Johnny G Pipe

After about a year and a half of yearning, much book and forum reading, head scratching, scrabbling around for loans and selling stuff, a week of sleepless nights and 17 hours driving with a huge trailer, I finally have a three fifty-six on my drive.

1965 356C Karmann Coupe #222499 (81 cars from the end of the line?) non matching numbers but with correct '65 75hp lump with 68,000 miles, webbers and K&N's.
Purchased by the p.o. from Alan Christian Motorcars in Holland, MI in 2001, imported 2003. Non Porsche mustard yellow paint, originally light ivory. Interior appears original bar period recaros and 3 point belts (to my wife's delight)..clock and blaupunkt work!

She's definitely a driver, reflected in the price. The laquer has some pimples, there are a few dings, and the longitudinals need patching on one side and replacing on the other. But elsewhere all seems pretty sound. I changed the oil, greased the kingpins and drove her 300 miles yesterday from Dundee to Killin to Aberfoyle to Loch Lomond to Inveraray to Crianlarich to Dundee and she drove very nicely, and she's still speaking to me. A few other faults which I will be most likely needing a little help with, but otherwise, I'm thrilled.

With thanks to Rennlist, DDK, Schrager, and the collectively late Jenks, Pellow, Alan Clark and John Muir. The journey is just beginning. Good road!

CWay27

Congrats on the "new" (to you) Three 56. The seats are really nice.

Kahdmus

I have been expecting this post!!!!! A big congrats Johnny, this must have been a HUGE day for you. She looks very nice indeed, I love the twin grills.

I would be after replacing the seats personally, however! what year are they?

More pictures..!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, congrats,

--H

grant911

I love the color, and it looks like it's in great shape. Congratulations. Enjoy it in good health.

Smokin

Congratulations! It's a beautiful piece of history!

Freddy

Congrats Johnny!!! Welcome to the club!!!
Cheers,
Freddy
www.356carrera.net

jcnesq

Congratulations, Johnny! Looks like you found a very nice example. I like it - nice color, the seats are nice - even make me think about doing something like that instead of "correct" reupholster - and all together its great package. Enjoy the hell out of it!

DarrylH

I've wanted one of these since this movie. It's on my "things to have when I retire" list. Enjoy it.

Johnny G Pipe

Thanks everybody. The seats wouldn't have been my first choice, but they are very effective in the twisties. I think they are period style rather than actually old seats. It would be nice to buy correct seats at some point..

That movie looks like a must, Newman and old Porsches..

Steve Jensen

Fairly close to my car... dad took delivery in Tampa, Fl. 7/26/65 of #222522 - dolphin grey C coupe.

Still have it, needs restoring....

Katalog

johnny
bonny route! from Australia.
Great roads you have up there. I can understand what you say about the wife and the seatbelts. Mine will go to church with me now in the dear little thing since the lap/sash belts have been installed ;-)
Katalog
1960 356B T5 normal

ked

Johnny, glad to see you've graduated from lust to marriage... Your C appears to be nice, esp in comparison to some of the other examples you've considered - great that it is one of the very last. Fine pictures allow one to note some questions... door gaps seem off a bit... accident / rust / adjustment? what about the add-on dash switch & drilled hole? seats look comfortable (& no doubt better shape than the original ones were), go well w/ the wood-rim wheel. the pass side door panel has the B-style door pull, as well as the C armrest / pull. rear bumper end-posts were covered up at some point (when nerf bars were installed & body repainted?). what was done to the engine compartment - is that sheet-metal or ? in place of sound-damping material? Overall reminds me of my own, #220030, red, a confirmed Outlaw, pictured here at The Tn Tubs 356 Registry event a few weeks ago... Congrats & many happy miles!

RJT

Enjoy!!!!


~JoAnne

Johnny G Pipe

Good afternoon Ked.

Yep, better than the others I looked at in my price bracket, maybe should of held out for for when I have more money for a better car, but as you know, I got the itch..!

The gaps aren't great on the doors, with mainly an overbite at the base of each. The po swears no accidents in his keep and a clear history check when he bought it in the US. I know that doesn't rule out everything, but the car is straight otherwise and isn't especially rusty. I will ask someone who knows to have a look, which won't be soon.

The switch you can see operates an electric washer pump, the additional hole I can only assume was for a foglight switch - the car has hellas, but no clear method of activating them.

There do appear to be too many handles! Is the 'Jesus handle' in the dash not also incorrect for a C?

The engine lining is unusual - you are the first to mention it. It keeps everything nice and clean, I think its a plastic-type material, over the sound deadening. Its still a noisy car!

I am currently trying to trace the car's history, with some success, thanks to the registry and 356talk. I am in contact with a guy who had the car in the 80's, I think. It had the yellow colour and the wrong seats then, too. So at least the paint isnt a recent blow over. I am waiting to find out more..I just scored an original owners manual and an equally shabby Elfrink off ebay, too!

Your car looks good. I would like to put Fuchs on mine, bread allowing, at some point. Tell me, how the hell are we meant to see out of those bullet mirrors?!

J

ked

for a driver, better to get it now then wait for the perfect car - then it isn't a driver! a "modded" car that is otherwise solid is a great way to get into a 356 w/o paying a premium (& they're all getting premium these days...).

doors ballooned at the bottom are sometimes a sign of rust. the drains get blocked, water builds up & eats outward from within... & the lapped seam of outer skin to door-bottom is also a site of incipient rust. common issue & of course fixable...

the pass side dash handle (in black, plastic-covered) is std fare for the C-type, earlier models are chrome and different style (in keeping w/ the little door-pull)...

noise? WHAT NOISE? SAY WHAT DEAR? I wear earplugs on long drives - dampens the engine note, can hear the tranny, susp & wind better, & arrive less exhausted (pardon the pun).

as best I can tell, the purpose of the outside mirror is to make the car road-legal. if I ever see anything in it, it is way too close (or tiny). I got mine w/o a mirror, so I'm in the (good) habit of direct-viewing before any lane changes (these things, when aligned properly, drive straight & stable - you can feel slight wandering in your fingertips, if the steering damper & coupler are in good condition, even when not staring ahead). hint: if you have a pass-side visor vanity mirror, you can angle to act as a lane-change mirror for that side. sorta...

best thing for cars like ours is to keep 'em operational by driving weekly, if at all possible. thanks for the kind words on mine - the closer you get, the less gooder it gets... but a blast none-the-less.