Pre-A radio delete

For those who obsess about exactly how their 356 left the factory!
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Victor Ingram
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Pre-A radio delete

#1 Post by Victor Ingram »

Has anyone restored the cloth on a pre-a radio delete? and what is used to create the raised horizontal areas? If you have pictures of it stripped down that would be great.
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Spencer Harris
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#2 Post by Spencer Harris »

Victor,
According to the '55 parts manual the radio delete panels are covered in either artificial leather or leather. The original panel on my '55 was a medium brown leather with the gold Porsche lettering glued to the leather. The raised horizontal lines are molded into the plastic plate that the leather is glued to (11.929.022a radio panel without lining) listed on page 304. Sorry I don't have any photos of my panel disassembled.
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Parts 304.jpg
Spencer Harris
San Joaquin Valley, CA.

Dennis Molnar
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Location: New Hampshire

Re: Pre-A radio delete

#3 Post by Dennis Molnar »

The radio delete plate that I obtained for my car was a Bakelite type plate. There were two 1/8" round wood rods that ran horizontally across the plate. The leather was glued on top of this set up producing the horizontal raised lines. The Bakelite plate had two horizontal recesses molded into it were the rods were placed. I used the same configuration when I restored it for my 1955 coupe.

Dennis
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Dennis Molnar #9083
1955 Continental Coupe
1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
1959 Abarth Record Monza GT
1970 911-E
1973 911-S Sunroof Coupe
1983 911 SC Cabrilolet

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Victor Ingram
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#4 Post by Victor Ingram »

Great info guys, its a lot cheaper then a Telefunken :wink:

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Spencer Harris
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#5 Post by Spencer Harris »

Dennis is absolutely correct - I remember the wood rods now. I misspoke in my earlier post regarding the ribs being molded into the Bakelite - but wasn't going to peel the leather off to look either. :)
Spencer Harris
San Joaquin Valley, CA.

Dennis Molnar
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#6 Post by Dennis Molnar »

My PORSCHE script for the radio blanking plate is silver. It appears to be aluminum. I know others have gold script. I am pretty sure mine was original to the plate that I purchased. It did not look like it had ever been removed. What do others have? Silver or gold.Did the color of the interior dictate which color was used? I believe this PORSCHE script was only used in 1955 . Is this correct? They are VERY hard to find. I looked for many years before I found one.

Dennis
Dennis Molnar #9083
1955 Continental Coupe
1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
1959 Abarth Record Monza GT
1970 911-E
1973 911-S Sunroof Coupe
1983 911 SC Cabrilolet

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Spencer Harris
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#7 Post by Spencer Harris »

Dennis Molnar wrote:My PORSCHE script for the radio blanking plate is silver. It appears to be aluminum. I know others have gold script. I am pretty sure mine was original to the plate that I purchased. It did not look like it had ever been removed. What do others have? Silver or gold. Did the color of the interior dictate which color was used? I believe this PORSCHE script was only used in 1955 . Is this correct? They are VERY hard to find. I looked for many years before I found one. Dennis
Mine is gold. I'm 95% sure my script is original. I bought my Continental Coupe in '72 and though the car had been repainted silver and the headliner dyed red, the rest of the interior was original as best I could tell. 1500N Engine & 519 gearbox #s match the COA that lists production date of 5/10/55 with original color scheme as 5401B - black over wine-red. CB&E in Atlanta made & installed the new interior in the early 90s and we chose the medium tan color for the delete plate to compliment the tan carpet and headliner. The flat back Porsche script is attached with small dots of high$ Elmer's. I find no mention of gold vs. silver in the '55 parts book, only leather or vinyl. No pictures or description at all in the '53 parts book, '53 supplement or '54 workshop manual. My '53 Cab had a later model Telefunken with a homemade faceplate when I found it. No radio option is listed on the COA or Kardex for the '53 so I'll likely use the '55 delete plate as a pattern and try to have one made.
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Spencer Harris
San Joaquin Valley, CA.

Scott Loraas
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#8 Post by Scott Loraas »

Spencer Harris wrote:No radio option is listed on the COA or Kardex for the '53 so I'll likely use the '55 delete plate as a pattern and try to have one made.
Spencer,

Your should trust your original '55 backing plate to someone like a dentist who has tons of experience taking impressions! Hmmmmmm ... finding a dentist who has experience pouring up Porsche 356 pre-a backing plates would be like finding a needle in a haystack! ;)
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This can all be done without anesthetic.

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Spencer Harris
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#9 Post by Spencer Harris »

Scott Loraas wrote: You should trust your original '55 backing plate to someone like a dentist who has tons of experience taking impressions! Hmmmmmm ... finding a dentist who has experience pouring up Porsche 356 pre-a backing plates would be like finding a needle in a haystack! ;)
Like finding one who makes correct, pre-A brake lines, eh? :D
I'll send you an email.
Spencer Harris
San Joaquin Valley, CA.

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Alan Hall
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#10 Post by Alan Hall »

Spencer,
I think the radio delete for the '53 would be the plate with the "PORSCHE" gage. I think the plate was a early VW item and the gage has been reproduced over the years and is not too hard to find.
Alan

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James Davies
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#11 Post by James Davies »

Yes, the '53 and earlier radio delete is a VW plastic plate. It has VW stampings on it, and the hole for the Porsche "gauge" is offset towards the top of the plate, just like on the VW. There are incorrect reproductions floating around of this plate which have the gauge centered vertically.

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Spencer Harris
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#12 Post by Spencer Harris »

Soliciting free advice!
Sorry for high-jacking your thread Victor…

After the commentary on this thread I decided I should have a closer look at the radio & plate from my ’53.

I removed the TruTone (sounds like a ‘50s bee-bop group) radio from the mounting plate & carefully separated the masonite/formica outer plate & speaker grill from the aluminum backing plate. What I described as a “homemade faceplate” looks to be an authentic Telefunken component (too many tiny staples, felt gasket & washers for a homemade job). Remnants of a brownish speaker cloth which would be behind the screen grill can be seen in photo #2.
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The screen mesh looks to be painted a purple color as shown on the back side – photo #3. The Telefunken badge and chrome bezel clean up fairly good with a brass wire brush – probably even better with some soap & water.
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Amongst all the stuff I collected from the barn where I found the car was an old Telefunken radio (possibly the original radio from the car) that fits perfectly into the mount (5th photo). I have the dash bezel so the mounting would only involve some cleaning, painting and re-plating to look like new. Photo #8 is on Samba for a cool $3,500!
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The catch(s):
1. The ends of the volume & tuning shafts have been clipped or sawed off (don’t ask me, I only work here).
2. No doubt the radio would have to be re-furbished for an estimated $3 – $500 if I’m lucky.
3. There are no knobs or buttons with the Telefunken. Tom Coughlin has an ad in the Registry that states they can be had for $100 - $150.
4. I do not have the power pack for the Telefunken. It could be up in the Pozo Flat barn, but I’m just now getting the stench of mouse pee out of my sinuses. Are these power packs available anywhere?
5. The Kardex does not indicate a radio was installed by Reutter or Porsche, but maybe they never listed radios. Autohaus Krauss in Nurnberg could certainly have installed a radio, and probably not a TruTone.
Kardex 60238_Owner Delete.jpg
38 stamped on inside of dash below the radio.
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What do you think - Radio Delete or Go For It? All comments, suggestions and recommendations welcome!
Spencer Harris
San Joaquin Valley, CA.

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Christopher Carlston
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#13 Post by Christopher Carlston »

I'm restoring the dash on my '55 Pre-A and in need of a radio delete plate. Doesn't need to be original, just looking for the plate that I can wrap the leather around, include the dowels and mount the script. All I have to start with is the radio trim obtained from Stoddard. Suggestions?

Thanks!
Chris Carlston
'64 Coupe
Niwot, Colorado

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James Davies
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#14 Post by James Davies »

That plates were sourced from VW. So find a VW one from 1952 or earlier.

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Phil Planck
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Re: Pre-A radio delete

#15 Post by Phil Planck »

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This was/is in 53248. Car has New owner, but that round insert is in my parts cabinet. Must have been for a clock delete?
Phil Planck

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