1964 Porsche 356

C Coupe Coupe

4 - Cyl.

Manual

129333

Gasoline

Please ensure financing is in place before bidding. 1964 Porsche 356 C Coupe VIN# 129333 Build History 129333 was shipped to San Diego in 1965. In 2007, I purchased her from the 3rd previous owner (PO) and brought her north to the San Francisco Bay Area. In late 2007, 129333 was delivered to Wolfgang Reif of German Competition Motors for a total restoration. Wolfgang is Stuttgart trained and opened his Hayward shop in 1969. These days, Wolfgang works nearly exclusively on 356’s. 129333 enjoyed the benefit of Wolfgang’s 46 years of experience servicing/building 356’s. His craftsmanship is evident in the details of the restoration. Wolfgang wasn’t the exclusive veteran 356 contributor to this build. Other well known 356 professionals like Jim Breazeale, Ron LaDow, Joe Leoni, Tony Euganeo and Albert Tiedemann provided their expertise as well. 356 History The Porsche 356 was Porsche’s first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2 door, sports car. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motor sports success and popularity. The last revision of the 356 was the 356C, which was introduced for the 1964 model year. It featured disc brakes as well as an option for the most powerful pushrod engine Porsche had ever produced. The C represented all the refinements of the 356 line. The 356 has always been popular with the motor press. In 2004, Sports Car International ranked the 356C tenth on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. Today, the Porsche 356 is a highly regarded collector car. It is estimated approximately half of the total production of 76,000 356’s still survive. Of that, the 356Registry estimates there are approximately 4,500 356’s in North America. I will attempt to document the build as best as my memory will serve. In addition, I have hundreds of pics documenting the process. Receipts total nearly $100K. Build Details Coach (Chassis/Body) The chassis was placed on a rotisserie and completely stripped. The metal work was done by long time 356 professional. During the panel replacement/repair, there was an original owner 356C coupe in the next bay. Exacting measurements of the “unmolested” coupe were taken to ensure that all panel replacements would be precise. Of particular note, 129333 has an original “unbent” hood. The 356 hood hinge has a gravity lock system. Raise the hood all the way and the hinges automatically lock. To unlock (lower the hood), you must first raise the hood to the fully upright position, and then lower. Over the years, many cars saw their hoods bent when the uninitiated assumed the hoods to be spring hinged. Wolfgang rebuilt both front and rear deck lid hinges to ensure that they work as designed. And maybe more importantly, some time was devoted in sourcing and properly installing an OEM hood latch. This ensures the secondary latch is functioning. Once, I was under the hood at a pit stop and neglected to latch the hood in its fully closed position. I didn’t get very far down the road when I noticed the hood wasn’t fully latched closed. If it hadn’t been for the working secondary latch, the hood would have wrapped over the roof when I hit speed (thank you Wolfgang!). The hood fitment on 129333 is very good. 129333 is a Reuter bodied coupe Full rotisserie tear down Body stripped by hand Sheet metal replacement/repair (perforations are not always easy to see, “soft” metal was methodically revealed) Door bottoms Battery box Cowl pannel Longitudinals Pans Rear seat trays Rear struts Rear wheel well Package tray Seam sealed/under coated Doors “thump” when opened (sound from rubber door stops) Window regulators rebuilt (Jim Breazeale) Both deck lid’s fit/function correctly (locking/latch mechanisms) Original side/rear glass – new windshield New chrome bumperette’s / trim All rubber trim replaced Electrical All but a few 356’s were built as 6 volt systems. Over the years, many have been modified to run 12 volts. Typically, it was your 70’s PO (previous owner) who wanted a new 8track mounted in the glove box. The principal complaint with old 6 volt systems is that the lights are too dim. Poor lighting performance is caused by old wiring that hasn’t been maintained (yes, the electrical system requires scheduled maintenance). Wolfgang added additional negative grounds in key spots to improve lighting performance. Joe Leoni supplied the 1.2v bulbs for gauge lighting, replacing stock .6v bulbs – greatly improving night time readability. Talk to the professionals and most agree…restore as designed….6 volt. New German wiring harness with correct terminations New fuse block Additional negative grounds All chassis groumets where wiring passes through sheet metal replaced Joe Leoni’s starter relay - prevents full amperage running through the ignition switch – greatly extending the service life of the ignition switch Original ignition switch rebuilt by Tony Euganeo…the “key man” (not a cheap Bosch switch) 12volt transformer (mounted under dash without drilling) to run 12volt late 60’s Blaupunkt Fuse link added to the interior clock – preventing clock failure from malfunctioning regulator or “jump” starting the battery Origninal fog light swtich (with factory wiring in harness) Original/working door switches Optima gel battery with custom made hold down European headlight buckets All interior/exterior lighting works with factory new performance Engine & Transaxle This is where 46 years of experience pays big dividends. There are several shops across the country that can rebuild a 356 engine. Fewer can rebuild a transaxle. If you’ve ever had an engine rebuilt, let alone an engine last in production nearly 46 years ago, there are critical technical build aspects a junior builder won’t appreciate. Every 356 owner knows a guy who spent $10K on a rebuild that turned into a paper weight. Often, you end up throwing good money after bad. Wolfgang expertly assembled and tuned this engine. 129333 delivers strong acceleration throughout RPM range. The third piece on this engine is blank (engine serial numbers were stamped on this rear facing case 3rd piece). In most cases, this represents warranty work done at a dealer. The list below is not the complete engine build detail – just the highlights I can recall at the moment. New piston’s & cylinders with bigger bore – 1720cc NeuTek Camshaft ZH-1 - Designed to dramatically improve performance using Zenith carbs Heads machined with new intake/sodium exhaust valves, guides/springs New crankshaft pulley New sodium push rods w/ solid pushrod tubes Balanced flywheel/clutch assembly New Bosch 6v starter w/ Joe Leoni’s starter relay New aluminum oil cooler with 40% more capacity than stock New oil pump gear Oil Temp gauge/sending unit calibrated for accurate heat readings (car has never been run hot) New 6v generator Restored Bosch 022 distributor – built by Albert Tiedemann Rebuilt fuel pump Correct fuel line/zinc coated Ron LaDow “Top Shelf” Zenith NDIX 32 carbs – ported for the bigger displacement – these carbs do not leak Carbs disassembled, cleaned Jets ultra-sonically and chemically cleaned Castings machined flat, de-burred Throttle body finished in fuel-proof paint, all ferrous hardware clear cad plated Carbs assembled with new gaskets, plated hardware Carbs set for float level, accelerator pump volume and bench-balanced as a pair Carb spec documents provided Case ventilated w/custom blow-by catch - no vented into the right side air cleaner (stock). Even the small amount of oil that will find its way into the carb is enough to clog it over time Ron LaDow’s velocity stack’s - fit inside the stock metal air cleaner and improve air flow and maintain the “stock” look Rebuild throttle assembly w/new cables – you get 100% throttle capacity, a problem for a lot of cars out there New Dansk sport exhaust Rebuild heat exchangers/powder coated Powder coated engine tin The transaxle is believed to be numbers matching. It was disassembled, inspected and parts replaced as necessary. It shifts smoothly through all gears. Disassembled, inspected and cleaned New axle bearings Replaced 2 shift forks Powder coated axle tubes with solid axle boots Swepco Synthetic Gear Lube Interior The interior was installed by Cook’s Upholstery in the Bay Area. They’ve been servicing the 356 community for nearly 40 years. They know 356 interiors. The seats have the correct pleating and just the right amount of “spring” in them. The dash pad isn’t over stuffed. The headliner is the correct vinyl type. The seats and dash are supple leather. The door and side panels are vinyl. German square weave carpeting The interior is fully insulated Sound deadening added to the doors with plastic seal behind the door panel (to prevent door panel rot) All interior lights work as designed All gauges restored by Palo Alto Speedometer w/ 1.2v bulbs (provides twice the illumination as stock lighting) Turn signal mechanism rebuilt – functions like new Seat hinges re-chromed Seat rails powder coated Steering column powder coated Door regulators rebuilt – rollup windows are work well Reconditioned late 60’s Blaupunkt (solid state radio - 12v) with iPod jack Period style speaker gills w/new high performance 2-way speakers Retractable 3 point seat belts - retractable meaning the shoulder belt will move with the driver/passenger, a very nice interior upgrade (3 point seat belts were an option in ’64-’65) Factory correct rubber floor mats Custom made German square weave floor mats New, reproduction glove compartment with key Powder coated shift plate Neutral lock out with key - works as designed Doors and ignition keyed alike by Tony Euganeo…the “key man” OEM vinyl sun visors in excellent condition (from Wolfgang’s collection) Brakes Porsche introduced their production disc brake design with the 1964 356. All brake components were rebuilt or replaced. Jim Breazeale rebuilt the calipers with custom made stainless steel pistons and sleeves. Every 356 I’ve ever driven needed the brakes pumped at least once before there was pedal resistance. And in every case, it’s because they were either assembled incorrectly or not serviced correctly…or both. The brakes on 129333 were rebuilt, assembled and serviced by 40 year veterans. And as you’d expect, braking is responsive, crisp …without pumping the pedal repeatedly. · New master cylinder · New rotors · New hard/soft brake line · Fresh brake pads all around · Powder coated disc brake backing plates · Cadmium plated calipers with custom stainless steel pistons/sleeves · Rebuild parking brake mechanism – this entails a series of levers, cables, clips and a whole lot of expertise to make factory again · All new clips/brushings/springs through out the braking systems Steering/Suspension When I pulled into Wolfgang’s shop for the first time…after some spirited driving, he showed me the steering coupler was torn (not to mention a badly leaking master cylinder). I had no idea just how dangerous my hard cornering was. Not only has every aspect of steering and suspension been rebuilt – it has been assembled and tuned to perform as designed by the factory. · All new axle spacers/shims/seals/rubber buffers/bushings/pins/grease fittings/bolts · New king/link pins and wheel bearings · Steering box, disassembled, cleaned, inspected and reassembled new seals · Swepco synthetic gear oil · New steering coupler with safety wire · New sway bar bushings and clamps · New tie rod ends · New Koni steering damper – correctly set up (harder than you think!) · Replaced left side hub – these are extremely hard to find in good condition · Powder coated spring plates · Suspension/steering professionally aligned Miscellaneous: No starting problems - fires right up, even after sitting for weeks Never driven in the rain Always garaged/covered Restored California black plate’s – adds to the period look of the car - vary rare Restored factory jack Rebuilt fresh air regulators and cabin heat/rear defrost controls – all work as designed Original fog light switch mounted in dash (w/factory wiring for fog lights) Original fuel tank cover New foot well floor boards Pedal assembly correctly mounted – clean accelerator linkage movement Fuel tank boiled, powder coated New fuel petcock Rebuilt fuel gauge sending unit New hard/soft fuel lines New windshield washer tank and foot pump – works as designed (but never used) New hub cab emblems 5.5” chrome wheels with good rubber Rebuilt horns - work as designed I have nearly $100K in receipts There are a great many details regarding this build that escape my memory. The description above and build pictures should provide prospective buyers with a high confidence level. If there is something specific I haven’t addressed, please send me a note and I’ll respond. It’s hard to sum up this build. This entire build was done by experienced 356 professionals...no amateur/hobbyist work here. Every aspect of the car has been restored to factory perfomance...and then some. These were solid cars when manufactured and 129333 is solid once more. I know fellow 356’ers that travel with a box load of spare parts and even more tools. Understandable, when you’re driving a 45 year old car with countless repairs and modifications. 129333 drives like I took her of the showroom floor last week. I invite all interested buyers to inspect 129333 before making a bid....you won't be disappointed. I'll consider all 356 project car trade-ins. Maybe you've had a project car in your garage for years...now you can stop dreaming and start driving. I will respond to all email inquires within 24 hours. I'll include a CD of all restoration pics for the new owner. Recipets will be delivered with the car to the new owner. A $500 deposit is due 48 hours after auction close (prefer Paypal). Payment in full must be received before delivery of car.