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**Merv** · 05-05-2017, 03:27 PM

What is the rationale behind the LHD/RHD difference in that the RHD models have raised lip behind the Tacho/Speedo?

**roy mawbey** · 05-05-2017, 07:41 PM

Merv,

A good question there, I always have thought both 356A cars L/h and R/h drive had a raised lip around the instruments the same as my RHD.
I looked through a lot of photo's on this thread and its strange some looked the same as mine with LHD but some looked flat. Speedster's also looked flat with no lip.

Some though were harder to say yes or no. The photograph possibly with the wrong light value tends to make them seem flat??

I attach 2 photo's maybe someone with a left hand drive 'A' could advise. Looked at many LHD cars and never took much notice but I bet the lip is there the same as mine. It would not look correct being flat.

Roy

**Stormin** · 05-05-2017, 08:57 PM

Roy,

I've not seen or heard of a raised leftie.
I suspect the right hand drive panel came later and engineering or technology intervened.
I like the raised panel effect.

Norm

**Merv** · 05-06-2017, 04:57 PM

I have also never seen a raised lip on a LHD car. They are all flat holes cut in the dash. Even conversions to RHD rarely attend to this distinctive feature.

**roy mawbey** · 05-06-2017, 05:56 PM

Norm and Merv,

Thanks for that info. You learn something every day on these cars. I think you are correct Norm, in maybe 1954 knowing the 356A was on the way they made the LHD version punch and die progression tool set up without the lip added. Then a few months?? later the RHD version with the lip. Tooling sets were really expensive then and yes Norm, maybe in the space of months someone thought the dash would look good with those lips. As only 5% ?? of production was RHD interesting they did this. I presume?? the early very first 356A RHD cars say registered in 1956 did have the lips?

Thanks Merv and you too Norm, I should have noticed this difference a long time ago!

Roy

**Merv** · 05-07-2017, 02:36 AM

It would be nice to know Roy. As you say RHD production was low and if so why the extra cost of a new stamping die? I have recently seen at least one LHD to RHD conversion that attended to this feature, there are still dash panels out there.

**bbspdstr** · 05-07-2017, 06:47 AM

I have a LHD Cabriolet in restoration now that was a clear example of how Porsche used up production while morphing from T-0 to T-1 A. The gauge holes have the raised edge, the nose is a 'pre'-A and the floor was one half pre- and the other later A. The holes were there for "European" after the "Continental" fiasco. This 356 was of December '55 production with October '55 15" wheels.

NSN and NSA (Never say never and never say always when it comes to the 356)

Bruce, (learning something new about the older Porsches almost every day, more days than not, and have so for over 50 years!)

**356** · 05-09-2017, 11:58 AM

**roy mawbey** · 05-15-2017, 12:27 AM

My 356A is 58 years old, Yesterday took it out and a mile from home
the odometer arrived at 30,000 miles (or actually 130,000 miles.) By the time I arrived home, it read 30001.I took a couple of photo's

I worked out that means 2,240 miles per annum since new. Taking into account I now only drive local and shortish journeys so calculated I hope very much to be still around by my mid 90's before it clicks over another 10,000 miles. It makes you think a little, having a calculator