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Hi Simon...
Tips? I've got tips. I could go on and on and on about this subject. It would be waaaaaaay more information than you're looking for.
So first, tell me a bit more about your plans. You're thinking of buying an SC for daily use, and then what?
What do you have in mind for the future of this wonderful car? Are you going to drive it daily for the next twenty years, or are you eventually going to restore it? And if you restore it are you going to restore it to continue to be a daily driver, or are you going to restore it to drive on sunny days only...or how about restoring it to sit in a humidity controlled garage and to pass on to your heirs?
The possibilities are endless. Your answers to these questions will keep me better focused on the right car for you.
I'm dying to talk about this potential purchase, so hurry and get back to me. Use the follow-up question feature on Allexperts to give me your feedback.
Thanks
Dave
Dear Dave,
Thanks for your reply. I understand that you need some more info. I am 37 married with two childeren and have a history of owning classic cars from Austin Healeys through to my present car, a 1968 Volvo amazon combi. This car is our only car as a family and is in concourse condition. I did'nt restore it myself unfortunately however have we all enjoy it very much. My wife is looking to buy a more modern runabout/family car and this now frees me up to endulge in my childhood dream... Ideally I am looking to purchase a restored 356 and drive it on a daily basis to and from work. A 80km round trip. I have a 356 expert garage in the area however before I get involved in some serious sales talk I need an objective angle on the proceedures. Can I easily maintain the little beauty myself in combination with a friendly garage. What should I look for when buying a 356 ( B or C?) and is a fully restored version a sensible option?
I wish to be rational however emotions always run wild with this sort of purchase.All tips are welcome.
Best regards,
simon Wilkinson.
AnswerHi Simon. Thanks for giving such a good background explanation. That was very helpful.
If I were you, I'd begin my search for a '64 or '65 SC. This car is most likely the "best" 356 ever made. I say this because Porsche had at least 15 years of development/refinement/improvements since the model began. Second best would be the C of the same years. I select the SC over the C and the B for the boost in performance and four wheel disc brakes. Same engine, just factory tweaked for better horsepower. I never worry about gas mileage here, but as a commute car I assume the C would do better than the SC mileage-wise, but I'll bet it wouldn't be very noticeable. But the performance difference would definitely be noticeable! I'll repeat, go for the SC.
You should see a marked price differential between similar cars on the market, where the SC's will be worth more and the B's the least. The C's are going to be in the middle. My dream car would be the SC convertible, but their prices are really out of touch with my reality...and you may or may not be inclined to commute in a convertible. Your wife probably won't let you get one anyway, because you'd have all the women in the country-side all a-twitter wondering who that debonair gent in the classic car was!
Negatives to look for:
1. RUST
2. RUST
3. RUST
4 You'll find very quickly that the value of these cars is quite a bit aligned with the amount of rust in the chassis. If you actually find one with ZERO rust, buy it and keep it forever. Your kids kids will go to college on that gift.
The most likely places for rust damage (and evidence of sloppy coverups or excellent repairs is:
a. battery tray/floor
b. longitudinals (lowermost part of the chassis, basically everything under the door sills).
c. Floorboards, where your feet would be
5. Engine oil leaks are fairly common and usually don't mean anything fatal, but if its too bad your wife will make you park the car around the block.
6. Valve slapping can mean the valves are merely misadjusted, which could be just fine...or signs of a tired engine.
Positives to consider:
1. Original (meaning non-modified) is always better. If there's a modification it better be a very good one. The best example would be upgrading the car from a 6 to 12 volt system. This would be very valuable as a daily driver.
2. Well cared for. Usually this is very much a gut feeling...but if things that don't work begin to mount up, it usually means the owner doesn't really care that much about the car's condition. So...if the owner explains that the horn doesn't work and later says the back-up light doesn't work and you have to do this special trick to get the trunk open...how likely is he to have changed the oil religiously every 3000 miles???
3. You definitely can care for this new baby yourself. Especially if you are backed up by a good independent mechanic who knows Porsches.
The only thing you may be surprised with is parts prices. They are very high here (USA) because the parts are shipped in from Germany...BUT they are very very well designed and any new part should last a very long time.
4. You are very fortunate to have selected a car for which many reproduction parts are available (usually from multiple sources). So this car can easily be restored to look very original...and perform very well.
Well...I started this discourse with "If I were you"...I think I'll finish it that way too. If I were you, the first place I'd look would be from an area of the world where the climate is the least harmful to rust prone cars. I wouldn't even bother looking in an area where it snows. Here in the US, the best places would be in the state of Arizona and other soutwestern climates from California to Texas. I'm not sure what choices you would have in Europe, but it will save you a lot of time looking at substandard cars.
Please let me know when you find one. If you have any pre-purchase questions I'd love to hear from you.
I really, REALLY wish you the best of luck with this search. You will reap many rewards from your new car.
Dave
