Most liked posts in thread: Porsche 1600 Convertible

I can help. I love those cars.

One of my customers/friends restores Porsche 356s as a lucrative hobby. A 356 Cab is worth some good money, and 1600s are desirable engines. My friend mostly restores cabs and speedsters. He knows all there is to know about them. His 356 Speedster (below) sold for, by coincidence, $356K. Speedsters are the most valuable, but cabs (cabriolet) are worth a lot, too. Coupes don't fetch a lot of money, unless they have some special history.

Send me a PM with contact information, and I'll see if I can get you in touch with him. He is a super nice guy, and has a real passion for 356s, so he'd probably be happy to chat with you about yours.

That car could be worth some serious cheese. My friend can help you determine that, too. I am pretty sure you need to get collector car insurance on that car. Basic car insurance won't cover the real value of it. I can hook you up with someone trustworthy for that, too. I'd get that thing inside, with four walls and a lockable door.

CD

 

BTW, yes, you should drive it, when the weather allows it. They are genuinely fun cars to drive. I've lost count of how many of them I have driven. You will have to get used to the gearbox -- it is pretty sloppy. They are not fast, but like MINIs, they are a lot of fun. They are so lightweight -- you can really toss them around.

Drive it, and take care of it. That's a pretty special car.

CD

 

That's what people do on this site (especially with other peoples money!!).


Condolences on your loss.

 

I'm sorry you lost your dad. Yes he was a young man. I know as I'm 82. Speedsters have lower framed windshields and no roll up side windows. If the car gods offered me my choice of any car (key word being any) I would take the cabriolet.

 

Sorry for your loss, my condolences to you and your family. I think your father left you and your brother a great way to celebrate his life. Drive it and take care of it.

Totally agree!

 

I can't argue with that. Speedsters have a cool factor that can't be matched, but they are one-weather cars, and drive the same as a Cab. If I were buying a 356 to drive,I'd go with a cab, too.

CD

 

Sorry for your loss, a good life since he was able to gift a wonderful legacy to you and your brother.

You have some good advice from the folks who have replied. As noted, get classic insurance to cover true value, get it inside and under lock and key, drive it.

Surprisingly, the 356 is a worthy collector and are going up in value as I type. If it is clean and driveable and little or no rust, it is probably worth in the 60-80K range. If it has a lot of rust, then value goes down but someone will pay good money for it.

I like the idea, he said keep it for 5 years and enjoy, that is why folks enjoy the 356. Look up Emory Motor Sports on FB, the internet and Instagram, if you want to see what should be done to a 356, if you have money to burn.

Good luck and enjoy.
Don

 

I've read that roll up/down windows could be 'special ordered' from the factory but the only ones I've ever seen had curtains.

 

If it's only going to sit a few months, don't do anything. Maybe take the ground wire off of the battery, but that's about it. The gas won't go bad in a few months. The oil won't be affected either. The best thing you could do is get it into a proper garage.

 

Speedsters have side curtain windows, Cabs/Roadsters have roll-up windows.

CD

 

Since it is air cooled, you don't have to worry about antifreeze. If the oil is good now, it will be fine in the spring. As for gasoline, top off the tank to cut down on condensation, and some Stabil fuel stabilizer can't hurt.

I would take the battery out if you are not going to drive it over the winter, and put it someplace climate controlled. That is what I've always done with my boats.

If you must keep it in a carport with a cover, try to put something between the car cover and canvas top to allow air to circulate. I used to use small beach balls under my boat cover. Keep the tires fully inflated, so they don't flat-spot too bad.

A few moth balls inside on the floor helps with critter problems. Look under the car for rodent droppings on a regular basis, and if you see any, take action right away. Mice and rats can do a lot of damage.

CD