Page 38 - KCRPCA Jan Feb 2018

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Jan / Feb 2018
and nally 356C nished production from 1964 to 1965. Each of the distinct models show a progression of techni- cal achievement and improvements that Porsche engineering is well known for.
As I studied the different years of pro- duction, I had to decide exactly what I wanted to do with a 356. I’m not into concours showings, but at the same time I can and do appreciate a car that is more stock, as the factory intended it to be. My true passion is to just drive and en- joy my cars. This includes our club fun runs and exciting tours around the Kan- sas City area. It is important to me that I be able to drive a car on tours that is reliable and safe. Therefore, I concluded that the best years for me would be a car that has disc brakes and a more power- ful engine. This is why I decided to try and nd a car of the last production 356 models of 1964 to 1965.
I do suggest that one gets a little seat time in a particular model of Porsche they are interested in. I also highly sug- gest a hands-on examination and a PPI done on the selected car. I, of course, did neither of these. That’s OK, because after two years of hunting, I was truly in love with the 356! I did get to sit in one down in Edmund, Oklahoma, at a friend’s house, on the way back from the Treffen in Austin this year. That did it for me. First of all, I now knew that I could get my big body into such a small car and secondly, it was better than I had imagined. I did feel somewhat familiar with the 356 because, after all, it is a very close cousin to the VW Beetle and I have two of those at the farm. So, what could there be to worry about?
Actually, my main concern in hunting for a 356 was the worry of a badly rusted body. This can be very expensive to re- pair and is, for me, a deal breaker. I have restored several cars in the past and now,
as I approach my 70th birthday, I just can’t do that anymore. I concluded that the car of my dreams must be totally re- stored and ready to perform. It is much better to buy a car with a good body and bad motor than the other way around. It is even better if body and motor are both good. This then separates “needs work” from the “needs nothing” and this differ- ence is re ected in the cost of the car.
Color is important, both exterior and interior, along with options and the size of the engine. Whether the car is a matching numbers car is only impor- tant to the show car circuit and not so much to me. Engines would fail and back in the day, they were thrown out if not rebuildable and simply replaced. Where the car is located goes with the rule of dry climate and lack of road salt, etc. California, Arizona and some areas of the Paci c Northwest gured into my search. Cars from the New England area need not apply. Open cars and options such as sun roof models push the price to the unobtainable range and therefore did not make the cut.
I have always believed that I have fared better in buying from a dealer or a business that deals in classic cars than from an individual that I didn’t know from Adam. If I get taken for a ride, my attorney can at least go after something of value from a dealer. It also helps to be able to talk and ask questions from the dealer and get intelligent and help- ful answers. So, during the hunt, I am also evaluating the seller along with the car. I bet that I have spent hundreds of hours, mostly in the wee hours of the night, looking at cars from all over North America.
With the advent of the internet, search- ing for cars has become a fantastic expe- rience. Back 20 or 30 years ago, one was lucky to nd the car sought after listed in