When it comes to Porsche 356 ownership these days, you tend to have to accept the good with the bad if you’re looking at buying a project. Even if the market is at least a bit more realistic, this hasn’t changed the fact that the cost of entry is still quite high. Therefore, you have to find silver linings when you can. In the case of this car, a 1965 356 hardtop, you are getting into a project with great colors that retains its matching-numbers drivetrain. It is still quite rusty and based on the lack of photos of the chassis, likely needs a fair amount of work underneath. The seller has listed the Porsche here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $49,500.

The seller is a familiar face around these parts as it is the dealer known as Gullwing Motorcars. The Porsche looks surprisingly complete from this vantage point but that’s only telling part of the story: air-cooled cars, in general, tend to need their floors replaced even on reasonably “good” examples, so there’s little doubt an unrestored car like this with rust blossoming from the lower body panel sections likely has a few issues lurking under the pretty primrose paint. The good news is it appears you’re starting with a car that hasn’t been hacked up previously, as every detail from the hubcaps to the engine lid grills are present and accounted for.

Technically, the color isn’t primrose; as noted above, it’s champagne yellow. It’s very likely this is the original color as it extends into the cockpit with the painted dash matching the exterior panels, and the dash itself looks to be in excellent shape. It even appears to retain its factory radio and the bucket seats aren’t in bad shape, either. The price is pretty reasonable, especially for a dealer, which makes me wonder just how bad the rust is. The carpets may obscure pictures of holes in the floor, but I’m guessing you’ll see some daylight once those are pulled away. But like I said earlier, it’s always nice to start with a car that hasn’t been previously ripped apart and half-heartedly re-assembled.

The engine bay is tidy as well, but as is typical with these listings, we don’t know if it still turns over by hand or if the seller has even attempted to do so. The 356 will come with its original tools and spare, but there’s no mention of a CoA. With its numbers-matching drivetrain, attractive paint, and overall level of completeness, this looks like the type of restoration candidate where you can accept the fact it has rust because it has plenty of other things going for it; however, it’s impossible to know just how much of an opportunity it is without getting a sense for the full extent of the rust. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.