356 vs 911 resto

[moito]

today one of my customers said to me that a 356 body restoration is much more complicated/labor-intensive than a 911 resto..his expertise is based on how much he paid for the restorations of the cars he owns(many)..carried out by different shops.
since i have never worked on a 356 i`m now wondering if this is true.

any one has some rough numbers (labor only-not parts) for a not so solid but not totally rotten 356 coupe shell ...body job + paint job. high standard resto not backjard bungling

thanks

...was there ever a european restoration shop that won pebble beach with there 356 restoration ?

[Jules Dielen]

Pm sent.


..

[jesseandersson]

It’s very hard go give an precise answer.

Early Split/Body bumper/Bent 356s are extremely sophisticated in their simplicity.

Later 356s, T2-T6 are more & more production based hence a little more straight forward to work with but I would still consider them more time consuming than a 911.

Just my 2 cents.

[rmfent]

356 more time consuming on body work than 911.

[718RSK]

Franz,

Not sure I am qualified to comment but will try. I have been involved in a 356 restoration to a level which others have told me is Pebble. The only two people I am familiar with who have actually competed at Pebble with a 356 and won an award are Tim Goodrich and Road Scholars. In my eyes Tim's restorations (Tim sadly passed earlier this year) are still the gold standard for 356's and have not been bettered since he retired around 15 years ago.

I am currently involved with the restoration of a '65 911 as you know, and a '56 Carrera coupe. Given their construction and the lack of removable fenders etc. I would say that metal wise the 356 is more work. Generally speaking 356's usually need more work compared to a 911 just because of their age. Paint for me is hard to judge. Given that the 911 is a much more sophisticated car there are more sub systems to restore and go over compared to a 356. The joke I always make with friends is that a plain jane Speedster is the car to restore as it has so few things going on. A well optioned sunroof or cabriolet Carrera would be on the other side of the spectrum.

Hope this helps a bit,

J.

[718RSK]

Forgot, happy to share numbers with regard to the metal work on my '56 in above picture.

[moito]

thanks a lot for all of your input...
franz

[LongRanger]

. . . = Carolina Coach Crafters . . . 'Mutt' Brawley

https://www.carolinacoachcrafters.co...cts/previous/2


There are dozens of outfits --- if not hundreds . . . who can paint, upholster, build an engine or gearbox

But for me? --- the money has always been in the metalwork


And if you've spent any amount of time around 356s --- then you can appreciate what it takes to put one right

Hundreds of spot-welds

2-3 mm gaps on all closures

Lead-filler

Wire-rolled panel edges

Fenders cut to fit their doors


Even if you can find the parts --- or fabricate 'em . . . it's all about how you put them together . . .



. . . and by whom





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[NeunElf]

I'm hardly an expert. I own one of each but I don't do bodywork--just mechanical.

However, it sure looks to me like the 356's front and rear deck lids must be murder to fit compared to the much simpler lines of the 911. Also, you can't unbolt the front fenders on a 356.

[LongRanger]

. . . looks to me like the 356's front and rear deck lids must be murder to fit . . .

The whole car 's 'murder'

When I was in love with Muscle Cars --- the whole narrow-tired, negative-cambered, soap-bar eccentricity of the 356 was a joke

'Strange, stupid, weak' were what came to my mind

I only came to Porsche after dealing with the elemental simplicity of Volkswagen . . . I mean --- they're practically the same car mechanically . . .


. . . but cosmically different in the metal



Run your hands over any 356, some time

There's not a straight line in that body --- except maybe where the side glass meets/drops into the doors



Everything else? . . . .




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