When this seller put the word “Wholesale,” in their name, they actually meant it. How else to explain the low reserve for this 1956 Porsche 356A Coupe? Ok, sane readers will no doubt point out that the leading bid of $31,900 (at the time of writing) is a considerable amount of money for a car that last saw the road in ’73 which, presumably, is also the last time it was fully assembled. But sanity doesn’t apply to any Porsche unless it was made after 1974. And only then if it was painted a bad color. This is another way of saying that this early 356 with its beehive taillights and desirable silver over red color combination will be insanely expensive when complete. And for good reason. Photos of the chassis show a car in very good condition. Floor pans—the lowest corrosion denominator of all Porsche 356s—show surface rust but appear in otherwise solid condition. The body panels appear consistent and straight with the exception of a slight wrinkle in the nose, and the matching numbers engine case remains with the car. We’d take a magnet to the panels to make sure the green metallic repaint isn’t covering loads of body filler but would not be overly suspicious, as everything else seems to indicate a well-preserved car. With a 356 at this price and in this condition before restoration, the odds of coming out ahead after the restoration are very, very good. We love 356s for their fun performance and their place in Porsche history, and we love the early cars in particular for their beehive taillights and their eligibility for nearly any event their owners care to enter. Find the Porsche for sale here on eBay in Costa Mesa, California.
PS-When we read that the car is “one of the 56 cars with the Carrera body holes for the oil tank and oil thermostat nut inserts” our heart rates went up as we thought this car might have been modified at the factory for racing. Then we remembered all 1955 and 1956 Porsche 356s came with these holes and insets in place. The seller is actually saying its “one of the 1956 cars…”
Looking at your 1956 coupe, The owner does not understand what he (she) is trying to sell. The engine was manufactured between 1959 and 1962. The wheels are aftermarket wheels that are offset. Chrome wheel in that vintage did not have an offset. Crested hubcaps were not available until late 1959. Someone has put new wiring in the car or it has had wires scabbed to the original wires. It does not look like all the parts to the engine or the car are there. My advice is to purchase a DONE car, have it closely inspected by a knowledgeable person. You can easily spend 60 to 80K finishing this car and it will take 2 years in a competent shop.
November marks 50 years that I have earned a living with these cars, al zim
Al Zim is right and then some. This car will have to be completely gone through, which will not be cheap. This car is priced at above “all the money” by a good $10,000, given what other coupe restoration candidates have recently sold for. Is the starting bid a reflection of California pricing? Methinks it’s too high.
Given the looks of the underbody, there could be tin worm involvement. Interested parties should monitor comments on the 356 Registry Forum or the Samba; there is always interest in these tubs when they come up for sale.