We don’t see the rare “notchback”-style of the classic Porsche 356 pop up for sale all that often, and we especially don’t see project-grade 356s in general that don’t require thousands upon thousands of dollars of rust repair. This particular air-cooled Porsche is a rare bird, owing to its unique coupe bodywork and the fact that it appears to be a solid basis for restoration. This 356 was acquired as a disassembled project by the seller who has either decided the undertaking is too great, or that the market is too hot to not try and cash in early on a car that still needs lots of love. Find the 356 here on eBay with bids to $28,000 and the reserve unmet.

The original color scheme of this twin-grille Porsche was Ruby Red over a Saddle interior. The red paint is still visible on the dash but the body has obviously been taken down to bare metal. Fortunately, it reveals a very solid body with “no visible body work done”, according to the seller, which makes this 356B even more a compelling buy as a worthwhile restoration project. The interior doesn’t appear to be in bad shape either, although I’m not sure whether the seat upholstery and carpets count as the original two-tone scheme that the seller references. There’s also a heater, analog clock, and a locking glove box.

The engine is no longer numbers-matching, as the seller notes it is a replacement 1.6L mill with a four-speed manual gearbox. The listing notes that the cylinder heads were disassembled under previous ownership but they have been re-installed with the engine mounted back in the car for transport purposes. Other spare parts are included and photographed in the listing. The engine is not hooked up in any way, so it’s coming back out regardless. Unfortunately, the flywheel, clutch, and both front and rear glass are all missing. It does come with five 15″ Lemmerz ventilated steel wheels that match the car.

For a restoration project, the presentation is overall very complete and I’m encouraged by what I can see in the photos for prep work. It seems likely someone intended to go all the way with the project, and given the health of the bodywork underneath and the rarity of the notch-style coupe model, this is a 356 that deserves a proper restoration. Now, some might say every 356 deserves restoration, but this one at least seems to be on the right side of the common sense debate.