Oh, if we could only have saved these chariots of speed, prestige, and style. But, rather than lament what should have been, we feature these rusty relics as a celebration. Let’s celebrate what industry has created and how Mother Earth has yanked back to her bosom. Nothing can be done for these rusty heaps but to ponder what could have been. Had they taken a different path might they be prized subjects of important collections? Or subject to the sweeps and speeds of open tracks at Willowbrook or Sonoma. Smell the must, feel the rust. Rust in peace.

We feature some sad Porsche subjects for the first Rusty Monday

For this first Rusty Monday, we feature some sad Porsche subjects that should have been better cared for. Instead, they haunt our dreams for what could have been. Make no mistake, these are rusted hulks. Save for a bracket or spare piece of trim, they’re toast. And you can imagine if their bodies look like they do there is virtually no pan. Don’t sneeze; they’ll blow away!

This 356 is a sad sight. It must have been parked either where it broke down or once the owner gave up on it. This looks to be the early 1960s 1600 based on the hubcaps. Yes, this was parked with the hubcaps still attached. It’s a rusted shame but that’s why it made it into Rusty Monday.

Another 356, there is a chance this might be able to be saved. You’d have to be dedicated and rich to try, but it’s not as bad as our first example. It appears that every panel, at least the ones we can see in this view, has been punched. But there is a lot of trim and bits that look restorable. 

Let’s shift gears to some 911/912 Porsches

Let’s jump up to a 1968 coupe. How do we know it’s 1968? Those side marker lights were the only year Porsche featured them. Besides the extensive amount of rust it looks like the passenger side top has caved in. Was this from an accident or is the passenger side rustier than the side we can see? We hate to be negative but this looks much more like a parts car than a restorable 911 or 912. This was the last year of the short wheelbase. Some like these better, and some don’t.

Here’s another 911. With the amount of rust so high on the quarter panels we doubt this particular Porsche is restorable. Even the deck lid is rusted through on the lower driver’s side. That door is sagging too. That’s not a good sign. This poor thing has seen better days. Rust in Porsche peace.

In some ways, you have to wonder why this 1968 coupe wasn’t worth saving yet someone has saved it in the state it is in? Yeah, there is some trim and probably a bit more but this thing is wasted. These 1968 Porsches had a bunch of add-on smog stuff. Most owners removed it all when new for better performance. Especially if they planned on owning it long enough, there was no concern for there being problems with a change of ownership. While this looks similar to the coupe above this is definitely a different rust casualty. 

We’ve saved up a few more Porsches, plus a whole lot of Ferraris and classic American muscle for future Rusty Mondays. We suggest you come back next Monday for more.