1956 Porsche 356A

[josephferreira]

what are the correct rear lights on this year (1956, Porsche 356a)? I bought mine with the teardrop lights but I think it should be the bee hives.

[Sebastian Gaeta]

It *should* have beehives if a 1956 and early '57. Many times these cars were "upgraded" to teardrops. Look behind the lights and you may just find where the body was cut to accommodate the newer tail lights. It should also have the shine down license light.

Welcome to the forun by yhe way!!!

[Mike Wilson]

The chassis number would be of help.

[josephferreira]

Thank you Sabastian,
chasis number is 57505

[Mike Wilson]

Definitely a '56 per Eric's database.

[Sebastian Gaeta]

Definitely a '56 per Eric's database.

Then somebody at some time modified the rear end to look like a later car with the tear drops and shine up light. Another mystery solved!

[James Davies]

Cool car! Do you have a photo of the front of the car? Wondering how close the front turn signals are to the headlights. They moved them down sometime in 1956.

Also, do the front lid and engine lid have a bumpy surface (undercoat, then paint) on the inside? Some of the 1956 cars (early ones) did. Given the chassis number, this must be ~Aug 1956?

[josephferreira]

When I get home tonight I will inspect the inside of the engine lid and front lid.
The COA from Porsche states production completion date 10/01/1956

[James Davies]

Cool Joseph. Car looks great from the front! Yeah, looks like it has the lower front lights, as one would expect from a late '56 car. Boy was I off by 2 months!

[josephferreira]

Lol James that was a close estimate, my hood has the bumpy surface and then paint, the rear deck not.

[James Davies]

Interesting Joseph. Thanks! Joris was trying to figure out when this was a feature on our cars. Your data point helps!

[Spencer Harris]

Then somebody at some time modified the rear end to look like a later car with the tear drops and shine up light. Another mystery solved!

...and if you're really lucky the PO packed the original beehives and bezels in a box and gave them to you with the car

[Vic Skirmants]

Might have received a later rear clip after a "bump".

[josephferreira]

Unfortunately no beehive bezels supplied with car
how hard is it to return it back to original?

[Paul Kust]

Your front turn signals are wrong for '56, sorry! Should also be a beehive type without stand offs.