1964 Porsche 356 C

Highlights

• Beautifully restored example

• Restored 912 engine rebuilt by PRS 356

• Classic Heron Grey over burgundy specification

• Comprehensive restoration record on video and paperwork

• Uprated suspension and brakes

Overview

We love all manner of metal here at PH Towers. From hypercars to fast estates and modern classics to pre-war racers. If it has an engine and wheels, we’re there. But there is a more rarified category of car that’s capable of stopping us dead in our tracks and extracting a grin from even the most craggy and implacable of our team. Even the Editor. (Oi! – Ed)

Of course, we’re talking about true legends – and there aren’t many of those. An F40 or 250GTO, Miura, D-Type, GT40, Bentley Blower, that’s the category of vehicle we’re talking about here. The kind of thing that didn’t so much make a dent in motoring history, as stuff a rag into the filler neck, light it and walk away looking insouciant.

The Porsche 356 is such a car. It’s not a streamlined track special, nor is it particularly powerful. But it is simply dripping in character and the weight of history. This is the progenitor of the greatest sports car of them all, the 911. So we’re talking genesis here. Without the 356, there’d be no Porsche as we know it. It was the first German car to race at Le Mans, and it won its class. Variants of the 356 went on to race in a wide variety of motorsports events and it built a reputation for solidity and fantastic handling.

The ‘C’ was the final iteration of the 356 before the 911 was released in 1964, and just 16,684 were built. Which means that this is a very late example of one of the most influential and noteworthy sports cars of all time.

They remain an intoxicating machine to drive, highly mechanical and analogue – the perfect antidote to the distance so many vehicles hold their drivers at. Carefully and extensively restored by specialists and experts over a number of years, what we have here is a stunning example that has been kept original where possible and meticulously and sympathetically upgraded where beneficial. More than a restoration, but not a full-on modernisation, we think the owner has chosen the perfect path for this kind of car. 

What has resulted is a car with personality, feel and attitude to spare. One that will be an event every time you take it out of the garage. Beautifully finished, cleverly updated and precisely tailored, we think you’ll have to go a long way to find a more attractive proposition for a genuinely usable, highly-collectible classic.

History and documentation

• 1964MY car

• Imported to the UK from the USA in 2013 by the vendor

• Purchased from a member of the Porsche 356 Registry

• Restored over a number of years by marque specialists, using as many OEM parts as possible

• First registered in the UK October 2020

• Current mileage 3,121 on the clock

• 1 of 16,684 built in period

• Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and Porsche Kardex included

• US New Jersey Certificate of Title included

• Full document pack

• Collection of invoices from the restoration will be provided to the new owner

• Engine rebuild by PRS 356, Essex – full build documented on YouTube 

• Folder of electrical schematics

• Porsche Story book by Ken W. Purdy

• One set of keys supplied with the car, produced by Tony Euganeo, PA, USA, maroon Porsche key pouch included, not original but a nice copy. Rod Emory key ring attached

• Porsche Classic tyre pressure checker in leather pouch

• Box of spare bulbs and fuses

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• MOT and road tax exempt

• London ULEZ compliant

• Please note that while the vehicle is currently stored in Ireland it is registered in Northern Ireland

Interior

• Burgundy leatherette upholstery, which looks to have been finished to an excellent standard, with no damage or notable wear we could see

• We’re told that the seats have been completely restored to factory specification, with original material used for seat cushioning

• Original steering wheel with deluxe horn ring, original horn push button and backing plate

• Leather 356 seat back straps, from The Lereyn Co. Hollister, California (no longer available)

• US supplied CoCo mats for the front and rear footwells as well as the transmission tunnel, natural herringbone colour #21

• Corbeau supplied Pro2 lap harness for the front seats, with aero lightweight adjusters

• Spreader pads upholstered to match the leatherette, Porsche labels displaying the year and model have been professionally stitched onto the harness of each belt; Le Mans labels stitched onto each belt

• Metal seat trim restored, all chrome elements rechromed, and all knobs renewed

• All interior panels and roof fitted with Dynamat for sound deadening, then original matting insulation refitted

• New headlining, in period cream perforated vinyl

• All interior instruments rebuilt and finished by Palo Alto

• Pedal box rebuilt with new bronze bushing, pedal rubbers and springs

• Tan coloured carpet set, with edges finished in tan fabric, supplied by New Autos International, California

• Door cards are original and have been reupholstered; original door hardware, handles, and winders have all been refitted

• Original turn signal switch restored to original condition by type356A in the US

• Complete new wiring harness and fuse box fitted, supplied by YnZ, California

• New dome light harness fitted, supplied by YnZ, California

• Rod Emory supplied gear knob – normally only installed on Emory build cars

• 12v high-level brake light fitted, supplied by The Leryn Co. Hollister, California – these are extremely difficult to locate now

• Original Blaupunkt Frankfurt radio fitted, correct for year; supplied by Matthias Klassen, Old Timer Radio

• Fire element stick, housed inside a custom made pouch with leather strap trimmed to match the interior upholstery

• Original “frunk” luggage liner, which looks to be in very good order

• CoCo mat for the front trunk well

• Spare steel wheel, dated 7/63, which shows well without noticeable marks and is finished in silver

• Jack in a bespoke made bag with leather straps, designed to match the upholstery

• Left and right fresh air flap boxes restored

• New brake fluid reservoir 

• New OEM steering coupler

• New leather wheel retaining strap

• Battery tender charging cable attached to battery, tender also supplied to buyer

• The vendor tells us that the cables for the hot air in the cabin will need to be adjusted to work

Exterior

• Complete ‘bare metal’ respray, with the majority of the metalwork restoration (including a new floor pan) carried out in the USA

• Finished in Heron Grey, an original 356 colour from the period

• The right side door was repainted following a scratch – unfortunately in the wrong paint code, it was fitted back onto the car so it could be enjoyed during the summer, but it should be a relatively simple job to respray to make the paintwork perfectly matching again

• Door and hood gaps are good but could be better, should the new owner wish to take things to the next level

• There are a couple of minor small scratches and one tiny indentation on the right side, presumably from another car’s door

• We couldn’t discern any corrosion anywhere on the metalwork, it all presents in superb condition

• The underneath of the car is as close to pristine as you’ll see

• Fresh rubbers have been fitted all round, and look to be in fine fettle

• LED headlights, Cu Layer supplied LED tail lights

• Hirschmann aerial

• OEM headlight chrome rims with stone guard mesh grills, complete with knurled fasteners

• AMCO chrome luggage rack with original hardware fitted to the rear

• Gold ‘Porsche’ and ‘C’ badges fitted to the engine cover

• Original period rally badges fitted to the rear engine grills

• Over-riders deleted front and rear deleted (easily reversed, if so desired)

• Original hood handle and badge

• Bosch horns restored to original specification and working order

• Hoffman New York dealer surround plate on rear (not original, supplied by European Collectibles of California)

• The 15” wheels are all original to the car, and show no obvious marks or lacquer peel; they are painted in the correct silver, date coded 8/63

• Hub caps deleted, period tyre rim valve holders fitted

• 5x Vredestein Sprint Classic 165 tyres fitted, all of which appear to be in excellent condition with good tread and sidewall condition

Mechanical

• Later Porsche 912 engine (based on a 356SC engine) – rebuilt by PRS 356, engine machine work conducted by Prill Porsche Classics

• 1,582cc flat-four

• The seller reports that with all the upgraded parts the engine performs better than would be expected from a 1.6 but we can't confirm a precise horsepower figure

• The engine bay and the rest of the mechanicals are extremely clean and superbly presented, with no evidence of leaks, damage or any other issues that we could discern

• 4-speed manual transmission

• Transaxle rebuilt by Wills Werks of Fairfax, Virginia

• All engine bay tinware powder coated black, new seals fitted

• 022 distributor rebuilt by PRS 356

• Restored set of flapper boxes acquired from PRS 356

• New stainless steel J-Tubes from PRS 356

• 2x new heat exchangers and valves

• Stainless steel heater rods 

• Fuel pump rebuilt by PRS 356

• 200mm lightened flywheel and SCAT flywheel nut, supplied by Prill Porsche Classics

• Chromoly push rod set, supplied by Prill Porsche Classics

• Main and big end bearing sets, supplied by Prill Porsche Classics

• Restored set of Solex PII40 carburettors from Prill Porsche Classics

• Carburettor heat tubes and all associated parts installed as per factory 

• 12v high torque starter motor, supplied by Prill Porsche Classics

• K&N Solex air filters, supplied by Sierra Madre Collection

• Original new Koni steering damper

• Original new Koni Classic shock absorbers all round

• Street camber regulator, supplied by 356 Enterprises

• Sport sway bar kit W/R 17.5mm, supplied by Willhoit Auto Restoration

• Carrillo connecting rod set, supplied by PRS Porsche

• Shasta Design pistons, barrels and liners fitted

• SCAT pushrods

• SX-1 camshaft, supplied by PRS 356

• Standard 912 Crank

• US-spec full flow oil kit, supplied by Precision Matters

• Aluminium 356 sump plate with drain plug from Precision Matters

• Aluminium oil cooler, supplied by PRS 356

• Valve covers replated with correct finish

• Valve cover gaskets, steel core /cork-rubber composite, supplied by 356 Enterprises

• Vintage Speed stainless steel quiet Sebring exhaust fitted

• New period correct fuel tank fitted, with new sender unit and fuel cock, colour-coded

• Engine compartment insulation kit fitted, from Sierra Madre Collection

• All copper fuel lines replaced

• Ethanol proof fuel hose (8mm) fitted

• New brake discs fitted all round

• Front and rear brake callipers restored by Classic Car Automotive, Cheshire

• 12v Bosch voltage regulator and Bosch Ignition Coil renewed

• 12v dynamo rebuilt and body replated by PRS 356

• A full engine work sheet will be supplied to the new owner, along with invoices for parts and work carried out by PRS 356 and Prill Porsche Classics

• Would benefit from a carburettor balance, otherwise the vendor tells us that the car runs perfectly well with no known mechanical issues

Summary

We really don’t need to say much about this 356. You can tell from the pictures and the specification that this project has been a significant labour of love over a number of years. The investment of time, energy and, let’s not be shy about it, hard cash, is truly impressive.

The results are really quite wonderful, enhancing what is already a very desirable car. Extremely well finished, highly collectible and truly soul-stirring, we can’t think of many ways we’d rather flit from event to event this summer.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Please note that the seller will be unavailable for some of April so there may be a delay in collection after a successful auction.