IcemanG17

Hello
Okay I don't know very much about 356's, but a very tempting deal just popped up.....heres the details I know. A 1956 356 coupe, with a blown 1962 motor (original motor unknown)...its been parked for 11 years covered in a garage. It looks surprisingly good and my friend that took the pictures is a VW bug guy and said there is minimal rust.... Here are some pics.....

Big ???? what is it worth "as is".....

KuHL 951

Go for it Brian. It really is in very good condition. A few oddities like 6x9 speakers but all and all it looks complete and would clean up beautifully. I hope you can pick it up.

IcemanG17

I already got some estimates on how much it would cost to get it running.....none of which are cheap....figure it will need basically a complete overhaul....rebuilt engine....all new fluids, brakes totally rebuilt, tires (maybe)....

I am seriously interested in it, hopefully I can look at it this weekend.... for the asking price (think cheap) I will always be "ahead" in it.....

RJT

Careful.... even when the purchase price is cheap you aren't "ALWAYS" ahead. The slope gets very slippery once you step on. It has to be restored correctly or it will not be worth what you may think it will be worth.
If it were a cab, that would be a whole different story.
It's a Coupe so restore it for yourself and enjoy it!!!! We love our coupe!

Let us know what you decide.

hoffman912

what Joanne said... engine prices, expect 10K to have it done right. if youre doing it yourself expect around 8. engine parts are not cheep, machine shop work is not cheep. if someone said they can do it cheep, then dont listen to them because they will build you a half assed engine. many have been burnt by the cheep 3000 or 4000 engine. i would guess brakes could be done for 1000 or less, you will need new tires; dont trust any tires that are older than 5 years, especially if they have been on a car that has been sitting (i cant immagine how bad the flat spots would be),.

good luck and keep us up to date!

ked

chassis exterior looks ok. could be refurbed as a survivor - doing the LEAST to make it an honest driver. interior wants attention too, done right that ain't cheap. as-is calls for eyes-on, but $10-20K (or more - Spring is coming!), I'd guess. "beehive" As are considered a great 356 value, low rust, no crashes amplifies value... I'd probably buy it, but that doesn't mean you should. a proper restoration can easily exceed $30K.
Flip it or submit to the 356 aura (don't drive one or you're doomed)?
{June '07 Excellence has a market profile}

RJT

More like $80,000.00 in So. Cal.................................

ked

you're right, JoAnne... I live closer to the 20th century & do most of my own labor.

onboost

Ouch!!!..

It is kinda cool.. looks like a lot of original parts in place.
Nose and hood seem a little "thick", hard to tell from a picture though. If it's like really cheap as you say.. I'd buy it. If you decide it's too much for you to handle.. I'm sure somebody out ther will glady take over and you'll get what you paid or more.

Paul

Greg D.

I did not see a reply on how much it's worth as is... I'd say $15-17K... Assuming no bad rust that I did not see in the pictures...

Logically, you'd work backwards from what this is worth in nice shape (30-35K?) and subtract $$$ for a motor, paint, shocks, brakes, but in truth it never works out that way. You think you are getting a deal , then you get clobbered by real world resto prices ! But it could just as easily clean up real nice, and it's a beehive car, and you could find a decent 912 motor for $4000 or so, I've seen a couple on the boards...

Let's just put it this way, if it's got a decent body, you cannot pay too much, only buy it too soon ;-)

356wannabe

Worth $17 K as is-then add $20-30 K more to fix up? Might be easier to buy one already to go for that price.

My hunch is that when the poster says "cheap", he means cheap and its being offered for closer to $5K.

I looked at buying a 356 about five years ago, as my Nome De plume suggests. I saw some very nice coupes, in great shape, that needed exactly nothing to be a daily driver. They were going for $16-21K. Guess prices have shot up?

RJT

I guess you can say that.

Can't even touch a cab now days. I think we should have held on to our Speedster just a little while longer.

jcnesq

Here's a shocker - 1962 unrestored (but real nice) T6 coupe recently sold for $101,750 at RM Auctions -
http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails...r199&Currency=

Of course that is WAY over market but apparently a couple bidders were fighting over this very original car. (Do not consider this in deciding whether to buy the A!!!)

RJT

That's because that was a PERFECT Condition totally unrestored car that looked and smelled brand new. You don't see that everyday. Heck, you almost never see that.

I can't imagine what an A would go for in that condition if a 'lowly' B fetched that kind of $$$

Gotcha!!!

IcemanG17

Still waiting to hear from the owner.....I did speak to my friend that has the connection....he hopes to speak to the owner this weekend....& bring her CASH....to get it......

If all goes as planned we will be cleaning it up and taking some better pictures next weekend!! Then the big decision of sell it as is....or get it running and sell it??