NEW LOOK
Welcome to the new look of the newsletter. To keep up with the changing times and because the editor is tired of trying to fit all of Jim’s profound words onto a template for plain ol’ Word Perfect in addition to cutting and pasting (taping!) our logo each month, we have jumped into the new age by purchasing a real publishing program. So bear with us for a couple of months and we will slowly change the look but hopefully keep the same information coming to you. Our other great news is that 356RESTORE has acquired a new shop area (thanks guys) and now 356RESTORE will share the noise and smells to another part of town. Our phone number and address will remain the same so you can continue to reach us at the following: 840-2356 or 8356 N. Sunburst Trail.
OLD BUSINESS
The May Newsletter had a contest to find a significant error in April’s Newletter. I had a few calls but no correct answer. The error was in the return address which indicated 386RESTORE.
The distribution of this newsletter is now up to 280 Porsche 356 owners and enthuiasts primarily in the five state area. I continue to get positive feedback so will continue.
PROGRESS
We finished Rhome’s ’61 Roadster in primer and he picked it up to work the mechanicals and dry fit parts. I am most proud of our work on this 356 which had major collision damage, was used as a hay bin for horses and now will soon be back on the road. With Rhome’s 356 delivered that left only Tom’s ’52 Coupe for completion. Every panel on the bottom of this 356 was replaced or repaired. I need to finish caulking and finally this neat car will be off the rotissorie. With only Tom’s 356 in the shop, I took the time to reapint the floor. We used the same gray two part epoxy primer on the floor that we use on the 356’s. When I did the first paint job on the floor it was recommended using sand to provide a non skid surface. Wrong! For the last two years we have had difficulty sweeping and moping due to sand particles catching the dirt.
Finishing cars doesn’t mean progress has slowed. I bought a very nice complete ’64 Cabriolet as a shop project. While we were working on Rhome’s and Tom’s 356’s, it was at Blast Tech. Having a 356 blasted is like Christmas. You never know if you will get coal or candy. This is a sweet Cabriolet. A little work on the right rear, the left front, driver side front floor pan and a right rocker will make it like new. The Cab was yellow when I picked it up but pulling the dash cover, I found the original Ivory paint.
So the car will be Ivory and Black. It has the white/black check pattern on the seat inserts, which I’ve seen before, and hope is original as I like the look. The top is complete with the original headliner and the engine was rebuilt and powder painted. I hope to have this ’64 Cabriolet for sale by year end as it is obvious to me I can make more money selling shop cars than I do on metal work and paint.
Planning ahead, we picked up Scotty’s ’53 Cabriolet and got it to Blast Tech. We may get coal on this one as it had a Corvair engine in it at some time and a lot of metal has to be replaced. Following Scotty’s Cab will be Don’s ’64 Coupe and then I hope to pick up Dr. Jack’s ’64 Coupe in Vail before the snow flies.
Warren’s ’65 Coupe will be painted after we repaint the paint booth. Mike’s ’65 Coupe is also at the paint booth but we are doing metal work on it while cleaning the shop.
With 356’s piling up at the paint booth (Ryan also works on Alpines and Bugeyes) and the shop filling up again, I decided we needed more space. So I leased 1,500 square feet of storage in Parker. This will be primarily for shop car storage which are presently stored in various barns in Doublas County and for customer car staging i.e. we might do finish work at the staging area to preclude filler dust at the paint booth.
Looking at the plans for the rest of the year, it looks like Cabs and C’s. Oops! I almost forgot the ’57 Coupe shop car which I also want to complete by year end (year end is when people recieve bonuses and really have to have a 356!) I had Ron assemble and check out the engine and it is good. So I will pull the 356 from storage and start on the mechanicals and interior. The ’57 Coupe is painted in Linen Gray which is a 911 color but very attractive.
FOR SALE
I’ve had calls in the past for a complete disc brake setup. We recently got a set in on consignment for sale. They will probably be priced about $800-$1100.
