While we see a fair number of Porsche 356s come up for sale on an ongoing basis, the equipment levels and heritage make all the difference in the world when assessing desirability. This particular car is a 1962 Porsche 356B Super sunroof coupe. It retains its original, numbers-matching engine and transmission, and the seller reports that it sports very good compression numbers. Overall, there are some very important boxes checked for someone considering a restoration project. The 356 is listed here on Cars.com for $49,500.
At first, I thought the door was made of plywood rather than just having a very precise section of surface rust. Regardless, the next owner will likely change the color back to the factory paint job anyway, especially since it was delivered in a very sharp combination of Heron Grey over black leatherette upholstery. While sometimes it makes sense to leave patina in place, there’s no denying that 356s with desirable original colors should be stripped bare and resprayed. The listing notes that the front bonnet and rear deck lid are both original to the car.
The interior is in good shape – certainly sound enough to live with while the rest of the 356 is restored – and the seller notes that it is original to the car. It retains factory instrumentation and comes with a Blaupunkt AM/FM radio that is certainly period-correct but also may be the one it left the factory with. Speaking of options, the seller confirms the 356 was ordered with a sunroof, antenna, and two loudspeakers, so the first owner was clearly an audiophile.
The engine and four-speed manual transmission are both numbers-matching and the seller is including the Porsche Kardex report. No word on whether it will fire up, but the compression numbers are so good that you wouldn’t be judged for feeling optimistic that this mill will be a runner in short order. The seller doesn’t mention the presence of any rust, but there almost always is – maybe this 356 is the exception to the rule? The price seems more than fair for a car with so many original details preserved and excellent factory colors.
No underside shots and a price a bit high for condition but looks like a good candidate for total restoration. Has to be one of the earliest T6 bodied Bs made and the sunroof is about as rare as it gets. If more power is wanted an upgrade to Super 90 specs is easy and reversible if total originality is needed.
It appears to be all there.
Do you know what the source of the numbers is for;
2,148 Reutter Coupes were produced from August 1961
until July 1962?
Will have to get into my files but I don’t think Reutter built the T6 bodies.
Correction: Reutter built the 356B and Cs through 1964. Porsche bought Reutter in early 1963 and they carried on with the 911 and 912s from there on.
I don’t have the ’61, ’62 number in my files. PCA probably has a source for those numbers.
A few more shots included at the link below:
https://www.europeancollectibles.com/vehicles/1171/1962-porsche-356b-sunroof-coupe
Personally, I’m intrigued by this car – good mechanicals (claimed at least), seems solid and dry but is it clapped out and past expiration? I’ve never seriously looked at a 356 although I’ve wanted one the whole of my adult life. Thoughts on the process going forward without flying out to Costa Mesa CA (I’m in the DC area)?
Euro Collectables is a full on restoration shop. They have a (few) lifts. Have them send you some underneith shots. Ask them for a full restoration cost. $150+?
Thanks Bubba – the guy was super helpful in sending me several shots over email. The make / buy decision (i.e. restore vs. buying one restored) is pretty simple in the view of this specimen; one can purchase a fully restored example on their site for “marginal / $30-40k” additional money, but I suppose that for some, part of the fun of owning one of these is also restoring it.
If anyone is interested, I have an owner’s manual for a 356 B, in very good condition. I had the B a long time ago. $350 and it’s yours
a lot to like about this one. I’d like others I’m sure, would love to do a mechanical restoration on it, match the patina on the door to the rest of the car address some of the interior and drive it. Would be a great vintage weekend rally car.
Among the several other Porsches we have owned are ’64 and ’65C coupes bought and used as daily transportation for years. Great cars, fun, fast , and comfortable. Highly recommend them.
I’m coming from an 00 Boxster as my first and only Porsche. I had fun & learned how to maintain it myself; the 356 is a challenge that completely worries me though…
KeepFloppin, my first 356 was a Convertible D. While I had that I stumbled on a 61 B coupe. Then a 914, a 911 long nose, and then a 64 356 SC. I slowly restored the SC and it was literally a go anywhere at any time. I should have never sold any of them.
Had one Convertible D among the many Porsches we had. Rusty shell on the owner’s trailer headed for the dump that I grabbed for $80. Had a rusty ’60 B coupe so fixed the rust on the D, put the running gear less engine from the B on the D, bought a low mileage 912 engine, and had one of the best autocross cars I’ve ever owned for less than $1,000. To this day I wish I’d never sold that car as I could have been running the car in the many Vintages races around the country.
Just received several undercarriage shots – it’s a pretty crispy beast underneath. Is there a way I can share them here?