50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

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Neil Schlabaugh
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50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#1 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

This is my first time posting on the forum so a little introduction is needed.

I am Neil Schlabaugh, my brother Lee and I have a restoration shop in Iowa for 356's and early 911's. Lee's got a crusty '59 coupe that has made the rounds to a few events. We have been to the previous Rennsport Reunion's in 2011 and 2015. We knew we were going to the one this year so around February Lee says with a smile, do you think we can throw a motor in Walt and drive him to Rennsport? My comment was YOU JERK!!! We both knew at that point we were committed to getting him out there and back under his own power.

I will be posting more pics and the story of Walt, but for now I just wanted to get the ball rolling. I am NOT very good with computers so if I screw things up please have a little patience with me.

Once again I will fill you guys in on the details later, but we had the opportunity Monday after Rennsport to be in the 919 tribute video with Walt. It was crazy to have a very small part in it and get to BS with some of the crew. Unreal!!
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If you click on the you tube link it should ( hopefully ) take you there.

Thanks and enjoy!! Neil

https://youtu.be/WQDI2tGI_6E

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Jameel Abraham
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#2 Post by Jameel Abraham »

As a friend of Walt (not sure yet about the other two guys :P ) I'm looking forward to this thread!
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Tony Proasi
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#3 Post by Tony Proasi »

Looking forward to seeing pictures of adventure!

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Frank Hood
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#4 Post by Frank Hood »

Neil - I really enjoyed meeting you and Lee in California along with Walt! It’s trully amazing how a 356 with character can be the star of the show. Congrats on the video!

Frank

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#5 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

Frank, it was great to meet you to. What’s funny is how the tide has changed. When we started driving Lee’s crusty ‘59 there were people that were absolutely appalled by the fact that we would drive such a “cosmetically challenged” Porsche. Now it’s okay, and quite a few think it’s actually kinda cool.

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#6 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

So this all started in 2006 when a friend told us about a ‘53 coupe in Quad cities that his son-in-law went and looked at. It was setting in a little 2 car brick garage. The owner had bought it in ‘63 and drove it till ‘73 when he decided to do some “patching”. He took the seats out and pop-riveted sheet metal over top of the original floors. Throw in the requisite fiberglass and mat underneath, a little spray can undercoat and viola! Floor pan fixed ; ) It is unknown who did the outer shell but it’s just as rough as the underside, lots of mud in it. It’s looks to be painted with gray primer then a light dusting of silver over top. In some spots the silver looks to have aged to a goldish hue. The doors must have been painted off the car because they are a slightly different color.

So our friends son-in-law passed because it was too rough, and at the time it was a fair amount of money. We went and looked at it and decided it was worth it to us, so we bought it and brought it home where it sat in our shed. We used it as a reference for working on early cars because even though it had its issues it was still pretty original. The only big things missing were the speedo and tach and the fat seats, both replaced with ones from a later car.

After an hour or so of digging thru our old photos tonight, I was able to find the pics of us picking the car up.

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#7 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

On a cold Saturday morning in February we pulled the car from storage to the barn.

I should explain how Walt got his name. We have a few parts cars and we always call them by a name, Most generally it is the year or previous owners name. Walt was the PO and the name just stuck.


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Greg Dunn
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#8 Post by Greg Dunn »

Sweet! Watching for more photos and info!
Always buying and selling parts and even cars. Feel free to let me know your needs or if there is a parts lot available, etc.

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#9 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

One of the 1st things was to decide do we reuse the original motor and trans or shelve and use later model stuff.
Since we plan on driving it quite abit we decided to go late model. We pulled motor and trans and used dummy axle to get it out side and power washed it off underneath.

The trans is a early split case with what they call a "Popes Nose" The oil fill is on the passenger side and its located in a "knob" instead of on the side of the case like every other trans. It also has the early style mount. Its a beetle mount welded to a hoop. Kinda funky.

While trans was out we took torsion bar covers off since the bottoms were crusty. Course the bolts were froze so cut the heads off, get covers off then use the gas ax to heat the stubs and penetrating oil.


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Vic Skirmants
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#10 Post by Vic Skirmants »

In order to use any later trans, you will have to butcher the car to mount one. I wouldn't do it. That trans is a pretty rare unit, and kind of kool; what's the number? It's on top next to the starter, as well as underneath.

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#11 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

The trans has only 2 sets of numbers that we have found. 557 up by starter and on the center case parting area at the back by mount. I assume those are to show that they were matched halves from factory. We have seen later split cases with the 3 digit numbers stamped by each lower engine mount hole and serial numbers up by starter pad.

I know when you talk early Porsche's you talk in generality's but do you know when they started to phase out the Pope's nose trans which uses the VW crash box mount welded to a hoop. We have seen other later '53s that takes the next style trans hoop. The one that uses mounts like VW used from '52-'72ish.

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Vic Skirmants
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#12 Post by Vic Skirmants »

That is the transmission number. The case mating numbers are lower and on each side of the "back" of the bellhousing.
Crashbox case up to at least #1896. First 519 case is 1901, from about October 1953. Thanks, James. for your input.
Any 519 trans with a number on the starter pad also has the same trans number on the bottom, on the opposite case half.

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David Green
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#13 Post by David Green »

Vic - My '53, 51015, August 10, 1953 has the original transmission that per COA is a 519, number 1878. Did Porsche put later 519 internals in earlier cases during the transition?
Neil - I love your car and your adventure with it and I'm one of those who think it's very cool!
David
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Vic Skirmants
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#14 Post by Vic Skirmants »

The internals were the same, regardless of which case was used. Most of the internals were common up to 1958.
You can install almost all parts from a 741 also. You just need to know what needs to be changed.

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Neil Schlabaugh
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Re: 50070 AKA Walt from Iowa to Rennsport and back

#15 Post by Neil Schlabaugh »

Vic, David, Thanks for posting. I welcome any questions, thoughts, discussion on what is right/wrong.

Vic, We of all people can appreciate the rarity and rebuilding it would add another level of funky, quirkiness ( that is after all the main reason for us running bias-ply tires on it ) Ultimately we decided after close inspection of the situation we could install a 741 and the only modification to the car is the welding on of mounts to the beam. If/when the car is restored back to original the mounts can cut off and no one is the wiser. In the meantime we have a car that has a light and smooth shifting trans and a motor that is fully capable of 75-80 mph all day long. No worry of damaging the original stuff.

I will try to post some pics tonight of the trans swap and how we did it.

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