Modern features in a 1964 C

[Richard Sjolund]

My 356 C "Ruby" will turn 50 this summer - probably in August since she was delivered to Chicago on September 23, 1963. My COA has no build date.

As many of you know, Ruby is not a garage Queen. I shared a set of images of Ruby in all the US National Parks between Iowa and the Pacific Ocean a while back, and she and I have some long distance driving awards. Next week we will drive to the Stoddard's Swap Meet in Ohio.

I enjoy the Registry 356 Talk site and I learn a lot by being here. I also appreciate the help from senior members and our vendors. I've applied several upgrades to Ruby that have brought her to the 21st century in several ways.

My latest was to apply the update from Ken Wallace: Post subject: Re: Sir, you left your lights on." - Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:08 pm. I bought the small buzzer he recommended from Radio Shack - and now it buzzes to warn me that the lights are still on after I have turned off the key. I have had more than one dead or low battery upon returning to my car .... mostly because I drive with the lights on during the day.

The second was to install the LED tail lights from Cu Layer
http://culayer.com/356_Teardrop.htm
They make driving much, much safer - and I say that as someone who saw his first 356 - a 1959 356A sunroof coupe from the back window of an ambulance after being rear-ended by a truck on a Sacramento freeway. The LED installation was not easy - and I had to go back to one original light that was in my parts box. The internal reflector was worn off - but not needed for the LED update.

I've also got brighter halogen headlights and Joe Leoni's relay. I'll be installing his starter relay next.

My last "Want" is something that I think about every time I drive Ruby: I need a rear-view mirror on the passenger side. Changing lanes in moving traffic is difficult and dangerous without the ability to see what is to my right and behind me. However - there is no good way to put a second mirror on the car.

My next adventure will be to find a GPS unit that can input a back-up camera (mounted under the rear bumper - maybe Bluetooth) - with a way to hang the GPS on the dash or glove box with a felt-covered magnet mounting system. I installed a 12 volt converter a long time ago and it should be doable.

Here are a few images of my recent updates. I hid the headlight light buzzer in the fuse cover with a velcro attachment. It's invisible but loud. The LED taillight units are superb!

Dick Sjolund
Solon, (Iowa City), Iowa
Registry member #6406
1963 (August) 356 C Coupe #215661 (Ruby Red, color:6402)
(On the 356 Registry cover- November, 2005)
944 S2 -Signal Red (Daily Driver)
Dodge Ram 4X4 1500 Quad cab- Red (Winter Snow Plow)
Audi A4 Quatro -Red (Wife's car)

[Steve Hatfield]

Hi Dick,
I too installed the CU Layer LED tail lights which I find reassuring but along with a third brake light in LED mounted inside my S-90 coupe centered above the rear window. These two upgrades along with a 12v conversion and headlight and starter relays have given me added comfort as I too am a daily driver if only for pleasure. I like your buzzer install too.
Thanks,
Steve Hatfield
Fort Walton Beach, FL (but formerly of Marshalltown, IA)

[Bob Soldani]

Hi Dick,

Nice safety upgrades. I, too, have installed some of these upgrades. In regard to the right hand mirror, I bought one of those small, cheap (about $4.00 at Walmart), wide angle mirrors with a suction cup. I placed it on the windshield just to the right of the rear view mirror (see photos). Every time I check the rear view mirror I am able to also look at the wide angle mirror which gives me a complete view of the right hand side of the vehicle and spot any cars next to or approaching. Easily removed for the purists.

Bob Soldani

[Richard Sjolund]

Bob Soldani wrote:
> Hi Dick,
>
> Nice safety upgrades. I, too, have installed some of these upgrades. In
> regard to the right hand mirror, I bought one of those small, cheap (about
> $4.00 at Walmart), wide angle mirrors with a suction cup. I placed it on
> the windshield just to the right of the rear view mirror (see photos).
> Every time I check the rear view mirror I am able to also look at the wide
> angle mirror which gives me a complete view of the right hand side of the
> vehicle and spot any cars next to or approaching. Easily removed for the
> purists.
>
> Bob Soldani


Bob,

I like the mirror -- Worth a try. I just ordered a rear-view camera and a 4.5" color display -- I'll try to mount the camera on my luggage rack and find a way to make it all unplug when I'm not driving. I'll send some photos if I get it working.

I also have the dual master cylinder .... if there were a way, I'd install a U-joint in my long steering wheel shaft - the thing that goes from in front of my left front wheel to 12 inches from me -- and the thing that crushes or pierces most chests in front-end crashes.

Dick

[James Learmonth]

Richard,
I too have a Red C Coupe. I installed the LED tail light system from CU Layer and found them very reliable and trouble free. However, when viewed from directly behind and at a normal eye height on a bright sunny day I found them almost invisible on the back of the Signal Red body. They really looked good in the garage though.

I have since converted to 12 volts and incandescent bulbs. Maybe try the 12volt LED's again.

[Dave Wildrick]

Dick,
I also tried the 6V red LED lights from CuLayer on my Guards Red 356C coupe, and found them to bleach out in the noonday sun.
I substituted the 6V Amber/red CuLayer lights, and was still not satisfied about visibility to drivers behind me.

So, I went with Charlie White’s idea of using a Bosch 911 style red rear foglight for a 3rd brakelight attached to the Lietz luggage rack.

However, I installed 2 of these Bosch red foglights in the holes that are already drilled in the standard Lietz luggage rack. I wired them into the left and right signal/stop lights in the tail light assemblies. So they both flash on STOP, and flash in sync with the right or left amber LED light. They each have one 18W 6V bulb in them.

Now I have no doubt that folks trailing me can see me. And the lights are appropriately styled for the period, and they’re German (available from Pelican Parts for about $55-60 each IIRC).

[Ashley Page]

IMHO that mirror idea is very good!

Like a mini version of the Wink mirror from a while back.

[Charlie White]

Dave,

I can't really take credit for the original idea to put the red fog light in the existing holes in the Leitz travel rack. I got that idea when I was stationed in Germany in the early 70's. I saw the idea used over there, and did the same to my SC Cabriolet that I had while I was there. Back then I also added a white fog light as an additional back up light! So credit goes to some unknown German 356 Porsche owner from the early 1970's.

CW

[Randy Mittelstet]

I just posted this on another thread but will repeat it here since it serves this thread as well.

I came across this and thought it was a great tip to avoid leaving your lights on when using in daytime. I like to do that now that I have the SMD headlights. I got the Radio Shack buzzer with the diode just to be sure.... part number is Radio Shack 2730059 76dB Piezo Buzzer.

I tried every fuse combination suggested but nothing worked with fuse #1. So I played around with different combinations and finally found the right one, for my car anyway. It senses both the parking lights on as well as the headlights. I put the black wire on top of #12 fuse which is at the very end going to the right toward passenger door. The red wire is on the bottom of fuse # 5 going to the right. The fuse box numbers go left to right as you are looking at the fuse box #1 through #12. Maybe this will save someone some time. That buzzer is just right regarding volume and sound and yes, Radio Shack still ships online.

[Doug McDonnell]

Porsche_911_Carrera_2_Type_964_Rene_Staud.jpg (79.82 KiB) Viewed 744 times

If you want a useful passenger side mirror then just do what Porsche did on 911s. Move it back about 4 inches. No it will not be symmetrical, but it isn't on 911s.

[Jim Nelson]

Porsche_911_Carrera_2_Type_964_Rene_Staud.jpgIf you want a useful passenger side mirror then just do what Porsche did on 911s. Move it back about 4 inches. No it will not be symmetrical, but it isn't on 911s.

Or, if you aren't married to the usual C mirror, mount an Aero on one side and a Ponto Stabil on the other...