The Resurrection of Foam Car - 63 T6B

[bbspdstr]

Really nice looking weld joint Phil! I think you have more patience than I do! Great job! Justin

Hint: he's retired....

Anyway, I wanted to share a 'first' (to me)- I just got back an SC Cab from my blaster. The car was disassembled and/or thoroughly masked and I asked that he just strip the paint and I'd deal with any filler. I guess he was showing off, but he removed all the 'mud' but for small mesa-like outcroppings. This pictures shows an area that was replaced on the right front fender's trailing edge over 30 years ago, Ivory paint on top and pink 'mud' under it. I hope I can do better now!





You can see in the jamb that the 356 was originally Sky Blue. The owner says he just can't go back to that and that Ivory is all his son (and heir to the car) has known. Still, the choice will be made by the 23 year old who has taken a liking to his Dad's 356. I'm hoping for silver.

[Phil Planck]

Bruce - Darn, you gave away my trade secret. Justin, got an email of Bruce's post today.
I have remounted the rocker several times, hoping to finally weld it in place, but, not happy with the wider gap at the bottom 10" of my quarter repair panel. This was possibly created because the repair panel contour was not quite pressed down tight enough when I tacked the rear edge in place. Am considering slitting the last 10" to pull the bend forward and fill in with a small sliver. But at least am happy with the rocker fit.
Bought a profile gauge at Home Depot to make some templates on the nose before I remove it and all of the lead. Looking forward to getting past the door opening, but know it is a critical part of the job(hobby?).
Phil

[JTR70]

Thanks for posting this one Bruce. Great to hear the baton is being passed down to the next generation on this one. Maybe we can get you to share how this repair comes out?

Thanks for the confirmation Phil! I started receiving notices as of last night and am glad to hear that its back up for everyone else as well.
Your current repair drama sounds sadly familiar. Keep fighting! Eventually it will submit and give you the result your after.
Justin

[Phil Planck]

At hour 1331. Well, it took 3 hours to "adjust" the bottom forward edge of the quarter repair panel. Had to do this before Bruce piped in and told me a better way to do it. Here you can see the wide gap at the bottom:



So I got off my air tool with cutoff wheel and slit it open so I could move it forward to even out the gap:



Made a patch sliver to fit in the opening and tacked it in place:



More tacking , planishing and some filing of the weld and after 3 hours it now looks like this:



So now I can finally get serious about installing the rocker - yeah!

[John Pierce]

I'm glad to see you have been able to get some dedicated "work" time. My other job keeps on getting in the way for me Great job on the repaired repair. You're becoming quite proficient!

JP

[JTR70]

Nice job on that section Phil! The attitude of panel just tends to creep as welding progresses in this area. I experienced a similar issue on my repair. Looks like your a step closer to going into lead. Keep up the great work!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Phil,

I like that modification. Really worked out well for you. This cutting and inserting is interesting to see. Well done.

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Isn't it funny how you can think something and write another, it eludes spell-checker and it's never noticed no matter how well you 'proof'?

So I got off my air tool with cutoff wheel

That HAD to hurt!

Seriously, I may have done exactly as you have done, Phil! Nice work.

-Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Bruce
I noticed the air tool typo after I had already edited that post for another typo, so did not bother to re-edit again. But, yeah that would have hurt. At least I can turn it off rather quickly. Last time I used the electric Dremel I cut a slit though my glove and scrapped the skin. No quick shut off on that thing.

Not enough metal left to rework the fold, plus it would have taken me more than 3 hours, and at my age and patience level I did what I did. Will all be covered with lead anyway.
Phil

[bbspdstr]

....Not enough metal left to rework the fold, plus it would have taken me more than 3 hours, and at my age and patience level I did what I did. Will all be covered with lead anyway.
Phil

Phil, you must have caught my minutes-lasting first version of my post above, as I caught a 'mind-o' (instead of typo) and edited as fast as I could. I typed away on my posting like that 'correction' was on an in-front-of-door area, not in-back-of-door, my dyslexia getting in the way. Seriously, I see things backwards first and almost always immediately automatically correct that without conscious thinking.....but the key word is 'almost.' I have made a lot of mistakes in sheet metal work from that mental malady, like bending something in the brake, the wrong way first. Thus, much of my needing to do 'adjustments' like what you have shown have come from that quirk. (Spell-check has caught about 10 transpositions of letters in words so far in this post.)

Still, whether 'process oriented' or 'goal oriented,' I like doing the unintelligible creation of repairs within repairs as well as anyone, the true definition of re-restoration, and it's beaten having to take a 'real job' for almost 44 years.

I am refreshed today from a visit yesterday to the shop by and having dinner last evening with my original mentor, Jack Heron. A gifted machinist, fabricator, welder and 4-cam mechanic 'back in the day,' he was the one who had me, as an apprentice, make the shapes of 356 floor indents to hammer sheet metal over and 'quilt' floor repairs in the '60s. We had a B/C replacement spare part from Porsche as a sample and Jack knew a man nearby with a stamping company, but steel dies and the first 100 parts (50 front and 50 rear, the minimum) would have been between $5k and $10k, a lot of money in '71. Jack and I spoke last night about how our careers could have been changed if we had found the money. A crystal ball would have helped, too!

-Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Bruce
Your original post before you edited showed up in my email. I did notice that it had changed on the forum. Nice to be able to meet with your mentor, as it was nice for me to finally meet my email mentor at the WCH in Texas a few years back.
I am taking a weekend break at the site of the Other Coast event at Gull Lake. Had such a good time that had to come back and bring another car nut friend and his wife to go to the Gilmore Museum. If you ever get to lower Michigan this is a must do for you, along with Greenfield Village.
Also pulled into the Off Brothers parking lot and looked through the windows of this private collection that we were privileged to go through at the Other Coast event.
Had hoped to bring the PreA, but bad weather was predicted for this weekend, which did occur today so decided to bring a regular vehicle that could better withstand the predicted hale.
Anyway, having a great time and hope to get back at Foamcar with renewed enthusiasm.
Phil

[bbspdstr]

......Anyway, having a great time and hope to get back at Foamcar with renewed enthusiasm.
Phil

Back on topic and including the admonition to relax and see the sights! Great post and informative to me that any post is sent out via email as is and edits only count if read on Justin's site.

That brings up another question. Am I missing a 'preview' option as available on other sites? That, for me, coupled with spell-checker, would make for better initial postings and less embarrassment.

Anyway, I would like to get to work on my A now that the weather allows some to be done outside....but my conflict is that Martha and I would also like to see more of this great country, as you recommend.

I have never been north of Road America (racing weekends) or Warren, Michigan (when I would load the pick'em-up with a half dozen 356 transaxles to be rebuilt, drive from Philly to the Skirmantses, fall asleep in their spare room that night and be fed breakfast by Barb in the morning and drive back to Philly...hardly a 'vacation.')

Now that I think about it, most all my travels (other than Alaska 2 years ago) have been involving cars, racing and usually Porsches. Is that sad or enviable?

[JTR70]

Nice story Bruce! I envy you, I wished my mentor was still around.
The preview option along with PM's are on the wish list with the eventual software upgrade. Don't you have spell checker through your operating system? I have it on mine. Whenever a word is spelled wrong which happens a lot a red wavy line appears. While nice it can also be frustrating when after the third or fourth try the line won't go away.

When you return Phil, I hope there is a nice fire built under you!
Justin

[bbspdstr]

..... Don't you have spell checker through your operating system? ..........Justin

Yes, Justin, I do...and it saves me from a LOT of mistakes! I was just combining a more clear proofing capability to go with that spelling-more-betterer feature in my fantasy.

If anyone has seen the 'new' R-site, the black background here is being dissed within various threads of complaints and suggestions of and for changes 'over there.'

Too many cooks in the stew...very tense on the R-site, not at all like it used to be, which is basically here.

It seems no one is happy anymore, anywhere, with anything...unless while working on or driving a 356.......
THANK YOU AGAIN, JUSTIN.

-Bruce

[roy mawbey]

Yes Bruce I second you on that in saying thanks to Justin. I have not asked recently but ABCGT must have an increased membership now to a year ago. I really hope so its such a friendly and open site. I am in a good mood today just got in from a nice 356 run about. Do you all find actually you don't need to go far maybe 10 miles but its enough to relax you? I pick my route and it does not vary that much, just a few area's where I can bring the RPM to about 4,500 and hold it for a short while.

I do know for certain my car behaves so well if driven regulary. I can almost with 2 fingers pull by car out of the garage onto the drive before starting up. Tried to push my BMW the other day a few yards. Soon stopped doing that. The 356 with its weight of 1,874 lbs
compared with my 3 series weight?? makes it so much easier to move.

Roy