Porsches and Pastries
The weather forecast looks good for this Sunday September 18. Come whenever you can. We know there are other weekend events. We will start at 0900 but this is a open house/shop so come anytime and stay as long as you want. Plenty of 356s to admire and plenty of 356 parts and 356s in the shop.
September 18 is Drive Your 356 Day in memory of Dr. Porsche. We will take pictures to submit to the 356 Registry.
We will have 356 workshop and parts manuals for sale as well as Porsche and non Porsche books. There will also be freebies, mostly Porsche art work. We will use the circular driveway for Porsche 356s, non Porsches can park on the graded area to the west of the driveway. If we get real crowded you can park next door at our old house and walk over.
Progress
As mentioned last month, Jim was working on the Shop ’60 Coupe “Casper” which we left in the storage building at our previous house. While it is next door to our new house , it still meant driving back and forth with tools and parts. Jim was working under Casper installing parts and regretting that he couldn’t do this work on the new lift at the new shop.
We had to pull the engine out of the ’52 Racecar and had put it on the lift with the Shop ’63 Coupe “Barney” underneath. BJ was working on the reassembly of Barney and also on the metal work on the Shop ’64 Coupe “808”. Jim got most of the parts on Casper and took it on a test drive. The 356 was tricky to start. Pedal almost to the floor, turn key, turn engine over for a few seconds then key off, pump twice then pedal down a little bit, turn key and it starts. I had to call Trevor to find this out as the turn key and pump, pump, pump doesn’t work on this 356.
So some folks came to drive it and it would start but then hold a high idle until in gear. The folks drove the 356 but we told them that we needed to fix the idle and install the remaining parts. One of which is the heater cable and rods, this again under the 356. We told the interested folks to check back with us in a month.
So Jim got back to the “Gambler” the Shop ’64 Sunroof Coupe. The doors fit perfectly with good gaps but once we put the door seals on the doors were not flush. Remember someone had started the reassembly of this painted 356. Jim spent a few hours on the doors but they still needed work.
So, lets do the bumpers. Almost all of the parts were missing but we had some good bumper guards and trim. We bought new rubber seals. The front bumper was no problem. Again, laying on the floor and thinking about the lift upstairs. The rear bumper was a problem. At the ends of the bumper are captive nuts in keyways that allow them to slide so you can run a bolt through the black rubber support seals (doughnuts) and position the bumper to the body. Someone had brazed one of the nuts to the keyway and the other nut would not slide in the keyway as it had rusted out. With the bumper already painted, there was no way to make and weld in a new keyway. So we welded a nut to a large washer that kept it in place. Well, we spent three hours trying to fit the bumper but finally had to stop and move on to something else.
We made a lift for the sunroof. We mentioned last month that one of those was missing but it was fairly easy to make and no one will ever see it as it is hidden behind the headliner.
So back to the rear bumper, lying on my back trying to make it fit. BJ helping finally. FOOL IT! I am too old to be doing this on my back with a new lift upstairs. Lets move cars! So we rolled the ’63 Coupe outside, lowed the lift and attached its wheels so we could rotate it and roll the ’52 Racecar outside. We then flat towed the Racecar up to the old storage building and parked it along side “Casper”. Then we rolled the “Gambler” out of the basement shop and flat towed it to the upper shop carefully as it does not yet have brakes. We got it on the lift using a come along, then rotated the lift, raised it and parked the Shop ’63 underneath. We will also use the lift to do the heater connections on “Casper”. Jim will no longer work on the floor.
So, the solution to the rear bumper problem was to weld a nut forward of the brazed nut. This would get the nuts on the bumper ends in the same relative position. The rear bumper was attached in another half an hour using the lift. So about five hours to attach bumpers to a 356. Plus another hour to move 356s to use the new lift. So, the plan is to continue to work on the “Gambler”. The real issue is how good is the engine. It looks like it was left in the 356 during body work and paint. We have absolutely no history on it.
BJ has the new battery box installed in “808” and the new front clip installed. He took his time and three days to position the front clip. The major issue was hood fit. If the front clip isn’t positioned correctly the problem will be obvious.
We also want to get the shops cleaned up for Porsches and Pastries. See you there!
HORAY!
We sold a 356 rear deck lid. That’s the third in thirty years. We have about twenty deck lids. No one needs them as they don’t get damaged. If you are hit in the rear, the deck lid pops up undamaged.
Grandpa News
BJ and the family headed up to Breckenridge over the Labor Day weekend. They enjoy the mountains once a year before the snow flies. Alex is learning how to use the sound and light boards at church, she is becoming very good at it. Sammie received a bunk bed for her room from friends who were reorganizing their home. She loves it.
