TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:39 pm

Today in my local adventures, I came across a pretty sad 356.. I tracked the owner down, and got the old its been in my family for too long.. Too sad, the car looks to be a bit rusty, but complete and solid! I'm going to try with my best of efforts to get the car... It is a white 58-59, Im not sure, and when i asked the lady if it was a 59 she said 58.. No 59... she wasn't sure, but the car is obvioiusly in need of help. I will post a pic later and see what you folks think!

Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:24 pm

post some pics :D

Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:19 pm

ok...

Here is a sneak peak! I don't want to give any more clues then i already have to this cars where abouts. I will post more pics...

Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:24 pm

Comeon. MOre pics!

Sweet car. I'm jonesin for a 356 right now myself. They are all rusty as hell out here tho.

Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:51 pm

I will post another, but I am trying to work something tomorrow! I will be covering the car up for the lady too so no one can find it! I don't want any of the bastards to be all up on my find!

Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:54 pm

Oh man, I like it!

Get that baby! Good luck, keep us posted!

Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:59 pm

hey, i know that car...j/k.

good luck on the negotiations

Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:34 am

Terrific find ! ! ! I found got one a little bit like it (but worse) last year . . .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1563.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/IMG_1565.jpg

It's such fun finding an honest car before someone get's to it. I swear, most of the ads ought to begin with "Thousands spent on Bondo."

Good for you! Post some more pics when you get it home.

Luck,

TC

Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:34 am

2splits wrote: Comeon. MOre pics!

Sweet car. I'm jonesin for a 356 right now myself. They are all rusty as hell out here tho.

i can make that happen for you. but, as you say "you have to pay to play"!

Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:27 am

doveblue3 wrote: 2splits wrote: Comeon. MOre pics!

Sweet car. I'm jonesin for a 356 right now myself. They are all rusty as hell out here tho.

i can make that happen for you. but, as you say "you have to pay to play"!

Words to live by.

Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:36 am

I've owned a few 356's. Get ready to spend more money than you would ever believe. If you think splits are expensive.................you are about the learn what money doesn't buy. Double the price of the car to get it safe and running correctly.......Double it again to restore it, and add in the original price again to keep it running in that condition. All of a sudden your $10,000 car is costing you $40,000 to make it perfect. If you don't want to make it perfect.........have the money available for repairs. Regardless, you will spend the money one way or the other. When you're ready to sell it........you will not get back half of what you put into it. :wink:

Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:18 pm

53 0val wrote: I've owned a few 356's. Get ready to spend more money than you would ever believe. If you think splits are expensive.................you are about the learn what money doesn't buy. Double the price of the car to get it safe and running correctly.......Double it again to restore it, and add in the original price again to keep it running in that condition. All of a sudden your $10,000 car is costing you $40,000 to make it perfect. If you don't want to make it perfect.........have the money available for repairs. Regardless, you will spend the money one way or the other. When you're ready to sell it........you will not get back half of what you put into it. :wink:

But they sure seem fun to drive!

Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:31 pm

I dont know how expensive it will be to keep running, basic VW design on the motor and tranny, i will air up the tires, put some fuel in and go...... Or maybe not, but If i do end up getting the car I will do most everything myself, and probably not even attempt a resto on something like this with my $2 budget! :wink:

Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:36 pm

DMNCLNR wrote: I dont know how expensive it will be to keep running, basic VW design on the motor and tranny, i will air up the tires, put some fuel in and go...... Or maybe not, but If i do end up getting the car I will do most everything myself, and probably not even attempt a resto on something like this with my $2 budget! :wink:

Dustin, do yourself a favor and walk away from this one......in fact, you should RUN away. :wink:

Sat Oct 07, 2006 12:32 am

53 0val wrote: Dustin, do yourself a favor and walk away from this one......in fact, you should RUN away. :wink:
Don't be so negative. If it is not all rusted out, it is not that much to make it a runner. I've been around bathtubs since I was a little kid. Sure if you rebuild the trans, it is hard. The engine is not that much worse than any other hipo hair drier. The brakes are VW. The front suspension is a modified VW. If the tub is sound, the rest is easy. The interior costs more than a Beetle. Can't just buy some cheap kit. The chrome is trival. Lots of repro parts and rubber. You just can not just unbolt the pan from the body. Yes parts are a lot more than a VW. But, unless it is real abused and all worn out, you can recycle most of it.

Again, I state, if it is not rusted out. If it has lots of rust, you need to be able to deal with it yourself. That can be a LOT of labor.

They do drive far better than most air cooled VWs. The car is low. You sit low. You have twice or three times the horses. But, they are smaller inside.

I am past those these days. If you really want to spend money play with old Mercedes! I have 2 1959 190SLs and a 1960 300SL,. Just the front rubber mats for a 190SL are $500 wholesale. Compare to a 356 and that is far more. It goes on. The 356 does not have leather interior. It does not have a lot of (God awful expensive) chrome. At this point I have to say that the 356 does cost more than a VW but still not as much as many others out there because you can get so so much new for it.

But, any way you slice it, old cars are not for the budget minded. Waste of time if you can not step up to do it in a manner that results in something better than you started with.

Good Luck.

Sat Oct 07, 2006 12:44 am

I just reviewed the other pictures of that car. You have typical door rust. There are patch panels, but you have to also relead the doors for proper fit. The hood is rusty and I bet the seal channel is too. You will spend lots of days fixing those items. If you can not replace panels and do lead work, you will spend thousands getting the body to where it needs. This does not include the floors, which are, most likely, real thin, if not rusted through.

It is a plain 1600 Coupe. Not worth a whole lot. It WILL cost more than it is worth to get to a nice point. But, if you want to rat rod it, sure, the mechanicals are nothing to be afraid of.

Better to get a decent one from somewhere close by:

http://www.europeancollectibles.com/

Again, good luck,
-W

Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:00 am

I stopped by the euro collectible guys shop the other day, and he showed me a few cars, of which none i could even come close to affording.. but it was an educational experience, he showed me a 59 A car that was for well over 30k, and his exact words were "You will not find a 356 A for under $15,000" I assume he meant in restorable condition. If i can get this car for about 1/3 of that, which I think I can! I will absolutely no walking or running away! I will jump on the deal, and drive the shit out of the thing!!! :wink:

Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:26 am

Forget European collectables..........Their in-house restortation is quick and dirty......they are expensive and only employ people on a need to have basis........they really are brokers for other people's problems. Go two blocks up Placentia Ave. to C&F and talk to Paul Frech. That man knows his cars and most of European Collectable's customers end up there, with him re-doing the mistakes.

Dustin, that car will cost you $15,000 before you would even want to drive it. It's a money pit and you would have nothing special for your time and money. Keep looking.

Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:51 am

The only major mistake Europenacollectibles does is to replace everything they can with nice fresh repros. Much less time involved. You go look, at what they are doing. They make sure the cars are straight. They cut out all rust. They do spot welds where they should be. They use lead. They do not use a lot of plasitc filler. They have a long waiting list. They do a production resto not any better than factory. They do not over restore like most of us do.

They are now splitting the shop up to body and mechanicl/finish work. One shop will be for the clean stuff and the other the dirty stuff. They must be doing something right to keep all their regular employees working. The as needed people are the detailers, glass people, and other specialists that do a mobile service as part of their normal operation. They do farm their interior work out to a few good places such as Autos International. They farm machine work out. They build their own engines and transmissions and do all the mechanical work in house.

Our family had a German Car Repair biz for decades in that area. We are closed and retired. I know lots of the shops around there. Some better, some worse. I am sure there are some people that have had issues. I am sure there are others that are very happy. It is the nature of the business. There is LOTS of restorative work going on in the area. There is so much going on that the vast majority do not even know about. There are plenty of word of mouth only places that do not even have a sign real sign outside. You just don't know.

Back to the topic. If you have a solid frame, almost anyone who can make an air cooled VW go, can make a 356 go too. No magic there. It just can cost you, if you need a lot of hard parts.

Good luck.

Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:54 am

53 0val wrote: Forget European collectables..........Their in-house restortation is quick and dirty......they are expensive and only employ people on a need to have basis........they really are brokers for other people's problems. Go two blocks up Placentia Ave. to C&F and talk to Paul Frech. That man knows his cars and most of European Collectable's customers end up there, with him re-doing the mistakes.

Dustin, that car will cost you $15,000 before you would even want to drive it. It's a money pit and you would have nothing special for your time and money. Keep looking.

I am going to listen to you Bob, but first tell me where this $15k is hidden? It has sat foraround 10 years, so obviously brakes, motor seals, wheel bearings, tranny flush... ANd routine mantenince gas tank etc. but i definitly do not see $15k???