Is this a good price?

[smithers]

I'm not sure of 356 values, I have only owner VWs. Please give me your honest opinion of this car. I want a car to drive and enjoy and possibly do some work in the future. I'm not looking for a project. I would also like to buy a model that is sure to increase in value.

Thanks for your input.

Here is the car that I'm looking at.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1575589

[FrannyB]

Hi Smithers,

This may be a bit of a project... That bonnet is pretty bent. I don't know if you know that they operate differently than VWs. They have to be raised before they can be lowered and it looks like someone wrenched this one pretty good. The engine is a mess - they had to wipe the grime from the generator post to show the number. With these cars and value, you need originality, completeness, and condition. There are very few important photos. They are mostly glamor shots. Rust is the biggest deal and you need to know lots more to start talking value. New seat covers are the least of its worries. As far as a driver goes, you need to sort - in order - Stop, Turn, Go (thanks Bruce!). Without a good idea of each, it is hard to tell.

So, I love the color. We have one in the club here and it is a real looker! This is a later coupe with a Normal engine. Nothing too special if you are looking for a quick rise in value. For that you will need something more interesting and maybe early 911s is a better place to be? For the 356, you need Pre-A, Maybe A... Roadster, Speedster, Convertible D, Maybe a nice Super 90 Coupe. The rest of us are are doing ok but nothing crazy in value increase.

My guess, with what isn't being shown, it is over priced, but there just isn't enough to go on. These are VERY expensive to restore and even mechanical work and parts is very pricy so you don't want to start with a bunch wrong.

If you are able to, go look at it. Your VW fu will give you the vibe you need to determine if it is worth pursuing...

Franny

[savaden]

My take on this is this is he is a dealer, and he is very aware of the going rates for 356s. The current going rates for 356B coupes in good driver condition is about 15K higher than this. So why is this one priced to sell? The hood fit is the primary thing that jumps out immediately, and other pictures show poorly done front end repairs. Some of the underside floor pics indicate floor replacement with incorrect flat sheet metal panels. Drivers side door fit looks very good. Rear decklid fit looks good. Engine looks tired. Bottom line is this needs an in-person inspection with a paint thickness gauge and careful inspection of typical rust areas and of course, all the mechanical systems. I would suspect that if this were purchased as a driver car, you would have to live with the hood fit, and the mechanical systems will gradually deplete your bank account 1 PFU (k$) at a time. If this were the basis of a restoration, it will be a very expensive and involved project.

SV

[dsrtfox]

What savaden said. Join a local group, I've found that the best cars are rarely advertised and are bought, sold and traded among insiders. If you want a nice reliable driver, it's going be a long search but you'll wind up with a good car. Oh and spend as much as you possibly can or it will cost you double later...

[smithers]

Thanks for the info.

I will pass on this one...

[drscope]

This one may be worth going to look at in person. Just make sure you look closely!

The hood alignment seems to change in some of the photos, so this may be a problem and maybe not.

The trouble is a good photographer who is trying to hide things can really hide things from what they do not photograph. And a bad photographer can make things look worse then they really are.

This be far not a concourse car, but on closer in person inspection it may be a really good driver that fits what you are looking for.
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