356Talk
Almost every day we check the 356 information on 356Talk. It is a forum on the 356 Registry website which is www.356Registry.org. Awhile back one of the participants said he was setting up a website to allow a search for 356 engine numbers. This might allow someone to find the original engine for their 356.

At the time we had three engine third pieces. This is the piece at the rear of your engine that has the factory stamped serial number. We put this info on the website thinking it might help someone rebuild an original engine for their 356. Recently we were contacted by a guy in Denmark inquiring about one of the engine serial numbers we had listed. We wrote him that we only had the third piece for the engine. He responded indicating he was buying a Speedster that had an engine with the same serial number. He sent a picture and sure enough, his Speedster had the same engine number.

Which was the real one?

I guessed the one we had was the real one as who would go to the trouble of changing the number on the third piece and then not use it. Anyhow, we told the guy in Denmark he could have the third piece for the cost of shipping. This would end the confusion on which third piece was original as he would have both. We sent the third piece to Denmark.

Along these lines, we recently saw a third piece in a 356 that had no serial number. A serial number had been stamped on the generator stand! A lot easier to fake a 356 engine number on the generator stand than tearing down part of the engine. But an obvious fake. This was another of those misrepresented E bay buys.

Progress
We picked up the Shop ’57 Sunroof Coupe at Blast Tech and put it in the shop to start the metal work for the second edition of our 356 restoration book. We have already done the repairs to the rear floor pan.

We also picked up Andy’s ’62 Coupe from the painter and installed the doors and lids. We will mask off the 356 and paint over the Signal Red overspray under the car. This fresh Signal Red color really defines the term “Arrest-me-Red”. Andy will use our trailer to transport his 356 back to his home in Avon where he will finish the assembly and get it ready for the interior work at Autoweave.

BJ will finish Rob’s Cabriolet soon and it will go to the painter for its original Ivory color. Then BJ gets to get the Shop ’57 Speedster ready for paint while I work on the Shop ’57 Sunroof Coupe.

We took the transmission from the Shop ’57 Speedster to Trevor to have it evaluated. While it was still in the back of my truck, Trevor took a quick look and said “you can’t use this one.” I said “what do you mean?” and he pointed to a small crack in the case. Trevor had a replacement case and will rebuild the transmission. We also had Trevor evaluate one of the engines that we were going to use in the Speedster since the engine that came with it was not original and needed work. It was a running 912 engine that was a mix of parts and would need a lot of work so we are having the rest of our spare engines evaluated. We want to avoid a completed engine rebuild if possible, as they are getting pricey-in the $7,000 range.

We also rebuilt the front brakes for the Speedster. The four wheel cylinders were in poor shape but we had some good ones and rebuilt them. We have lots and lots of drum brake parts so call if you need parts. Winter is a good time to inspect and refurbish your brakes; at a minimum a brake fluid change and if it’s been a few years, new rubber hoses.

We finished most of the detail work on the Shop ’57 Carrera and it will go back to Paragon Motorcars for sale. We doubt the Carrera will sell as fast as the Shop Cabriolet as it will be more expensive.

The Market
We can’t figure the 356 market!

356s are selling for way more than they did only two years ago. We have talked to brokers and others involved in the 356 market and haven’t determined what’s going on.

There are way more buyers than sellers and even rough project cars are going for big bucks. We saw one project 356 that really stunk. We mean you opened the door and the odor was overwhelming. It sold for $8,000. We get calls every week from buyers looking for 356’s. The problem is many of these buyers are not 356 knowledgeable and can fall prey to unscrupulous sellers. This can only hurt our hobby.

Please, if you know of someone who wants to buy a 356 insist they have it evaluated by someone who knows 356s.

Vacation
Barb and I take our vacation in Maui every February. This is when we can see whales breaching from the lanai of our rental unit.

We stay at the Hale Pau Hana Resort and they now have a webcam. After checking e-mails on 356Talk I go to www.HPHRESORT.com, run the mouse over “Resort” and then click Webcam and then I can see the weather conditions and how many people are on “my” beach!

Grand Pa News
Alex took her first unassisted steps. Right away Barb said we have to get a gate for the stairs! She has a dozen words in her vocabulary but not yet Jim or grandpa.

During the photo shoot for the family picture we put Alex at the wheel of Barb’s Twin Grille Roadster. Even standing, she immediately reached for the gear shift. I think this girl might have potential!

Employee Handbook
I recently had a birthday and checked the latest revision to the 356RESTORE Employee Handbook. I discovered that I was entitled to a day off with pay. So, I took Friday off. I enjoyed it so much I decided to take all Fridays off.

After working six days a week for fourteen years on 356 Porsches and reaching my 65th year, I decided to cut back.

We will still have open shop on Saturday afternoons. We recently had a visitor from Sweden. Steffen enjoyed the tour and cars and bought my 356 Restoration book. We both commented on his last name which is Kjellshog. Pretty close to Kellogg in spelling but I can’t pronounce it.

Progress
While the Shop ’57 Carrera is at Paragon Motorcars and has received much acclaim, we have not had any offers yet. I used the lift at Paragon to reseal the valve covers which were leaking oil. With the 356 on the lift, we could see some areas that needed attention. So we are bringing the Carrera back to the shop to do some more work.

I took the Shop ’58 Cabriolet to Trevor’s as we were having trouble starting it and we needed to know if the engine whine had been fixed with the rebuilt generator. Trevor found the linkage hanging up and not allowing the carbs to get enough fuel. Once fixed and started, the engine whine had also been fixed by the rebuilt generator. (Thanks Joe!) So we took the ’58 Cabriolet to Paragon Motorcars and they put it on the showroom floor and on their web site. It sold in one week!

BJ is almost done getting Rob’s ’61 Cabriolet ready for paint. The major issue was the missing hood. T-5 hoods are different than A hoods but look similar. They also have a T-6 like hood handle but the curvature is different. T-5 hoods and hood handles are very hard to find. Even A hoods are hard to find. We have six T-6 hoods but had only one A hood. Note: T-6 hoods differ between B and C as the latch is different. BJ was able to repair the one A hood we had and get it to fit the 356. We will have to fit a T-6 hood handle before paint. So since Rob didn’t have his original T-5 hood and hood handle he will get our best effort and we doubt that anyone will know we made the modification.

I finished the paint in the front, interior and rear compartments on the Shop ’57 Speedster. Speedsters are easier than other 356s as they have no sound deadening insulation. I also finished the paint, caulk and undercoat underneath the Speedster.

Rob’s ’61 will go to the painter after Andy’s ’62 is done and then the Speedster. The Speedster’s original color was Signal Red and also referred to as Fire Red on the Kardex. We think the early Signal Red is different than the latter Signal Red. Andy’s ’62 is being painted the later Signal Red and we have the PPG paint code. We found a section of the original Signal Red paint on the Speedster underneath the id tag on the door hinge cover. We will compare this to Andy’s color and make adjustments.

We always try to find some of the original paint on a 356 as we prefer to have 356s painted in their original color unless it is Togo Brown.

The Shop ’57 Sunroof Coupe is at Blast Tech and we will start on the metal work when it comes back. This will go slower than usual as we have to take pictures for the second edition of our 356 Restoration Book.

We have received nothing but positive comments on the first edition. When we wrote it, we got to a point where we thought “Is anyone going to appreciate this?” and we wrapped it up and sent it to the publisher. We knew a lot more detail could be provided and we are doing this in the second edition.

The ’64 Coupe we recently bought came with lots of other parts and we recently sorted through them to determine what was require to restore the ’64 and what was spare. There was one spare fan shroud but it looked like it had been modified. We found an id plate on it that indicated it was for a Type 729 engine. A little research discovered this fan shroud was for a 356 engine used in inboard motor boats! We also found that not many marine engines were produced by Porsche as getting air to the engine was a problem.

Lift For Sale
A few years ago we purchased a Kwiklift and find we seldom use it and it is for sale. It has two ramps sixteen feet long in four sections. The lift can remain flat on the ground with a car on it. When in use the front is mounted on two pieces that lift it two feet high. The car is driven on and a floor jack is used on an eccentric device to lift the car and the lift is secured by a locking mechanism. We have used it for the 356. Weight of the lift is 500 pounds. Purchase price was $1,100; we will sell it for $750.

Events
People are starting to inquire about next year’s West Coast Holiday. It will be held here in Colorado hosted by the Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club. As in past Colorado Holidays, we will require the participants to drive between Holiday locations. We will start the Holiday in Snowmass and then drive to Steamboat Springs. The Holiday dates are September 6th through 10th; mark your calendars.

Grandpa News
I swear she had grown two inches in the last month (and her last doctor’s appointment confirms that!). She has lost her chubbiness and is close to walking on her own. She has learned to wave whenever she sees me and can blow kisses.

Editor’s note: Can you guess who is smitten?

Vintage Racing
The last race of RMVR season is the Pueblo Enduro. Bill Frey and I co-drove my ’52 356 Coupe.

An Endro is an endurance race. All open wheel cars run as one group and all production cars run as another. This means the Porsche 356 get to run with Corvettes, GT 350s, 911s, Lotus, etc. It is an hour and forty- five minute race with two ten minute mandatory pit stops to change drivers, add fuel. Bill drove the first and last stints and I drove the middle. While I hadn’t raced in a year I did improve my time from practice to qualifying by thirteen seconds but was still fifteen seconds slower than Bill.

There is a lot of excitement on the long front straight being passed by cars way faster than a 356. But then in the tight turns you can close and have fun. Sixty eight cars started and forty two finished. We finished (!) in one of the oldest racing Porsches in the world.

A couple of days after the race Bill learned his cancer is active again. He will begin some different treatments soon and while he will continue to live strong, your prayers are welcome.

Progress
It’s gone! Finally after six and a half years of storage and a six week delay in getting it gone, it’s gone. The ’58 Speedster, while not on its way to New Jersey, is gone from our shop to another storage area.

While we have worked with close to one hundred 356 owners in the last fourteen years only two have been total frustration as in PITA. When running a business it is sometimes wrong being too nice a guy. But it is gone and I feel better.

We picked up the ’57 Carrera from Autoweave. They did an outstanding job! New carpet, headliner and beautiful dark red leather interior. The Carrera has now been restored to its original specifications.

We took the Carrera to Paragon Motorcars on Arapahoe (11211 E. Arapaho-visit!) where it is eye candy among the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati and other exotic sports cars.

The owner of Paragon is Matthew Kryjak a 356 owner and one of our customers. While we are not in a hurry to sell the Carrera, we hope the exposure at Paragon will find a buyer that wants a right hand drive 356 1500 GS Carrera.

We still have some work to do on the Shop ’58 Cabriolet. Joe Leoni rebuilt the generator and put in new bearings to stop the engine whine but it persists, the throttle linkage isn’t right and we still have some electrical issues.

BJ is almost done with the metal work on Rob’s ’61 Cabriolet and then he will get it ready for paint. Andy’s ’62 Coupe is at the painter and when done we will get it ready for Andy to do the reassembly.

I finished the metal work on the Shop ’57 Speedster and it will go to BJ for paint prep when he finishes Rob’s 356.

I spent a lot of time getting the side body deco on the Speedster to look right. Some of the original holes had been brazed over and were not lined up with adjoining panels. Fortunately the New Jersey Speedster was still here to allow measurements. I probably put ten hours into this effort but it has to be done before paint. One of our shop sayings is “If it looks right, it is right.” The side deco on the Shop ’57 Speedster looks right.

Evaluations
If you’ve noticed, we have done very few pre-purchase evaluations this year. We use to do one or two a month. There are few 356s for sale or the owners realize values have increased and are holding on to their cars.

However, we did do two evaluations this month. One was for a ’64 Coupe that had been stored since 1976! All original and complete but disassembled. The body had been hand stripped and was rust free. The underneath had been stripped and repainted and there was plenty of extra parts. Only 82,000 original miles, so we bought it. (We had to fill the space with the New Jersey Speedster gone!)

We evaluated a ’65 SC Coupe from California now in Colorado. It was in real good shape. Just an incorrect battery floor replacement, rusty front closing panels and crushed longitudinal.

Very little money and effort would make this a real nice SC Coupe which is in demand. The owner is considering his options.

Hardware Store
Boy, I miss the neighborhood hardware store. It was just down the hill and I shopped there every week for eighteen years. Well, a Home Depot went in nearby a few years ago and while the owner said he was retiring, we all knew the real reason. I really miss the service and product availability of the neighborhood hardware store. Those of you that still have one you are fortunate.

Grandpa News
Alexandra’s middle name is Mei Jie which means beautiful girl in Chinese. Which she is! She is so entertaining with all her new discoveries. She will stand by herself and walk with assistance. Barb revels in her grandmother duties. We now have a toy chest in the family room and I get to paint her bedroom here at our house for sleepovers.

Progress
We picked up the Shop ’58 Cabriolet at Trevors. He made sure it would stop and go but we still have to sort it out. He also said it had electrical issues. The 356 had the headlights on with the switch off and the engine wouldn’t shut off. The first issue was to get the driver door to work. Having thought about it, it was obvious to me that the door was too close to the chassis and needed to be shimmed. Sure enough; there were no shims on the top hinge plate and only one on the bottom. We have worked on original unrestored 356’s and know the factory used at least one and usually two to three shims to position the door. By adding a 2mm shim at the top and bottom we solved the interference problem at the front of the door. We still had an issue at the back and had to remove some metal and trim the upholstery to get the door to fit flush and stay latched. Problem solved!

BJ is almost done with the paint prep on Andy’s ’62 Coupe. He spent a day and a half repairing Andy’s rear bumper only to find it was racked and would not fit. It’s good to find this out before paint. Fortunately we had a good bumper that fits but will have to get it media blasted and prepped.

I delivered Scot’s ’55 Turkish Red Coupe to him and he was pleased. He still has to do the mechanicals and interior but it is one sharp PreA Coupe with lots of original parts. I get title to his ’54 Coupe in exchange. Not sure when we will get to it.

I got a new floor and panel under the fuel tank welded into Rob’s ’61 Cabriolet. We have the battery box floor and longitudinals yet to do and then most of the major work on Rob’s 356 will be done.

Electrical Issues
Trevor was right! The headlights were always on and the engine wouldn’t shut off on the Shop ’58 Cabriolet. What to do? Call Joe Leoni! Joe came and immediately knew that the headlight relay was wrong for a T-2 356. It should be the green one and they are hard to find. (Anyone have one?). Joe can make up a relay that will work.

On to the next problem; the engine electrics. I pulled down the ignition switch and Joe asked where is the black/white wire. I found it tied into the accessory socket with a hot red wire. Joe said wrong! And cut off the black/white wire, soldered on the bullet and placed the wire in the ignition switch. Everything worked properly! I’ve said it many times “Joe Leoni is a freaking genius on the 356 electrics!”

The New Jersey owner of the ’58 Speedster flew out to remove his stored parts and to drive his 356 before it is transported back to New Jersey. He spent a lot of time verifying that all his parts were here. He had an extensive inventory and videos that he used in his lawsuit against the original restorer (which he won to the tune of $80,000 but difficult to collect). I took him for a drive and then he drove it and seemed pleased. It will be a relief to have this six year storage issue resolved.

Tech Tip
A respected mechanic on 356Talk comments that the 9.5 x 825 fan belt recommended by Porsche in your owners manual has changed over the years. It no longer fits properly in the generator hubs. He recommends a 10 x 838 fan belt. It fits better and rides a little higher on the hubs giving more revs for cooling.

You do have a spare fan belt in your 356 don’t you? And the tools to remove and replace it? How old is it? Will it work if you have to replace your fan belt? Your 356 cannot be driven without a fan belt. The engine will overheat and destroy itself. That is why you have that important red light on your dash/combo instrument.

The tools to remove the fan belt are a flat bladed screwdriver with square sides. It goes behind the slot on the rear pulley and secures it by jamming against an engine bolt. Then you use the special pulley wrench to remove the large nut on the generator. The pulley wrench should be in your tool kit and is available from vendors for about $12. We doubt that AAA will have this tool.

When replacing the fan belt, count the number of shims behind the nut and between the pulley halves. Replace them as positioned. You must have ten shims. For long 356 drives we recommend you carry spare pulley hubs. It is another forty/fifty year old part which can break. Available from vendors for about $25.

Speedster Mania
What’s going on with Speedsters? I had two calls from guys looking to buy a Speedster. I said I was restoring a ’57 Speedster and it should be done in about six months. Both guys wanted to immediately send a deposit and were prepared to spend big bucks! I indicated we don’t do business that way. Both were adamant that they had to have a Speedster and tried to talk me into a deal. I refused.

What’s going on?

Events
The RM356PC Christmas party is December 11 at the Boulder Broker Inn from 11 AM to 2 PM. Prepay by November 21 to Sharon at (303) 494-7381. If you are not a member of the Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club now is the time to join and meet some great people.

Grandparents
The princess is crawling, attempting to stand alone and is enthralled by everything. Her 1st birthday was Sept. 5 and we had a great party. We now have a borrowed highchair in the kitchen, a push car in the family room and toys everywhere. Barb has a car seat in her car and is on call to babysit at all times!

Grandpa News
Our first granddaughter, Alexandra, arrived from China July 30th. She is a very sweet baby 11 months old. She is quiet yet animated and eats everything. Moving to 356 news; BJ has read the sermon in my 356 Restoration book and keeps a change of clothes here and washes his shop clothes here. There is no way he is going to carry lead and other shop residue home.

Progress
Well we used to have projects in sync, i.e. a project at Blast Tech, a couple for metal work or reassembly here, one at the painters and perhaps one at Autoweave. Now we have three for metal work and two for assembly here. There is one at Autoweave. So, with six projects we are over committed and we have to jump back and forth and don’t get the satisfaction of completing major activities.

I’m to blame.

When the Shop ’58 Cabriolet came back from Autoweave all I had to do was get the proper latches for the top, adjust the doors and get it stopping and running; no problem, done this many, many times. Well, got the top to latch but during an adjustment a fitting in the rear bow I had fabricated broke. Then while trying to fix it I bent the bow. I had made it out of copper tubing as I couldn’t find steel. So, I need a new one. But by now I learned of a guy in Portland, OR that made Cabriolet top parts, but he was 6-8 weeks out. So I borrowed one from Keith’s top which I had borrowed to learn how to fabricate one. Got the top fixed and Keith will get a new rear steel bow.

On to the ’58 Cab doors. No problem on passenger side, had to add a shim and trim some rubber seals. Next the driver door. One day worth of work and it won’t latch. Seems to be interference at every seal.

So, as I’ve recommended, I walk away from it and start on the metal work on the Shop ’57 Speedster. The floors and longitudinals had already been done well buy the previous owner and I had already done the complete front compartment. The major repair was rust damage in front of and behind the doors. In front, this involved repair to the inner closing panel before you can do the outer skin. You have to use the door as a jig to keep everything flush and to fit proper gaps. Well, I spent about a week on this and even took pictures for the second edition of the book.

Then back to the ’58 Cab. I had come up with some new ideas as possible solutions had not worked. Spent a day and a half and got it to latch. But a few minutes later, boing! It popped out. Spent the rest of the day on it. No luck, went back to the Speedster. Set the headlight buckets and front fender braces and welded them solid. Did a few repairs on skin damage and started on the rear lockpost repair.

Went back to the ’58 Cab. Decided to remove all seals and disassemble the door. I would get the door to shut and then add a seal one at a time. Had to move the windshield seal in board as the vent window was pressing into it too far. Fine, still shuts. Add the front door seals. Problem, trim seals. Fine still shuts. Add rear seals. Problem, trim seals. Fine still shuts. But boing! A few minutes later it pops open. Damn! Must be the latch. Make adjustments. Still a problem. Then I notice that the new latch plate has some wear from numerous shutting attempts. Replace the latch plate with an old one. Great, door latches but it is not flush. Adjust inward. Shuts but boing ! Pops open. Must be the vent window. Loosen and adjust outward.

Still no luck.

Walk away, over twenty hours into this problem. This 356 restoration expert hasn’t solved the %#@* door problem and hasn’t yet done the brakes or started the engine. Call Trevor, he has room and will make it start and go also get it out of sight for awhile! Do a little more work on the Speedster lockposts and then the painter delivers Scot’s ’55 Coupe in beautiful Turkish Red. Need to get this assembled and back to Scot who will do the engine work and final assembly.

When the Shop ’58 comes back from Trevor’s I think I will add some shims to the driver door. It is obvious I got the door too tight to the chassis and that is causing interference problems. We will see-report next month.

As longtime readers know, we have been storing a ’58 Speedster for the owner in New Jersey. We completed the restoration years ago but he had no place to store it and also lots of personal issues. He paid $100 a month for storage. Last November I told him it had to go and he reminded me I would get it running and check a steering problem. Couldn’t do this in November but recently Trevor solved the fuel problems due to storage, replaced the steering box and got it running. The Speedster will be going back to New Jersey at the end of the month. I checked my records and we have been storing this 356 for six and half years!

So the plan is BJ finishes Andy’s ’61 Coupe and gets it ready for paint. I’ll work on the reassembly of Scot’s ’55 coupe and do work on the Shop ’57 Speedster. When the Shop ’58 Cabriolet comes back from Trevor’s I will solve the driver side door problem. Then we will put some miles on it and get it ready for sale. Same for the Shop ’57 Carrera. We need to start the metal work on Ron’s Cabriolet.

You know me, talked to a guy in Albuquerque with a ’57 Cabriolet project for sale-another project?

Great News!
Jen and BJ left July 14th to go to China to adopt their daughter (and our first granddaughter), Alexandra. They will be back the 30th and the fun begins.

West Coast Holiday Canada
Those of you that have been to the Banff area of Alberta Canada and said we had to visit were right. We’ve been to Switzerland and of course the Colorado Rockies but the scenery around Banff is spectacular!

It was a two and half day trip to the Holiday hotel in Kananaskis Country. The first thing we noticed crossing into Canada was no Interstate and no rest stops. You have to stop in the towns the highways travel through. Also everything is metric. Which was great when driving our ’63 Sunroof Coupe as it is European built and has the KPH speedometer. The second thing I noticed (after the spectacular scenery) at the Delta Lodge was all the trash receptacles were bear proof. There were plenty of hiking trails and many had the caution about bears. (We didn’t see any but did see mountain goats, eagles and elk).

There were about 75 356’s registered which is a great turnout for the first Holiday in Canada. Long drivers were from New Hampshire, Texas and California. A reception was held in the hospitality area Thursday evening to review plans for the tour the next day. Sixty 356’s blasted down the mountain and into the National Park around Banff. Great twisty roads along the Bow River. The only problem was it was Canada Day and the tourists were up in force. Few places to stop due to crowds. We pressed on to the Lake Louise ski area for a private lunch and trip up the gondola (after a briefing on grizzly bears). The trip back to the hotel was on your own. Over 340 kilometer tour in perfect weather.

Friday the concours would be held at the Banff Springs Hotel. Huge beautiful hotel with 820 rooms built in the 1880’s. Puts the Broadmoar to shame. We woke up Friday and it was raining!

Departure for the concours was delayed an hour (Joe Leoni gave his afternoon tech session early).

At the Banff Springs hotel the concours site was at a large soccer field. Barb and I prepped out the 356 in light rain and then toured the Hotel. Fantastic! Old world charm and luxury with the best views in Banff.

The rain stopped and there were huge crowds at the concours as it had been advertised in the newspaper. I answered a lot of questions about 356’s and we had a great time. We left at the close to get back to the hotel and prepare for the semi-formal awards banquet. I had wondered about the dinner as we were not provided with meal tickets. It was chicken, salmon, beef and vegetables served family style. A great banquet!

When they announced the awards, Barb and I took third in the B closed class. Since the 356 is an eighteen year old restoration we never expected to win anything; I think it was because I took time to talk about the cars.

Progress
Before we left for Banff, we picked up the Shop ’58 Cabriolet at Autoweave and dropped off the ’57 Carrera. We also picked up Rons 59 Cabriolet at Blast Tech and dropped off the Shop ’57 Speedster. The Speedster just had surface rust and we need clean, shiny metal to finish the repairs. We also took Michael’s ’58 Speedster to Trevor. This Speedster is the one we have been storing for over four years for the owner in New Jersey. Michael came out four years ago and drove it to the Charity Concours. Since then it hasn’t been driven and we had some concern with the steering box. Hopefully, Trevor can make it stop and go and we will insist that Michael make arrangements to move his Speedster. We need the space and not the liability.

Before he left, BJ finished almost all the metal work on Andy’s ’61 Coupe. I’ll finish the right front clip and perhaps do the under paint, caulk and undercoat. BJ will do the finish work to get it ready for the painter. Then I will bounce back and forth between the Shop ’57 Speedster and Ron’s ’59 Cabriolet. The Cabriolet had been disassembled fifteen years ago in Kansas and then stored outside for awhile. Every part will need work or replacement. Ron dropped by and we gave him the front spindle, control arms and brake drums to disassemble and repair. We will need them and the transmission which Tevor has to get the Cab off the dolly and onto the ground.

I also need to get the Shop ’58 Cabriolet ready for sale. The guys at Autoweave did a great job on the top. I had fabricated a top frame out of two broken frames. While I got it to work somewhat, they had to do more work to get it to function with the headliner, padding and top cover. I also gave them latches which came with the 356 but were incorrect. Somehow they made it work and I’ve since replaced the latches (thanks Carquip!) and it works much better.

Restoration Book
I’ve started on the second edition of the 356 Restoration Book. I plan to add a lot more detail and spend time in the assembly phases to help those that are restoring a 356 they bought disassembled. We will also have a start to finish description/pictures of the Shop ’54 sunroof Coupe restoration. If any of you have ideas on what should be added, give me a call.

Concours d’ Elegance
This years charity concours was the biggest yet. There were 330 registered cars, over 4,000 spectators and twelve vendors. We had twenty 356’s. I had a judging team of Phil, Roland and Howard and we judged the 356’s and a half dozen Accura NSX’s. The NSX’s were really good concours cars. Over $76,000 was raised for Cerebral Palsy of Colorado. The 23rd annual event will be next year; plan to participate.

Progress
BJ and I lost three days of work when the septic system backed up into the basement shop. This last happened eighteen years ago and there was no assurance it couldn’t happen again. The problem was this time it happened twice! We had the septic tank pumped and the floor drain unclogged and cleaned the floor/carpet and the 356 parts that were on the floor and two days later had to do it again. Both the septic and Rooter guy came out for the second time over the Memorial Day holiday and we are sure the problem is solved. Hey, you know it happens.

One of the challenges on the ’57 Carrera was there was no floor boards or rubber floor mat. Being a right hand drive 356 these are not common items. For the floor boards I made templates out of tar paper and transferred to plywood. The third try worked out well and the floor boards fit and looked original. For the floor mat I ordered one and asked that it not be cut. But how to cut it? Using a tar paper template would be difficult with pedals and floor switches sticking up. Simple, I used the floor board as templates and the cuts with a sharp utility knife and the floor mat turned out great.

(Safety tip: When using utility knife or Xacto knife to cut rubber change blades often. A dull blade can slip and cut something other than rubber.)

So the ’57 Carrera is ready to go to Autoweave; hopefully this week. We will drop it off when we pick up the Shop ’58 Cabriolet. We should also get Scot’s ’55 Coupe back from the painter and Ron’s ’59 Cabriolet back from Blast Tech soon.

We have used three different chrome platers here in Denver. One went out of business, one lost important small parts and the third, Ajax Plating has done great work for us the past eight years. Well, Ajax Plating is no longer doing chrome plating. The Denver Fire Department required too many expensive retrofits to their building that they had to stop chrome plating. In the future we will use Paul’s Chrome Plating on the East coast. We used them once in the past and they did good work at about the same price as Ajax. Call me for contact info on Paul’s Chrome Plating if you need chrome work.

So BJ is close to half done with the extensive metal work on Andy’s ’67 Coupe. Andy dropped by and was pleased.

Jim is finished with the Carrera, so what next? We have plenty of projects but since we picked up the recently purchased ’57 Speedster and ’59 Coupe, I decided to start on the Speedster. It seemed I hadn’t done any fabrication or welding in months as I worked on the Carrera. The Speedster came with all the required replacement panels and the previous owner had already done an excellent job on the floors and longitudinals. So, I started on the battery box. The side pieces were in so it needed the two front pieces, the three rear pieces and floor. I got them tacked in in a day and the battery box looks great. BJ and I will have to schedule use of the welder until I start on getting the Shop ’58 Cabriolet ready for sale.

Car Collection
A guy in Elizabeth was impressed with the students at Elizabeth High School and their weekend car wash to raise money for the high school band. He contracted with them to do some of his car collection. He has 500 cars! All Nash and American Motors.

He agreed to a public tour of his museum as a fund raiser for the band. BJ, Jen, Barb and I went last Sunday to Rambler Ranch. Probably 200 of his cars were on display. I was most impressed with a prototype Pinin Farina Nash. Only one was made and Nash couldn’t afford to build it.

Another prototype was for the AMX, it even had a rumble seat! The museum also has a huge collection of memorabilia and toys; even a glass model 356. I would estimate at least 5,000 pieces; the largest collection I’ve ever seen.

We spoke with the owner, a guy in his late thirties. He has 175 acres and they had just delivered material for his next outbuilding which will be 18,000 square feet. (Yes Barb has the comma in the correct place!) We discussed having a joint 356/AMC event. A real juxtaposition.

356 Holiday
Barb and I leave Tuesday the 28th for the 356 Holiday in Banff/Kananaskis, Canada. Over the years people that have been to this area say it is just beautiful and we should go. It had always been an idea for us and now a 356 Holiday makes it perfect. We will trailer our ’63 Sunroof Coupe as I will also take parts and my book for the Swap meet. Details on the Holiday next month.

Progress
Well it looks like we get to finish the Slate Gray Shop ’64 Coupe. The guy that said he was going to add his own engine and reassemble it never sent a check or returned my call.

The other Shop ’64 Coupe in Irish Green sold on Ebay for big bucks. To sell Shop cars I use Jeff, a broker that sold the Shop Speedster and Roadster. He gets to E mail pictures, answer questions and arrange shipping. Jeff said there is an Ebay feature that lets the seller know how many people have an interest in a car for sale. He said normally when he puts a good Porsche or Mercedes on Ebay he gets forty to fifty people expressing interest. For the Irish Green Coupe he had close to 150 people interested.

The classic car market is very hot right now and the people in the business I’ve talked to seem to agree it is due to television. There have been many TV shows in the past few years featuring vehicle restoration, customization and collecting; plus the Barrett-Jackson auction. The Irish Green Coupe sold for $9,000 more than it would have two years ago.

Since I sold the Shop ’64 Coupe you know what I did. I bought a ’57 Speedster project and a ’59 Coupe project. Again because the market is hot, I paid more for these project 356s than I would have two years ago. Let’s hope the market is still hot when we get them restored and ready for sale.

BJ continues with the extensive metal work on Andy’s ’62 Coupe and I continue on the ’57 Carrera. Joe Leoni helped me check out the new wiring harness that went into the Carrera. The unique features are the dash switches for the fuel pump and dual coils. The fuel pump clicks and the engine turns over. Hopefully it will run when we get it outside and put gas in it.

After Andy’s ’62 we only have one other customer commitment and that is Ron’s ’59 Cabriolet. This 356 was dipped fifteen years ago and then painted with an ugly green primer. It is on a dolly since the suspension along with the wiring harness was removed. We took it to Blast Tech so we could have clean metal to start the repairs. It looks about average for rust damage. It also appears to be missing many parts including the hood and decklid. We also have to do the assembly of Scot’s ’55 Coupe which is presently at the painters.

So once we finish Scot’s, Andy’s and Ron’s 356s we can concentrate on Shop cars:
Finish ’57 Carrera
Assemble SlateGray Coupe
Start on ’57 Speedster
Start on ’59 Sunroof Coupe
Start on ’54 Coupe
Turn ’58 race car into street outlaw
Finish customization of ’61 Coupe
Decide what to do with other ’61 Coupe

So it looks like we will be busy for the next few years. Plus, I have indicated I will write a second edition of my 356 Restoration book. For the second edition I will add more detail particularly for those restoring a 356 that some one else has disassembled. We will also detail from start to finish the restoration of the Shop ’59 Sunroof Coupe and comment on the quality of reproduction parts. For those that have read the book I would appreciate input on what else should be covered.

We are updating our web site and putting all the past newsletters on it. I corrected the typos in the newsletter that occurred as we changed from this three column format to a page format on the web site. It was fun reading about the customers and 356s we worked with. I counted all the customer 356s and Shop 356s and we have worked on 98. With the two new shop projects we will reach 100.

356 Registry
The 356 Registry is now a true 356 registry. The 356 Registry web site now has a data base of 356 chassis and engine and transmission serial numbers. It is searchable and easy to add or modify a record. The VIN data base is in the members only section of the web site. You have to be a 356 Registry member to use it. The password is published in each issue of the 356 Registry magazine. Every 356 owner should belong to the 356 Registry. It is only $30 a year and you receive an outstanding bi-monthly magazine. To join send your membership fee to Barbara Skirmants, Membership Services Director, 3359 Kings Mill Rd., North Branch, MI 48461.

Events
The turnout for the tech session at Tom Conway’s Carquip was great. Paulette and Rich provided excellent breakfast burritos (a tradition at Tom’s). Tom and Donny demonstrated the removal of major dents in the nose of a 356. Tom uses the old school techniques of torch, spoons and hammer. These are the techniques used to build and repair the 356. BJ and I use tools such as the stud gun, plasma cutter and MIG welder. One tool Tom used to repair the hood channel on the 356 was a cut down 356 axel. The squared off, flat end of the axel is perfect for moving metal in tight places.

Don’t forget the 22nd Annual Exotic Sports Car Show and Concours D’Elegance on Sunday June 5th at 9:00 AM at ACC and $10 for adults, kids under 12 free. Cerebral Palsy of CO is the beneficiary.

Gulf Coast Holiday
Great event! Over one hundred 356’s and great weather. I had forgotten that even the secondary roads are posted at 70 MPH in Texas. We trailered the ’64 Irish Green Coupe down and just got out ahead of the first snowstorm. A long drive down but the Holiday was held at a very nice resort north of San Antonio. After cleaning the 356 and doing some shopping we had a very good barbeque outdoors at the Resort.

There were a dozen 356 folks from Colorado (there should have been more if we expect Texas at our Holiday next year).

About eighty 356 went on the police escorted drive through the Hill Country. I had planned to put some miles on the new engine in the ’64 Coupe but it was not a sedate drive and not the way to break in the new engine. After the drive there was a vendor set up and we sold enough parts to pay for the trip. That night we had a private tour of the Alamo. The wife of one of the organizers is a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who are responsible for the Alamo. So we had a privileged tour. Afterwards we walked a few blocks to the Riverwalk and had a great meal at a Mexican restaurant (of course).

Saturday was the concours day and a good hundred 356’s were on the grass. I had time to talk with Bill Jones who is a well known restorer in Texas. His black Carrera Coupe took Best in Show. He also ran cars at the Indianapolis 500 and shared some great stories with me.

I also met Bob Hagestad who use to own the Porsche dealership in Denver. He now has a VW dealership in Irving, Texas. We talked about his racing days and he had great things to say about his mechanic-Al Lager. After the concours was the Awards banquet and it was well done with a great German band and dancing after. That area of Texas has a strong German heritage. We bet Rosie and Roland danced the night away but we turned in as we wanted to get an early start back as we heard there was more snow expected in Denver. We got home with no problems except in our own driveway.

Progress
The Shop ’64 Coupe that we picked up in Albuquerque came back from the painter in beautiful Slate Gray. And guess what? I sold it to a guy that wanted that color and wanted to do his own engine and interior. So I don’t get to do the final assembly, which I really enjoy, but the sale gives us some time and space.

Scot’s ’55 Coupe went to the painter and will be painted Turkish Red. A nice deep maroon which is the same color as the door caps and rear interior pieces on the Shop ’57 Carrera. So we will paint them at the same time.

Work on the Carrera is fun but takes more time as I want to do it close to show quality. I had all the chrome done and bought new glass which make the 356 look new.

Autoweave has just the top to finish on the Shop ’58 Cabriolet and when it is done we will take the Carrera for it’s interior.

So the plan is to get the Irish Green ’64 Coupe ready for sale; do the final assembly on the Shop ’58 Cabriolet and get it ready for sale. The Carrera will take more time before it is ready for sale as we still have to finish the installation of the wiring harness. Being a right hand drive 356 has caused some issues with wiring.

BJ has started the extensive metal work on Andy’s ’62 Coupe. Since it will need a parial front clip, BJ cut the damaged front sheet metal off which give him access to the battery box area which all has to be replaced. He is able to build the battery box with new parts on the work bench which is a whole lot easier than doing it with the 356 on jack stands. Once done he just welds it in and then can finish the front clip. This is the same approach I used when I restored Barb’s Twin Grille Roadster almost twenty years ago. (Have I been doing this that long? Guess so as we are closing in on our one hundredth 356 repaired or restored. We will have a big celebration when that happens).

Events
Do not forget the 22nd Annual Exotic Sports Car Show and Concours D’ Elegance. It will be June 5th at the Arapahoe Community College. Please enter your 356 either for judging or display. To get an entry form contact Sandy Martin at 303-691-9339 ext 32. The pre-registration fee is $30 and all proceeds benefit Cerebral Palsy of Colorado. We usually have at least twenty 356’s and sometimes more than the Porsche 911’s.

There is still room for the 356 Holiday in Banff, Alberta, Canada. This is June 20-July 5. You can register at www.356Holiday2005.com or E mail bert@356Holiday.com or call 403-240-4856.

The RM356PC has a tech session May 7th at Carquip in Boulder. Tom Conway is a lifetime member of the RM356PC and is the most knowledgeable Porsche person we’ve ever met. Plan to attend the Tech Session.

Classic Cars
One of our customers, Mathew, has just opened a classic car showroom and maintenance facility. It is called Paragon Motorcars; located at 11211 East Arapahoe Road on the north side of Arapahoe, west of Centennial Airport. BJ and I dropped by and were blown away. A large, very modern facility. Very upper end: Jaguar, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini; even some American classics.

They are having an invitation only grand opening this week with a couple of drivers from the Cart series and the 1951 J-2 Allard that Carroll Shelby drove.

Mathew has his ’61 Coupe there that we did the metal work on and had painted Silver. It is easy to see why Mathew had to stop restoration work on his ’61 Coupe. The effort he has put into his facility is outstanding. Drop by and meet Mathew and talk classics. Their phone number is 303-706-1234.

Progress
BJ has finished the paint prep for Scot’s ’55 Coupe and it should be ready to go to the painter when he finishes the Slate Grey Shop ’64 Coupe.

I have been working on the Shop ’57 Carrera. This project is taking a lot ot time as I want to do it right and sell it for big bucks. One of my best accomplishments was fabricating floor boards as the Carrera had none. Remember this is right hand drive so you just can’t reverse left hand drive floor boards. For example, the headlight dimmer switch and windshield washer pump are located on the tunnel. There are extension rods for the gas pedal and clutch that connect to the rod/cable in the normal tunnel position. I used tar paper for a rough template then a prototype out of plywood. The second plywood piece fit perfect.

One concern I had was where to get a rubber floor mat for right hand drive. When I talked to Terry at International Mercantile (the only place to get rubber parts for your 356) he said “No problem, I’ll make one and not cut out the left hand drive holes”.

I took my fabricated floor boards and laid them on the uncut floor mat and cut the pedal and switch holes. It is perfect! One of the reasons I enjoy restoring these cars.

Usually, on driver level restorations I repair or replace the sound deadening material with thick tar paper. With some undercoat it looks close to original. For the Carrera, I checked into sound deadening kits and found one that is almost a perfect match to the factory material. While it is expensive, it does add value. Of course you don’t see a lot of it as it is covered by mats and carpet-but I know it is there.

Andy came by and approved the estimate for the restoration of his ’62 Coupe. It ranks right up there with Barb’s Twin Grille Roadster, Keith’s Frankenstein Coupe, Ted’s Cabriolet and Mathew’s Coupe. Almost every panel will need repair or replacement on Andy’s 356. We are restoring 356s today that would have been scrapped ten years ago. This is because of the market. Have you been watching? Plain Jane coupes at $30,000, Cabriolets in the fifties and Speedsters close to a hundred. (Is you 356 insured for it’s replacement value?) I think the market will settle down but don’t see a big drop in values unless the economy deep ends. When I talk to my suppliers, everyone is busier than ever.

Holidays
Barb and I will attend the 356 Holiday in Boerne, Texas and the Banff area of Alberta, Canada. My plan had been to drive the Irish Green Shop ’64 Coupe to break in the engine and resolve driving issues. But we haven’t had time to drive it so we will trailer it and drive it in the events.

Registry Articles
The latest issue of the 356 Registry magazine (you do belong?) has two articles on original unrestored 356s. One is a 1956 Coupe with 15,500 original miles. The other a 1965 Coupe with 6,100 miles. I love these original finds. They prove that a lot of 356 absolutes are not. For example, one absolute was Speedsters never had cigar lighters. Well the one we are storing here has one and I saw six others at the Speedsterfest last year. In the pictures in the Registry magazine we can see that on the ’56 Coupe the door striker screw heads were painted black. There are other “originality” items pictured. My opinion is that many of these absolutes and originality features could have varied by body builder and the technician performing the work. On the ’56 a picture of the hood shows the lower half of the hinge painted body color; not black which I though was an absolute?! So I guess I will have to retire as an originality judge.

356 For Sale
Long time readers of this newsletter may remember Abby’s ’62 Coupe. It was one of our first restorations ten years ago. It was her Dad’s 356 and he drove her Mom in it for Abby’s birth. She learned how to drive in it and had us restore it after her Dad died.

Abby is married now with three sons. She has to sell the 356 to help finance a rebuild of their home damaged in a Denver storm.

Call us for details and contact information.

Newsletter
We had positive feedback on the last month’s newsletter. Folks called to say they knew exactly what I had gone through with the clutch cable problem. You really have to enjoy solving problems with these 40-55 year old cars. (I will admit that when I got that rod stuck in the clutch cable tube I thought about how I could reroute the cable.)

Since we didn’t cover progress last month we will bring you up to date.

Progress
There were continuing problems with the soft top and seats for the Shop ’58 Cabriolet. I was able to obtain needed parts and trailered the Cab to Autoweave for carpet, top and boot. We are going to try and use a tan leather interior that came with the 356. However, the interior was from a Coupe which has more pieces than a Cabriolet so we should have extra leather to do Cab pieces.

Michael’s ’61 Coupe was painted Silver and all available parts were assembled and the 356 was returned to Michael. We will probably see it again as Michael finds parts.

The Shop ’57 Carrera was also painted Silver and is back here awaiting reassembly. This is going to take time as I am shooting for a show car results.

BJ finished the metal work and rough finish on the Shop ’64 Coupe. He also did the underneath paint, caulk and undercoat and the interior paint and caulk. This Shop car was Signal Red originally. Since there are too many red sports cars we will paint it one of our favorite 356 colors-Slate gray.

Trevor finished the brake and other work on the Shop ’64 Irish Green Coupe but weather has precluded us putting miles on it. I started the metal work on Scot’s ’55 Coupe and am almost done. A major issue was the driver side door. Scot had his 356 on ramps in a single car garage. He had a friend help to push it backwards off the ramps as he steered. At it came off the ramps the driver side door flew open and was caught by the garage door opening. Major twisted metal. I worked on this first and was quite happy with the result. I opened up the inner door sheet metal by blowing out numerous spot welds with the plasma cutter. Using clamps on the workbench I was able to reposition the interior sheet meal and tack it back in place. Then I worked on dents in the door skin. One deep crease I was able to pull with the stud gun; others I had to pull out then shrink as the door skin metal was stretched. (We call this “oil canned”) I kept hanging the door until it was flush with good gaps and then finished my welds. It is great when you can save a door that was original to the 356. Most of the remaining work was redoing previous repairs and installing a new battery box floor, repairing the hood, plus minor rust issues. Scot will end up with a numbers matching 356 with original floor pans and longitudinals. We will have this ’55 356 painted the original Turkish Red (another red sports car). Remember we are doing this work in exchange for Scot’s other 356, a ’54 Coupe.

Next into the shop will be Andy’s ’62 Coupe which we have had blasted but not yet evaluated. And of course, I bought another 356. This is a ’60 Coupe. I had looked at this 356 a few years ago. It was really rough! It had a VW engine and was missing lots of parts. I decided not to buy it. A young guy bought it and found a 912 engine for it. The engine had come from a running car but had not been started in fifteen years (heard this one before!). The guy has some mechanical skills and got the engine running, and with a few parts we sold him, he drove the 356. He also bought a nice short trailer for the 356. He found another Porsche to work on and wanted to sell the 356 with the 912 engine and trailer. I bought the package as I was about to fix up my trailer and this trailer is better. Plus a running 912 engine is a possible good deal. Don’t know what I will do with the 356.

The net of this is we have to wrap up our customer commitments so we can complete and sell the Shop cars. It is a seller’s market right now and we should have four or five ready for sale this year.

Barrett-Jackson
Bill Frey attended the Barret-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scotsdale, Arizona last year and said it was a must see. So Barb and I planned to drive down in late January but we found we had some free miles and so flew instead. Over 900 classic cars were fore sale and it was quite a car show! There were only six Porsches and only two 356s. One was an A Cabriolet and the other a C Cabriolet. Both sold in the mid 40’s. There were issues with both cars. I have a problem with using the term “fully restored” for a 356 that may drive but needs a lot of work. If you have an appreciation for top classic cars, I would put the Barrett-Jackson Scotsdale auction on your to-do-list.

After the auction Barb and I went to Maui, BJ and Jen went on a 10th anniversary cruise so now we are rested-let’s get to work!

Clutch Cable
Thought you might enjoy the following experience:

I was putting the Shop ’58 Cabriolet back together. There were only a few parts left. I decided to install the clutch cable. I got everything clean and verified that the adjustment nut which tensions the bowden tube was operational and that the clevis pin was free to engage. Decided to feed the clutch cable through the tube in the tunnel from the front. It is a little easier to grease the cable as you push it into the tube from the front. Got it in about two feet and it stopped. Well, it must be old caked grease so we will try from the rear. Pulled the cable out wiping off the grease and went to the rear and fed the cable through the tube greasing it as I went.

Went about three feet and stopped! Pulled back the cable wiping off the grease. Got some thin wire and ran it through the tube from the rear. Stopped again at three feet. Got some thicker wire like a coat hanger and pushed it up the blockage. Clamped on some vice grips and hit with a hammer. That got it! Pulled out the wire and inserted the clutch cable greasing as it went. It stopped! Damn, must really be a blockage. Found a long accelerator rod that was broken at one end but still had one threaded end. This might work but I should put a point on the threaded end. Did this on the grinder.

Pushed the rod through the tunnel until it stopped. Clamped on the vice grips and hit it with a hammer. Got it through the blockage. Pulled the rod back but it hung up at the blockage coming back. Put on the vice grips and hammered towards the rear. No luck. While the pointed threaded end went through the blockage the back of the threaded end wasn’t pointed and is hanging up. No problem, we will just push it through and pull it out from the front. Put on the vice grips and hammered it forward. It went about two feet and stopped! Hammered on the vice grips backwards and forward. No luck. The rod is jammed in the tube. What to do? Maybe the tube is kinked in the tunnel. The blockage seems to be at the transverse tube between the front and rear floor pans. I’ll have to pull the heater control and shifter to see. Of course this is the early shifter with the pin and cotter key connecting to the shift rod in the tunnel.

After some work, the heater control and shifter are out. But I can’t see any damage to the clutch cable tube. It seems like the rod should have come out the front. I see a lot of rust dust at the front of the tube but not the pointed rod end. I get a wire and find a clog of old grease and rust at the tube end. I pick at this and blow with the air hose. Clean about two inches. Get back under the 356 and hammer forward on the vice grips clamped to the rod. There it goes, it’s through the clog. Pull the rod forward with vice grips having to bend it to clear the front bulkhead.

The tube is open but I’ll have to clean it out. Tried the air hose and got some crud. Tried the clutch cable again. No go. Rigged up some tubing and a small funnel to the front of the tube. Poured in some lacquer thinner, placed a towel at the rear of the tunnel tube. Funnel is topped off but not flowing much. Then I see a puddle on the floor pan! The lacquer thinner is leaking out of the tunnel tube and of course messing up my nicely painted floor pan. I can see some repair welds on the side of the tunnel close to the floor. When damage to this area was repaired some weld must have gotten inside the tube which slopes from the top of the tunnel at the front to close to the floor level at the rear. I am going to have to cut out the side of the tunnel to make the repair but I can’t do that until later when fumes from the lacquer thinner have evaporated. So far, three hours into a simple clutch cable installation.

After a break, I run some wire in the tube and measure the distance to the clog. It is just behind the shifter opening in the tunnel about five inches. With a flashlight I can see the tube and there appears to be no damage. Let’s try ramming it again. I have some stiff thick wire that we use for fender beading. I push it through the front of the tube and attach vise grips when it hits the clog. Hammering on the vise grips I break through and run the wire back and forth a few times then remove it. I attach a paper towel at the end of the tube and blow air through it. Inspecting the towel I find rusty lacquer thinner and small pieces of metal. I push the stiff wire through the tube all the way to the front and move it back and forth numerous times. I remove the wire and insert the clutch cable and it goes right through. All that is left is to pull the cable and grease it as I reinsert it and install the bowden tube and attach the cable ends to the pedal cluster and clutch pivot arm. Four hours for a fifteen minute job. Now you know why some shops won’t work on forty to fifty year old cars and why those that do have to charge what it takes.