The Official 356Talk Forum

Hoping someone can help, I have an original Chrome Leitz luggage rack for my 356c. Trouble is, it doesn’t fit! The brackets on the rack do line up perfectly with the mounting brackets that were built into the engine lid but the right hand grill is in the way. The left hand grill seems ok with the fixing tubes passing centrally through a gap in the grill fins where as there is a fin in the grill clashing bang in the middle of the fixings position.

I’ve scoured the internet and seen pictures where it looks like the grill on the right has been bent to one side to allow the fixing to fit but surely this isn’t what you’re supposed to do!! I’m thinking of buying a second grill for that side of the engine and butchering it so I can use it but before I do so I thought I’d reach out to all you clever 356ers and see if anyone else has had the same problem and better still come up with a solution??

I haven't had that problem with my rack or grills. Can you post a pic of the grill? Is it an original grill?

Mike

Thanks Mike,

After writing
My post I found another thread which suggest i’m Not alone with this problem.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43538

My Leitz rack is definitely for the T6 twin grill cars, in fact it’s drilled and tapped for both single grill deck deck lids.

The article above suggests that right hand mounts in the deck
Lid aren’t always in the right position. Maybe that’s a tolerance issue when they left the factory

I’ll maybe take you up on cross checking my rack size, I’m
Only 30 miles away in Kent so will take a drive in the car with the fabulous engine you guys built and then we can see if it’s the rack or the deck lid?

Cheer

Pete

Thanks for the link to the thread. Seems like maybe some deck lids were fabricated just a tad off.

Mike

I have one of the new Reutter racks and it doesn't fit the deck lid either. Closer fit on T-6 cars, but still have to bend things a bit, on single grill cars it off by 1/2" vertically and one is 3/8 to left. I've tried on more than one car. My old Letz and Ruetter racks bolt right on.

Having had racks on T6s since the early '70s, it's been a crap-shoot. In some cases, a find needs to be bent out of the way, others not.
Somewhat surprising, since the racks were factory options, but...

We made the reproduction racks with bolt locations according to the illustration below. This was after measuring several cars and also original racks.

Peter Trill wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:41 pm

I'm sure no one cares at this point, but as an editor/writer, I'm compelled to point out that the correct name is "Lietz" not "Leitz."

Make sure the grille is mounted with the surround seam at the 6 o’clock and if you know the grille had been disassembled for resto then perhaps they have been put back together wrong.

Thank you both for your comments. I’ve given myself detention for the miss spelling, .

I’ve kind of got to the bottom of it (possibly) the right hand bracket does seem to occasionally be a little of centre the fix seems to be to use clamps to press it slowly back into alignment. Not yet tried this but it’s on the list for the winter

Thanks

P

I'm guessing the upper right bracket is off a bit just like on my friend's '62 coupe.

Mike

Hello. Resurrecting this old tread. I’m selling my rack and I’ve been asked if it is original or reproduction. I don’t know the answer to that. It was on the car I purchased and I won’t be using it.
Thanks for any advice.

If it’s chrome plated, it’s probably original (but may have been replated.
Otherwise, if it’s stainless, prob a copy

+1 on Steve's assessment.

Mike

Early reproductions were steel, chrome plated. Many more repros were polished stainless steel, including the current product see http://www.nlaparts.com/store/lietz-lug ... -1664.html