Many of the Porsche 356s that are featured here on BF are project cars and in all kinds of varying conditions. Today’s find, a 1960 Model B, is no different. This example presents a lot of challenges, or opportunities, depending upon your perspective, so let’s look it over and see what’s what. T.J. found the listing for this Broomfield, Colorado resident and it’s available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $22,500.
The listing states, “This is a project! Many parts have been gathered to put the car back together but it still needs more. There are two extra hoods, extra bumpers, and some extra seat parts that can be sold or traded for other parts that are needed“. Sounds like a mix-and-match special. It would be interesting to know what happened to this 356. It has been stripped/dismantled and appears to have had a significant amount of metalwork performed. The nosepiece shows evidence of some slide hammer action but the thus far administered rejuvenation is far from complete. Of note, while the doors are the original pieces, no glass is included in the sale.
The “matching number” door description doesn’t, unfortunately, apply to the engine as the original is long gone and has been replaced with an uninstalled 1600 CC VW engine – condition and exact provenance not disclosed. The born-with powerplant would have also been a 1600 CC, horizontally opposed four with a power output ranging from 69 to 101 HP, depending upon the precise model/version and how it was equipped. At least the four-speed manual transaxle is still holding up the rear end.
Much as the exterior is stripped, the interior is gutted, I mean-gutted-gutted, save for the steering wheel. The good news is that the interior floor pan looks sound, and there are seats included (they don’t look original), but most everything else that composes an interior will likely need to be sourced.
The seller mentions, “I was told by the previous owner that this was an old outlaw race car“. Maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t, it’s unlikely that it now matters. A driver quality, fixed-roof example 1960 356B will trade for $50-$60 K while a restored drop-top will command three of four times that amount. The prognosis for this one? Who knows, I shun assemble-it-yourself projects, for obvious reasons, and this subject has a ton of repair work yet to be performed. I’ll admit it, I’m no Porsche expert but if I were interested in a 356, I think I’d keep looking, how about you?
That’s as solid a body I’ve seen on a 356 in quite a while. Price a bit stiff for no engine, no glass but makes up for it in other parts and pieces. Seats are the early factory sports seats that you might see in Speedsters. You could special order anything you wanted in those days but I’d bet they were picked up recently to go into the rebuilt car. The “matching doors” thing is interesting because most of the major parts of the chassis are numbered with the same numbers by the chassis builder. The British cars have stamped in numbers too but they don’t mean a thing and they aren’t VIN numbers. Nobody ever kept track of them either. Porsche did.
Man. These Porsche 356B’s are literally falling out of barns, these past weeks! You could almost build a complete one out of the three or four listed.
I wonder if it originally came with a numbers matching roof rack. If it did and is part of the sale, then this 356 is likely one of the most prized Porsches on this planet. Surely any visiting alien life form would be truly impressed!
The prices these things bring for getting nothing. What a joke.
22500? This car needs another 50k to be a 50k car
I agree with Bob Hess, the body and pan appear in pretty good nick, but would need to see the car up close.
I would drop in the 1600cc VW engine, and do a mild budget resto-mod on this one, nothing fancy……maybe an “apocalypse 356”. 😂
Have some fun with it, and git ‘er back on the road…..
👍🤓
Wouldn’t installing a VW engine in this car be going against all that is sacred in Porsche World? I’ve read numerous times on this here web site that there is “not one part on a Porsche, that is VW.”
When you wish upon a star…
What @bobhess said. But…
If those seats are real they’re worth $10K alone.
The extra hoods and bumpers ain’t cheap either.
For the right person this could be an interesting project. A built Type 4 would work.
Well looking at he rocker repair I doubt that the rest of the repairs is any better. Looking at the floor boards I think they have been welded in. So prepare for some straightening of the body to fit the doors.
I guess rusty car, heavily welded and then someone realised that the doors dont fit despite matching numbers!
regards thomas.
And now for something completely different: Dont forget to watch the Kitzbuehel skiing downhill race that weekend!