The search to buy my first 356

[Steve Homerding]

Ive been searching with no luck. A few dealers/brokers Ive talked with have scared me off and I get the sense they arent giving me the whole story on the car. Ive also read some of their customer reviews and after that Id think twice about buying a bottle of water from them. Could you point me in the direction of someone reputable that I could trust? What Im looking for is a car I can drive and enjoy. A car that I wont have to worry about parking at the grocery store or having my kids ride with me. It can be a rough on the eyes but has to be mechanically sound.

Any info will be greatly appreciated. Im not trying to make this a classified ad so I can delete the thread if its against the rules.

[Adam Wright]

My advice is to get involved with clubs like this and local clubs, put the word out that you are looking for a car, one will pop up. The best cars and deals never see the light of day, they just pass amongst friends. So make Porsche friends, have cash ready, and your car will come to you.
Welcome to the club!

[Doug McDonnell]

Adam is correct. Best cars are seldom advertised. Slim pickings in Illinois ( Michigan too) compared to warmer states. I will PM you with names of a few people here in the Midwest who are honest and that cars seem to find.The owners know and trust them so they get the cars and pass along occasionally. You didn't mention budget though.

[Ned Gorski]

Steve
welcome
You just tossed a pretty wide net between 25k and $350k . i would suggest sharing your search criteria by adding a wanted add in the classifieds .What year and model you desire stock or outlaw and the price range, something as simple as looking for a $?k to $??k daily driver. Who knows your future 356 could be just a click a way . Most of the list members are quite honest, once you get a hit simply search their name from past posts and you will have a pretty good representation of who you are dealing with.
Best of luck.

Regards Ned
55 continental Cab

[Mark Sabbann]

Ive been searching with no luck. ... Could you point me in the direction of someone reputable that I could trust? Any info will be greatly appreciated.

My first thought was to get in touch with Doug McDonnell, he is good at helping future new 356 owners find good cars and avoid bad ones. As if on cue, he responded so he's your man. Good luck - you will now get to weigh your priorities, urgency vs. budget so hang in there, it will be worth it. A 'Want to Buy' ad would maybe shake out a car or two on this site or on TheSamba https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=59 or the Pelican Parts Forum http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/. You can search for just 356s there. If a car comes up that interests you, there are plenty of eyes here (including Doug's) to help you take a look. Welcome to the Registry!

[Martin Bruechle]

You have to hammer the classifieds twice a day. Here, craigslist, pelican, samba, eBay. Newly listed there is only 0 - 3 new ads listed.
Doesn't take much time. Be ready to go fast, if you want to wait a few days a good to fair deal will probably be gone.
Plenty of guys asking "the going rate" (higher than most would pay) if you want to go that route.
There is a lot of WTB ads, might be a waste of time.

You need a price range and work needed. Do you want turn key/clean driver ? No rust ? Or do you want a full or semi project ?
Good luck.

[Drew Ogden]

I have a no rust very original silver/black cab I am about to sell if you have a 100K budget. Runs great, needs a carpet kit. I would drive it anywhere, as it has been totally gone through about a year ago. I was gong to wait until March, as I like to sell in the spring. But, might as well throw it out there....

Hard top car with both tops. drew.ogden@gmail.com

[Steve Homerding]

Thank you all for the replies. Im looking to spend 50k or less for now. Ill put an ad in the classifieds later today

[Mark Roth]

I sold my notchback to a guy who had a want to buy ad in the Registry classifieds. Works!

[Bruce Smith]

Also follow Bring a Trailer. I've bought and sold on BAT and am quite happy with deals both ways. Most bidders aren't inspecting the cars they bid on. I sold a '67 metal dash MGB GT on last year for a HUGE price but didn't even receive a phone call on it. I also bought a car that I drove 800 miles round trip to inspect. It wasn't photographed or described very well and no one else had gone to look at it. Other bidders were cautious and I got a good deal. Knowledge and effort are the keys. You don't necessarily need to move fast but you need to be get prepared to make a move.