African RHD 1956A & 64C resto

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Matt Kreeve
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African RHD 1956A & 64C resto

#1 Post by Matt Kreeve »

Hi all and thanks for the welcome tips and helping hand I've already received. There's some explaining to be done, but I'm going to start with pics, then lead into the rest.

Car is a Rhd 56 C delivered in Johannesburg in 56 to Lindsay Saker, with headrests in Irish Green with Fawn Leatherette. I began by stripping the engine, cracking the case and getting everything cleaned ... more to come later.

This is what arrived on a truck last week from a farm shed in the wet/warm part of the country (ouch)

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..... oops that's a pic taken with my time machine which should be kept secret so ignore that
Last edited by Matt Kreeve on Sat Nov 05, 2016 6:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Matt Kreeve
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#2 Post by Matt Kreeve »

a few more ... as noticed bonnet, bumper are shot but interior is complete in leather and should clean up well ex the carpets and soundproofing.

Not enough shots of underneath but I haven't been able to punch a screwriver thru the floor anywhere yet (half joking) so beside some sills and door patching, I'm reasonably optimistic (poor guy)

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Mike Smith already pointed this interesting production process point - as its a RHD, the fuel filler is blocked up on the inside of the right front wing (when seated in car)

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Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Matt Kreeve
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Location: Cape Town, SA

Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#3 Post by Matt Kreeve »

I should add that besides continuously surfing the 356Reg, i have found this which seems to be a deluxe "best of" compilation from this forum, right?

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Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Matt Kreeve
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Location: Cape Town, SA

Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#4 Post by Matt Kreeve »

a bit more info .... I am a confirmed medium strength Porsche nut and have done my 964 resto myself ... with the help of a body shop for paint etc as I'm more science than art. The 356s (A&C) which I have just (too bravely??) rescued from an open shed in the rainy mountains 1000km from here are my first foray into the 50s & early 60s since my priors - MG, Beetle, Alfa, Lancia and Sunbeam - were all post 64.

I work as a consultant, mostly from a home office, and am currently making a bit more space with a lift so these cars arrived just in time ;) The C is at master hot-rod shop 9best metal worker I know) where we are stripping it and then each day I'm taking all the bits back home for cleaning and refurb.

The '56 A is with a friend Jack at his amazing workshop/showroom where we will do the same. More on the A in another thread later. Jack is about 30 years and 50 cars ahead of me in the resto game and has an amazing collection of spoils from the last 40 years of collecting and correcting - 993 RS, TT, Dino 206 etc etc. All his cars go back to stock and he has won many a concourse, as well as hillclimbs!

Luckily he has a reasonably neat B and the workshop manual so I spent the morning browsing and review things there, with the wife and kidlet. I needed both the inspiration and some guidance as I'm soon going to be facing putting it all back together again!

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The 964 project finished a couple years back ... 993 RS 3.8 internals, aesthetics inspired by Singer, 1175kg and track ready. Didnt require nearly the same degree of deconstruction though. Hmmm..

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Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Matt Kreeve
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Tag: truckin' on
Location: Cape Town, SA

Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#5 Post by Matt Kreeve »

I guess the question I'm mulling over most is the age old stock v mod one ... I figure I'll work it out while I'm degreasing, refurbing and rust removing, so I've got a good few months to make up my mind. A way out outlaw (for the C) is unlikely, and the original color combo quite appealing, but and that red on grey has always been a dream. I like a line I read earlier "the color on the certificate is just the one chosen by the first owner" .. that might sway it but as it came of the factory floor always holds such sway .. thin line!

I feel like the engine could definitely use some breathing on
... 1720 or dare I think 2.0? Willhoit, Raby, Skirmants and a dozen other names are popping up as I read and I've just begun.

Anyways that about the intro .. just wanted to say hi and let you know what I'm upto as this adventure begins.
I'm likely to have lots of questions and be looking for more than a few ideas from your threads on which parts from whom etc..
so now at least you'll know who's asking!

And thanks for reading this far

cheers!
Matt
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Mark Roth
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#6 Post by Mark Roth »

Matt,
Have you contacted Peter Dorfer in Johannesburg? He is the SA expert.
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#7 Post by Harry DeNoers »

Hi Matt and welcome. I am only slightly ahead on my C project.

Since I am not a trailer queen kind of guy I decided to restore the car as stock, but with the kind of inhancements the original owner had available. So I'm not doing any body mods, but will do a GT type bumper treatment. Car was red/red but I will go black leather interior. Engine will look stock, but since I don't have the original engine I am going to get all of the"street reliable" horses out of it as possible.

I want to drive the car so wheel/tire size/type will be a highway dependable selection.

Good luck in your project. And yes they can move your thread over to the outlaw forum if you need. Just ask.
H

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Matt Kreeve
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#8 Post by Matt Kreeve »

Mark Roth: Have you contacted Dorfer in Johannesburg? He is the SA expert.
thanks Mark, yes I have and he explained some of the middle history of the car ... for example the car came in to him in 1989 with a leak and as it he had a refurbed B engine, they just did the swap (for something like $200 haha) and hence the engine in the car now. Peter has some great cars there .. although many have left our shores. Hopefully he'll have some more info/parts but I'm a good way away from that.
Harry M DeNoers wrote:Hi Matt and welcome. I am only slightly ahead on my C project.
Since I am not a trailer queen kind of guy I decided to restore the car as stock, but with the kind of enhancements the original owner had available. So I'm not doing any body mods, but will do a GT type bumper treatment. Car was red/red but I will go black leather interior. Engine will look stock, but since I don't have the original engine I am going to get all of the"street reliable" horses out of it as possible.

I want to drive the car so wheel/tire size/type will be a highway dependable selection.
Good luck in your project. And yes they can move your thread over to the outlaw forum if you need. Just ask.
H
Thanks Harry - watching your progress and in your camp! I'm not a show day/garage queen kind of guy either but I love the completeness of a properly maintained and driven/loved car. Most of all it must be crisp. Also I want to drive it and I'm not afraid of the dreaded road rash that a bit of spirited driving brings. Over the last 20 years having owned all types (by luck most times) I love all aspects of these Porsche from track rat to road warriors & garage queens - it's a horses for courses thing. I don't like the body swaps and fender kits options unless done with massive budgets of cash and time - reaching too far is usually the downfall of the resto-mod/update/hero emulation cars I've seen.

Sadly I was slow to appreciate the 4cyl's and have been busy over the last 3 years on a 964 then early GT3 and lastly a 993. Over the last 6 months I've searched but couldn't find a nice 356 in my range so now have decided on the carefully restored (with some hidden tweaks) approach - thanks to this Forum and others the process is much less scary for someone less experienced/untrained like myself. Finding the right parts is the main challenge and the experience of others shared here is the most valuable part for me as many snake oil stills still out there. :shock:

My pondering list is below but needs to be tested and reviewed. Hopefully I'll get some input here and via the other threads. I should add I find the forum posting a good form of journal as well as a great record for later so apologies for the detail but if I don't write it down, it gets lost! I haven't decided on anything really and am only a quarter way thru the book listed above.

List in no order - dual master cylinder, 1720 kit (cams, sleeves), elec ignition & coil, LW Flywheel, light period correct rims (5 or 5.5? 15in? must take hubcaps), short shifter, oil breather pipe mod, aero(?) side mirrors & bumpers (alternatives), ceramic coating of some engine tin/heater boxes, speedster seats, secret cutoff switch, konis (but not slammed), thicker stab bars (car maybe stiff enough tho), cooling options (our weather very warm here, lots of hills and traffic too), better air filtration, better seat belts.....Phew!

I know I'll be rebuilding/refreshing steering box, gearbox, electrical (generator, starter) inc loom & fuse box, carbs, engine, suspension & hubs inc all bushes and shims, calipers, replacing all fuel hoses but i guess that's just par for the course when taking over such a long forgotten project.

Look forward to engaging on the above with any and all who have the time - thanks! Especially appreciate the pointers to the gold nugget threads out there or tips on how to find them. :cheers:

Matt
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Greg Bryan
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#9 Post by Greg Bryan »

This thread is made visible again at Matt's request
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Matt Kreeve
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#10 Post by Matt Kreeve »

thanks Greg ..

so the car is much better than expected - I'm used to rust being worse than it looks and I can say I'm as pleasantly surprised as a lottery winner especially as the first thing I took in for stripping and dipping was the fuel tank and it just crumbled into 4 pieces.

The pics tell the story of the last two weeks ... gladly the body is undamaged (no filler or dents or cuts etc..) and the metal work to repair the holes around windows, hinges and battery can begin. The original Irish Green shining through all over the place!

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the solid floors were a good signal

but these rivets scared me a bit! one of the first things I found once carpet out.
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the 4.5in wheels also stripped to treat the rust

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^^ cleaning, paint stripping and prep for zinc plating, epoxy/powder coating on calipers, suspension etc...

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^^ deoxidene treatment post rust treatment leaves this great surface behind .. will remove pre-assembly
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

Ashley James
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#11 Post by Ashley James »

This is very interesting to me because I'm in the process of cleaning out the interior of mine, rust treating it, welding where necessary painting and fitting a new interior. We're also cleaning off the underside, welding as necessary, putting drains in the sills and cavity wax where it can go.

Mine not as bad as yours, in fact I reckon I was quite lucky, but I'm fascinated by what you're doing and most interested to follow progress. It'll be help and inspiration. FWIW, they're really good to drive and have a surprising turn of speed for so little power.

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Matt Kreeve
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#12 Post by Matt Kreeve »

I know how you feel Ashley ;) ... welcome to piggyback on this thread and feel free to pay forward that inspiration too!
I'm keen to see what the underbelly looks like sans coating ... will get the car on the rotisserie this week and start peeling - let's hope the top side metal's state continues to the bottom.

Also keen to hear more from the UK as it's more likely I find products here that you have/use up in the UK (vs the US stuff) though many signs of the old Commonwealth have faded, there are still many engineering firms and the like with Brit connections and roots.

I'm looking forward to the driving as this one hasn't been on the road since 1996...let's hope next summer I can break that dry spell.
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#13 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

My colleague here in Queensland AUS has a 58A from SA sold by Lindsay Saker's that has had the same treatment. Looks pretty decent now.
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#14 Post by Ashley James »

Thanks Matt, if I can provide any help I'd be delighted.

My floors are polished up now and we just have a holes where the passenger's heel goes on the floor. Otherwise it's surprisingly okay. We've found another on the nearside at the rear of the sill. We'll weld it and drill a 3/4" hole each end to cavity wax all interior surfaces and then put rubber blanking grommets in. If water gets in I'll leave the rear one out.

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Matt Kreeve
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Re: African RHD 1956 C resto

#15 Post by Matt Kreeve »

thanks Mervyn ... yes LS were the big gorilla for many years, Saker started in 1902 then bought Lindsay for their VW dealership in the 1950s ... now pretty much VW

Ashley that is actually very helpful thanks! We were discussing those exact grommets today and I went looking for flat ones that wouldn't show up through the carpet! Are you thinking one hole front and back on the fore/aft ie short sides of the longitudinal? Or on the top side internal to cabin? I decide the grommet approach was better to allow for future inspection.

We really are at almost the same place exactly .. I have a few more rust holes but much fewer than expected. Quite a bit of lead here and there on nose and rear but nothing expansive.
Currently working on two nut+bolt resto's in Cape Town
'56 A RHD 5606 Silver Met) over Green - delivered Nairobi (Cooper Motor Corp)
'64 C RHD 6406 (Irisgrun) w Fawn (rehbraun) - delivered Johannesburg (Lindsay Saker)

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