1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[jjeffries]

Are you fellows using shrinking discs on larger areas? What about a shrinking tip on a stud welder? No particular reason for asking....just wondering. Thanks, John

[bbspdstr]

A shrinking disc shrinks high spots, big or small.

Machinist's bluing, a rattlecan primer spritz or a wide Sharpie coating the whole area guides where the high spots are, like a 'guide coat' does when filing or sanding. Getting steel so hot that there is a 'bluing' of the metal surface is a no-no.

A small extreme dent can be shrunken by the tip that usually comes with a stud gun, but that is an extreme instance, just as the 'nail gun' itself. It's hard to control.

That is but one small step forward from the old "knocker" (slide hammer) with a threaded tip screwed into a hole in a dent to not only pull a dent somewhat out but provide an anchor for the plastic filler needed due to those primitive methods (read: 'quick' because of time-limiting insurance payments and/or a lack of skill and/or training).

The old saying applies: "with Good, Fast and Cheap, you only get to pick two of the three."

Bruce

[JTR70]

Thanks Bruce! Yes, this is not the most efficient path as there are a lot of tiny time consuming things that need to be addressed but my buddy wants to keep as much originality as possible so here we go.


I've had pretty good results with those disc's John but I have to admit I get a little impatient as the going can be slow then I switch to my Torch for some instant results.

8/10/18
More rocker prep

Cleaning off the remains of the old fender tang and stripping the wire lead.

Mount flange all but cleaned of old fender tang and rolled wire lead unsheathed.

rebuilding this corner next.

New section profiled off the OG

Old was then carefully carved out. Had to take care not to cut into that secondary flange.(rust covered area)

Mocked up to double check for final width before I committed welding that new piece in.

Also going on the backside is some flange repair on the striker that shields this joint. Began cleaning the rust but have a little ways more to go. Am a bit concerned that its gone through up a little higher. Will know once I get those plaques dissolved. Again a lot of tedious small repair patch sections that can be extremely frustrating as well as time consuming but the list is getting shorter.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

8/11/18
More Right rocker prep

New corner section tacked and in for a quick check to make sure it sits nice with the striker allowing the skin surfaces to line up.

Stitched in

Its all still very much roughed in but will continue to refine it all as it goes. Have an air gap there but the eventual new tang strip on the end of the fender will fill that.


Adding a new tang onto the end of the fender.

Ready to tack and wire lead unsheathed.

New strip Tacked

All mocked up with the rocker once again. Still need to stitch it the rest of the way on


but Everything needed to join these two together again is just about teed up.

Moving forward next to add onto the inner flange behind the hinge

And to also remove the remains of the OG door well closing floor flange.


After removing that old spot welded strip I took the rocker fitment a step forward by chasing final alignment. Began by drawing the inner flange in tight with the original tack strip holes.

Forward splash pan spot welds aligned

Along with the rear ones as before. Nice confirmation that once its all over the rocker will be back into its exact factory position.

I was in a catch 22 here as I was wanting to reinstall the lower hinge before the rocker so I could adjust for final bottom door gap

but there is no way to cleanly seam weld the inner flange in behind it as was done originally.


Even if I got it welded I couldn't dress it smooth in behind the hinge boss. So the rocker is going to have to go on first. As long as I attach only the inner run I can still wiggle the rocker and adjust the bottom gap after the fact. BTW: even the hinge boss is lining right back where it was...thank god for small miracles.

Getting closer still to reinstallment time. More loose ends tomorrow.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[jjeffries]

Phuck....what a three dimensional puzzle! Not a job for the impatient or easily-irritated. Thanks as always for sharing all of this Justin.
John.

[roy mawbey]

Hey Justin,

I bet that section took at least an hour getting all those photos and script sorted out and put on the forum. Not a 5 minute job !!

Yes, everything is a puzzle to work out.

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Roy, the puzzle now is why us "old guys" still do what "young guys" like Justin and Trevor, et al, do! It must be love, as we are way past lust!

Part of that puzzle is that many of us have been "married" to 356s longer than our wives.

Let the puzzles be about how to keep the cars we love be viable as long as we all are able.

Bruce

[JTR70]

Thanks John! Definitely, all these little loose ends can and do try your patience and staying power. Deep breaths and small bites.

As slow as I type Roy it can take me a good hour or so put an update together. thank you guys for taking the time to look at which makes all the effort worth while.

I'm guilty of that Bruce, I've been "married" to my project since '87.
Still love it though.

Thanks again you guys!
Justin

8/13/18
Just about ready to reinstall the rocker.

Last repair patch before install.

Tacked and mocked up once again for fit before its fully welded.

Done. Now it can theoretically go back on.

All puzzle pieces in place for the front corner.

Rear corner puzzle...

Took some doing but the corner is now ready to weld.

New tang stitched and plug weld holes punched.

Well maybe its not quite ready to go on just yet. Have to first clean all the residual tar and rust.

Always seems to be that "one more thing" before you can proceed.

Acid bath first.

Aside from the rust in the pinch seams and mount flanges I was really after the rust I knew was still down in this trough.

The angle when mounted shielded it from the media blaster. The last bit of the wired lip gets cleaned too.

Got it about 80% clean so one more round tomorrow will do it. Then it will be onto some pre-sealing with epoxy to ensure thorough coverage down in these areas....then I can weld it on for good.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/20/18

Rocker almost ready...

Prepping the longitudinal area for a coat of epoxy. Don't know what Simonsen uses for primer but I don't want to risk any adhesion issues so it was sanded back.

Next was more pick and filing of that troubled area in the middle of the rocker.

Also have to sand back the sealer coat smooth.

Still a little high...

As I worked it the leading edge started curling up again. Had to clamp it to the table again along with a little heat on either side to finally get it to stay.

One more round of heat to the center turned the trick. The mount holes are high but am leaving those as once a new deco is synched tight they will be right back up again.

Finally tamed this damn thing.

Looks simple enough to straighten but once the metal gets stretched it prefers to stay in its "new" shape.

As sanding progressed I was finding a lot of surface rust under the sealer.

To my surprise I also found surface rust on the skin. Not flash rust either but a heavy mature brown coating.

I can only assume it was left because it was assumed that the rockers would be replaced. Hope the rest of the body doesn't look like this under that primer.

All the concealed rust now exposed.

I was hoping to be done with acid dipping but its gonna need one more round.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/21/18

As the rocker bathed one last time in acid I got the longitudinal sealed up with epoxy.

Not full coverage but I sealed the areas that will need no further work.

Front and rear end caps are all but completed.

What I was really after was getting the top of the spur and flange above it all sealed out as once the rocker is installed these areas will be either fully covered or very hard to shoot.

Don't know how much of these spot details will be detectable after a coat of shootz but can be seen for now.


Rocker finally clean of all remaining rust. Some light gold flash rusting


but that will be brillo'd off quickly before primer.


Rocker finally in sealer.

Wanted to get all those angles and blind spots sealed before final remounting.


Just have shoot some black over it next then the rocker is back on for good.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/22/18

Right rocker remounted for good!

Quick coat of semi gloss

Again my main concern was getting full coverage on this flange area and the crown of the jack spur.

Same with the rocker now was the time to ensure thorough coverage down deep in the trough and the other crannies while its loose and can roll it around to spray it at all sorts of angles.

A very long, long road back but the rocker is now remounted for good!

Not fully painted as its not ready just yet but all the hard to reach areas are sealed.

Began by set screwing it back into factory position using the OG tack strip holes.

Will be fully welding up this corner first

So I can reattach the lower hinge boss

Then I can remount the door and set my final lower door gap allowing the install to continue. That's the plan anyway.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/23/18

Right door rehung.

Seam welded the forward section of the rocker to the closing wall. Continued on and also fused the forward edge of the flange just past the seal channel as found originally. Now the lower hinge mount can go back on.

A couple of makeshift alignment jigs

Along with some additional sight markings like the drilled spot welds. Door tag lower mount screw

and remnant corner on the brace confirmed I was about as close to OG as I was going to get.

Tacked in Position. Now time to try the door.

Of course it didn't clear. Changed ever so slightly and missed it by "that much"

Just had to break the lower bolts loose and it slid right in.

Door finally rehung. Opened and closed smoothly with no resistance so the hinge mount is fine where its at.

Initial bottom gap was tight as expected.

Quickly corrected with a paint stick

Approximate door gap with good relation clearance with the spur. Not too high and not too low.

Door sags a little so before I commit the rocker to final position this will have to be adjusted out first.

Went ahead and welded up the hinge mount fully.

Never would have got the rocker welded up cleanly with this hinge assembly in the way. Blob weld on upper inner corner added back in as found. Note the lack of washers on the outer bolts. They are all this way and These hinges seem to have never been removed from new. This was done for hinge clearance when closed. I had clearance issues on my car because I had inadvertently added the washers. Why wouldn't you? Unless you've got an original to reference from.
Dialing in the rocker for final lower gap next.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/28/18

Right lower door gap set.

Best average gap across. Standard paint stick thickness or approx. 3mm

Some light irregularities in width toward the back but will even it all out before its over.

Aside from the gap, close and smooth transition off the doors edge to the rocker was the other primary concern. Some rollers in it as expected but all within striking distance.

Initial set screw position for fender/rocker. Won't commit until I have the general body contour I'm after in this area. May have to either flatten or flare this area so I need to be able to manipulate it.

With the bottom gap set I began adding more welds. I'll follow up with my torch later to flow these out smooth and replicate the gas weld that was here. Also heeled over the little flap that was replicated just above the welds. *****INTERMISSION**********


My buddy (the owner) just got his Convertible D project ready for final body work and paint. While talking he asked me if I knew anyone who could paint if for him and I said, well....Me? So it was soon decided to have it go ahead first and cut in line ahead of this coupe. Delivered today and will begin a build thread on its progress here shortly.

Swapped places on the trailer and set aside. Here is where she'll rest until the D is painted.

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Justin

[Tony G]

So you reached the end of the tunnel, I am sure it was gratifying! Congrats!

[bbspdstr]

"Note the lack of washers on the outer bolts. They are all this way and These hinges seem to have never been removed from new. This was done for hinge clearance when closed. I had clearance issues on my car because I had inadvertently added the washers. Why wouldn't you? Unless you've got an original to reference from."

This is always good to get out, as it isn't always a 'known' detail, and there are many others.

What seems like eons ago, I had points (or tenths thereof) taken off a good score at a PCA Parade's national level concours for "missing washers under the hinge bolts." I appealed and went to the Head Judge and was told that the parts book definitively showed that 16 (split) washers were used. My car had 8. Since new, as far as I could tell, due to fit issues. The Power That Was was unswayed.

The f word was audible in a short sentence from me as I walked away, I'm sure. It was then I also became sure of the Politics involved in high-end judging and that many (most) judges don't know facts about the cars that restorers need to know.

After that episode, I asked those I knew on both coasts what they recalled from working on (or in some cases, 'parting out') original 356s...and no one had seen all 16 washers on any original car.

I stopped showing 356s and went back to racing them, but I gathered from attending some Porsche concours that the main criteria had morphed into a cleaning contest more than anything.

I stopped racing 20 years ago, so this topic has existed much longer and it's still not appreciated for much more than "fake news." That's a shame for those serious enough to want vindication for true accuracy.

Maybe that esoteric knowledge of Porsche details is a curse, but it needs to be shared if for no other reason than practical applications like hinges fitting as they close.

Thanks, Justin!

Bruce