I Bought my first 356, a 1964 356C. One of the things I really enjoy with old cars that had more meaning than just transportation is the history that goes with them, or story. This 356C was purchased new in Cal. in 1964 and then wrecked, (ran over a fire hydrant?) and poorly repaired in 1965 and then rear ended in 1966 at which time it was repainted at the 'Anderson Porsche VW' in San Jose Cal. for $125.80 ( I have all the receipts from new) It drove very poorly and was parked in Az. some time in 1971 with 84,000 miles on it. I bought it from the daughter of the deceased owner a few months ago, she had never even heard it run. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I want to just clean it up and make it a good driver. But first I had to fix the accident damage from 1966. Here is the press I made to straightened the front torsion tubes. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fritz, You'll learn a lot just by "fixing" and repairing making it a fun reliable driver without having to worry about it. Just cleaning it will give you great satisfaction. Freeman
Freeman, I agree. It has been very Satisfying and amazing how much outgassing? must happen in a car that has sat so long with the windows up. There was crude on all the chrome and the interior windows had a layer you could feel on them. Here is what I fixed, bent torsion tubes and no sway bar. An old sign was used for the sheet metal repair, could they not get the correct stuff from the factory in 1966? Image Unavailable, Please Login
I may be a chorus of one here, but I think you have to incorporate the sign/patch into the car somehow. Maybe not as part of the floor pan, but it is an interesting part of the car's history. If you decide to go "rat rod" 356, it'll be perfect. Even if you don't, there's something about keeping it with the car that just seems right. To me, anyway.
Fritz, I love the sign! I would probably leave it in place. An approach to take with this 356 is to treat it like an old pair of jeans full of holes and distress. Repair it where it needs it to make it safe, fun and reliable but keep the patina. More like a Rat Rod. It will be a crowd favorite! Freeman
Wow Fritz, incredible work! Welcome to the club. I see you need some floor pan repairs as well. Stoddard makes many replacement metal parts as does Steve Hogue, Louis Paras, Trevor's hammer works and Andy Elsner. Granted these guys are all in CA (Trevor isn't). Glad to see another one saved and soon to be back on the road. Thank goodness it was in AZ so shouldn't be too much rust
Thanks for the help and suggestions. I pretty much am a 'make them run and drive right' guy and not much of a 'cosmetics' guy at all. So now it handles and stops great, but I have the engine out right replacing the hard as plastic rear main seal. Before that I had to address the engine which was frozen but broke free, carbs were glued shut by old gas, and fuel pump was the same. That is all good now and the engine runs nice after all that time. I do not have doors on my garage and the camera made the out side white, which matches the temp. today, 108F now, by noon it will get to 111F. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here is a picture of my 68S when I got it. It had also been sitting a long time in a garage at a friend of a friends ranch here in Az. since 1993. Now it runs well and I just drive it. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Freeman, I had to replace the rockers on 68S, but the paint was not so bad so I met this women and her boyfriend at a truck stop, they paint truck door with co. info., and asked them if they could do something about the sides of my car that was in line with a 60's Porsche. Here is a picture of the car as it looks today, these were on the way back from Renn Sport last year, 2,500 miles maybe one quart of oil used. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I see you're in Tucson! I went to UoA. Hopefully you don't go to Redline... Unless you have a lot of $.
Ha! you do know Tucson. But no, I do not go there are any where else, except for interior stuff or paint, cosmetics. Other wise I do all my own work. I had a heavy equipment repair business in a past life. Here I am with my old service truck rebuilding my Porsche Super tractor. Image Unavailable, Please Login
