Priming the new tail.

New tail fitted and screwed into place.

From the side.

This will be finished latter when more parts show up. Next time we will get to those outer rockers.

Here are the previous installments if you missed any of them:

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 1

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 2

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 3

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 4

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 5

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 6

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 7

ShareThis

From James…

I know that at the end of the last installment I said that we would cover the outer rockers but I moved to the back instead. We ordered a new tail section and it arrived so we will work on getting that fitted.

The new tail skin.

Removing the old skin.

Repairing the rear structure.

More sand blasting.

The car is looking kind of sad right now.

Priming the insides now since it will be hard after it is welded.

I've got a few more pictures to put up tomorrow. Breaking things up so it's not too painful to load.

Here are the previous installments if you missed any of them:

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 1

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 2

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 3

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 4

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 5

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 6

ShareThis

From James…

Today we see the new floors going in.

Inside rocker repair.

Toe board repair.

Old floor removed.

New floors fitted and pre-drilled for spot welds.

New floors welded top view.

New floors from bottom.

Next…we'll do the outer rockers.

Here are the previous installments if you missed any of them:

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 1

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 2

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 3

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 4

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 5

ShareThis

From James…

In this set of picture we finish rebuilding that corner, well almost. I know that I have a tendency to be long winded with my pictures so after this set I'll try to move faster.

Rust cut out on the out side of the left rear corner.

New patch ready for welding.

Outside welded.

Back side repaired.

Upper patches made.

Upper patches and new rocker cap.

These will stay screwed in place and get welded later. The other side is pretty much the same so in the next installment I will get ready for the floors.

Here are the previous installments if you missed any of them:

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 1

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 2

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 3

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 4

ShareThis

From James…

Now we get down to some real work. Because the rockers and floors are so rotted we can't remove everything at once, so I have to pick a spot and start repairing section by section. In order to get new floors in we have to rebuild what they weld to. the floors are welded on top of a flange on the inner rockers. the outer rocker section is welded to the bottom of the same flange. Since you have to work from the inside out we'll start repairing the inner rocker first and the hardest part is the rear corners so we'll get them out of the way.

Rusty left rear floor corner.

Cutting out the rotted parts from inside car.

Cutting out the rusted parts from botttom.

Fitting new metal.

Pre priming the inside.

New heater tube also pre primed.

New heater tube installed.

Inner rocker from inside.

Inner rocker from underneath.

Here are the previous installments if you missed any of them:

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 1

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 2

1957 356 Cabriolet Restoration – Part 3

ShareThis

From James…

Before we can start cutting anything off, we have to brace the car. With the floors and rockers so rusted there is the real possibility of the car folding in on itself.

First we weld in a cross brace.

Next we pushed the front and back apart to get the right door gaps.

Now we weld in front to back braces to hold every thing in place.

All right since we know the nose has to go, we'll get it out of the way…

ShareThis

This project is so freakin cool! "Normal" in James' world, I know.

Here's the second round of pictures and descriptions from James.

Once the car is back from the sand blaster we can see the extent of the damage.

Car on jig after blasting.

Poorly repaired accident damage to nose.

Damage from accident and rust to inner nose.

The rust is also pretty bad.

Left rear floor and rocker also shows trailing arm mount.

Front floors.

Right front wheel house.

My next installment we begin sheet metal repairs.

ShareThis

Thanks James!

The following is all from James…

This is a new project I started earlier this year. The victim is a 1957 356 cabrio. The car was rescued from a junk yard in the south west. Having been a junked car, it is missing quite a bit, so the restoration will include a lot of finding parts. Fun.

The car before starting. The hood and engine lid were inside the car.

First we photograph every inch of the car. This helps down the road when we are repairing and replacing parts.

Now we take the car apart removing every thing and leaving a shell.

The car had been in an accident an had some flat sheet metal screwed and brazed to the floors in an attempt to fix the rot.

This shows the accident damage to the inner nose panel.

The floor bottoms.

The repair patches have to be removed in order to send the car for sand blasting.

The car on a jig ready for the blaster.

I've got another round of pictures from James for tomorrow.

ShareThis

First is a Bloomberg post claiming that Porsche has 900 potential buyers for the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid. “I’m confident that we will soon reach the threshold of 1,000,” was the comment Wolfgang Duerheimer (Porsche's development chief) mentioned in an interview at the Beijing Auto Show. “We need 1,000 seriously interested people to make a sound business case.”

Here's for hoping another 100 people step up to the plate! [Via BusinessWeek.com]

Second, John over at PorschePurist.com posted a show called Made By Hand last week on his blog. It's a 40 minute or so show from probably 50 years ago showing how Porsche made each 356 by hand. I haven't gotten through the entire thing yet, but so far it has been a great watch. It's broken up into 5 videos and you can watch each from his blog.

Check it out at PorschePurist.com here: When Porsches Were "Made By Hand".

ShareThis

1957 Porsche 356 1600S "Super" Speedster

A numbers-matching example and in the hands of the current professional Porsche specialist vendor since the early part of this decade, the 1957 Porsche 356A 1600S “Super” Speedster offered here was last owned for nearly thirty-five years prior to his purchase by another devoted caretaker in Kentucky. A low-mileage un-restored original example with under 55,000 miles at the beginning of this decade, it was built and finished by Porsche in Ruby Red with a black interior. During the restoration that commenced only a few years ago, the car was comprehensively dismantled, stripped, and carefully refinished in the correct hue of Aquamarine Blue as seen here. Inside, the brilliant red “Autos International”-supplied interior built on original Speedster seats and correct oatmeal colored carpet was done at the same time and is complemented by a matching “Autos International” top, boot, and tonneau covers that are faithful to those originally fitted to the car when new. The dashboard instrumentation was not overlooked either, all of which were sent to the world-renowned North Hollywood Speedometer for comprehensive restoration prior to reinstallation. The car’s brightwork, chrome, and trim were likewise carefully redone or replaced at this time to complement the quality inherent in this example. Even the rare 1957-only bumper over-rider, original to this car per early photographs, was restored and retained.

1963 Porsche 356 Super 90 Cabriolet

Offered complete with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Porsche AG, this very-fine and freshly-restored 1963 356B Super 90 Cabriolet is without a doubt a superb and thrilling example that benefits from the desirable Super 90 engine. Originally finished in ivory with black leather, during the no-expense-spared restoration carried out in California during the 1990s, the car was comprehensively changed to what is perhaps the most desirable color combination one could hope to find a 356 – lustrous black with a matching top over red leather. The body was stripped top to bottom, inside, out, and underneath to ensure that no trace of original finish remained, then painted and undercoated underneath.

1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2 Cabriolet

Owned most recently by the specialist expert on Porsche 356s in a major Midwestern metropolis, this beautiful 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2 Cabriolet is one of well fewer than 20 thought to have ever been produced. Originally delivered for the European market, the car was snapped up by an astute American collector during the 1980s and restored by the legendary, award-winning Porsche expert Gary Kempton of GK Restoration at some point thereafter. The body was stripped of all parts and media cleaned. Ultimately, it was finished in its correct and authentic Heron Gray over a black leather interior with no detail having been overlooked either inside or out; from the car’s flawless chrome and trim on the outside to its correct German square-weave carpeting, black leather seats, wooden steering wheel, and instrument panel on the inside, there exists little, if anything to fault. It received a new full wiring harness, shocks, and tires, and the original date coded wheels received fresh chrome surfacing. The underside is properly coated as when it left the factory when new.

1964 Porsche 356C Coupe

Purchased by the present owner over two years ago in excellent driver condition, this 1964 356C Coupe was sent to the renowned Bob Smith Coachworks in Gainsville, Texas, for a full cosmetic restoration. Whilst this was in progress any mechanical deficiency was also attended to, and the car is therefore “fresh” and on the button, ready to tour or show as desired. It was recently used on a Texas tour where it performed quite admirably. No problems were encountered and the car remains in excellent tour condition today. The car features many desirable period sought-after accessories: period Marchal driving lights, chrome luggage rack, exhaust extensions, new road wheels and Pirelli tires, new seat belts, etc. to enable comfort and safety while on the open road.

ShareThis