learning the hard way... my '62 Coupe.

[Peter Schueren]

Friends, late last year I bought my green '62 Coupe... matching numbers.... from an old guy who had been the proud owner for the last 20 years. The first thing I learned about my car was that it needed among a number of little things...a total (very total) engine rebuilt. I gave the engine to Ahnendorp in November - they have quite a name here in Germany for their quality work and for their exhausts. The list what they wanted to do was 5 pages. It was the worst engine they had seen in a while...so I was told

They announced that the engine will be ready next week.
I will take pictures and tell you what happens.

I have owned three 911 but my dream always was a 356 because as a child my uncle owned one and I thought this blue cabriolet was the most beautiful thing around

sometimes I think of an old proverb..."A fool and his money are soon parted"
Peter (who learns the hard way)

[Ken Tuvman]

Friends, late last year I bought my green '62 Coupe... matching numbers.... from an old guy who had been the proud owner for the last 20 years. The first thing I learned about my car was that it needed among a number of little things...a total (very total) engine rebuilt.

sometimes I think of an old proverb..."A fool and his money are soon parted"
Peter (who learns the hard way)

Thanks for your post - I know my 356 also needed a complete engine overhaul but I have to say parting with the Money may be painful but you should experience much joy when your car is sorted out and there are many other ways to dispose of money - I wish you well with your endeavors!

[Mike Wilson]

With the engine rebuilt, unless there are serious rust issues, any other repairs will be less expensive.

Mike

[Peter Schueren]

.... that is my greatest hope... and my ability to forget about money....
I am really looking forward to try that engine. They had to do a big bore kit (I can explain why but only if someone wants to know) and their special exhaust that looks like the entrails of some strange animal.... they claim that about 90 horses will pull my ancient chariot.

Thank you for your kind words,
Peter

[Doug McDonnell]

Welcome Peter. If your car was a 63 I would wonder if it was my 1st 356 that started life as an Irish Green S90. Of course when I bought it the body had a transmission from another car and a Super engine from a 3rd car to get a running driving car. 7 years later I sold it to a German Engineer working for Recaro at the plant they had in Michigan at the time. Circa 1985. He took it back to the Motherland as his retirement project. As Mike said as long as the body is decent the mechanicals are much less expensive to redo, all things being relative. Enjoy the time that you get to be the custodian of your car. They are a wonderful old car that can be driven at modern speeds as long as you stay in the right lane on the autobahn.

[Peter Schueren]

It started life with 75 horses in the back on the 15th of January, 1962 and was delivered to New York. The color was red and the seats were black (plastic...). Someone repainted it green and gave it a beige interior (plastic again) a long time ago. Bodywork is in good order and was done some 20 years ago (much better than the engine).
I am really looking forward to driving the car and doing a bit of travel in it.
I will take some pictures of the engine when it is tested ah Ahnendorp..

It is a pleasur to be part of such a dedicated community. There is some of that madness in the air that I remember from the Vincent Owners Club!
Peter

[Timothy L Schabacker]

Peter,
Be happy that you have qualified professionals there who are available and willing to do the work on your 356.

Learning to forget about money should serve you well as you go forward with your car, so the sooner the better with that.

Remember, a 356 is not an investment or about daily transportation; it’s an avocation, a hobby, perhaps a compulsion—whatever.
The point is to enjoy owning and driving your car. Good luck!

[Peter Schueren]

right you are!
Let us enjoy these things.

[Vic Skirmants]

Wilkommen, Peter!

[Al Zim]

It is expensive to do SERIOUS engine work in the US. We have excellent success with durbar cylinders and keeping the piston to cylinder clearance close and using piston rings that are full circle. Be sure you check your piston to cylinder clearance PERFECTLY. Using connecting rods manufactured in the US gives more clearance around the rod at top dead center. You should consider switching to 12 volts (in the US you cannot find new 6 or 12 volt generator armatures nor can you find the solenoid with the square end to fix the 6 volt starter. ) 12 volt starters can be purchased new. We are making more than 140 horsepower with good throttle response. Make sure the rest of the car is correct (Brakes, front end and transmission) I would love to see your engine build sheet and parts list to see if your guys are smarter than we are. al zim

[Peter Schueren]

Hello Al,
I hope to be able to come to the trial run of the engine this week. The company doing the rebuilt is AHNENDORP about 60 miles from the place where I live. When my small workshop took the engine out to work on the clutch they found fractures in the heads. From that point it started to get worse. After seeing the whole desaster I decided to get it done once and for all. There are not many who can do this kind of job and Ahnendorp has got a good name. My problem was that I wanted to keep the matching numbers. This was a bit tricky as the casing had been distorted. I am rather ignorant about the higher engine questions. They had to put in a bigger, balanced crank-shaft, new cylinders..... it was serious.
I never expected that such a small engine could be so expensive.....
If you are interested I can send you the work-sheet.

[Jurgen Amtmann]

Friends, late last year I bought my green '62 Coupe... matching numbers.... from an old guy who had been the proud owner for the last 20 years. The first thing I learned about my car was that it needed among a number of little things...a total (very total) engine rebuilt. I gave the engine to Ahnendorp in November - they have quite a name here in Germany for their quality work and for their exhausts. The list what they wanted to do was 5 pages. It was the worst engine they had seen in a while...so I was told

They announced that the engine will be ready next week.
I will take pictures and tell you what happens.

I have owned three 911 but my dream always was a 356 because as a child my uncle owned one and I thought this blue cabriolet was the most beautiful thing around
356.png

sometimes I think of an old proverb..."A fool and his money are soon parted"
Peter (who learns the hard way)

Peter,
You mentioned that Ahnendorp is known for their work and their Mufflers. Do they manufacture the mufflers or purchase them elsewhere? If so, do they export to the US?

Best regards, Jürgen Amtmann

[Peter Schueren]

Hello Jürgen,
they do export... but I do not know if they have someone in the U.S. selling their exhausts. I will ask when I am there next time (to watch the test run of my engine).
they have an English version of their homepage:
https://www.ahnendorp.com/Porsche-356-- ... machining/

Peter

[Puygranier Antoine]

Welcome here Peter, what a nice 356 and it will be a real pleasure to enjoy it with the new engine!

Greetings from Stuttgart

Antoine

[Peter Schueren]

Kind words! I hope the rebuilt engine will be a joy....I will write about my experience.
P