A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

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Mervyn Hyde
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A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#1 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

With my recent acquisition of a 356B T-6 from its last devoted owner of 44 years, I inherited an extensive history and file of the car's sporting and rally achievements. With this, I also inherited a perfect, original Workshop Manual, Secrets of the Inner Circle and the useful 1959, "Trouble Shooting Guide".

My car was sold in early '63 (a T-6 S) as one of few original RHD 356's sold by Porsche in Melbourne Australia.

I bought the Kardex-confirmed matching numbers car from its careful owner of 44 years this month. It has done only 78,000 miles, mostly in club and gentle rally events in the last 53 years, with only 10,000 in the last 30 years. It has been used regularly on Club runs and has been well maintained with its original paint, seats and interior. It came with the sought after Travel Kit and an arsenal of original spares for almost all components (including boxes of original Piedmont full pumps, clutch plates, Bosch 'plugs and Hella bulbs, cables, brake lines, etc.) and a comprehensive sporting and maintenance history. The car has never seen rain in its life (let alone snow) and comes from a dry Australian State. It was fully rust treated in the underbody and wheel arches in the early 70's with a (then available) industrial "roof" sealant by the PO. This was a real asset as it turned out and there is no structural rust of any kind. The floor pans inside are still excellent. I have also flooded the longitudinals and other rust prone places with XTroll spray and I am steadily removing all fittings in the search for any rot.

The motor was rebuilt after scoring a piston in 1972 and fully re-built and balanced at the time with higher compressions pistons and a slightly modified cam and crank by a local 356 expert. It still will spin well beyond the red line, if encouraged, with no smoke. I am in preservation mode with this car. Although it shows some scars, scratches and paint cracks, I do not intend to repaint it or restore it, beyond thorough cleaning and checking and refurbishing all seals and mechanical components. The seats are in very good condition and will stay as they are. It still bears many decals from club and rally events. I have fitted, since these images, the original 4.5" rims and 'caps in perfect condition after years of storage. The car had 5.5" 6/1969 Lemertz Sprintstar rims fitted for rally purposes. After sitting for 3 weeks being cleaned, I turned the key and after 3 cranks it left into life!

It is proudly registered now (license plate), as: "TYP356" in Australia.

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Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

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Mervyn Hyde
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Location: Sunshine Coast Australia

Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#2 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

Today was a day of opening old boxes of spares and fitting them. Original sets of points, coil, filters, sump plugs, old Bosch plugs, and cleaning the fuel tank. I found two NOS Pierburg pumps in original boxes, but decided to stay with the one fitted as it was working well. I find it hard to resist 'restoring' something if it looks a bit tatty. Learning ...
Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#3 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

The 356 is going really well. I seem to have sorted the front brakes as they were pulling, left with a pedal pressure that was not ideal. Adjusted all the brakes up (took me back to early Chevvy days) and pulled the front drums and cleaned everything out and re-assembled. No wheel cylinder leaks and now free movement with a firm pedal. Fitted new brakes lines front and rear. I inherited many, duplicate spares and have replaced the oil, air and fuel filters, points (!), condenser and advance springs, plugs with original Bosch, Pierburg fuel pump, set the valve clearances (so easy compared to a 911), cleaned the carb full bowls and idle and main jets and balanced the two Zeniths (lovely carbs to work on) and set the timing. It is an easy car to work on with less of the complexity of the 911.

The cars starts easily and has this quiet confident purr ...

The two cars are so different to drive. The 911 is almost manic in comparison. Wants to rev to 6+K as fast as possible and has such lovely steering. The 356 is a torquey, long-legged cruiser in comparison. I fitted new bushes in the gear shift linkage and that has made a huge difference. It revs well with no hesitation, but evokes a more relaxed kind of driving experience and has a supple smooth ride. Seating is much lower.

I can see why the 911 was almost a 'foreign' car, to 356 owners, when it came out. So much more sporting and well, modern. Strangely, the 356 seems a more 'everyday' car.

[URL=http://s736.photobucket.com/user/m ... jpeg[/img][/url]
Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

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JohnLiles
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#4 Post by JohnLiles »

Hi Mervyn , interesting to read about your RHD cars in Australia !
Back here in the UK not many of the early cars are survivors without extensive body repair . I have a RHD C made in October 63 , so a 64 model year , which still has original floor but a lot of other stuff has been repaired - sills , door bottoms , battery floor etc. The oldest 911 I have owned was a rust free (ex San Diego ) 69 model year 911E which was converted from LHD to RHD and fitted with a race spec 2.4S engine , and of course drove very differently from the C .

Here is my garage shot to compare with yours , the 911 is a stripped and caged 964 model (1990) , now gone as I got too old to drive circuits , which might point to 356 being more suited to older owners :D

Image
1957 'A' and 1955 'Continental Outlaw'

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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#5 Post by neil blaber »

interesting to see your bt6 compared to my bt6, yours has the vents in front of the screen like mine but mine has a fender mounted fuel filler flap and a large flat (sunken) fuel tank instead of the t5 type tank yours has
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JohnLiles
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#6 Post by JohnLiles »

neil blaber wrote:interesting to see your bt6 compared to my bt6, yours has the vents in front of the screen like mine but mine has a fender mounted fuel filler flap and a large flat (sunken) fuel tank instead of the t5 type tank yours has
Both my previous RHD B T6 and current RHD C T6 were like this , I guess the production volume of RHD cars was not enough to justify changing the fender .

Garage picture link was lost in previous post ,got it back again below !

Image
1957 'A' and 1955 'Continental Outlaw'

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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#7 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

Yes John , the 356 is a gentler drive indeed. I am really surprised how nice the gear change is and well spaced the ratios are.

The B6's delivered in RHD had the in-trunk fuel tank filler and the LHD had the fender fill, as I understand. As some indication of this cost saving measure, there were only 40 B6's delivered in RHD in Australia and only 3 in Champagne Yellow. Mine was delivered in Jan 63

Still haven't found any rust ...

I am also impressed with how easy the cars are to maintain. Doing the valve clearances was the work of 30 mins. Impossible with the early 911.

What is that lovely colour on your?s
Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

jim saunders
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#8 Post by jim saunders »

Your car is interesting Neil. The RHD Fender flap and accompanying Fuel Tank were first listed in the C Parts manual. In the past I have even been advised that the early C model RHD cars delivered to Australia still retained the older style under the front hood tank fill. So to learn that your Bt6 has this late C model feature is unusual. It would be interesting if other owners of RHD cars would add to this topic. Do you know if your car was an original Australian delivery ? Thanks, jim

neil blaber
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#9 Post by neil blaber »

that's where the differences lay, mine is not a RHD, its US delivered bt6. still interesting non the less
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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#10 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

That's what I had read too. Found that mine was one of only 40 BT-6's ever delivered and sold as RHD in Australia. It was sold in Jan 63 at Hamiltons' with a few options such as the crested wheel covers/hubcaps.
Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

jim saunders
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#11 Post by jim saunders »

http://www.classicthrottleshop.com/car12.html

For anyone interested, the 15th photo down in this link, has a photo of the rare exclusive RHD C model Fuel tank.
I have no affiliation to this seller, who has a showroom very close to where I live. Always fabulous cars for sale, so best if I stay away.
The tank is interesting, and the rest of the car is not too shabby either. jim

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JohnLiles
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#12 Post by JohnLiles »

Mervyn Hyde wrote:
What is that lovely colour on your?s
It's Bali Blue , one of those colours that changes with the lighting . Champagne Yellow is a good colour too :wink:
1957 'A' and 1955 'Continental Outlaw'

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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#13 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

Thanks John. Jim that IS interesting, from what I understood. It was not a conversion, but original Australian-delivered RHD, if CTC is correct.
Merv
TYP356
1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

neil blaber
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#14 Post by neil blaber »

jim saunders wrote:http://www.classicthrottleshop.com/car12.html

For anyone interested, the 15th photo down in this link, has a photo of the rare exclusive RHD C model Fuel tank.
I have no affiliation to this seller, who has a showroom very close to where I live. Always fabulous cars for sale, so best if I stay away.
The tank is interesting, and the rest of the car is not too shabby either. jim
that tank looks like a converted t5 tank rather than the flat 'sunken' type tank
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Doug McDonnell
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Re: A 63 RHD in Australia: Refurbishing and preserving

#15 Post by Doug McDonnell »

Looks like the optional Touring gas tank 70 liter
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.

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