1964 Porsche 356 C Coupe- Unrestored Rust Free Driver on 2040-cars

   The car up for sale today is a unique and unusual find. It was purchased from a gentleman who bought it as the 2^nd owner in 1972 and who used it as his daily driver until 2001, when he parked it in his garage. In fact, this car was garage kept in the San Francisco area since he purchased it. Its first owner bought the car near the end of 1968 from a dealership in the South Bay. The dealer had used the car in some way or another using dealer tags up to that point, so the California pink slip shows the original date of sale as 1968. As all of the wheels on the car (except the spare) are dated late 68, we believe that the dealer may have installed Fuchs or aftermarket wheels on the car while they used it, only to replace them with a brand new set of 4.5Jx15s out of their inventory at the time. The spare is dated 12/63.

   This car is an original RUST FREE car. Although we have not obtained a CARDEX on it, an inquiry to Marco Marinello at Elevenparts AG in Zurich Switzerland verifies that our chassis 217783 was produced with the engine 713012 that currently resides in the engine bay. That makes this a MATCHING NUMBERS California Black Plate car.

   The 2^nd owner changed the color from the original Dolphin Gray (6410) to Signal Red (6407) shortly after purchasing the car. The dash retains the Dolphin Gray. He attests that the car has never been in an accident, and a close inspection of the interior of the wheel wells, nose and rear end seem to support this. The only body repair ever done on this car that we can attest to is that the battery tray was replaced due to acid corrosion issues. It was done so properly and with a proper part that retains the original drain holes.

   The interior is original, and the carpets were gone. A new domestic pile carpet kit was ordered. The original rubber mats in the car are in very good shape due to being buried under separate rubber mats with period oddity Coco mats over that. The passenger and rear seats look nice and are intact. The drivers seat has a split seam but is not hideous. The seat latch, tilt and slide mechanisms work properly. The dash and gauges look excellent, the instrument lights and idiot lights are all operational. As of now, the clock does not work, and the gas gauge sender shorts sporadically over bumps. The 3 button Blaupunkt radio works remarkable well, and plays through both original speakers. For some reason, the fog lamp switch was installed under the dash below the ignition switch. It is wired in properly and operates correctly. The interior lights work as designed. The horns both work, loud and shrill. The lights all work, save for one of the Hella 128 fog lamps, which needs a new bulb. The electrics on this car are intact, no hack jobs under the dash or hood, and 3 remote relays were installed to improve voltage delivery, which is a standard upgrade on these cars. The package tray in the front trunk is very good. Although not promised in the sale, I will try to scrape together an acceptable array of tools. But a new Porsche embossed tool bag is included, and the Bilstein jack and handle have been renovated.

   Sadly, our 2^nd owner did not keep any of his service records, so I can only relate a terse anecdotal oral history. The car was maintained professionally by the renowned Lukes and Shorman Porsche repair shop in Berkeley CA from 1972 onward, and the owner was reasonably fastidious in keeping it tuned and in good driving shape. The engine was rebuilt once (it currently has just under 109K miles) in the early to mid 80s, allegedly to SC/912 specs. The shop closed in 2004, and Bill died shortly thereafter, so there is no verifying the service history. However, an acceleration run that saw me touching 90 MPH fairly quickly seems to affirm that belief.

   In preparing this car, we have cleaned the body and brightwork thoroughly. We replaced the faded tail lenses and bezels with NOS units (SWF markings on bezel). We pulled the wheels and installed new period correct size 165/80 15 radial tires. The brakes were inspected and found to have good pads and be in good working order. The gas tank was pulled and flushed out and the petcock taken apart and thoroughly cleaned. Motor oil and 90 wt gear fluid were topped up. New points, plugs and fuel filter were installed, as was a new 6V battery. Both Solex 40PII split shaft carburetors got a complete rebuild, including new nylon blocks. The undersides got a cursory cleaning and were left as found…No new undercoating to arouse suspicions of hidden repairs. The car started fairly easily after being idle for 13 years, and it held idle at 900RPM after 30 seconds. It both accelerates and stops nicely. The ride is very 356-like, a little vague on its new skinny tires, but very predictable. There were no unusual noises from the engine. There is a small whine from the transmission on deceleration in 2^nd gear only, but no immediate issues based on my experience. The suspension feels good in standard driving, Koni shocks on the front. More spirited driving over bumpy surfaces was a louder affair, but the car was predictable.

   We have sourced new tail pipes, funnels and tips from Stoddard in order to put the exhaust back to a stock unit. I couldn’t decide whether to install the front bumper caps or install driving lights there. The caps are included either way. The cabin seals are getting tired, as evidenced by the whistling at highway speeds. The door top outer trim chrome is flaking but not pitted. The color on the centercaps on the wheels is long gone. The hup caps themselves have some minor imperfections. But overall, I am pretty impressed by the condition of the rest of the brightwork on this car. I hope that my detailed photos both here and in my photobucket reflect that.

  I considered doing a restoration back to its original color, but the car is in amazing driver condition as it sits, and I felt it was best presented this way. Having said that, I can put together a package which includes a new original paint set in the proper Glasurit brand and a complete body seal kit if you so desire.

   I do not like surprises when it comes to these things, and neither should you. I will be available to take calls at 510-978-2169 within reasonable hours throughout the auction, will respond to written requests within a few hours and can make the car available for examination by appointment. I am located just outside of Berkeley CA. I recommend that you do your due diligence, because if you bid on this car and win, it is yours without further obligation or contingency on my part at the full winning bid price. NO EXCEPTIONS. $1000 non-refundable deposit is due within 48 hours of close of auction. Full payment is due within 7 days of close of auction. I prefer dealing with the new owner in person when closing the deal. Wire transfer, unverified bank checks etc. will subject the car to a 10 day holding period pending the release of the car and title. Valid CA title in hand.

   This car is also being advertised locally, and I reserve the right to end the auction at any time.