57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

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Daniel Mainzer
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:54 pm

57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#1 Post by Daniel Mainzer »

I redid the brakes myself. arced drums and shoes with help, new wheel cylinders and lines, then DOT 5 fluid. This seems to be not so good as I cannot get the pedal high enough even though the brakes work fine. I bled them many times. I may flush the system and go to DOT 4 fluid.
I redid the fuel system and the wheels which are the correct dates. This is a numbers matching car and I have the COA and the Kardex.
The motor was reuilt and there are some minor electrical issues, but this is a fun ride.
the car was stored for many years and the tub is solid with good jackposts. no rust in this tub, but there is bondo in the body. Someone put in a new interior and left the original headliner.
It has teardrop tail lights which may have been changed from the beehives.
Attachments
L1010102.jpg
I painted the wheels the correct silver, added the reflectors and cleaned it up.
I painted the wheels the correct silver, added the reflectors and cleaned it up.
L1000650.jpg
DSC04211.jpg

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Dan Kalinski
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Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#2 Post by Dan Kalinski »

Love It!

Martin Bruechle
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Location: So Cal

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#3 Post by Martin Bruechle »

Very cool...

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John Hearn
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Tag: Porsche is a two sylable word!
Location: Colchester, Great Britain

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#4 Post by John Hearn »

Daniel
There must be still some air in your brake system, or a fault in one of the components.
The difference in spec between the DOT numbers is basically the boiling point of the fluid.
The higher the number the higher the boiling point.
I was the "other" photographer at Akron ECH, good to see you again on the 356Talk.
KTF
John

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Jules Dielen
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:25 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#5 Post by Jules Dielen »

Euro spec car? lack of overriders...? Awesome find, keep as is :)
Jules

Water pumps are for windshield washers only.

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Jim Clement
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Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:46 am
Tag: 1957 356 A Coupe
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#6 Post by Jim Clement »

nice car, mine is a restored early a .. 59021.. i noticed your radio is the same as mine, (I think) I do not often see that..
I liked mine so had it restored to as new looking.
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P4150332.JPG
radio 2.jpeg
 

Dan Epperly
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Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 4:35 pm

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#7 Post by Dan Epperly »

Daniel Mainzer wrote:I redid the brakes myself. arced drums and shoes with help, new wheel cylinders and lines, then DOT 5 fluid. This seems to be not so good as I cannot get the pedal high enough even though the brakes work fine. I bled them many times. I may flush the system and go to DOT 4 fluid.
I redid the fuel system and the wheels which are the correct dates. This is a numbers matching car and I have the COA and the Kardex.
The motor was reuilt and there are some minor electrical issues, but this is a fun ride.
the car was stored for many years and the tub is solid with good jackposts. no rust in this tub, but there is bondo in the body. Someone put in a new interior and left the original headliner.
It has teardrop tail lights which may have been changed from the beehives.

When you say you cant get the pedal high enough do,you mean the pedal at rest sits further toward the front of the car than the clutch pedal? If so, then maybe your return spring is broken or the pedal stop needs adjusting.

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Daniel Mainzer
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:54 pm

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#8 Post by Daniel Mainzer »

John, If it ever warms up here I will look for leaks in the brake system, fix and bleed. Jules, My car was sold and delivered in England, then shipped over, so the Euro bumpers. Dan, The pedal is at normal height at rest. It just goes down too far before activating the brakes.
I did rebuild the master cylinder and it doesn't leak. There are some electrical gremlins and I got Leoni's book and will get to work on them.

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Vic Skirmants
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Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#9 Post by Vic Skirmants »

Dan; sounds like you need to re-adjust the brakes.

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Daniel Mainzer
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:54 pm

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#10 Post by Daniel Mainzer »

Vic, I am in the process of adjusting the brakes. Looking underneath there is a round indentation visible on both sid=
es and partially covered by the teardrop installation. I may go ahead and c=
hange them back, but this is a driver and I enjoy it as such. Having just r=
estored a 1971 euro 914-6, I know how much anything like this costs for the=
bodywork. The debate rages on in my mind. Daniel=20

Brooks Herrick
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Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:00 pm
Location: Marin County, Ca.

Re: 57 A coupe, my unrestored driver.

#11 Post by Brooks Herrick »

On the subject of brake fluid...……………….
Attachments
brake-fluid-compatibility-chart.png
brake-fluid-compatibility-chart.png (7.35 KiB) Viewed 2506 times
dot-fluid-boiling-points.png
dot-fluid-boiling-points.png (10.05 KiB) Viewed 2506 times

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