'57 Speedster Value...help!

[John Straub]

Hi all,

A friend of a mine has a '57 Speedster he is thinking about selling. I have no idea what this is worth, but I told him I would ask the experts.

Very nice showing driver, '57
Warmed 912 engine
C brakes and wheels
Nice interior, but not totally correct to those in the know
Minor bubbles at the bottom of one door
Nice floor with thin original trunk
20 year old restoration with maybe 10K miles on it
Current owner since the late 70's that a mechanic I know has serviced since mid 80's

Any ideas what it should go for?

Thanks,
John

[robsled]

John, give Chris Stavros a call, he's there in SD. Also take a look at www.europeancollectibles.com for comparisons. As in any car it depends on condition.
We sold our 55 Speedster 4 years ago, (before they went up in value), to Nicholas Cage for 85K (20K more than we paid for it). Now that he is a previous owner, it's going for 195K!

[nickd]

On 356 registry
a 58 at $189k & a 57 @ $150k

with a 912 engine I think you be in the $125K range but thats a real finger in the air - condition of bodywork is the key

[super9064]

I have a 56 with a 60 Super motor in it, its an older restoration, that has enough patina that it actually looks original. Its a really fun driver that presents nicely. Many old Porsche guys would rather have a 912 engine in it for the sake of drivability.

I think Speedsters buyers fall into two groups, drivers and collectors. Your friends car is a driver. Assuming car is not hiding a lot of rot I would say $125K, If its very solid, floor, battery box, suspension points, add 10k.

These days you just can't count on the car being worth 20% more next year, to justify over paying. A lot of buyers are looking at a car and adding up the costs to make a car right, and adjusting the price they are willing to pay.

All that said, there are many more people that want a Speedster than there are Speedsters. My car may only be worth $125k in todays market but there is no way that I would sell it for anything less than $150k, if even that.

[John Straub]

Thanks guys for the help on this.

John

[69S-S/R]

Hi John, I am very knowledgeable with the currect Speedster market and I am willing to help establish a value. I need to know as much as possible about the restoration, what the car was when it began (rust, collision damage), who did the work and at what cost; VIN and engine number (non matching I assume, this is a $5,000 to $7,500 deduction), original and present color; how complete with records, tools & jack, Owner's Manuals - Speedster Care, etc.; all gaps, and edges and panel fit, current mechanical condition and, of course, a representative group of photos. It is easier for me to use my regular email address: tomlynns@aol.com.

You may want to reference my web page: www.356consulting.com.

Let know if I can help.

Tom Scott

[LongRanger]

Hello, John . . .

I see that you're getting a lot of encouraging comments from the contributors on this board, about this vehicle. Helpful, positive, etc.

Um . . . with that in mind, I'm gonna take you to the dark side.

I love 356s --- these cars were my introduction to Porsche --- but, they are, in my opinion, cosmically different from anything that Porsche has built since. Once I made my decision to buy one, I spent 2 years looking. Hard. That was 20 years ago, and Speedsters were just as hot a commodity back then as they are now. And there were very few silk purses, even back then. Also, I will say, up front, that from the brief description that you've given . . . this is not a car that I would consider, but that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't. Just so you have my perspective, up front.

I believe any prudent 356 owner --- whether they're a driver, a collector, a flipper, or a friend --- will invariably zero in on the same thing, because any 356 really has only one quality that counts, and that is the originality and the condition (as in integrity and 'fit') of the bodywork. Almost any kind of restoration/upgrading/molestation of mechanicals, transmissions, brakes or options can be forgiven . . . . as long as that deceptively simple 'soap bar' shape, fragile rolled-wire lower panel edges, and absolutely fiendish 2-3 mm gap on all moveable panels and closures, is intact and consistent.

. . . A friend of a mine has a '57 Speedster he is thinking about selling. I have no idea what this is worth, but I told him I would ask the experts.

I would highly recommend you go and look-up the 356 Registry site, introduce yourself, and ask for some help. 'Expert' doesn't begin to cover who you'll find there --- more like religion. Or Cult. (We don't call ourselves 'the Faithful' for nothing.)

But --- as long as you're on this forum --- here goes . . .

Very nice showing driver, '57
See my comments about bodywork, above. Nice? Look at the gaps. A savvy/cagey Buyer will size-up a car from 20ft, just on this one characteristic.

Warmed 912 engine
Power and reliability are great . . . but the Kardex motor and trans are what some Buyers would really like to see.

C brakes and wheels
Hhhh. Useful, safe, easier to service . . but it means that you can't mount those cool period-correct open-centered wheels . . . and that the date-coded original wheels are probably MiA, as well. Plus, if you've ever had to source the original drums . . .

Nice interior, but not totally correct to those in the know
As long as the proper seats, gauges, and steering wheel are there . . .

Minor bubbles at the bottom of one door
OK --- red flag. Minor? Either there's rust in that door that needs attention. Or, if chemical strippers were used at some point, then that stuff is now leaching out of a seam and eating the paint. Either way --- we're talking body- and paint-work . . . not to mention the whole hula-dance of what exactly was done during the 'resto.' Any pictures? Fasten your seatbelts.

Nice floor with thin original trunk
By 'trunk,' I presume you're referring to the battery box. Nice? Either its original and intact. Or it's not. If it's not, then it needs attention.

20 year old restoration with maybe 10K miles on it
John, that's less than 10 miles a week . . . for two decades. I think that mileage is just about irrelevant, on any 356. Mechanically, these cars are simple and super-tough . . . but engines, transmissions, brakes, carbs and fuel tanks, suspensions still need exercise or they become suspect. Make sure everything works before you show it.

Current owner since the late 70's that a mechanic I know has serviced since mid 80's
Have all your paperwork handy, but any prudent Buyer will do a PPI, regardless.

The Good News . . . . is that Speedsters are always in high demand, and prices are still sky-high. So any car, even one with issues, will get a lot of attention. You might try doing your own PPI, before showing the car, then be ready to answer a Buyer's questions when it comes time to deal, have some numbers in your head. Could be kinda brutal, though, especially with the bodywork.

Overall, from your description, the vehicle sounds typical. The 912 motor isn't a big deal, but the disc brakes could be. Battery box and paint will come up, especially at the current price points. Overall originality and authenticity really help, but, again, I think bodywork is crucial, so the final price may well depend on what a Buyer really wants and is ready to pay for . . . or put up with. For six-figures.

As I said up front, this is not a car I would consider. But if I were pricing it, I would start by taking the value of a solid, good-gapped car, then deducting the costs required to bring this vehicle up to that level. This is where 'value' (as in $) meets 'worth' . . . as in 'It costs how much to fix that?'

Hope this helps, and good luck to your friend.

Rick Kreiskott.

[Ghost Chaser]

PM sent.
Cheers,
Rich