as its in my workshop now I thought I'd start a thread for its impending restoration



more to follow soon enough

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instagram - neilblaber

Certainly an ambitious project
Your car, Neil, or doing it for a customer?

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Greg Bryan
356Talk Moderator

N-
Here is the scene when I found the car.

Keep us posted on the resto!

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I always need stories for my Barn Find column in the magazine, if you have a good story to share, please let me know.

Damn,..that's from the guy in Connecticut with the blacksmith's vice. Never did get that,..hope it didn't get canned.

And Neil,..that is going to be a fun one for sure. Pictures, pictures, pictures.
: )

greg, it is for me

adam, I shall post plenty of pictures for sure!

steve, oh I'm sure it will be fun!!!

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instagram - neilblaber

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instagram - neilblaber

That's how you do it, hit the ground running.

One piece of advice though, it's tempting to take the cutting and cut out all the rust, but don't. Pic one part, fix it, and move on to another part. Too many guys go to town and slice and dice, because that's the fun part, but then it is months or years before they fix that part and they don't remember what it is supposed to look like.
It's like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

I've looked at lots of cars that guys gave up on because they got overwhelmed, and they are always real mad when I tell them their sliced up car is worth far less than when they started and it still looked like a car.
This was one such example, the guy didn't like my offer compared to what he had paid for the car.

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I always need stories for my Barn Find column in the magazine, if you have a good story to share, please let me know.

OH Yeah! Neil,..you are going to have some fun.
In every vintage cars life, at some point,..it needs a hero.
Your car has obviously found hers.

Start in the inside,..and work outwards.
Adam's advice is good,..start inboard, one side, work that out, then go to the other side. That way you'll still have the other side as an ongoing reference. I had to follow this regimine with my project,..because there are no other cars to use as reference for miles and miles. Yes, there are books, pictures, and the forum, but there are so many little details that are so easy to solve with a quick glance that would be nearly impossible to describe as a question to others.

Glad to see another one being brought out, (Adam) and being resurrected, (Neil)
Yes!

thanks guys i think i'll be fine with it, i'll have to admit I'm a panel beater by trade.

this was last years project for a work mate





I know its not as good as a lovely old aircooled 356 but some people like them...

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instagram - neilblaber

Can you beat the panels on that car?

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Karl Schuenemann
1959 A coupe

which one? there's not much left to beat on the 356! I'm sure adam will vouch for that... lol as for the audi haha, yeah its all aluminium

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instagram - neilblaber

well this week has been productive, I have made a jig and some brackets to bolt the shell to the jig, that should be at the workshop in the next day or two, so I made a start making some panels. I took a measurement from the car of its total floor length, I then found the centre of the new floor pans, trimmed the ends straight and lined up the two horizontal bumps directly over each other and clamped them together. I took a measurement of the height and width of the centre tunnel and knocked one up on the bender, (still have the inner reinforcement to make and spot weld in) I then made the rear end with the access hole in it. its not exactly the same but its close enough in shape for me (height and width are the same) I shall round off the corners with a hammer and dolly when ready.





I have started on the heel plate, I have some formations to put in it so its just clamped in for show. I also made the inner longitudinal's and started to make the rear logitudinal reinforcement (only one side left to do) I took a pattern from the original one. thankfully due to the previous repairer's use of pop rivets and aluminium all the original steel is still visible (some of it!)

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instagram - neilblaber

N-
Remember to paint the part of the pans underneath the tunnel, if not they will be mostly untreated once the car is together and will rust. Once the tunnel is in place you don't have the option of painting.

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I always need stories for my Barn Find column in the magazine, if you have a good story to share, please let me know.

thanks adam, I know it might seem obvious to some to do that but believe me I am reminded every time I read your post! lol

so I have been doing things but not a great deal of progress as I'm pretty busy with work but I have tig'd the two pieces of the centre tunnel together and just about finished the inner structure for it, I have also bent up some steel for the front bulkhead (pedal area)



just checking the fit to the centre brace



all seems good at the minute, I need to mark the centre then mark out where to trim it and fold the edges and the top.

its not yet mounted on the jig yet but it will soon enough lol

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instagram - neilblaber

been a while since I last updated this (thanks for pointing that out hoyle!)

I have been really busy with work but I do try to have a couple of hours a night, the car is now on the jig, I found the front beam is back quite far and across a little, so I have started making some different front mounting brackets. so the hunt started to find some metal to weld too, to stop the door pillar from sagging, I made up some adjustable supports so I can raise the door post up and hold it in place.





well the crease is visible in that pic, at the top of the steering access hole. so I re-aligned the front beam and held it in place (until new brackets finished). I have had a good look at the side panel that joins to the axle beam and it was all but rotted out, well the centre part was ok

so a new one is being made


I was going to make it two pieces but changed my mind after starting so I have some wall art... never mind!


so a new one has been started,


so all I need to do is weld up the front axle beam, finish off the side panel then weld it in, sand blast the door pillar, repair as required then weld on the door hinge mounting.





and a pic of the front beam

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instagram - neilblaber