Porsche 356B Coupe

by Jim Shrager

365B T-5 coupe is much improved over the A model.

It’s hard to imagine much more bang for your vintage buck than a 1960-1963 B Coupe. The B’s cost less than the later C models (1964-1965) yet have many of the durability and driveability improvements over the earlier A models, including bigger brakes, stronger connecting rods, bigger oil pumps, improved steering gearboxes and stronger, better shifting transmissions. Plan on spending $10-$12,000 for a driver, $15,000 for a nice car and up to $20,000 for a superb example. The 1960-61 T-5 cars have the round front hood and smaller windows of the 356A mated to the higher front fenders of the B/C body. Significant changes came in 1962, when the T-6 body was introduced with a squared-off front hood, the fuel filler moved to the passenger front fender, twin grilles on the engine compartment, and larger front and rear windows. The engines throughout the period are all 1600cc air-cooled horizontally-opposed four cylinder ones in three states of tune: 60 hp (DIN)...