TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:59 am

I’ve jumped into this with my eyes wide open but there is a chance Im not seeing everything. There’s a reason for that, namely, the car is scattered all over the country. Most of the body is on the Gold Coast near Brisbane, much of the mechanicals and interior is in Melbourne and I’m in Sydney.

However, I have completed a Karmann Ghia restoration and I’m pretty sure I can repeat that success with this 365.

I saw this car in September 2017 and recognised it was a great project when I learned the owner wanted to sell it. My friend Angus Dowrie snapped it up quicker than I but when another car, an SC, showed up, He grabbed that and passed this one over to me.

This project has had a number of false starts but from now the plan it to get the bodywork done at least to paint ready. That should give me enough time to plan the project out and get it done in a proper and timely fashion.

Some pictures for your enjoyment.

Back seat run repair with a new locally made panel

view of the front portion of the car's skin

The skins removed show very little crash damage and mostly rust repairs

The engine lid is nearly perfect save a tiny dent in a flat portion that'll be easy to knock out.

front trunk lid needs the front edge replaced. I've seen original Porsche parts available but those come at quite a high price.

Doors are mostly OK and just need lower skins added.

rear skin is mostly OK and just needs some shaping

Head light needs new metal.

Usual rust around the front lights and vents

Tinwork in the engine bay is completed with new metal

The wheels should be from Dec 64 or a little earlier, but three are Lemmerz from Dec 65 and one from Oct'68 is Kronprinz. All are 4 1/2 J15. I'll have to swap them out with something more correct.

I have a copy of the Cardex which I will write about soon

Nicholas

Fri Mar 23, 2018 3:25 am

Looks like good bones! Best of luck Sir:<) =D>

Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:27 am

I'm going to like watching this project progress, I know it will turn out well after your efforts with the Ghia cabriolet.

Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:30 am

Angus Dowrie wrote: I'm going to like watching this project progress, I know it will turn out well after your efforts with the Ghia cabriolet.
Thanks Angus, If anything I’ve learned to keep it away from Kanagroos. When the time comes, hopefully soon, this one will be out at night only if its in the city. :lol: 8)
Nicholas

Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:10 am

More work getting done this week :lol:

More to follow soon
Nicholas

Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:13 am

Ive been studying the Cardex to learn what is revealed about this particular vehicle...

I know the engine number doesn't match the cardex, but the one I have is within weeks of the "Ausgel.am" or "Delivered Date from factory" "3.12.64" which is Thursday, Third of December 1964.

"Farbe" or Colour is "Signal Rot 6407 B" "Signal Red 6407B.
"Polsterung" or "Upholstery" in Kunst.schwarz Black Vinyl

and "Anf Sonderausstattung" or "Special Equipment" was "Verchromte Lochscheibenrader" It has chromed slotted wheels.

So it would look a bit like this photo from the Gallery, but with a black interior.

So I have a defined target :lol:

Nicholas

Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:31 am

Progress updates
Here is the roof being patched to repair the rust holes in the gutters.

Nicholas

Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:40 am

Attention has been up at the front.
This how the vents appeared at first
.

Then work started to fix those extra holes..

Nicholas

Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:11 pm

Glad to be stirring up the interest here on the 356 forum. :?

More work forging ahead. We are working on the Heat tubes and under the sills

There will be small pieces added in the lower guard, later.

Muffer added to keep down some of the noise.

Trial fit for the outer sill piece. This will all get a protective sealers and epoxy to stave of rust in the future.

The RHS headlight needed more attention than expected. It started off well enough.....

.....until a crack developed with the heat stress. Further poking showed the metal was too far gone and it was systematically replaced.

This looks pretty good now.

Thanks for looking
Nicholas

Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:37 am

Now the Commonwealth games are over I'll have to head down and check it out in person! Looking good.

Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:28 am

Nicholas,

Don't think guys are not following your efforts! The photo's and explanations of what you are doing are excellent. I realise only too well how hard some of this work can be and how long it takes. You are doing really well and like Justin Rio on www.abcgt,com your collection of special clamping grips shows you know what you are about.

Justin also details everything like you do so well, on the repair of 356 bodywork.

I mention him because his knowledge of all areas and the best way to replace might also help you,as his procedures would have helped me no end if I had a forum like his or the Samba's one, over 40 years ago when I was struggling with mine.

It takes time too in preparing not only the explanation but all the photos to put on the forum let alone the work to do it.

So, Nicholas I thank you for this interesting thread and keep up the good work its looking good !! I have had my RHD 356A just coming up for 50 years and still really appreciate owning it. And lucky really because if I had not bitten the bullet and restored it when it was 10 years old, the UK weather would have probably finished it off not that long after like so many others over here were.

Roy

Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:15 am

Yes thanks for posting the stuff you do. I have had to park my 356 for now and these forums are my only link right now. Your work is looking good.

Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:21 am

Thanks guys, Its good to know I’m not playing to an empty room.
I’m used to the more lively Ghia forum, so now I know you’re all out there.
Nicholas

Tue May 01, 2018 11:34 am

when you see a 356 without the outer panels you realise that those porsche designers seemed to love making mud traps under that lovely bodywork

Fri May 18, 2018 5:11 pm

finster wrote: when you see a 356 without the outer panels you realise that those porsche designers seemed to love making mud traps under that lovely bodywork
I’m learning to agree. I thought Ghias were bad for it but the 356 design is something else when it comes to rust catchers.

Anyhow, the tasks are being done and the remediation continues. This week we are dealing with the heat pipes in front of the rear wheel house region.

The piece is fabricated from two bits tacked together on the car

Then welded together on the bench

the welds are filed out, the hole added, the piece attached to the car and the heat pipe slid through...

....and finally the pipe welded in position

That’s a day’s work in itself.

Nicholas

Sat May 19, 2018 9:27 am

Nicholas,

Some very nice neat work there on the rear heater pipes I easily can see it taking a day as nothing looking as good as that can be done in a short time.

I am convinced the factory never expected many 356 cars to be still on the road after 60 years or so. Those nooks and crannies so in-accessible to get at even just to rust protect, they are everywhere even when looking not that hard!!

Roy

Sun May 20, 2018 2:55 am

Hi,

Would you be interested in selling the wheels you have?
Im interested in them because they are 4.5 inch.

Thank you.

Sun May 20, 2018 6:52 am

PorschepowerGhia wrote: Hi,

Would you be interested in selling the wheels you have?
Im interested in them because they are 4.5 inch.

Thank you.
No problem with asking. I need five wheels and I’ve got four. My 100% perfect would be five wheels all of the same type date stamped late 64. However, until I find my perfect set its better to hang on to these. But then I have a buddy with a 356sc seeking exactly these, so in keeping with the principle of “a priori” he has first right of refusal. It seems everone wants these wheels :lol:

Nicholas

Sun May 20, 2018 10:29 am

sputnick60 wrote: PorschepowerGhia wrote: Hi,

Would you be interested in selling the wheels you have?
Im interested in them because they are 4.5 inch.

Thank you.
No problem with asking. I need five wheels and I’ve got four. My 100% perfect would be five wheels all of the same type date stamped late 64. However, until I find my perfect set its better to hang on to these. But then I have a buddy with a 356sc seeking exactly these, so in keeping with the principle of “a priori” he has first right of refusal. It seems everone wants these wheels :lol:

Nicholas

Contact Adam Wright at Unobtanium and tell him which date code wheels you need. He should be able to get back to you with what he has available for sale. [email protected] He is located in New York so I don't know if the shipping charges will pencil out for you. Good luck.

Tue Jun 05, 2018 7:09 am

Jon Schmid wrote:
Contact Adam Wright at Unobtanium

Thanks for the lead there Jon. I have a guy in Australia who can do similar for me ... but I'll keep this contact as a back up plan.
Cheers