The Porsche 356 market is in an interesting place at the moment. Put simply, project prices have cooled significantly, and it seems like now is a good time to grab a worthwhile candidate for restoration if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines. This 1962 Porsche 356B is one of the best prospects I’ve seen in a while, both for its condition and its $35,000 asking price. The seller’s details indicate that this was a loved specimen before it got put into storage, and its cosmetic flaws seem mostly skin-deep. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace.
The 356 is still well-loved by Porsche faithful, with esteemed collector Jerry Seinfeld considering it one of the purest expressions of a sports car ever built. I suspect the subtle cooling of the prices has to do with a few factors: one, we’re still seeing different parts of the market reset from COVID, and two, older air-cooled Porsches are losing ground to cars from the late 80s and 90s that still capture that air-cooled magic, albeit with more horsepower and creature comforts. Still, there’s no denying the appeal of owning the car that made the 911 possible.
The seller reports that the rust you see is mostly just surface-contained, and that other issues are contained to parts that are susceptible to failure over time, like rubber hoses and gaskets. The interior is a beautiful cardinal red, with matching carpets and seat belts, making this ivory-colored coupe an absolute stunner and worthy of the inevitable respray. The interior shows old Coco mats and other details that suggest a previous owner spent quality time in this 356 before it was inexplicably parked. I use that work because it seems like the car underwent a fair amount of work not too long ago, making its untimely siesta all the more unusual.
The listing notes that the numbers-matching engine was “…overhauled in 2010 by local Portland Porsche engine expert, Dave Wedlake.” If you Google his name, you will find numerous listing for auction cars that reference his involvement as a major selling point. While I don’t know Dave personally, I suspect his brand has the same cache as a car serviced by the legendary John Walker Workshop, which is also in the PNW.
This T6-bodied coupe looks like an absolute home run for someone who can sort out the mechanical bits and budget for a proper cosmetic refresh.
So, 35K is the “cooled” price? Well, this guppy is definitely not swimming in that pool!
That’s more than surface rust on that dash!
I think that it is the remnants of dash padding.
The glue they used on the cars was a yellowish brown and a bear to get off the metal.
The lead shot on this article could be the inspiration of this site’s logo!
Or the cover of one of the series of books that was the inspiration for this site.
Steve R
Good eye David! That’s a 356 in the logo. And Steve, the logo is my own creation from over 15 years ago. Many have copied it since!
Hey Jesse, where’s the link for “Merch”. I need a couple new BF t-shirts, but can’t find a link to order.
No offense meant, I figured he was the first to popularized the idea “barn” finds based on his first book “The Cobra in the Barn” from 2005 and his second “The Hemi in the Barn”, 2007.
Steve R
Rex – We pulled the merch shop down a while ago but I’ll see if we can put something together.
Steve – I hadn’t even read Tom’s books until after we started the site. We did have the opportunity to run a competition with his publisher for the best barn find story which was then published in one of the books so that was cool.
Jesse and Josh, we ran a car-width BaT sticker across the windshield top of our “Rally (decorated) Subaru” sedan for many years until we finally sold the car.
Sure wish we could get another sticker or two like that..
I am sick of the term “patina” in other words, it’s needs a restoration and they are too lazy to do it!
Meh… “Patina” has its place… Not everything should, or needs to be, restored…
Absolutely. There is an in between which is often left out of discussions. It’s not an either/or proposition. Detail a car where possible and replace what needs to be.
Steve R
How did that dash get like that? Very worrisome…now let’s look at the floor pan and under the battery! Caveat emptor.
Yesterday, BF posted an extremely nice, well-preserved, fully-operational ‘glass ’34 rod with a big block and tons of unique vibe, for just about the same money as this.
Or you can try to patch this up for years, easily end up very upside down in terms of money spent, and have a 60 hp car that looks like every other 356 at the Porsche show.
Lots of choices out here.
I remember when 356s were a step up from a VW Beetle, but not desirable because they had a 4 cyl, while a 911 was a 6. I told a high school friend about a 356 for $2500 another car guy had, and he bought it. If I had a time machine I’d be a Bitcoin millionaire LOL.
By the time you invest in putting this old girl back in shape, you’d spend more time and money than buying another that’s well sorted.
“Do you have any idea what happens to a 356 after sitting 60 years in a poorly ventilated English potting shed? I have a feeling that whatever restoration you are about to go through is punishment enough.”
— Peterman
Motor, looks better than the rest of the car! Better have plenty o cash to jump on this one.