For only $2,495, wait no, add a zero, for $24,950 you can own this 356 cabriolet listed on craigslist! For once, you won’t have to worry about shipping! The seller will put it on a pallet and ship it for you. An engine and transmission are included, as well as other bits, 3 data plates and a title. And no this isn’t a joke, someone is actually selling the sad remains of this Porsche! It looks like it is coming out of the ground, but reality is, it’s returning to it. Thank you Steve J for finding this listing
Here are some of the bits included. Included is a seat, torsion bar and even a rusty tail. This looks like a great opportunity for a flipper don’t you think! It’s not rusted too badly is it? A little paint, flush the gas tank and such. It might also need a new top. So, what do you think? When Steve sent this one in he commented, “Porsches are reaching even higher heights of overpriced-ness”. I couldn’t have said it better. Thank you Steve! So who can come up with the best photo caption for this… car?
I…… huh…..what?
Just another VIN to be used to build a car around. Don’t laugh.
+1
ach du lieber Gott!….all the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray…returning whence it came…is this cabriolet.
Toast54, that is a great comment! I’m thinking you are great at limericks!
There was once a Porsche Cabriolet
Sitting in a field sadly rusting away
It was claimed to be restorable
But it’s condition was quite deplorable
But a pure bargain at *only* 24K
:)
Seller should be arrested for attempted fraud.
When you read through the ad you realize that the seller is basically selling the vin tags and title.
This has to be a joke!
Good luck with that!
But it has a CLEAN title! Even though Georgia doesn’t require titles for cars before 1985.
Rust In Peace……Sad to see her like that
Primer on how to make money with a shovel. But remember there is an ass for every seat no matter how rusty.
Is this the height of the market? I’m afraid to call it.
Naw, it’s not the height of the market. If it was a Ferrari of the same vintage add a couple more zero’s. This is a veritable bargain!
This is almost as bad…ok…just as bad…as the ‘Vette from yesterday….
“Ashtray to ashes….Rust to dust…”
a sick, depraved individual, who should drop the price to $24.00 and give free delivery. It’s not every day you get to see a sucker face to face.
How much does he want for the other half if he has it?
Huh?…WTF?….Is this dude NUTS?
Rust never sleeps.
It ran when parked, now I’m running but was once parked
I hate to quibble, but that engine and transmission are actually an engine case and a transmission case.
But look at the bright side: just source a few hundred rare and expensive parts, assemble them correctly, and there’s your engine and transmission. Best way would probably be to get them from that complete 356 engine and transmission you have lying around. Yep, that’s what the “core building blocks” this guy is selling can do for you.
Then, just add the rest of the parts needed to complete the car…you know, from the doors back, and…..
Sorry….can’t help any more….I’m due back on planet Earth now.
There is more car missing or rusted away then there is car. Perhaps if this were a Gull Wing it may be worth the price. 24K can buy a nice numbers matching 1968 vette with 327/350hp and 4 speed.
I want to meet the person who pays the $24000 for it, and check for a lobotomy scar
Is there any place where switching VINs is legal?
legal?? called re-shelling..as long as the vin and title match yes…state won’t know or care…they just want the fee’s.moral?? to me only if and when you sell it on you tell the next buyer that it was re-shelled.happens a lot in vintage racing.find an old race car that’s beyond reasonable restoring and switch vin’s with a better one.used to happen a lot in England in the 60-70’s.factory would sell you a body in white w/o a vin.just put your old vin on and it was legal.also worked for a MB dealer and in the parts book there were part number’s for complete body’s.
Wouldn’t be worth that much if James Dean himself died in it.
Fred theres an open offer of a million for that car now! LOL
PT Barnum of Illinois and George Barris are working that scam
Yeah, and I’ll bet the moron will have it written in the bill of sale that when the buyer dies the car reverts to him.
Simple Math Question: Is Purchase Price + Restoration Costs > or < Restored Value?
I am fairly sure repros of every panel on this car are available. Salvage title project cars with all their bits do exist.
150K would not be out of the question for a nice B-cab. $30K is a lot to spend on a pile of rust, but I promise you that is not what the person who buys this thing is seeing it as.
No question about it: high values have changed the Porsche party – the obvious downside is that some would-be enthusiasts are being priced out, but the seldom-mentioned upside is that cars like this are being given a 2nd shot at life instead being lost to the proverbial leaf pile of history forever.
I have never done business with the seller, Rusty Tubs, but they have been saving old Porsches long before it was remotely profitable to do so.
Don’t underestimate the gullibility of people. And you can’t blame the seller’s rank capitalism, because if there are idiots out there who’d pay money for this, who is he to stop them?
Remember when Beanie-Babies were all the rage? People waited in line to get the newest editions, and more than one fight broke out over stuffed animals. Now they’re a quarter at the yard sale. Meanwhile the guy with the patent on the little critters is probably still a billionaire.
I don’t blame him. I sold a MB 190SL in worse shape than this, for a large amount in the thousands. He mainly wanted the VIN & ID plates and the clean title and didn’t take much of the carcass. You have to remember there is still a lot of stolen cars unaccounted for. Clean VIN’s and titles can be pricey, but worth it.
It’s a Federal crime (i.e. Felony) Section 511(c) of Title 18
If the paper trail leads back to you it’s up to 5 years in the Gray Bar Hotel.
If they catch you, people will always take the chance, especially when you start moving vehicles from one country to another. P.S I am in no way condoning this behaviour, but i used to work in the trade & I’ve seen it done.
You guys are all way too dramatic. There are many exceptions to the motor vehicle codes in each state. When I worked for dealerships we did all kinds of stuff, and legally. I also replaced engine cases and even frames and restamped VINs. Each time, by the book and legal. I currently have a number of NOS engine cases and several frames without VIN numbers for replacements and all only for legal purposes. Now what this seller is doing is selling the VIN tags and paperwork, and in most cases anyone using them might very likely be committing fraud. We dont know and there is NOTHING illegal about what the seller is peddling. However it happens all the time. I am not endorsing that sort of thing but i got news for you all. Nobodys going to jail over high end restoration/investment cars. I currently work for a Govt agency and everyone i know focuses in on the real problems where its theft rings and those who support them. If you go to collector
vehicle auctions and sales, easily 30-40% of the vehicles have numbers fiddling going on. Maybe more? The point is, walk in with your eyes open. Those with the real deals will always do well if you go to great lengths to show your vehicle is not one of the phonies. Those who dont bother to check have only themselves to blame.
I guess it depends on your definition of “restoration” — and your intent. If you buy a car that has a rusted out floor and you replace the floor, no problem. What if you have to replace the glass, and the seats, and the motor and the transmission, and oh yeah, all the fenders and the bumpers, and the brakes, etc. But the VIN is still the same, so it’s still the same car, right? But if your intent is to cut the VIN out of a stolen car and replace it with the VIN and title from this, your intent is clearly criminal.
But there are still people out there who will do it.
I almost sent this one in last week!
Crackpipe.
Beautiful patina!
You’ll never find another like it!
Lots of character!
Driver quality!
I see at least $24900 in parts…😆
‘Rusty Tubs, LLC.’… apropos of everything. Although it doesn’t have claw feet.
know comment really………………
Has a Porsche EVER been sent to the crusher?
Apparently not……
Yes. This one has!
Ran when parked??? I think they forgot one small little fact in the description…it was then run over by a Mack Truck!
I am a “Dam Yankee”. (moved from the north to marry a full blooded southern lady, oh, and stayed, not exactly my choice on the staying part) In the north there is a perception that some Southern people are a little light in the intelligence area. This guy is trying to prove that theory wholeheartedly incorrect!!! The buyer, rest assured, there WILL be a buyer, will prove that theory wholeheartedly correct!!!! Absolutely unfreeking believable!!?!?!!
You know, all ths talk about buying something like this for the VIN and related tags
got me to thinking, I suppose there are folks lurking on this website as well as
craigslist, et al, who buy hulks like this and then steal a car that matches the VIN and do a quick swap and registration and…… car for sale. You think?
perhaps it happens, but not very likely on something of this vintage and rarity. It is NOT like these things are sitting on every street corner. Not to mention, a nice one likely has an alarm, and if its worth anything has a GPS tracker. Im not going to detail my own anti theft measures but good luck stealing anything I own. That being said,,,,, in major citys there ARE theft rings that steal late model cars, and in several cases i know of, they hit major shopping malls or public events and have lists of cars they are looking for and are picky enough they even specify color. Another scam is they buy a late model car, insure the heck out of it. Pretend its stolen, strip it, then park it where it will be towed, collect insurance, buy it back from the auction, reinstall all the parts and resell it with laundered paperwork. I know some guys who work the vehicle task forces, and its well known. But when it comes to classic cars, its not that common, and the ones that are stolen are parted and never seen again. The vintage world is very small and connected. Too much visibility. Here is a hint to protect yourselfs, When restoring your vehicle, inscribe EVERY single part with the VIN number. EVERY one. that makes them unusable to thieves. Buy a GPS tracker for anything worth owning.
Heres a funny/sad story,. Theres a well known motorcycle theft ring in our area, It got so bad for a while it was ridiculous. 2 things happened. One was they TRIED stealing a Harley from the wrong guy. He didnt dial 911. However his skills in disposing of the evidence needed fine tuning. The heads of the 2 thieves washed up on the banks of a local river. After dragging the river the bodies turned up. Crap storm ensued. The police traced it all back to who did society a favor. Sadly, the guy who did his part to clean up the gene pool ended up having to do some time albeit much shorter stretch than most cases. 2nd issue was the cops got some federal help and $$$$$ and the feds borrowed 2 local detectives for this task force. One of the locals in his new position called a well known local HD dealer for help, only too happy to do his part he offered the loan of a brand new HD as a bait vehicle. The cops and feds picked it up in a new unmarked Truck and cargo trailer. Stopped for nice lunch on their way back to the office. Truck, trailer, and new bike stolen from out front of the restaurant. Dealer hasnt heard from the cops for a while and decides to check in. They ignore his calls, finally after much BS he is told its the feds problem. The feds tell him to talk to the local cop. George (Dealer owner) Had to sue them to get paid for his bike. Did his civic duty and got screwed. Its a sad commentary although a bit funny to think about the look on the cops faces and the embarrassment when they had to call for a ride and report their vehicles all stolen.
In the words of Bart Simpson, “It’s craptastic.”
Caption Comp:
” Porsche frog emerges from hibernation.”