Every now and again, it seems like there is actually a reasonable deal in the air-cooled Porsche world – but those opportunities are fleeting and don’t tend to stick around long. This 1964 Porsche 356 C is listed with a reasonable asking price of $32,900 and even comes with a functional engine and transmission. There was a time a few years ago when a car like this would be commanding $50,000 or better, so it’s good to see it’s still possible to get into a 356 without losing your shirt. Find the coupe here on craigslist in Oregon for $32,900.
There’s one detail about this Porsche that’s giving me some dejavu, and it’s the original color of Dolphin Grey. We wrote up a car not long ago with the same color scheme, featured here on Barn Finds back in April. The seller has since discounted the car a bit as it was previously seen at $39,000, which I felt was a reasonable ask at the time. With a nearly $8,000 reduction, it seems we’re dealing with a realistic seller who isn’t holding into the days gone by when prices for a project were bananas. The car still looks good in photos and easily restorable, with some rust noted near the front pan and nose but otherwise structurally sound.
The black interior is in sound condition but you can see the holes in the floor up front. A few days ago, I enjoyed a video from automotive pundit Doug Demuro who discussed how lower used car prices at the moment are not indicative of a crash but more a correction – prices are finally coming back to where they should have been after an irrational spike during the peak of the pandemic. He’s absolutely right that if you’re lowering your price time and again, it’s not because of a looming catastrophe but because prices are finally coming back to where they should have always been. And while $30K is a fair ask, I suspect $25,000 would see it moved along even faster.
The engine is not numbers matching but is said to to be a period-correct replacement and the transmission is described as matching to the car. The seller notes that several original parts are included, such as the glass, rubbers, and bumpers, which should make re-assembly fairly straightforward. How would you restore this 356? Is it begging to be an outlaw, or is it cheap enough to warrant returning it back to stock, showroom condition? Or should you do neither of those things and simply wait to see if the seller brings it back online for a steeper discount in another few weeks?
Needs an LS
These were not such bad cars, too bad the prices are so bad.
I have always wanted one of these. Should not have waited so long, now I can’t have one.
Not sure why you would change the color from the Dolphin Grey to black, which can’t help the worth of the car, but the price is too high for that much rust.
A look at the Craigslist ad should scare any buyer with a brain if they look at the rust around the instruments and the botched repair and rust on the underside.
I’d say the seller has at least one more solid price decrease in his future before he shifts this thing down the road.
The prices on cars may have corrected, but labor for body and engine work on vintage Porsches are still quite high.
Looks like it was in a flood to me. Rotted floors, interior mildewed, ghastly firewall, I’d say $3200 would be fair.