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Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:40 am

So I have noticed that most people talk about the B like there is something wrong with it. The A & C are definitely more sought after & worth more. Why is that? Is there something about them that isn't very good?

Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:55 am

Its just aesthetics IMHO. As a relative 356 novice I prefer the A and pre A cars (I'm into coupes). The B has the squared off hood and large back window plus the fender slope is different. I don't much care for the steering wheel either.

Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:13 am

They`re all good! :D It`s all hype. Years ago before the crazy price increase A models were thought of as lesser cars because they were older. The late C models were "better" because of disk brakes and larger engine. Now it`s all about aesthetics. A`s have smaller/lower bumpers, smaller taillights and more jewel like details. It all comes down to personal preference as to which style you like. They all drive more or less the same. IMO the B`s are the one to buy if everyone else is going after Pre A, A and C :wink:

Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:17 am

Just my opinion, but a lot of folks seem to like the A's because of the lower bumpers and the thought that the body lines flow better, whatever the hell that means. And the C's are liked because of the disc brakes and the somewhat more powerful engines. That said, I have a 1960 BT5 1600S Drauz Roadster--family owned since new. I also have a 1964 C Reutter coupe. Both nice cars for different reasons. I like all 356's--I even like the Notchbacks a lot, and not only because they are so rare now--they look cool. I think it depends on who you're talking to at a given moment.
Jon

Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:38 am

a) FAT CHICK!
b) Middle child syndrome

Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:41 am

:lol: And C's ??

Mike.

Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:55 am

The B has always been the step-child. I think the reasoning falls into a theory that the Pre-A/A cars are the pure 356 and the C is the final refinement, leaving the B as a middle child. Many see the T6B has a transition car because it has the drum brakes but is the same body as the C and the thinking goes why not have the disc brakes.
Personally I have always had B's, first a 63 B Coupe and now a 60 Roadster, the value is there and they are great 356's. Lots of fun to be had in a B.

Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:12 am

My first tub was a 61 T5 S coupe. This is the B that is most disparaged because the high bumpers and small A windows make it appear, as Harry used to say, 'like a hunchbacked Volvo'. I personally think they have a very unique personality and am still looking for my old car # 116210 if anyone knows where it is. It may be maligned but that car has appeared on the
New Old 356 Calendar more times than any other. Any 356 is a great car, the rest is simply personal preference and acceptance of the quirks of that particular model.

Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:41 am

I have a C Coupe. Rosemary had a nice A coupe for a while. I love them all including the Bs. Just never owned one.

JOEL: Where was that picture taken?

Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:57 am

Love my B coupe!

Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:02 pm

malibubill wrote: I have a C Coupe. Rosemary had a nice A coupe for a while. I love them all including the Bs. Just never owned one.

JOEL: Where was that picture taken?

Hi Bill,
Taken in 85 at Duncans Landing, Sonoma coast, Nor Cal. I have always had
B's. This one was converted to C discs by the PO but he had neglected to update the MC to one that was vented. As a consequence the drive when the car was retrieved from Grass Valley kept my son in law breathing hot brake pads all the way home. Guess what the first order of business was ?

Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:26 pm

MMW wrote: So I have noticed that most people talk about the B like there is something wrong with it. The A & C are definitely more sought after & worth more. Why is that? Is there something about them that isn't very good?
Why, in the '60s and '70s did we cut up Convertible Ds? They were "taints"...taint a Speedster, taint a Roadster. Starting on Speedsters, I had a prejudice against Roadsters, too....except I liked my T-6 Roadster, at least a little bit.

I guess a T-5 B is like that, as previously noted. Taint an A, taint a T-6 C. So what? Once driving, they are fine....and they are coming into their own (maybe partly due to so many disrespected examples being "donor cars.")

In retrospect, I guess I have some of my best memories with 356s from the '60s. I had the '61 T-5 S-90 sunroof Coupe with Rudge wheels and it was a lot more comfortable in everyday use than my Speedster. (I had less than a grand in BOTH) It was better on dates :lol: :roll: It was faster, drier and also silver and red, but with corduroy inserts so it was cooler in the summer. Oh, did I mention roll-up windows and better wipers? And a glove box...and a radio..... ...hey, I miss 'em all....

Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:51 pm

Mr.Jensen wrote:
Quote: the rest is simply personal preference and acceptance of the quirks of that particular model.

Well, yes and no. That is, it depends on one's priorities.

Mine are all about me, so I had no problem with stuffing my T1 A (the lines, the presence, the grace of which I personally consider to be the very best, hands down) chock full of SC (plus a little more)... with an attitude.

Best of both worlds, so to speak.

And the only quirk is behind the wheel.

Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:10 am

The same syndrome exist in the bus world and the more you deal with the "in" crowd the more picky people get. The average person would not be able to tell the difference between a '58 A and a '65 C.
For example, in the bus world it used to be owning a split was enough. '68 and later was the Fat Chick and no one loves a fat chick, even though most regular people can't tell them apart. But then, a hierarchy developed amongst buses. Small hatch buses became much more desired over '64 and up "Fat Hatch" buses. Then it became even more crazy, it wasn't enough to have a small hatch, you had to have a pressed bumper bus (pre-59). Of course now the major props go to those who have a barndoor bus and the more original the better. Of course, it all relates to scarcity and it seems to me that you see a lot more B coupes around than anything these days. I think also that the more one gets into a marque the more they see the tree in the forest of details, and the older cars tend to be more pure in form, unencumbered by clunky safety refinements.
That said I have early buses but a B coupe, I have no desire for a barndoor, they drive like hell, and none for an A because they don't seem a heck of a lot different from a B. I wouldn't mind a super early car, like a split window or bent, but I don't want to sell my house to buy a car, so I am happy with what I have.

Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:20 am

Good anology above. When educating my 356 friends looking to get into buses, I often use the following comparison.

1949-1955 barndoor bus --------------1949-1955 Pre A 356
1956-1958 pressed bumper bus------ 1956-1959 A 356
1959-1963 small hatch bus------------1960-1963 B 356
1964-1967 big hatch bus---------------1964-1965 C 356
1968-1979 Fat chick bus----------------no real comparison,,,maybe a 912

Not an exact science but close....Although most hardcore bus guys find the 1964-1967 buses the least desireable,,,,which is unlike alot of 356 guys who prefer the last generation 1964-1965 C 356's.

The above categories could probably be broken down even further but I don't have the time...

Fri Jul 27, 2012 1:42 pm

If you are talking desirability... in your table I would switch the C and B 356. :D

C to go with the small hatch.
B to go with the Phat Hatch bus.

Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:22 pm

'Years' are not as important in the bus world so much as 'model's. A 15/21/23 is going to be desirable, no matter what year it is. Panels, Singles, just won't be.

Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:24 pm

My sense (were someone to ask) has been this (value-wise):

The early cars (up to the A) were the purest version of the original vision, flaws and all.

The As were the most drivable, tho slightly removed, of the "original vision".

The Bs were the evolving generation of "modern" road cars. And, as is often overlooked in such discussions, they represented the clear majority of production output, with few (early opens and the Super 90, for example) standout models.

The Cs were the pinnacle of development of the concept (being the best performer and most reliable driver), the clear predecessor to the 911, and relatively few were produced.

Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:57 pm

dawerks wrote: 'Years' are not as important in the bus world so much as 'model's. A 15/21/23 is going to be desirable, no matter what year it is. Panels, Singles, just won't be.

Granted, but all things being equal a '57 15 will sell for way more money than a '63 15 window.

Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:54 pm

I prefer the look of my B coupe over the look of the A coupe. I like my B's drum brakes and its simple interior. I don't care for the C's more refined interior. I prefer my D over a Speedster. It's a rarer and more comfortable car.