The Resurrection of Foam Car - 63 T6B

[Phil Planck]

Bruce & Jack
Jumping around a bit on topics, but have the PreA ready for ECH so decided to do a small project on Foam Car. I put slots in the rocker deco, as there were basically just square holes. Not having ever seen an original, I don't know if they were slotted, but assume they were based on the T bolt it uses. I now have the base rubber almost kissing the torsion bar hole cover. Does this pass muster?



Thanks - Phil

[JOP]

Phil, here you see that is almost up to the torsion hole with the rocker deco
/Per

[Jack Staggs]

Phil, that looks just right. Good solution, slotting the holes for adjustability.

[Phil Planck]

Thanks guys. Will do the other deco the same. Check that off my list.

Phil

[bbspdstr]

I just wrote comments about repro, better repro and original decos and their placement but didn't quite finish before I was interrupted by business and came back to nada......timed out.

So, Phil, have a great safe trip to the ECH and please say hi to Daryle for me, thanks,

-Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Today I did a task I have been dreading and delaying - welding up the upper portion of the lock post/quarter joint. Had to crawl back under the wheel opening and reach up there to finish it off. Made a small piece to fill in a hole at the top, from the outside and put some bright light all along the weld seam looking for pinholes. Found a few and welded those up. This weld will be covered with lead.






While laying down there I noticed a small hole in the bottom flange of the quarter inner panel. This had been obscured by the suspension and brake drum so had not previously seen it. Just like Justin, this stuff keeps showing up.


By the time I had the thin metal cut out I had about a 6" section to replace. Fortunately the frame metal behind was pretty sound, with just surface rust.


Fabricated and fit a patch.



Phil - at hour 1339

[JTR70]

I know Phil, a new vantage point on the chassis almost always reveals a new patch panel that must be installed. Whoah! what an unpleasant chore of getting on your knees or back and sticking your head up into that wheel well to lay that bead on the back side of the door post; You have my sympathies. Glad to see you're back on it! Justin

[John Pierce]

Nice job, Phil. It's the pesky little stuff that eats up hours of time.

[DG58INNM]

Nice job Phil. I'm going to have to make an identical fix on the Swiss Miss, and I'm happy to have you show the way.

But I do wish you'd stop posting the hours. It gets me down to realize I'm about 1000 behind you. I wonder if I'll live that long

Take care,
DG

[Phil Planck]

DG
Will not post hours as often, but I think it is good for others to know what they are potentially looking at when they decide to undertake one of these "rough" 356s.

Got the little patch piece welded on and have moved to the nose. Way back there were pictures of the nose showing all of the lead and potential cut lines to remove the middle section. Spent several hours melting off lead, drilling out spot welds and cleaning down to bare metal. I have marked the proposed cut lines. There are many, many dents in this center section and many more on the drivers side. Wish I would have bought a NOS piece for the drivers side when it was available. Makes the passenger side look real decent in comparison, and that side has a NOS replacement piece if I decide to use it.


Lots of small dents



rust through around lower grill opening


more dents

The drain tubes are brazed on. Was this factory? My plan is to make the vertical slices, then heat the braze and pull up on the now loose nose piece to separate the tubes.

This is the bad news. The good news is that this is the last untouched outer metal that needs major repair. Suppose I could have just left all of that lead there, but I am after high mpg and had to remove the weight

Phil

[tperazzo]

I don't see the brazed tubes in your pictures? Do you mean the tubes that are near the hood seal?

[bbspdstr]

The 'gutter' drain tubes in the nose near the lid gasket were brazed on every 'original' 356 I have worked on, the headlight brace conduits up into the bucket were not, they were gas welded with steel, sometimes incredibly neat and complete, more often not so neat and not completely around.....and begging the answer to how and when they were flared.

Phil, if you mean the small tubes in the step of the nose, I use a small hole-saw (or spot-weld cutter) to cut around the tube through the brass. Clean and easier to reconnect.

-Bruce

PS, the overlaps that are NOT spot-welded as you showed earlier are cut off by me to 1) expose rust almost always found there, obvious or not and 2) to make repairs easier. When that unneeded trimming is neatly done, I'd dare anyone to notice that it's absent. It was not welded, harbored rust and would again and was merely an assembly convenience for Porsche, not a strengthening concept. Of course I say this thanks to that nasty word: "rotisserie."

[Phil Planck]

Tom
Yes, those tubes. I did not take a picture, but will before and after using Bruce's great idea. Thanks Bruce.

Phil

[John Pierce]

Phil,

The gutter drains were brazed on my car also. Bruce bought a new nose from Porsche Classic Parts about a month ago, that would take care of the pimply nose on your car

Bruce: do you have an update on that nose installation?

[bbspdstr]

....Bruce: do you have an update on that nose installation?

John, leapfrogging cars while waiting for that part has not let me back on that T-6B. I also ordered a Trevor nose, yet to arrive, and I want to compare. Also in the process of making the forward half of the left fender to go with that whole front panel.

While waiting for that Porsche Classic nose.....I know y'all won't believe this....more than what met the eye on an A Coupe became apparent. It's too tight between the trailing edge of the front fender and the door just over the top hinge, as covered in these threads not too long ago. Bad geometry was not obvious, but had to cut a section out, raise the inner edge of the splash panel and make a new piece around and down that gap from above the antenna hole down past the hinge area to fold over and make better clearance...no fakin' it there, as much as the last guy wanted to believe he could.

I'll post pictures when I get back on that black car. Thanks,
-Bruce