One Family Owned: 1964 Porsche 356C

I feel like there is a much bigger story behind this car than what is being shared on eBay, and that story could make it immensely more appealing. What we have right now is a rusty 1964 Porsche 356C that is listed with a variety of fascinating photos, none of which tell us exactly what is going on with the car. It certainly has lived a life, but that life has seen it exposed to some manner of moisture or road salt or both, because today, it needs serious restoration. Find this 356 listed here on eBay with an opening bid of $9,000, a reserve, and no action yet.

The seller rolls off some details about the car that are just general lazy research stats citing production volume and not much else. Photos like this one are included which seems to indicate that he got the car from someone who had made memories with it, or at least cared enough to hold onto archival photographs. The white coupe looked far better in this ancient photo which seems to indicate it was used in someone’s nuptials when it was far less rusty. Can anyone make out what state that license plate is from?

Perhaps I made an assumption about this car’s past, because it is currently located in Honolulu, Hawaii – which is a climate that can rust out a car without ever seeing a lick of snow or salt. This makes a ton of sense, especially since the photo above appears to show someone in a service member’s uniform, and we all know that every branch of the U.S. military maintains a presence in this part of the world. However, time has certainly taken its toll, with extensive rust visible on the body and chassis. The seller notes it is a one-family owned car, and that there is “…$7058.50 in back tax.”

A variety of photos indicate the current steward has attempted to get it running, with “action shots” of what looks like project-grade work happening in the garage. The whole picture remains murky, however, with no clear answer as to what happened to this 356 in the years it went from being a cherished wedding vehicle to a forgotten project. One challenge about being on an island, however, is that when a key component fails, repairs are often slow to occur. The seller mentions some recent repairs but doesn’t confirm if the 356 still runs. In ’64, a base 356 would have produced 75 b.h.p. and 86 lb.-ft. of torque. While it was enough to whisk away a recently married couple, will it still have the gumption to return to the road?