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The wall of Porsches sitting behind this crumpled 356 may look familiar because we have featured cars from this seller in the past. They obviously run a scrapyard and from the looks of it, have a nice retirement sitting out back! This cabriolet has seen better days, but I have no doubts that someone will purchase it and proceed to dump bucket loads of money into it. The current high bid here on eBay proves that sentiment. This ambitious project is located in Los Angles, California and is only recommended to those with deep pockets and a serious love for all things Porsche. Thanks goes to Peter R. for the tip!
Whoa! If I had ever aspired to Porsche ownership — and there was a time when I was quite taken by them — that desire is now dead and buried. The fanatics who are willing to shell out crazy money for crusher candidates have seen to that.
Certainly they are far beyond the reach of backyard restorers. Even if you have decent automotive skills, the cost of parts and the hit your pride and joy would take in the marketplace if not given a major Big-Dollar restoration make taking on a car like this an exercise in futility.
They are fun to drive. But with the values soaring beyond all possible sense, fewer and fewer people will find that out. That’s very sad, if you ask me.
There seems to be enough of them in the background to be able to manipulate the market.
If all of them were mine, I’d sell off one per month and finance my retirement for what appears to be 5-10 years!
I agree with RayT. I am SO glad that I took the plunge and briefly owned an orange 911T (with sunroof, yet!). Fast, loud and almost more fun than sex to drive but the big six engine had an appetite for premium gas, insurance was onerous and I was living in fear of something happening that would require repair with Porsche parts so I sold it after about six months. Too bad I couldn’t have afforded to stash it away somewhere. Even as a 35 year parked barn-find, it would be worth about ten times what I sold it for back in ’78. Porsche prices now are simply bat shit crazy for the 356 and 911s and now the 914s are shooting up. What’s next? The 928? 944? Or even the 924?!?? (Rolls eyes) >_<
Up to 30k already and needs everything from the looks of it. 30k can buy a hell of a nice project car! I just don’t get it.
Yes, Rudi Klein, the man who put this collection together had great foresight. This is only a small part AND one of the cheaper cars he has there in his “scrap yard” now run by his sons.
As soon as they start to sell off the REAL rare cars in there, there is enough retirement for all of us! To mention a few the one-off 1935 Mercedes-Benz Caracciola 500K and Horch Spezial Roadster?
All the power to them!
Yep. we ran a story about the place back in 2012: http://barnfinds.com/exotic-junk-yard-discovery/
Yep, but looking at the bids soon to be someone’s treasure.
seller has 750 items on ebay and millions of $ worth of porsche, at todays market price, in the background. and there sitting outside!
30 large and climbing – F@&$ off ! – who buys these things? – been stuffed for years
Having owned and restored probably 30 356’s the prices have gone astronomical, but many other things have too. I bought my first 356 (a 1952 Continental Coupe) when gas prices were 28 cents and a good house was 30,000. These cars, even projects are sold as investments these days, the banks pay 2.5% why not take a chance on a fun investment…….that being said, it is a bit like buying the stock market at it’s peak. This is a 120,000 car done today, looks pretty solid, original drivetrain, everything is readily available for restoration. I might explore sending this car to the eastern block for a full restoration, labor is high quality, cheep and readily available. Might get it done for 50K……so, 80k in a 120K car with possible upside gains. Might be an adventure.
This is a simple lesson in Supply vs Demand. The only reason these basket case 356’s (with 911’s in tow) bring this money is because they aren’t available. Every time one of these comes up on these forums there are comments like ‘no one will be able to have these’ or ‘less people will get to enjoy them’, etc. That makes no sense to me. The only reason someone is paying this much for a basket case is to restore it. Meaning, there is one more person who will, in fact, enjoy this old car, not one less person. I really don’t think these prices are because a handful of Porschephiles are buying them up. Its because many enthusiasts are, and the supply of good cars does not meet demand. Why would anyone following this page, who would seemingly to be interested in saving old cars, be negative about these ridiculous values? I think it’s a great thing, not something to be jealous of.
Great comment…………
Their website appears to be dead, but just read the Town and Country article from 2012 on this yard and its prize classic. Fascinating!
http://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/collectibles/a834/mercedes-carracciola-500k/