Bargain Bathtub: 1957 Porsche 356A

1957 Porsche 356A Project

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You know it has gotten pretty bad when a rusted-out $20k tub looks like a good deal! But, that’s where the Porsche 356 market has gone. So instead of complaining about it, we are going to concentrate of finding ones that are still reasonably priced (relatively of course). This project is rusty, but we have seen much worse get saved. A complete engine is included in the sale and it looks like this may have been a sunroof coupe, so the asking price doesn’t actually seem that far fetched. It’s still going to take a look of time and money to make this one right though. Take a look here on eBay and let us know what you think. Thanks goes to Peter R for the tip!

Floors Are Gone

Well, then again… Things look pretty grim here. This project is going to take someone who knows how to do major reconstructive surgery. The floors are completely gone and the body is deformed in areas.

Sunroof

There’s a hole cut in the roof, so it makes me wonder if this was a factory sunroof car. Real ones are pretty rare and I’m not sure if there is a way to prove that someone didn’t cut the hole later.

Certificate

No proof of a sunroof here. The certificate of authenticity does teach us that this car originally wore an ivory over red color scheme. It was a base engine car though, so unless you can prove that it had a sunroof, this isn’t the cream of the crop. Still, I’m sure someone will happily take this project on.

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Dave Wright

    Looks like a fair price today……tub for the rotisserie, engine, transaxle and title.

    Like 0
  2. Zaphod

    Garbage. Buy a bug and put a replica body on it. This isn’t collecting, it’s speculating. In the end you’ll have a $75000 car that handles like s***

    Like 1
    • Jesse Mortensen JesseAuthor

      Well, I’d still rather have a 356 than any kit car. I’d guess that the real one would still handle significantly better than any Bug too. Ferraris weren’t always the best cars either, but people don’t get bothered when we feature them.

      Like 0
  3. MikeG

    This Porsche bubble has become ridiculous.

    Like 0
  4. JACKinNWPA Jack in NWPAMember

    I’d cut the silly roof off, intergrate a roll bar then weld the carcus to a VW Thing chassis
    use the 356 engine and have a Baja Porsche.

    Like 0
  5. Bob Hess

    Lot of bent sheet metal on this one. Top and RR quarter look like it was rolled. As for handling, stock they are like riding a unicycle. Modified, they can take on anything.

    Like 0
  6. Mark S

    What a pile of junk. Pass

    Like 0
  7. D. King

    COAs are commonly wrong, but my guess is this is an aftermarket sunroof. I’m sure the experts at the 356 Registry could give us the tell-tale marks–dimensions, location, etc.

    It doesn’t look right compared to our ’64 sunroof coupe, but this is a ’57.

    At least the floors are replaceable.

    Like 0
    • Dave Wright

      Everything is replaceable, the sun roof does not look correct to me either. I would install a complete new roof during the restoration. They are not that expensive or difficult to do. If this car was a C I would be interested. Some of the 1300 engines had things like needle bearings, the suspension and brakes are better on the C cars as well.

      Like 0
  8. HeadMaster1

    They have some nerve even pretending that that pile of iron-oxide is a car……I’d PAY $100 to have that hauled off my property, anyone that buys that thing is NOT a car-guy, they’re just a jerk with too much bloody money

    Like 0
  9. Old geezer

    Never understood the appeal of these cars. I’ve had a couple of Porsches. My first was a 85 911 Euro convertible. It was nice, but after waiting years to find one, I realized that it wasn’t as fast as I thought, and the handling was ok. In the end, it was simply a fast bug. Sold it several months later.

    These cars are just barely vw bugs, nothing wrong with that but nothing worth these ridiculous amounts.

    A bubble for sure.

    Like 0
  10. doc

    I think they fished this one out of a pond..
    Zero bids or offers so far. Some people have to spend dough foolishly to avoid taxes. Either that or live in Nevada, or both!

    Like 0
  11. Alan

    Hmm, i wonder how small a cube it would crush into? Then make a table out of it, hell of a talking point

    Like 0
  12. JohnD

    Since there is no finishing (like any support, or pinchweld, or, well, anything, around the sunroof hole, I would say Bubba did that.

    Like 0

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