TheSamba.com :: View topic - Are there still any $5 to $10K A drivers left in the world?

Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:09 am

I have toyed with the idea of picking up a 356A for over 5 years now, haven't taken the plunge yet. I probably should have, seeing the increase in prices in the past few years.

Are there still any good relatively rust free examples left anywhere in the country, or am I out of luck?

Mike F

Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:14 am

$5000 driver... i doubt it. There are drivers out there for a fair price... you just have to keep looking and be very lucky.

A good friend of mine owns a repair shop. One of his customers is the original owner of a red 1969 911S. The car had 47,000 original miles and is unmollested. original drivetrain, paint, interior and suspension. The owner is not selling, but he know I want the car and has told me i'll get first shot. The car is rust free, the red paint is a bit faded and had plenty of patina and the interior would need some repairs.

WHEN I get the car it will be a driver. It's too original to to restore and too nice not to drive. I just have to wait.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:39 am

Glenn wrote: $5000 driver... i doubt it. There are drivers out there for a fair price... you just have to keep looking and be very lucky.

A good friend of mine owns a repair shop. One of his customers is the original owner of a red 1969 911S. The car had 47,000 original miles and is unmollested. original drivetrain, paint, interior and suspension. The owner is not selling, but he know I want the car and has told me i'll get first shot. The car is rust free, the red paint is a bit faded and had plenty of patina and the interior would need some repairs.

WHEN I get the car it will be a driver. It's too original to to restore and too nice not to drive. I just have to wait.

I looked at a real cool silver 59A a few years ago that spent it's whole life in Chicagoland, even had cool old registration stickers in the windows, etc. It was all original, interior, carpet, fist sized rust holes, everything!!!

I looked at a '68 911 a few years ago also that I should have bought. All original 70K miles, receipts binder that was 6 inches thick, nice running and very nice original black interior. I didn't like the sand beige color though, and I didn't REALLY want a goofy '68 model year. In hindsight, I should have bought it.

Mike F

Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:25 am

There are certainly "drivers" available in the $10,000 range and some below that, but I don't think that you'll find anything "rust free" anymore and nothing in the lower price range will be complete or original.

http://www.356registry.org/
http://www.rennlist.com/
http://www.pelicanparts.com/index.htm

Any of the above three would be a good place to start your search along with TheSamba itself. Stay away from Ebay!

You have to kinda remember that a car that has decent paint is going to cost the same to re-paint as a car with terrible paint. Worn carpets and no carpets cost the same amount to replace. They ALL have rust, just sometimes it's hidden under paint or undercoating.

If you find a driver that's showing all of it's faults out in the open rather than a "nice condition, recent re-spray" with everything hidden under bondo and shiny Guards Red, you'll be WAY better off.

I just bought a nice honest rusted '65 356SC for $300. Needs work, but mostly complete and I'll be driving it as soon as the weather permits. I'll never restore it beyond the "clean driver" point, but so what?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1563.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1564.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1559.jpg

I figure that with a $300. buy in, I have a lot of room to move. Just have to define driver and look beyond the obvious.

Luck,

TC

Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:59 pm

For $300 you got a deal ...

Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:09 pm

TC/TeamEvil wrote: There are certainly "drivers" available in the $10,000 range and some below that, but I don't think that you'll find anything "rust free" anymore and nothing in the lower price range will be complete or original.

http://www.356registry.org/
http://www.rennlist.com/
http://www.pelicanparts.com/index.htm

Any of the above three would be a good place to start your search along with TheSamba itself. Stay away from Ebay!

You have to kinda remember that a car that has decent paint is going to cost the same to re-paint as a car with terrible paint. Worn carpets and no carpets cost the same amount to replace. They ALL have rust, just sometimes it's hidden under paint or undercoating.

If you find a driver that's showing all of it's faults out in the open rather than a "nice condition, recent re-spray" with everything hidden under bondo and shiny Guards Red, you'll be WAY better off.

I just bought a nice honest rusted '65 356SC for $300. Needs work, but mostly complete and I'll be driving it as soon as the weather permits. I'll never restore it beyond the "clean driver" point, but so what?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1563.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1564.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1559.jpg

I figure that with a $300. buy in, I have a lot of room to move. Just have to define driver and look beyond the obvious.

Luck,

TC

Hey, nice find for $300! Is the car complete and drivable? How and where did you find it?

Yea, I already have read enough books and stuff to stay away from the incorrectly painted Guards Red 356 with wheel flares!

I would like to just find a nice driver that I could tinker on while I drove it, preferably something with no major rust. A tall order for a 356 though, I know.

Mike F

Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:08 am

Hi,

The car's really mostly complete, so that's going to save me TONS of money for all of those little bits and pieces that currently sell for $100 to $200 on Ebay . . . ! ! ! I found it through our local North East 356 club. You ought to hook up with these guys: http://www.midwest356.org/, they include your area I believe, put the word out for what you're looking for and see what comes your way.

All of the regional clubs have wanted and for sale lists and usually offer their cars/parts/etc. to members or friends before going elsewhere. Plus, you'll need their help and companionship while you own the car anyway. Best to make friend early and often.

Good luck with your search, one of the folks recently posted on the PelicanParts 356 BBS about scoring a rust free, complete and drivable Cabrio for $10,000. Here's the thread, if you're interested:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=169295

Luck, they're still out there!

TC

Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:56 pm

Wow! I thought I got a great deal getting my SC for $600, and that was more than 30 years ago :roll:
Are you going to restore it to original condition or make it into an Outlaw? As I'm sure you know, you can save a lot of $$ by making it custom style.
I'm doing a lot of rust repair on mine now, check out my progress (or lack thereof) at my CarDomain site: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2145693
Don't hate me for my choice of engines, I'm shooting for the first 50mpg Porsche 8)
moT

Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:38 pm

TC/TeamEvil wrote: Hi,

The car's really mostly complete, so that's going to save me TONS of money for all of those little bits and pieces that currently sell for $100 to $200 on Ebay . . . ! ! ! I found it through our local North East 356 club. You ought to hook up with these guys: http://www.midwest356.org/, they include your area I believe, put the word out for what you're looking for and see what comes your way.

All of the regional clubs have wanted and for sale lists and usually offer their cars/parts/etc. to members or friends before going elsewhere. Plus, you'll need their help and companionship while you own the car anyway. Best to make friend early and often.

Good luck with your search, one of the folks recently posted on the PelicanParts 356 BBS about scoring a rust free, complete and drivable Cabrio for $10,000. Here's the thread, if you're interested:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=169295

Luck, they're still out there!

TC

Yea, I have met some of the guys in the Midwest club, I need to get active in it.

I saw that thread on Pelican before, what a find!

So where was the car you bought, sitting under a tarp for 25 years??

Mike F

Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:50 pm

moTthediesel wrote: Wow! I thought I got a great deal getting my SC for $600, and that was more than 30 years ago :roll:
Are you going to restore it to original condition or make it into an Outlaw? As I'm sure you know, you can save a lot of $$ by making it custom style.
I'm doing a lot of rust repair on mine now, check out my progress (or lack thereof) at my CarDomain site: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2145693
Don't hate me for my choice of engines, I'm shooting for the first 50mpg Porsche 8)
moT

I looked at your page. That adapter for the diesel engine is pretty slick! It looks like it will all fit under the decklid too. Where will you mount a radiator?

All that metal repair you're doing looks nicely done. You should have a nice personalized driver when all is said and done.

Mike F

Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:56 pm

Quote: Where will you mount a radiator?

One objective of the project is to not cut anything up, so that it can be returned to original form sometime, by somebody. (I consider myself "caretaker" more than owner) :wink:

I will be mounting a VW Fox rad/fan alongside the engine on the right. The radiator will be mounted to a sealed fiberglass duct leading to a scoop behind the rear axle. The idea is isolate the rad from engine waste heat, so that only cool ambiant air passes through the core. A similar scoop/duct will vent the Buick GN :!: intercooler mounted low on the left.

Quote: All that metal repair you're doing looks nicely done. You should have a nice personalized driver when all is said and done.

Thanks -- I LOVE my MIG welder! I wish I'd had one 30 years ago, but they were crazy expensive then. As a twenty year old, pop rivets were just more my style.

moT

Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:28 am

moT,

LOVED ! ! ! The pics on your page! The one of the car peeking out of the building was wonderful, almost like you found a stray that you were bringing home as a pet.

I also LOVE engine transplants, I think that I've posted it before, but here's a shot of my Ghia Cabrio conversion with the 4.1 V-6 installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/File0003.jpg

Like you, using one of those cool KEP adapter kits.

With my 356, so far, I'm just repairing the body in small bits, as needed. I don't want to do too much it that would prevent another from doing a correct restoration down the line. After your mention of doing it up Outlaw-style, I think that I ought to.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:10 am

Oh yah, I've seen your Ghia somewhere before (here? ShopTalk? VWSwap?)
Looks like it ought to get a kick in the pants from that badboy ---

Good luck with it and the C coupe too, for $300 you seriously STOLE that thing! I've seen guys pay that much for a steering wheel :shock:

moT

Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:22 am

Abaout two years ago an old guy that brought his real nice 75 911s for oil changes and regular maint. called and said he was going to have to sell his 911 as he was moving from NM to NJ. Said it was to far to trailer it(he was in his 70s) He said he was asking 9k...the vehicle was beautiful. Two weeks later he called and said the engine was giving him problems. and he was leaving in two days. I asked him how much..he said give him a grand and it was a deal???? Got the dolly and my son..went to where the car was and handed him the money, got the title and drove it on the dolly.Dropped the drivetrain, got on e-bay and some guy in F. updated his 75s model from a 2.7 to a 3.0. Got the engine complete for under 800 and as fate would have it, my sister and husband lived 60 miles from the seller..and they were moving here the next week. They loaded the eng. in the back of the U-Haul truck and drove it from Fl. to NM...I figure that rates right up there with good deals..I drive the car almost every day,takes aload off my old 70e with a 2.2.

Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:30 pm

Several years ago I bought a solid 65C that only needed a cosmetic resto which I did-engine, trans, paint, interior, brakes, chrome and suspension. With the cost of parts and the price of the car (no labor) I ended up spending more than the car would ever bring. $300 may seem like a great price....but from what I saw, there will be an awful lot of sheetmetal that will need replacing. And that all translates into big bucks-best of luck.
Regarding A's: I have been looking for 4 years for a restorable A and most of what I am seeing as available is going for the low $20k's and they are mostly in need of restoration. I have seen pristine A coupes bring low $40's to mid $50's.
For several years in the early 70's, I ran a 3.3 litre turbocharged Corvair in my 66 Ghia. Surprised a lot of small blocks in the greater LA area as long as driving in a straight line but the extra weight in the rear really effected the handling in corners.

Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:01 pm

Quote: $300 may seem like a great price....but from what I saw, there will be an awful lot of sheetmetal that will need replacing. And that all translates into big bucks

Well, that's one way of looking at it. Another way is that we've probably all seen cars not much better going for $6k or even more.

He's got a nearly complete car for close to free, so he's got thousands to spend on repair panels, and they're really not that spendy. Also, while to return that car to anything close to "original" would likely not be a wise money investment, an Outlaw/Racer/Custom version can still be cooked up quite reasonably. There's really no reason to feel bound to a strict restoration on a car like this that is more or less being brought "back from the dead".

moT

Sat Feb 11, 2006 4:47 am

Here is a 356A driver:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=249829

Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:40 am

Nice car, sure --

But I'd still take TC's honest rust bucket and leave $21700 in the bank :wink:

moT

Sun Feb 12, 2006 12:50 pm

moTthediesel wrote: Nice car, sure --

But I'd still take TC's honest rust bucket and leave $21700 in the bank :wink:

moT

That's the scarey part about a 356. You may pay $20K for a car that looks like that ebay car, and it may be in the exact same condition as the $300 car from this thread, underneath the paint.

I say, unless it has some kind of pedigree, it's insane to pay $20K for a driver 356. A deal will come around eventually. You may have to wait a while though!

Mike F

Sun Feb 12, 2006 1:22 pm

This car is kind of close by:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-356-1964-Po...dZViewItem

I thought that the initial asking price of $400.00 was pretty fair, but it seems to be heading up towards too much money for too little car. Although I'd love to see it in person. just in case.