just looking over my christmas present and have found lots of interesting parts that my other 356A cars do not have..
so what year is it.. hope someone out there can help.. roof and dash where upgraded to a 58 same as the vin. I'm thinking over 20 years a go.
maybe there is something i can look for to identify the year.
the tab in the tunnel, with a hole in it is for 1953. this tab is for the reverse light switch. 1952 did not have a reverse light switch and in 1954 the tab was welded to the inside of the tunnel. could be a late 1952 when the reverse light option was added and maybe an early 1954 prior the the light switch tab being mounted in a different location. this car would be just prior to the changes in the tunnel, ie shifter linkage, and shifter mounting location
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997
there are also no mounting tabs for the heater control so this would indicate the heating cable went up to the dash to be controlled by a knob, so sometime 1953
Mike dejonge
Restoration Design Inc.
52 Pre A Body Bumper X2
53 Pre A coupe
54 Pre A speedster
56 Speedster
60 D'letern Roadster
67 911
05 997
Nice! Are there any numbers on the doors, hood or decklid (if you got them)? If they all match you could at least get part of the chassis number. I am also guessing Vic could get the production date within a couple of months with the tranny number.
check your tie rod tube a very creditable source once told me that the tie rod tubes are all dated.. not sure when they started dating them but its worth a shot ..the date is simply stamped with a die on the tube month and year it may take a little searching to find it.
And a shot from below up into the underside of the dash.
Also the inside rear of the front wheel wheels, so we can see the closing panels.
Also a photo of the where the transmission nose cone mounts. If its the original transmission in the car, what's the number? That will date it certainly.
Do the seat rails mount to the floor with a single bolt on each end or two bolts?
I bought a 52 one time out of a guy's yard. No VIN, it had long rotted away. I figured it was a 52 because of the Unicorn horn for the spare tire. I narrowed down the VIN to three cars, one of which was accounted for in the Registry, but I still had two possible VINS, and that's not my kind of math, so I sold it cheap to a guy. The last two digits of the VIN were in yellow crayon on the doors.
Attachments
www.unobtanium-inc.com
Check out my Barn Find column in the Registry magazine, always looking for good stories.
With the VIN of 102257 (maybe 102287), it's a '57. Transmission hump is for a later synchromesh car, fuel tank straps are also not early pre-A. Battery compartment is kind of funky but might have been part of the nose clip that looks like it was done at some point.
