The Doctor's 356

[Matt Harwood]

This is the latest car to end up under my care, a 1964 Porsche 356C coupe. It was a 10th anniversary gift from my mother to my step-father about 25 years ago. Sadly, the Doctor is now fighting Parkinson's and doesn't drive any more. We sold his other two Porsches (a '72 911T and a '78 911SC Andial) last year, but I told him this one should stay in the family. I'm not really a Porsche guy even though I grew up with the Doctor's cars, but this little guy appeals to me because it's simple and feels like an old car. It exists solely for the joy of driving, something I can certainly appreciate. The Doctor and I have been close for decades and this is a part of him that I'd like to hold on to.

 

356 at the Stan Hywet Father's Day Car Show

last year in the special "Air Cooled" class.

 

  

356 today, in my shop.

 

It was restored in the early 1990s, right before my mother bought it. I think she paid $21,000 for it. It has an upgraded motor with about 95 horsepower instead of the original 75, and it's pretty gutsy. In the intervening years, the Doctor put more than 38,000 miles on it, which is probably a lot. He often drove it to work and used it as a real car. There are a few signs of age and use, a notable scrape from when the Doctor was parking by feel there towards the end, but nothing critical and nothing I want to fix--it isn't a show car, it's a driver. I have a few items on my wish list, but we'll see what the future brings.

 

The car has been in our shop for about four years, ever since the Doctor stopped driving, and I shamefully haven't driven it much and just let it sit. Mostly it was parked up front in the lobby where it was out of the way and safe. We took it out last June for the Father's Day car show at Stan Hywet hall where there was a special air-cooled class, and driving it to and from the show reminded me what a joyous little machine it is. But then I stashed it back in the lobby until earlier this week.

 

I recently joined the Porsche Club and today was their new member brunch, so I pulled the 356 out last Tuesday, had Roman (our mechanic) change the oil and air up the tires and install a new Optima 6V battery so it was ready to go this morning. Well, mostly. It was very grumpy, refusing to idle and backfiring quite a bit at idle and on the overrev when I was off the throttle. I figured it was just because it was 45 degrees and maybe some old gas, but it didn't get better as I drove even with fresh gas in the tank. We took it out on the highway for a while to let it stretch its legs a bit (this little guy doesn't mind 70+ MPH speeds) but that didn't seem to improve things. It just needs some TLC. We still drove it more than 60 miles and hit a milestone along the way:

 

 

So this is my next little project. We'll pull the carburetors and clean them, give the ignition system a full sorting, and put new tires on it (I think these are approaching their 30th birthday). It also needs a good deep cleaning everywhere. Parts are plentiful, although not particularly cheap, and the simplicity of the thing is kind of refreshing after dealing with the Lincoln for the past few years. We're not going to restore it, but we'll make it a first-rate driver like all my other cars and then have some fun with it. Melanie can drive this one, too, which she seems to enjoy.

 

I'm not really a Porsche person, but we'll see if I can fall in love with this little guy. 

 

 

Edited May 18 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Bill Boudway]

Thanks for the post. A similar model. was recently sent to auction from here.

Is it a normal, or "SC" designation?

It's the same year as the 356 Speedster that I sold in '64 and wish I had kept.

Edited April 13 by Bill Boudway (see edit history)

[alsancle]

That is cool Matt.  Family history is nice. I have always liked the 356, early and late.   I would own a Speedster which would have been bought when they were practically free. I was prohibited by my old school dad who called them VW's with bigger engines.   He felt a Packard convertible sedan was a better investment.

[Matt Harwood]

2 hours ago, Bill Boudway said:

Thanks for the post. A similar model. was recently sent to auction from here.

Is it a normal, or "SC" designation?

It's the same year as the 356 Speedster that I sold in '64 and wish I had kept.

 

This is a 356C, which I believe was the base model. The SC was more powerful, more expensive, definitely less common, and I'm sure it's worth a lot more today. This one has mechanical upgrades that put it on par with a "Super 90." I'm not an expert on Porsche models and vernacular (it can be bewildering) but as far as I can tell the C was the final iteration of the 356 before it was dropped and the 911 took over. Of note, the C was the first production Porsche to have 4-wheel disc brakes, which is a welcome upgrade.

 

I guess I'll have to become fluent in Porsche, something I've managed to avoid for 40 years. Meh, if I can learn to speak Packard, this shouldn't be any more difficult, right?

 

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

 

 

Edited April 13 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[John Bloom]

Matt, I’m happy for you.  I think making it yours and more time behind the wheel will just endear it more to you and I love the fact that it’s a family car for you guys for several decades.

 

i’m 59 and I have almost always had some smaller nimble sports car or two in my garage for the last 40 years. Now I don’t.  

i’ve had British Roadsters and alfas, and a Porsche but now nothing like that.    I’ve always been a fan of those 356s. That looks like a great car to grow old with and make some great memories and take care of and pass down to you son. 
 

for people that love prewar cars, I don’t think it’s difficult at all to make a case for having one car around like your family’s 356. It’s scratches a completely different itch.  Another wonderful thing Ive found through the years is that buying a car of a make that I’ve never had before always seems to introduced me to wonderful people that are passionate about that make.   I make some interesting new friends that I didn’t have before. In spite of all the Porsche stereotypes, I know several great people that are into them and I think you’ll find a new interesting friend or two through that car. 
 

Don’t forget to give us some updates and action shots of you with your 356 like you have given us with your Lincoln. 

[Matt Harwood]

I had planned to rebuild the Porsche's Solex carburetors myself, figuring, "How hard can it be?" I've done the Strombergs on my Buick and my Lincoln and the Carter on Melanie's Chrysler; these should be no different. Then I saw this:

 

The Porsche Solex 40P11-4

 

Yeah, I took one look at that diagram and noped right out of that particular job--I don't feel like there's any shame in letting a pro handle this one. Instead of making a mistake, I took the car to my friend Andy, who runs Steinel's Autowerks where they have been servicing this car for the Doctor for the past 25 years. Andy bumped me to the front of the line (there are about 30 Porsches of all kinds waiting their turn in his shop) and got the carburetors rebuilt in record time. He also rebuilt the shifter mechanism, a portion of which had apparently disintegrated inside the transmission tunnel (he showed me a handful of shrapnel to prove it). I was driving it without any shifting issues other than terminal vagueness, but I figured it's a Volkswagen Beetle and that's how their crappy shifters feel, right? Andy's comment was simply, "How the heck did you even drive this thing here?" Regardless, it's fixed and it does indeed shift a LOT better. Not quite what I'd call precise, but certainly not the wooden-spoon-in-oatmeal feeling that it had before.

 

With the car in good health, we decided to attend another Porsche Club outing, this time a dinner meet-up at a local eatery after work Thursday. I drove the 356 home from work and took my traditional "car in front of the house" shot that I like to take each time I bring a car home.

 

A very dusty 356 at home base.

 

We left for dinner a little early so we could take the scenic route, then met up with the Porsche Club at the restaurant. We were by far the oldest car, which is OK with me, but everyone seemed to like the little guy. It seems like a good group of people who like to drive and they have a lot of events planned for this summer. We're going to try to attend a few of them.

 

Evolution in action...

 

After dinner, we took an even longer route home and let the car warm up, although according to the oil temperature gauge it runs ice cold. There's still a little flat spot in the throttle that just needs some fine-tuning, and I can handle that (I'm looking forward to it). It was getting dark and we discovered that the parking light position on the headlight switch does nothing. Fortunately, we did have headlights and taillights, as well as instrument lights, so I'm guessing that it's something in the switch itself. New switches are unobtainium so I'll have to get creative and see if I can come up with a fix. 

 

Other things to do soon: the aforementioned carburetor tuning, a deep clean and detail, some new spark plugs, a third brake light, new wiper blades, and maybe some new tires. Oh, and there's something rattling in the right front wheel--probably the badge on the hubcap. Longer term, I am thinking about changing the slightly incorrect black interior with houndstooth cloth inserts to a correct red leather one. I'm also in the process of tracking down some original documentation such as the Porsche Kardex (which is basically the build sheet for the car). 

 

But just in case you think I've gone over to the dark side, we have a CCCA judging seminar at our shop tomorrow (Saturday) and a day tour on Sunday where Melanie will be driving the Lincoln. Time to drive!

 

 

Edited May 18 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Aaron65]

I for one am envious of your "new" Porsche. Although I'm not big on Porsches in general and am vaguely turned off by all the enthusiast buzz they've always received, I've always had a thing for 356 coupes. Unfortunately, they'll always be out of my reach financially, but I'm glad you were able to keep this one in the family and on the road. 

[Ronnie]

Matt, I envy you having a 356. It's a beautiful car. When someone says, "sports car", a 356 is what comes to mind. It's small, simple, and fun to drive. Just what a sports car should be.

[Matt Harwood]

Had a CCCA event on Sunday but since the Lincoln hamstrung itself, we grabbed the 356 because I knew it would run and it was nearest the door. A nice drive to a local collection, then a picnic lunch. 

 

 

A few Full Classics and the 356.

 

Then a relaxing drive home. Melanie shot some video, but then fell asleep before the road got interesting so I'm sorry for the slightly dull footage of a slightly exciting car.

 

 

[Stude Light]

It's a cool looking car. I like it!

[Matt Harwood]

Got up early this morning for the weekly early morning cars-and-coffee in the Valley, which has been going on for a few years but I never quite managed to go. It's organized by Jalopnik.com writer Bradley Brownell and it's one of those low-key, casual events that just works. Decent variety (although nothing truly amazing) and a group of guys who just seem to love cars of all kinds and talking shop. That's OK by me. I think the fact that it is from 7 AM to 10 AM on a Friday morning keeps a lot of the riff-raff out, although there were a pair of Porsches owned by a husband and wife duo that did an ill-advised flyby on their way out. Meh, nobody was impressed, just embarrassed for them.

 

Anyway, I had a good conversation with a pair of young guys who were eager to hear about my pre-war cars because they had zero exposure to them. They said they "heard" they drive really well and I confirmed for them that a well-sorted pre-war car can be a joy to drive. I pointed out that they only real drawback to a pre-war car is speed, but one of them countered by pointing to his early '70s Datsun B210 wagon (a cool little car) and saying that by 65 MPH it feels like he's abusing it--I told him that's exactly how a pre-war car feels. Next week I'll take the '41 Buick and let them have an up close look at something that maybe they've never seen before. If for no other reason, that was a good reason to get up early this morning.

 

 

 

 

The Valley has some great roads, twisting with elevation changes, so the Porsche was in its element. A joyous drive. I was really flying and passed a police cruiser sitting in a speed trap. He didn't budge. I looked down at the speedometer and saw that I was only going like 42 MPH. It felt like so much more! That's exactly what makes this little car so awesome: you can really work it without endangering the rest of the cars on the road.

 

 

Edited May 24 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Tph479]

On 5/20/2024 at 8:20 PM, Matt Harwood said:

Had a CCCA event on Sunday but since the Lincoln hamstrung itself, we grabbed the 356 because I knew it would run and it was nearest the door. A nice drive to a local collection, then a picnic lunch. 

 

 

A few Full Classics and the 356.

 

Then a relaxing drive home. Melanie shot some video, but then fell asleep before the road got interesting so I'm sorry for the slightly dull footage of a slightly exciting car.

 

 

I recognize the Packard 900 that you listed before. I’m glad to see someone out enjoying it. With all the prewar cars that went through your hands, what is your opinion on that model in how it drove?

[Matt Harwood]

On 5/24/2024 at 8:51 PM, Tph479 said:

I recognize the Packard 900 that you listed before. I’m glad to see someone out enjoying it. With all the prewar cars that went through your hands, what is your opinion on that model in how it drove?

 

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. This car was actually a very good driver and a proven tour car. Smooth, torquey, comfortable at about 50 MPH. Good brakes and steering. A good Packard and an honest original, untouched car with good ownership history (formerly owned by the CCCA's long-time head judge). It's not as fast or sophisticated as my Lincoln, but a bit more polished than my '29 Cadillac, which tracks--they made great strides in the 1930s and every year the cars got tangibly better.

 

I have an even nicer all-original 1934 Packard 1100 sedan right now. The '34 is arguably more desirable, but they're otherwise the same car. The '34 is actually in better shape than the '32 and has a known history back to day one. Lovely car, drives superbly. Very impressive.

 

[Matt Harwood]

Today we took the 356 to the Stoddard Porsche Parts open house and swap meet. A lot of air-cooled cars, Porsche in particular, and some pretty interesting non-Porsche stuff. Bruce Schwartz, the owner of Stoddard (actually, he just sold the company), has been a friend for 25 years so we wanted to support his event. And it was pretty impressive. Lots of cars, people, and swap meet booths selling all kinds of stuff. I was very tempted by a lovely wood Moto-Lita steering wheel for $900, but given the needs on our other cars, that's pretty low on the priority list. Here's some of what we saw:

 

  

 

 

356s of all varieties. 

 

  

Lots of cars and people. Hard to find a parking spot.

 

One of these things is not like the others...

 

I had to admit I liked this.

 

 

Some wonderful non-Porsches. That Mercedes panel

van was SPECTACULAR.

 

  

Swap meet was full of people and stuff, including an outfit selling

BRAND NEW steel 356 Speedster shells. No idea how much they

cost, but it can't be cheap.

 

I had a myriad of thoughts run though my head while at this event. This is a bit verbose, but I wanted to put down my thoughts before they floated away:

 

One, the hobby isn't dying. This group basically just represents one marque in northeast Ohio. It isn't Hershey, but it wasn't some sad little group with two vendors and a few cars. There were HUNDREDS of people and probably more than 50 vendors with what seemed like good stuff (admittedly, I am not a Porsche expert). The cars were a an interesting cross-section of old and new, restored and modified. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, lots of conversations over open engine hatches and across parts tables. I don't know why Porsche enthusiasm is so much stronger than other marques, but this is the hobby and it looks pretty familiar. 

 

Two, I realized while walking through the swap meet that I don't know very much about these cars. I wouldn't recognize parts for my car if I saw them and I don't know how to grade them in terms of quality/usability. I'm sure this will come in time, but it felt odd being a little bit of an outsider. It made me realize that there are probably a lot of people who try to dip their toes in the waters if this hobby and get overwhelmed pretty quickly and maybe eject at that point. I'm not an outgoing person and I have a hard time meeting and talking to strangers. If I wasn't already a car guy, this would be a lot to absorb and could potentially be enough to turn me away. It's like when you start a new video game and you don't know the controls or how the game mechanics work, so it's really difficult and frustrating. But if you stay with it, it becomes fun as you learn more and become more proficient. So this was a great opportunity for me to feel a bit like a noob for a change. It gave me a different perspective, anyway.

 

Three, I am really trying to fall in love with Porsches, but it's not coming easy. People are insanely passionate about them, but most of these lovely cars do nothing for me. I'm a little frustrated by that. Our little 356 is charming in its own way, but I went back to the shop and got into my 1941 Buick and felt happier behind that particular wheel. What does this suggest? I don't know. Maybe what you like is more than just what you're exposed to. Maybe it's something more innate, they way you might prefer blondes to brunettes. Not quite a choice or decision, but not purely instinctive, either. Talking with Melanie at lunch, we watched people wander over to the 356 in the parking lot and look it over. All kinds of people, even families. Why does that car talk to people on a level that many others do not? My theory is that maybe since Porsche is a quantifiable thing--everyone KNOWS what a Porsche is and what it represents--that it's easier for people to find them appealing. A 1941 Buick? WTF is that, never mind the orphan and dead makes. There's a modern analogue for Porsches so that even the layperson can at least appreciate what that old 356 represents. Its commonality and ubiquity makes it more accessible in a way that many other old cars just aren't. Perhaps that slams the door on the hobby before it even opens for many people because there's so little frame of reference. Everyone knows a Porsche is a cool car. That seems to be enough. Nobody understands that a Studebaker can also be cool because they simply don't have any frame of reference, modern or otherwise.

 

Four, it's still awesome to drive a slow car fast. Melanie drove us home in the 356 and we took a few winding country roads. She was running it harder than the video suggests, spending most of her time in 3rd gear and above 3500 RPM. She knew what she was doing and was MUCH harder on the brakes than I am. She was actually using that little car as intended.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[kar3516]

1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said:

My theory is that maybe since Porsche is a quantifiable thing--everyone KNOWS what a Porsche is and what it represents--that it's easier for people to find them appealing. A 1941 Buick? WTF is that, never mind the orphan and dead makes. There's a modern analogue for Porsches so that even the layperson can at least appreciate what that old 356 represents. Its commonality and ubiquity makes it more accessible in a way that many other old cars just aren't. Perhaps that slams the door on the hobby before it even opens for many people because there's so little frame of reference. Everyone knows a Porsche is a cool car. That seems to be enough. Nobody understands that a Studebaker can also be cool because they simply don't have any frame of reference, modern or otherwise.

@Matt Harwood you make a very interesting observation.  My earliest automotive interests over 40 years ago were TriFive Chevys and 67-72 muscle cars; mostly early Camaros and Chevelles.  Later I drove MkIV 6 speed Supra Turbos in the One Lap of America for four years and owned several.  My dad no longer drives but has been an early Ford V8 guy from the beginning.  I can speak the car hobby language and I’m fluent in early Camaros and other GM muscle cars of the same era.  I knew nothing about the big prewar classics when I became interested four years ago.  It’s a brand new language, data set, and pecking order.  I sometimes feel exactly as you describe but I’m learning quickly and making progress.  I have to remind myself that while the contributions and expertise put forth on the AACA forum are a fantastic source of knowledge not available elsewhere on the internet, the pre war big classics portion of the hobby is much larger than the limited amount of participation represented on this forum.

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

I restored and drove a 1966 Porsche 912 way back in the 90’s. That car drew more universal attention than any other older vehicle I have ever owned. There must be an aura that surrounds those 356s and early 911/912s.

[Angelfish]

About five years ago I made the decision that I was no longer going to try to like something that I didn’t actually like.  It was actually a more significant decision than I anticipated.  I don’t like meatloaf and I’m no longer going to try to matter how much someone tells me that I’d like this meatloaf.  I don’t like the movie Gran Torino.  I don’t like Subarus.  It freed me up to move on to other things, 

 

A year ago I bought 1982 Mercedes-Benz 380SL.  It left me sitting in traffic three times in the first month I owned it.  The window seals leak when it rains.  The interior is tiny but the steering wheel is comically large,  And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  So I’m not going to waste energy trying to like a different car when I’ve found the one that works for me.

 

As an aside, I watch a lot of the gentlemen’s vintage endurance rallies, one day hoping to participate in them.  And I can’t help but notice that at the end of the day the Porsches are always up on jacks with the driver working through the night to replace a  clutch or a rear axle or a transmission seal or some other expensive sounding part.

[m-mman]

On 6/8/2024 at 3:19 PM, kar3516 said:

the pre war big classics portion of the hobby is much larger than the limited amount of participation represented on this forum.

My CCCA experience is that the “group” is moving away from cars as mechanical things that need tinkering and will make your hands dirty to “rolling art”. 

Try to talk valve adjustments or sorting out a stubborn carburetor will be met with blank stares. 
 

Talk about how “beautiful” a swoopy French body with skirted fenders is and people will offer a similar opinion. Ask what kind of engine is in that Delage or Delahye and again blank stares. 

I find few if any below the sheet metal articles in current CCCA Publications as there were 30+ years ago. Now it is all about what you see on the outside. Less car, more “style”. 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

@m-mman Checkbooks seem to rule at all levels of our hobby. The home restorers are indeed a rare breed…..but they are still out there. That is why this is my favorite forum….many serious and skilled restorers post here. I learn much from them.

Edited June 16 by Jeff Perkins / Mn (see edit history)

[carbking]

Matt - if you plan to drive the car, I would suggest speaking to someone about rust prevention.

 

Maybe it just occurs in Missouri, but I had a 356 about 1970 or so, and the floors resembled Fred Flintstone's car.

 

A good friend at the time had a 912 with the same issue, an it was only a couple of years old!

 

Enjoy your Porsche!

 

Jon