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As I probe and remove pieces from the passenger side threshold I'm thinking she still has most of her original carpet. From the pics if I can actually upload them you can see the original square weave.
What I have found is the carpet, to the best of my knowledge was originally tan and has been dyed black. I find that carpet that was not visible without removing carpet or the shift cover back side is tan. Rubber and cuts appear to be original, the wax soaked cheese cloth on the threshold lip appears to have been there from original build. Again, I'm not that familiar with the Pre A cars, but does it seems tan carpet was installed with black seats and trim. Comments from the experts and novices alike are welcome.

Rusty,

It looks original. Cloth on the threshold edge is normal. The rubber is cut correctly. Black upholstery would usually have grey carpet but the grey of that period had a lot of brown in it and can easily look tan when old. I don't know of a source for the old grey carpet. The carpet available now is a bit too grey by comparison but works and looks fine.

Chuck, I've requested the information from the Reutter guys, hopefully it will describe the carpet.
I'm a bit color blind, but after closer look it does appear to be fairly light grey in color. Believe I have a long way to go before I worry about the carpet. Anyone have a pic of the original carpet in their speedster? If so would like to see it. Having been around Porsches since the 60s this is like having a new girlfriend. She looks good but the more I spend with her I see she isn't perfect.
Hope there are only good stories about the LA lit meet,
Rusty

Rusty,

What color upholstery for your Speedster is indicated on its kardex?

Rusty Quote - the wax soaked cheese cloth on the threshold lip appears to have been there from original build.

I first found this 35 years ago on an original Dec 1964 Porsche Built RHD `C` Coupe (131 899)

I have never seen it mentioned anywhere since and those little drawings of the Carpet and Trim layout never showed it
However, this now establishes that it existed from 55 onwards on Reutter built cars

What about Karmann Builds ?

[img][/img]Just wanted to share a few things I find along this journey.
Inside door panel, vapor barrier and original carpet color.
Other pic is the poor state of things underneath the car. I will persevere.

Rusty, the vapor barrier and carpet scraps to pad against the inner door frame are original, but don't assume that the carpet scraps match the original carpet on your car. Reutter used whatever carpet scraps were laying around. Sometimes they used scraps of vinyl too. If you look at the bottom of Reutter coupe/cab seats, there are usually 2-3 carpet scraps used as padding there too, and usually none of them match.

My car had beige carpet scraps inside the door panels, but the original carpet on the car is dark blue.

James Davies wrote:Reutter used whatever carpet scraps were laying around. Sometimes they used scraps of vinyl too. If you look at the bottom of Reutter coupe/cab seats, there are usually 2-3 carpet scraps used as padding there too, and usually none of them match.

To James' point, this is a '53 cab seat frame; originally reddish brown leather (C501A) and most likely tan/beige carpet...

James, totally agree with you regarding "assumptions". I've ordered the detail information from the Reutter chaps in Europe.
thanks to you guys for clarification.

Stated earlier that PreA cars have forward outside seat bracket directly on the floor. Anyone have a picture of inside and bottom of car. Pics of what I’m finding. Small reinforcement pad on bottom..

Rusty Ferrell wrote:Stated earlier that PreA cars have forward outside seat bracket directly on the floor. Anyone have a picture of inside and bottom of car. Pics of what I’m finding. Small reinforcement pad on bottom..

From the same '53 cab.
Original reinforcement plates & bolts were cut from the old floor pans. New bolts were fabricated using the original hex heads and welded to the new floor pans replicating the original welding pattern.

Found a few pics of the 55 taken back in the 70s, here is one of them.

Today we started to cut more floor away and as little parent metal as possible. I've been looking for dimensional drawings of door openings and and chassis dimensions for a Pre A Speedster with little luck.
Any help in finding a source would be helpful, even my A parts book doesn't have a speedster chassis. The supplement to the A has some information on the converible D, but still no chassis info.
Need information so I can add braces, don't trust the current body dimensions.
thanks,
Rusty

Rusty, the 1954 Porsche Service Manual has all the dimensional drawings you should need for the chassis. Email me if you don't have one.

If your doors are fairly intact they are a rather good indicating tool for the door openings, especially if most of the original lead is still there. The body was built with rather large gaps and leaded, often narrowed by 10 mm at the front and rear of the doors. Front leaded on the door, rear gap on the door jamb. You probably already know this.