1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[roy mawbey]

Justin your comments are correct I can visualize the problems that could happen if hit up the back. Now it makes sense with the really strong market for Porsche in the States at that time the factory had to meet the safety ruling for the rear bumper.. Yes I have seen imported 356 cars with them fitted that's all. So much work there.

Roy

[JTR70]

Finishing up the left side bumper reset:
Final confirmation fit directy against the body.
Final contour runs as closely to the tail as I could hope for. The tip tucks in a little tight.
on both sides but will wait to see what the final reveal shape looks like once its mounted on its irons and spaced away from the body.

Finished welding up the joint and then finally onto adding the exhaust arch back in.
Ready to drill the hole to mount the bumperette. Along with its lateral location I also have establish the angle. Shooting for 90 degrees but most importantly it just has to mirror the right side when its over.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Bumper modification fine tuning.
I was ready to move on to the left sides jewelry refitment and modification but first...
I had to go back and cut this corner of the bumper free to reset it. The general contour needed some tightening up in relation to the tail.
And the tips were angled off from one another at about 3 degrees which was driving me nuts. One side of the sat level while the other side ran downward slightly. I couldn't leave that so this left side corner was cut free and reset to match the right. Running at 0 degrees here
Matching the right side.
Once I had this corner reset where I needed it the joint was a complete mess. The profile shape where they meet was mushrooming up revealing more residual crash damage. Messaging this out as I stitched it back together.

[JTR70]

Deco refitment continued:
Redrilling one of two holes needed here to create that elongated hole.
All the deco holes redrilled with good clearance from the bumper bracket mounts. Its all falling into place thankfully.
Bumper remounted for another test fit and beginning to add in the strut as the final piece.
Strut coming out at center of the hole for now but would need some adjustment before it was all over. Full mock up with old rubber insert. It can be reused as there is now an inch of excess out at the sides.
Modifications just about complete on this side.

[JTR70]

Thank you very much Roy! Actually, those bars won't protect a thing as they'll quickly fold up with the mildest of collisions creating more damage and expense as you'd have to replace them along with the extra damage they'd cause from being driven into the body. I don't think a RHD 356 with USA overrider bars exists; at least not from factory. These were just add-ons to satisfy the US DOT as they were mounted too low to meet their bumper regulations . You'll notice they raised the bumpers on the T5 and eliminated these tubes. Thanks again Roy.

[roy mawbey]

Justin do you know after looking at all that effort regarding the above deco bars I am actually quite pleased I have a Euro version car that does not have them! You have done well to sort that all out.
Of course having those could save you so much if the rear end of the car is hit!
Roy

[JTR70]

Refitting the deco trim:
Couldn't get past some of the weld shoulder out here.
but its close enough to leave for the chrome shop to fill with either solder or copper.
Right side bar complete. Onto the left side but first,
I wanted to fit the new deco strip in first.
I filled in all the original deco holes freeing it up to be mounted directly at center with the uprights recess openings. This way there is no alignment issues or a forced fit when it all goes together for the final time.

[JTR70]

Right side overrider bar modification:
Bar shape remains smooth and still fits against the back drop of the tail panel itself. Once its rechromed the alteration will be completely undetectable a big relief, especially after cutting up original parts.
End of the tube terminates right where it would in relation to the deco and the tip of the bumper before both these parts were tightened and shortened.
Contour looking down the assembly will look stock and appear unchanged as well.
Bar fits tight into the guard as well as the bumper without being forced into position. Making everything fit together with minimal tension was top of the list.
After that confirmation fit the bar was removed and the rest of the weld joint was ground smooth and semi-polished in preparation for rechroming.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Right tube welded back together:
Tube mock ups began. Fully bolted down snug with the outer section indexed slightly for a smooth transition across this joint and a flush fit against the bumper out at the tip. My weld joint ended up being twice as wide as I had wanted. I was looking for a 4mm gap for a root pass with a good remaining weld shoulder left once it was all dressed even smooth for replating. I mistakenly made the final cut on the wrong side of my marker line creating too large of a weld joint.
A bit too wide to back fill with weld so I cut a quick filler ring. Two welds instead of one but I was just relieved that this mistake wasn't too serious.
Tack welded to hold the final needed shape.
Dismounted one more time so I could Zip it all together.
Shoulder at the contact point ground down quickly as I was anxious for a confirmation fit. Bolted right back up where it was before welding with a snug fit inside the bumperette recesses. So far so good.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Getting ready to make the first cut.
Before cutting the bar it was slid inward by that one inch that was removed out of the bumper to establish where the tip of this tube needs to end up to fit and look correct.
Same paper template procedure to locate the mounting hole as was done on the inside. By this time all the original deco holes were welded closed as they needed a reset as well.
Commitment time. As planned the weld joint will be to the outside of the original upright mounting hole.
Both ends of the tube mounted onto the bumper highlighting how much needs to come out...about an inch.
That one inch section removed here but it won't go into the trash. Its being repurposed as reinforcement sleeve across the final weld joint. In the process of removing width out of it here so it will snuggly fit into the I.D. of the tube halves.

Thanks for looking.
Justin

[JTR70]

Best place to make the changes:
Tube mounted directly to the upright as starting point.
Not only too long now but swings very high and wide with the other end just about where it needs to be.
Everything to in the inside of the guard is stock so this end of the tube would be established first. This 90 degree bend really dictates the uprights orientation. If its not just so the end of the tube would not reach the surface of the bumper. So as you assemble, they tell you exactly where they need to be in relation to one another. The cut and following changes would be made just to the outside of the bumperette mounting hole. With the tube cut I'll not only shorten it but I also be able to index it slightly for a flush fit to the bumper.
This bumper was a Euro-version so it was a clean slate as far as the tube mounting holes went. To locate the hole in just the right spot this temple was taped to the tube end and once I had the tube exactly where I wanted it was peeled free from the tube and simultaneously taped to the bumper. Ready to confidently drill the hole.
Inside of the tube bolted up snug for the first time. So far so good. You can see by this point the bumper mounting bracket has been welding back in for good. Cutting and modifying the bumper through the exhaust arches was the best place to make the changes as this bracket only conceals the weld joint but also reinforces it. Cutting the tube the in half next.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Going to have to cut the overrider tubes.
The bars at the stock length mounted into the bumperette with the stock hole reach way too far now making the end of the bumper look stubby.
Exploring different options like sliding the tube inward an inch...
but the shoulder would crowd into the shine up light "window". It wouldn't collide or touch it but would just look too busy and not correct.
No matter how we sliced it the required modifications will require rechroming once its all over. The tubes provided are new with perfect chrome so it seemed such a waste to start cutting on these.
What made the best logical sense was to acquire a donor pair of good originals with tired chrome for our purposes. Fortunately our buddy Matt Howard from Deluxe had a nice pair of donors for sale at just the right moment. Now the cutting can begin.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Hi Roy, I can understand wanting that small change. Those exhaust ports can get very sooty if you don't stay on top of them.

[roy mawbey]

Justin, my original 59 356A has no embossment for the rear light as you show in your 30/6/25 photo. Actually I had a question on the rear bumper when I went to look at my car in the late sixties.
I was told by the previous owner my car would have had exhaust pipes going through the chrome overriders but the first owner did not want that as he disliked the way the chrome became black with exhaust smoke and he wanted anyway a two pipe sports exhaust system. All could be returned to the 59 exhaust system if I wanted but I prefer also the sports exhaust. He also advised me the first owner wanted the smaller 400mm diameter steering wheel the same as a Speedster. This has of course remained on my car.

Roy

[JTR70]

Next issue raises its head:
Excess removed then onto shaping and heeling over the arch flange.
Locating the best bumperette profile shape fitment against the bumper. Confirming whether the existing mount hole for it was still in the right spot.
Bumperette hole redrilled slightly over into the needed location. Welding complete with the exhaust arch in nearly completed form. Getting dangerously close to being done on this side.
Again the bumper was dipped at some point so all the inner surface are clean and ready to go. Applying a quick coat of sealer to these surfaces before this mount goes back on for good.
We have both shortened and tightened the radius on this bumper so now the overrider tubes themselves became the next fitment issue. That next...

Thanks for looking.

Justin