356 Hardware

[Jim Wayman]

Like many of you, I collect old 356 hardware. I recently acquired a bunch (several hundred) 6MM and 8MM(14ATF) nuts and bolts and was cleaning them up for re-plating. I noticed that about 30% of them were NSF, 30% were Karro, 30% were Kamax and 10% were Verbus. I have always assumed that the NSF and Karro were used earlier with the Kamax and Verbus coming later. Does anyone have a more definitive opinion on the date ranges each were used: NSF, Karro (Large print), Karro (Small print), Kamax and Verbus? I also found some 6MM bolts that were drilled thru 2 adjacent sides and were 13MM long. Any idea what the application would have been. Finally, does anyone have any 5MM bolts with 9MM heads they can spare?

[James Davies]

Kamax and Verbus were suppliers very early on. A few quite original '53 coupes have NSF, ALA, Verbus, Kamax, Karro, Dera, amongst others.

[Al Zim]

I think when Porsche needed hardware they asked for bids and whoever was the cheapest was where they got what they needed. The bolts were all thrown into a container with the old hardware and nobody cared. For some reason the person that is restoring the car thinks that all the bolts need to be the same. Where did that come from? The same with wheels. al zim

[Spencer Harris]

I think when Porsche needed hardware they asked for bids and whoever was the cheapest was where they got what they needed. The bolts were all thrown into a container with the old hardware and nobody cared. For some reason the person that is restoring the car thinks that all the bolts need to be the same. Where did that come from? The same with wheels. al zim

I'm sure Al's explanation is accurate, and there was little - if any thought given to restorations 60+ years in the future. There were also severe post-war material shortages in Germany during the 1950s. Lowest price was likely oftentimes overshadowed by availability.

[Tyler Krause]

Hi Jim, are you looking to sell any of it? Or have any suggestions where to find it?

[Jim Wayman]

Tyler
What are you looking for? Contact me offline at hiway9999@hotmail.com.

[Dennis Vogel]

I’m curious what color finish you are finding is predominant.

The factory printed parts catalog has a finish listed for a few things, but not everything. I’ve got a bunch of hardware I need to send off for plating. Most of mine are beyond telling what was original. Based on numerous posts / articles I’ve read I’m torn between zinc clear (silver appearance) or black phosphate.

[Mike Wilson]

Wasn't there a previous thread on the finishes. Maybe by Greg Bryan.

Mike

[Mike Wilson]

I found this chart in my notes.

Mike

[Dennis Vogel]

Wasn't there a previous thread on the finishes. Maybe by Greg Bryan.
...
I found this chart in my notes.

Mike

Hi Mike. There are several articles, many threads, and even more opinions. I was hoping Jim could offer a direct observation of the color, depending on the condition of his hardware.

I wrote a blog post to summarize what I had found because I tend to forget these things. I had mostly focused on the Zinc vs Cad and Silver vs Gold aspects. I neglected to cover silver vs. black.

Thanks for the chart. What color is "Zinc" here? Silver appearance? You can of course get zinc with chromate clear (silver), black, blue, gold, etc.

P.S. I talked to the technical program lead from Porsche Classic while at Luftgekühlt 9. He confirmed that 60s and 70s hardware was Zinc for the most part. Silver for 60s and gold for 70s as a rule of thumb.

[Mike Wilson]

I think the zinc Porsche used was basically what I would call galvanized.

Mike

[Michael Branning]

There are several resources about hardware on this page: https://porsche356registry.org/content. ... _id=510285

[Dennis Vogel]

There are several resources about hardware on this page: https://porsche356registry.org/content. ... _id=510285

Thanks Michael. Unless there is something pretty recent, I think I have been through all the registry tech docs and articles on this topic at least once.

I just noticed that Chris Mullen has made significant updates to his 356C list to include finishes since I last looked at it.
356C Nuts Bolts & VW parts

Some good threads never die, but probably should get pinned.

[Mark Roth]

At Michael’s suggestion, I added Chris Mullen’s link to the Quick Reference under Specifications. https://porsche356registry.org/content. ... _id=510285

[Mike Wilson]

Excellent idea. Thanks!

Mike