Porsche Pre-A Questions

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Josh Matthew
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Porsche Pre-A Questions

#1 Post by Josh Matthew »

Hello Gentlemen!

I'm getting my Pre-A together and I've got a few questions I hope you guys can help me with. It's a '53 Cab. ANY help would be great!!! Thank you!

1.) Does anyone make stainless windshield trim for this car? Or will any specific later trim work?

2.) I'm missing my right and left door garnish moldings. Will any other year's window garnishes work? Also, do the coupe and cab differ?

3.) I'm looking at different mufflers. Do they bolt right on or do I need to drop the engine to install?


Thanks for any suggestions and help!

Josh

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Greg Bryan
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#2 Post by Greg Bryan »

Josh - give the Pre-A experts some time to reply on the body trim questions.
I think the muffler can be changed with the engine in place - but, what muffler to buy ...

P.S. - post some pictures of your car!
Greg Bryan

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Victor Ingram
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#3 Post by Victor Ingram »

Josh,

I am not sure if a reproduction front window trim is being sold by our purveyors.
I do have a set of aluminum deco trim that I believe is for the pre-a cars.

It comes in 2 pieces one is numbered 644 545 911 00 and the other is numbered 644 545 912 00
Made In Germany.

I believe the door garnish moldings are the same as the coupe with one exception.
At the end of the moldings there is an aluminum piece that screws into each end and goes around the windows.
If you post some pictures of what you have or send an email I can forward some pictures.
I will post some pictures here at the end of the week.

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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#4 Post by Josh Matthew »

Hello Gentlemen! I've got plenty of time to wait! I've also got a million questions too.

If any of you guys can show the way to make the car more complete I'd really appreciate it. I've only got this one photo at the moment, but will add more.

I really appreciate the information Victor! THANK YOU! THANKS Greg!

Josh

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Last edited by Josh Matthew on Wed Oct 11, 2017 11:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#5 Post by Josh Matthew »

Victor Ingram wrote:Josh,

I am not sure if a reproduction front window trim is being sold by our purveyors.
I do have a set of aluminum deco trim that I believe is for the pre-a cars.

It comes in 2 pieces one is numbered 644 545 911 00 and the other is numbered 644 545 912 00
Made In Germany.

I believe the door garnish moldings are the same as the coupe with one exception.
At the end of the moldings there is an aluminum piece that screws into each end and goes around the windows.
If you post some pictures of what you have or send an email I can forward some pictures.
I will post some pictures here at the end of the week.
Unfortunately, I don't have any garnish trim, but your clue might help me locate a set. Please email me at Josh@hyfire.com I'd love to see those photos!

So is aluminum deco trim another name for this trim, or is it a different thing?

Josh

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James Davies
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#6 Post by James Davies »

Hi Josh,

1) Windshield trim pieces are aluminum. See below photos of the originals on my car. Don't know if anyone is reproducing these. Because they are aluminum, they can be shaped and polished easily.

2) Coupe and cab have different doors and door windows in 1953, but the garnish rails on the doors are the same. You can see this in the 1953 and 1955 parts books. The little aluminum covers that go on the front and back of the top of the door replace the chromed brass frame on the coupe, essentially, and they are separate from the garnish rail. As far as I know, the door garnish rails are the same on the bent-window cars as they are on the 356A T1 cars. Same door, same rail. They are sided though.

3) Which engine do you have? And what month was your car completed at Porsche? I.e. does it have a cutout in the rear bodywork where the exhaust pipe comes under the rear skirt? If no cutout (And before ~Aug 1953), your car would have had a muffler with a flattened exhaust pipe. Two tips if a Super. If it has the cutout, then round exhaust pipe(s). Of course you can go the Abarth route too. Those sound great!
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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#7 Post by Josh Matthew »

Hey James!

Thank you for the help ONCE AGAIN!!! Great info! I'm going to be on a mission to find some of that trim.

Nothing has been simple on this car's history. As you and I talked about a few years ago, Steve Heinricks was kind enough to research all this for me. He said the body was built at Heuer and collected by Porsche due to a bankruptcy. I don't know if that affects the rear panels used near the muffler???

This car ended production on January 28th. The warranty/shipment date was February 25th.

Regarding engines, Steve told me the records show this car was built at the factory with engine # 40162. For some reason they pulled that and placed engine # 31126. They pulled that engine and then dropped in # 21316, which it left the factory with. The original VIN tag shows a 1500 (356/4), the car finally left the factory with a 1300 and it currently sits with a Oct 1953 factory replacement (KD) 1500.


So knowing all that, a January 28th date and engine situation... what type of muffler is correct?








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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#8 Post by Josh Matthew »

(Pardon how dirty the car is in all these photos)

The car has this bead welded around the lower rear. I'm not sure if it's stock or if it was modified in the 1950's? And do you think it will be an issue with a muffler?



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Spencer Harris
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#9 Post by Spencer Harris »

Josh Matthew wrote: 1.) Does anyone make stainless windshield trim for this car? Or will any specific later trim work? Josh
Windshield trim for pre-A through 356B T5s was polished aluminum. Subsequent models used anodized aluminum trim. NLA has the correct polished aluminum trim pieces: NLA 541 912 00, NLA 541 911 00 and connectors NLA 541 921 00.
Spencer Harris
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James Davies
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#10 Post by James Davies »

Hi Josh, yeah I remember your car.

Yes, this would have definitely had the muffler with flattened single exhaust on passenger side. Nobody makes this for the 546 engine unfortunately. You could probably get away with the Dansk single-pipe "sport" muffler and modify the exhaust tip yourself if you want originality, or you could go with one of the Abarth reproductions. Hopefully they'll fit under the rear lip on your car. Looks like someone really mangled the rear bumper by welding it to the rear lip. Not sure how that would affect clearance. Looks like you have a side exhaust there right now. Does that not work well?

Yeah, if the car originally was intended to have a 1500 or 1500S motor, that explains the 356/4 designation. They didn't bother changing the model when the dropped the 1300 engine in before it left the factory.

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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#11 Post by Josh Matthew »

Spencer Harris wrote:
Josh Matthew wrote: 1.) Does anyone make stainless windshield trim for this car? Or will any specific later trim work? Josh
Windshield trim for pre-A through 356B T5s was polished aluminum. Subsequent models used anodized aluminum trim. NLA has the correct polished aluminum trim pieces: NLA 541 912 00, NLA 541 911 00 and connectors NLA 541 921 00.
Thank you guys! Awesome find Spencer, I'll order a set!

Thanks James! I'm aiming for mostly original, but keeping true to its racing history. So I'll put a dual pipe setup on. The muffler on it is good, but only single. We'll see how clearance is.

Regarding the bead on the bottom, it's not actually a bumper, but a welded tube that was bent, shaped and customized. The craftsmanship on it is actually excellent. The photo above doesn't do it justice.

Thanks guys! I'll get these things sorted and then I'll be back!

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Victor Ingram
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#12 Post by Victor Ingram »

Josh,
Pictures of the finishing garnish pieces at the end of the window rails, these are also aluminum.
They are not being reproduced as far as I know, I made some cardboard templates for a member
at one time so he could make them.
Hope this helps.
Just a reminder all of the screws to your car, are slotted.
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#13 Post by James Davies »

Victor, bent-window coupes did not have these aluminum pieces fore and aft of the window glass. The chromed brass window frame goes there instead.

Also, the garnish rails used Phillips screws in 1953, the only usage of non-slotted screws on the pre-A that I know of.

Josh, your original engine would have had a single exhaust, passenger side, flattened.

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Josh Matthew
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#14 Post by Josh Matthew »

Victor Ingram wrote:Josh,
Pictures of the finishing garnish pieces at the end of the window rails, these are also aluminum.
They are not being reproduced as far as I know, I made some cardboard templates for a member
at one time so he could make them.
Hope this helps.
Just a reminder all of the screws to your car, are slotted.
Those are great looking little covers Victor. They look like they're going to be hard to find...

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Victor Ingram
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Re: Porsche Pre-A Questions

#15 Post by Victor Ingram »

Josh,

James is correct the coupes did not have the aluminum pieces fore and aft of the windows, only the cabs.

But I don't know if I agree that the garnish rails had Phillips head screws.
Any other pre-a guys out there that can shed some light on the Phillips head screws?
If so, were the Phillips head used through 55?

Not knocking James he is very well versed on pre-a's.

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