.

It's a very archaic car that is not very quick and a complete death trap. Which i'm fine with, but it's also terribad handling on a terribad suspension so the fun factor is probably more in people asking you about it rather than driving it.

Odds are any one you find even in 'good' shape will likely have been hacked at some point by a butcher too, meaning it is going to be an epic project.

The one perk is porsche still may sell everything for it like a lot of german car manufacturers do (you want body panels for a 1968 bmw 'no one remembers', bmw can get them to you in 2 weeks) but if so, the price of parts are going to be crazy.

[T-Dubbs]

http://www.kulumotorcar.com/car-detail.asp?id=1312

[sputnik]

Originally posted by zhao
Have you driven one? I ask that only because they're so rare around here and most people have never seen one in person in alberta, let alone driven one.

I drove a 356SC speedster last year, and it was interesting just because of the value it was worth, but not something I would pay money for unless I was banking on it continuing to skyrocket in value.

It's a very archaic car that is not very quick and a complete death trap. Which i'm fine with, but it's also terribad handling on a terribad suspension so the fun factor is probably more in people asking you about it rather than driving it.

Odds are any one you find even in 'good' shape will likely have been hacked at some point by a butcher too, meaning it is going to be an epic project.

The one perk is porsche still may sell everything for it like a lot of german car manufacturers do (you want body panels for a 1968 bmw 'no one remembers', bmw can get them to you in 2 weeks) but if so, the price of parts are going to be crazy.

Buying a 356 is not about looking for a drivers car but rather someone who wants a collectible Porsche that handles like an aircooled VW Beetle.

If you want a 356 that has good performance and handling you are better off with a reproduction/kit.

Custom car building Rob Ida built a crazy hill climbing 356A but you know that there are Porsche purists that hate the work he put into it.

https://www.facebook.com/motorhousem...0426192166544/

[npham]

I would definitely be looking to upgrade the car to handle today's roads/traffic. I've looked into stiffening up the ride 20% or so and engine rebuilds/upgrades to make it more livable. I'm not looking to be the quickest car, but enough to get to work(Glenmore). But it's good to know that the car would be tough to drive to Edmonton.

Also, there is a pretty awesome shop in Ontario that reproduces nearly every panel, so getting replacement body work shouldn't be too difficult, albeit costly:
http://www.restoration-design.com/

[mr2mike]

http://www.alpineautowerks.com/

I think they've done a Porsche or two.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Its a very cool vintage car but if were my money I'd buy a Kharman Ghia. Both drive very similar, I actually prefer the way the Ghia drives and handles.

[soloracer]

Intermeccanica is a Canadian coach builder with a long history. Think of them like a Ghia. They had their own designed cars in the 70's. Now they make 356's with modern drive trains

http://www.intermeccanica.com

[npham]

I've looked at Intermeccanica before, but it's all speedsters and roadsters. I'm looking for a coupe but I may need to be flexible if I want to find a cheaper project car. It seems like this whole project involves me lucking out and finding something reasonable to restore. Otherwise, I'm better off getting a replica.

[soloracer]

http://bringatrailer.com/2015/12/22/...-porsche-356a/

Here is one for you...only $39,500.....USD......Around $50k CAD.

[finboy]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Its a very cool vintage car but if were my money I'd buy a Kharman Ghia. Both drive very similar, I actually prefer the way the Ghia drives and handles.

Mmmmm