356 C Dash Project Gone Wild!

[Paul Hatfield]

356 C Dash Project Gone Wild

I have been working for months on the items in the dash, under the dash, and just in front of the dash on my 65 C Coupe, “Miss June”. Being a confessed originality freak, I am trying to restore parts, not replace them. I’m also shooting for perfection in this restoration, so going very slow.

The project began with the decision to pull out the entire windshield wiper mechanism and give it a complete rebuild. Also pulled the gauges and sent them down to North Hollywood Speedometer for restoration. I had been unhappy with the speedometer and odometer incorrect readings, and the dirty faces and pitted chrome rings.

I have posted photos of the windshield wiper work and gauge work elsewhere, but will re-post them here to keep the project together

[Paul Hatfield]

Here are the gauges.

[Paul Hatfield]

I also decided to restore the original glovebox. The before and after photos show why. This is the SAME glove box. Not a repro.

[Paul Hatfield]

Next came the decision to add a horn ring. I wanted a different view and since horn rings are so easy to put on whenever I feel the mood, I shopped around and found an original one with a very very nice original horn button. I can put it on there and/or switch back to my stock horn button on any given day. Just wanted the option.

[Paul Hatfield]

I was not having any problems with the turn signal switch, but with everything off of the dash and the steering wheel off, I thought it might be time for some preventive maintenance on the switch. I called the usual suspects for a rebuild, but they were busy, so I undertook this one myself. It is one heck of a lot of small and fragile parts in there, but I made it through the switch. Cleaned and burnished all the points and lubricated the mechanical movements. Got the turn signal arm re-chromed and finally got it all back together. Word of caution to anyone thinking of doing this work. It is a great idea to have this serviced, because if yours has never been done, it is likely full of dirt and dried lubricant. However, this little project is best done by someone who has done it before.

[Paul Hatfield]

And the work to restore the chrome plate on the fresh air vent lever and plate. This was also shown in a different post but putting it here to keep it all together. I ended up drilling out the rivets that hold the face to the lever assembly so I could have the face chrome plated to get rid of a nasty scratch.

[Paul Hatfield]

Now to work on the radio clean up……

Beginning to think that with all these nice parts I need to re-paint the dash!

[Will Scheidegger]

Wow!
You said you were restoring, not replacing... How did you get these 50+ year old parts to look like this, especially old plastics... and the glove box!? Simply: Wow!

-will

[charles coviello]

Wow great job! I would also like to know you got the parts looking like new.radio case & gages glove box? Thank you for any info you can add.

[Craig Richter]

Wow is right! Do you make house calls...My B-in-law has a '60 S-90 he's owned since '64, that really needs you! Nice work...

[Paul Hatfield]

Thanks guys-

The compliments are much appreciated!

I did have help though. For instance on the windshield wiper system, all of the work to restore the bracket to the original primer color, replacement of the rubber bushings, dismantling and restoration of the drive spindles and control arms and cleaning of the gearmotor were done by me. Rebuilding the electric motor internals was Joe Leoni. Joe is a wonderful asset and although I have his books, I have had him restore my generator and voltage regulator also.

For the fresh air vent lever assembly and turn signal assembly, I did all that except for the chrome work.

On the glove box, that amazing work is all Bob Cannon.

The gauges were all done by N.H. Speedometer, except I rebuilt my own clock about 5 years ago. It had a stripped out gear and I installed a replacement gear from a donor clock. The faces shown in the photo are the originals, just cleaned up by them.

I get frustrated with reproduction parts that are not exactly as original. Some of them arrive and need work just to use them. Example below. I will not name the vendor, but the dull looking turn signal handle was sent as a replacement for the nice shinny original. I just replaced the original one back on the handle and am returning the knob. Note: appearance is not the only difference. The hole in the handle is not deep enough to accept the T.S. shaft.

Thanks again for the compliments.

[Craig Richter]

Paul,
Engine parts, especially "race parts" are often the same. Which is why (see several other recent Forum postings) proper stuff costs so much.
Ya pays your money, and take your chances...
Luck, Craig

[Paul Hatfield]

Had a chance to spend a little more time for things attached to the radio. I bought some new brown electrical chord wire to use for speaker wire, but that just will not do. The stuff you buy at the hardware store looks like it should be used for a modern lamp, not a Porsche. It is a slightly different color, but it is much thicker- just not the same.
Solution was just a little soap and water on the existing speaker wire and the junction/splitter connector. Came out ok.
Next it was time to spruce up the antenna lead. It cleaned up to near new looking with some 0000 steel wool. Used that on the aluminum bottom portion as well.

[Paul Hatfield]

Couple more shots. I replaced the shock cushions on the radio anchor (thing that looks like a football goalpost). I am a stickler for rattles, and this is a good anti-rattle precaution.

Things cleaned up ok here as well. No speaker cloth on Miss June.

The little plastic piece on the envelope is for the top of the Bosch Blue Tipper antenna. This part is cut off of the shaft so that the antenna can be put in the fully retracted position- which requires the key to get it back out of there. If the plastic piece is left in place, the antenna can be grabbed by hand.

Funny thing about all of this. I bought Miss June from a stock broker who had owned the car for 29 years. He had never, repeat never, raised the antenna. It was fully depressed. When I was inspecting the car, I said "Oh, a Bosch blue tip antenna" (you can tell from the top). He said it was too bad, but that someone had shoved it in way to far, and he could not get it out. I asked about the special little key and described it to him. It was in the glovebox, and he knew it was there, just not what it was for. The little plastic piece was rolling around in there too.

[Joris Koning]

I get frustrated with reproduction parts that are not exactly as original. Some of them arrive and need work just to use them. Example below. I will not name the vendor, but the dull looking turn signal handle was sent as a replacement for the nice shinny original. I just replaced the original one back on the handle and am returning the knob. Note: appearance is not the only difference. The hole in the handle is not deep enough to accept the T.S. shaft.

Thanks again for the compliments.

Paul been there done that. You'd think that for $30 each they would make it look and fit right. I was so disguted that I send the ones I had ordered back.