Description
This 1964 Porsche 356C has had an extraordinary life, taking part in a number of endurance rallies including the legendary London to Sydney event – a journey of some 16, 000 miles. It has also travelled 9, 000 miles through Southern Africa and traversed North Africa. The Porsche was originally sold to the USA, so it’s been driven on every continent in the world apart from Antarctica – a challenge for the next owner, perhaps!
Amazingly, the 356 needed relatively little modification to prepare it for these epic trips, which is a testament to just how durable classic Porsches are. The bodyshell was given a major restoration by Southern Classics before being resprayed, and remains in good order. The main visual upgrade is the addition of twin front towing eyes, which were a rally requirement.
The engine was rebuilt by renowned Porsche 356 guru Andy Prill. The capacity was increased to 1720cc which, together with an Elgin 7606 camshaft and twin Dellorto carburettors, gives a recorded 92bhp at the wheels. The car then went to Gantspeed Engineering, another 356 specialist, for further preparation. There, the gearbox was rebuilt, a front-mounted oil cooler was fitted, the ride height was raised slightly, and the brakes, suspension, steering and clutch were attended to, along with various other jobs.
The interior has been enhanced with reclining Recaro seats, a full roll cage and racing harnesses. Supplementary gauges have been fitted for oil pressure and oil temperature, and there’s a Sony radio/ CD player. A twin trip meter, stopwatch and map-reading lamp add to the rally credentials.
This amazing Porsche 356C first came to us in 2023 for recommissioning after being in storage for a while. We carried out a major service, overhauled the brakes with refurbished calipers, new pads and new pipework. We also drained the fuel system, replaced the fuel lines and set up the carburettors, renewed the ignition leads, refitted the rear window, refurbished the wheels and fitted four new Pirelli P6000 tyres. The car has seen very little use since, but we shall go through it again before sale to ensure we are happy with it.
This is only a brief overview of the 356’s history. It comes with several folders full of invoices, notes and photographs relating to work carried out in recent times, which makes for fascinating reading. Also included are rally stickers and plates, plus the Chinese number plates the car had to wear while crossing China - a wonderful reminder of just how far this 356 has travelled.
Although it wouldn’t take much to return the Porsche 356C to standard, if you so desired, we think it would be a shame to lose the car’s unique history. It is very well sorted and would make a fantastic starting point for future adventures - whether that’s another long-distance rally or simply an unforgettable road trip around Europe. Porsches with this sort of genuine rally history rarely come to market.
Philip Raby Specialist Cars is refreshingly different. We like to build a friendly relationship with customers; before, during, and after you buy from us. You won’t get a hard sell but you will get friendly and professional advice to ensure that we find exactly the right car for you. We have sold hundreds of Porsches and other specialist cars and have a vast experience to share with you. We don’t just sell Porsches, we service them as well. We are based in the historic village of Bosham, on the south coast of England, nestled between the South Downs and Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s a lovely area to visit and you are very welcome to come and view our stock or just have a chat about cars!
Each car we sell goes through a thorough mechanical inspection and any faults found put right before sale. This ensures that your new car is ready for you to enjoy from day one, without you having to worry about a thing. In the unlikely event you have a problem, we include a six-month warranty underwritten by us. We stand by this warranty so, if you have any issue with your Porsche, wherever you are in the UK, we will work with you to put things right, without any quibble or fuss. So do please get in touch for a chat and to arrange a visit or a live video.
