ked

LGC, here 'ya go...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964-...QQcmdZViewItem

TC, ouch! your description of $10-20K coupes kinda hit home... Here's mine, quite reliable (w/ a few idiosyncrasies), sitting next to one of those 6-figure SCs... my analysis is a bit different; as fewer and fewer nice coupes are available (&/or the market for them grows), the less-than-desirable ones will be sought for restoration. haven't we seen this among open cars? & in a world where a 4dr Coronet w/ hemi is worth a fortune...
cheers!

TC/914

"my analysis is a bit different; as fewer and fewer nice coupes are available (&/or the market for them grows), the less-than-desirable ones will be sought for restoration"

In re-thinking my post, I have to say that you're very right about the fate of those rusty red cars. Once gone (even if they're altered. they're actually gone) they're gone for good. As long as they exist, they will most like be restored at some point.

I just saw this last night:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifie....php?id=377000

WAY pricey and an expensive bear to restore, but if it stays around and as-is, it might well be. If the roof and rear were missing, even with a fiberglass Speedster clip offered as part of the deal, it would surely be off to the butcher for parts and eventual scrap weight.

Oh, my '64C and '65 SC WISH that they were nice enough to be referred to as rusty red cars. Still, I have hope for BOTH of them. And, surely no offense was meant regarding your cool little red coupe ! !

thapimp356

People have done this, in Europe it is more common. They tend to grab the remenants of a Cab/Speedster, ship it to Poland and out pops a Cab/Speedster. I sold the remenants of a T6 B cab last year for $3600, it went to Italy. It was all the sheetmetal needed, plus doors and top frame. It would not be impossible to do the conversion, the factory was fairly obvious where the panels weld in.
The problem would be the same as with any project. If you do the work yourself and spend the next five years of weekends doing the conversion, you might have fun and it will be worth it. If you buy up all the parts, and then the coupe, and send it to someone to do the work, you will have $30,000-40,000 in a very marginal car, at best.
Also, if you buy a coupe and decide to use fiberglass pieces to convert, just don't. If you look closely at the glass kits the panels so no definition, which looks ok in a kit that matches. But you take flat panels and put them on a real 356 with lots of definition, they will look horrible. Plus, if you have ever tried to pop rivet fiberglass to metal...... You will want to shoot yourself.

My advice is do one or the other, build a kit and enjoy sunny days with the wind in your hair. Or do a 356 coupe and enjoy those pushrods screaming in a turn. Or if you want to convert a coupe to a cab start looking for a whole cab that is unrestorable. But don't do it if you think it will be easy, it will be the farthest thing from it. I am attaching a picture of the 62 cab remenants that I sold last year.
See ya-
Adam
63 Coupe 212104
60 Roadster 88661
71 914/6
Registry 17369

thapimp356

Oh, and the remenants also came with (not pictured) the complete cab windshield cowl and cab VIN plate. Two essential items.

Adam