Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[JTR70]

9/25/14
New Speedster windshield post shank mounts complete.

Bill was nice enough to knock these out form me before he leaves on vacation tomorrow so I was able to pick them up this afternoon.

Finished out exactly as ordered; right down the 3mm reinforcement for the bolt to work up against.

Post mounts can now move forward once again.

I'll begin cautiously fitting and mocking these up next, the tricky part. Thanks for looking! Justin

[JTR70]

9/27/14

Windshield post mount fabrication begins.

Initial jumping-off point above.

Remaining coupe upper substructer was cut free clearing the way for this initial mock-up allowing the posts to rest directly on the edges of the cups.

Though it does not look it, the frame is sitting here a good inch and a half lower than it should.

As you can see the shank protrudes in way deeper than it should.

A nice confirmation with this extreme position is that the cup profile will allow for ample room for the bolt-head once its raised and in the correct position. It was of course a concern.

A long way to go but its a promising first step which will reveal and lead me into the second step.

Mounted the door to show just how low the frame is sitting at the moment. An even lower Speedster windscreen if you can imagine that.

Looking more "speesteresque" all the time. Thanks for looking! Justin

[JTR70]

9/29/14
Fine trimming and fitting continues to bring this picture and the plan of attack a bit more into focus.

remounted the doors so I could trim the tips of the A-pillars to closer final elevation.

As this goes I'm working on how I'll cap the cups to both finish the pockets and capture the shank sleeve.

Also shaping the upper contour to create the original upper heart shape profile.

Elevation of the post against the door is looking closer.

With the A-pillar tips trimmed down my original dash slipped right into position. Time for another look with the frame.

Also added the base trim just to get a better feel.

Left side is fitting pretty well too.

From the front

Happy with the fitment and how the parts are relating to one another so far.

One thing I did confirm today, I need to get the new cowl from Steve Hogue here as soon as I can. Its time.

Continuing on with post mounts tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by! Justin

[ALEX.RDI]

Justin, looking good. Are you going to use a top on this car?
Cheers

[JTR70]

Thank you Alex! Yes, it will have proper top frame. By the conclusion of steel work this chassis will be a full and legitimate Speedster in every detail save for its original coupe chassis #. This project would be a colossal waste of time, money and this donor chassis to produce anything short of that. This would be my warning to anyone considering a similar build; savable coupe chassis are fast becoming a very valuable commodity in the resurrection of badly rotted original open cars = cabriolets, roadsters and of course long dead speedsters. Then there is the new added market pressure of conversion builds like this one as original speedsters continue to climb into the 350-400K range. Some would argue that a rebuildable coupe here has just been devalued. I could not disagree more. Imagine for a moment this chassis being restored back to its original form as a '59 Miessen Blue coupe. I mean correct on correct what's it worth? 100K?( that might cover the steel repairs required) 150K tops? Now think of it as it will be in its final form a correct Speedster; with originals pushing past 350K this car has to be worth a percentage of that. 200K? 250K? But again it has to be right in every build detail if you ever hope to achieve top value. A door-slammer conversion will continue to be just a future "donor car" to someone else and its value would reflect that. So yes, we're going all the way right up to a Speedster top frame. Thanks again! Justin

[911quest]

In my opinion the best part of this build is you can drive it with out the worry. It wont drive like a fiberglass covered VW beetle. It will drive like a real speedster. Justin would you do another one when you got finished with this one?

[JTR70]

Agreed Tony and another upside is that it was and still is a real "Porsche". I will most certainly be doing at least one more:


My own Hot rod Coupster project I started almost 15 years ago. I'll get back on it once my coupe project is finished. Right now its up against my wall on its side, you can see it in some of the background shots on this project.

10/1/14
Splash pan install. I really want to get the new forward cowl mounted in as I locate and finalize the position of the windshield frame. To be able to do that however a few parts must be installed first. The splash pans being one of those parts.

New 5 rib 356 AT1 version splash pans arrived yesterday in good order from Restoration Design. ( Thank you Alex!) Both are really nice well formed pieces.

Like any new parts they were of course a bit raw at the edges and will need trimming and messaging. This outer mount flange is where the eventual fender lip will clamp onto so it must shape cut and positioned correctly to the leading edge of the door. Here again is another example of why the body must be built around the closing panels and not the other way around. This is the only way it can be done successfully without the luxury of factory type holding and locating jigs.

The inner edges fit up against the chassis pretty well so I found my best average in relation to the originals on my coupe and then placed set screw so I could find the sweet spot during the required repeated test fits. Shape trimming of the leading edge was now underway in very cautiously performed stages. Did not want to cut this too short!

This pinched and formed corner fit naturally against the chassis in this pans best adjusted position. Very pleased with these parts so far.(Tony, you can see my coupster in the background in this shot)

It was getting there. More had to be trimmed away from this upper corner to allow the pan to sink back so those upper mount flange faces would overlap evenly.

As trimming progressed it was also now time to remount the original A-pillar closing panel that I had to remove earlier.

All welded back into its original positions with all the old spot weld marks lining back up perfectly. A nice confirmation that the pillar hadn't shifted on me during all the welding.

Door remounted to continue the process. Upper mating flanges now almost overlapping as they should. More trimming though..

Its getting really close to welding time. I'm sure the leading flange will need more trimming and adjustment when the actual fender goes on but I can leave it loose for now.

New closing panel sure cleaned things up quickly. Hope to be tacking this on by tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by! Justin

[911quest]

Justin,

Your pictures make me believe I could do this.... all I need is a set of door's. Maybe I will get started then you would be willing to do two more?

[ALEX.RDI]

No problem Justin, it's looking good. Let me know if you need any other sheet metal.

Cheers

[JTR70]

Will do Alex, thanks again!

Absolutely Tony, part of this build threads mission is to show that while it most certainly would be nice it is not completely necessary to have a fancy cellete work table or 100K worth of specialized tools. It can be accomplished in a modest hobby shop, with the most basic of tools, patience and functioning brain. (or near fully functional in my case) And Yes, a pair of speedster doors are a very good place to start.

10/2/14
New splash pan now ready to install for good.

Spent today's session doing more fine trimming and punching the holes in for the plug-welds. By days end it is ready for its first tack weld. Part of todays chores was shaping and figuring out how best to replicate how the factory tucked that corner in.

As you can see on my original its a combo of both spot and seam welds. Again I'd be sunk for detail without this here for reference.

I'll also begin fabricating this T1 version reinforcement bracket from the speaker boss to the back of this pan.
Thanks for looking! Justin

[bbspdstr]

Thank you Alex! Yes, it will have proper top frame. By the conclusion of steel work this chassis will be a full and legitimate Speedster in every detail save for its original coupe chassis #.

"Proper" top frame on 84255 is the original high-bow from Mike Robbin's well-known Speedster. He told me years ago that he found a better fitting frame at a swap meet (for $100) and thus sold me his original. His rationale was that since those frames were not numbered like the windshield frame were, mox nix. (PA 'dutch' for machts nichts, makes no .)

Then there is a discussion without 'official' Factory literature back-up whether there was a different side curtain for low bow vs, high bows tops. I have found two different frame shapes so I say there was, so Justin, the one from A.I. should work on a low bow frame.

Well, it ain't exactly easy getting an 'off the rack' top fabric on just any old frame on any old Speedster:














That was a fight without some customizing, especially across the (original) frame of the glass. Taking into consideration that I made measurements on the old (4 times crashed) racer along with 2 other good straight examples for comparison and found they were ALL different.

I'm jumping the gun here, but wrapping the header part of the frame is not easy. Getting the locating straps right is also not easy if none are there or for another Speedster. As easy as it looks, all the pieces and parts must be pre-fit to each other before anyone can feel secure...but I still say "Ah, it's a Speedster...who puts the top up on THOSE?"

PS- It is said that the early frames were gray and the later versions done in tan. The original paint on the high bow from Mike's '58 was gray, so it stayed that way....another anomaly.

[roy mawbey]

Bruce, great photo's of the Speedster. More and more you begin to see why they are making so much money now. Its styling is just perfect but best of course hood down. Of course, here, we need hoods! Its pouring down today and its the weather we have, that only made about 5 people buy a RHD speedster back then in the UK.

Roy

[bbspdstr]

The 'custom fit' trials and tribulation continue, as while the present owner of 84255 wanted a cloth top to be fitted, he also wanted a 'period correct' hard tonneau to replace the one I had made out of fiberglass when it was my race car. (Same with the aluminum GT mirror cover to replace the 'glas version I had made, shown in a previous picture.)

A very sturdy example was made in aluminum by Californian Urs Gretener from my unit but without the car. Here is a picture of a local man, Rick Mullin (another of the rare true panelbeaters), bailing me out by making it actually fit. Lesson learned.

[JTR70]

The top turned out Beautiful Bruce! Like I've said before I'm one of those weird guys who really likes the look of a speedster better with the top up than down; especially with a Low bow frame!

Speaking of header bow wraps here are a few shots I took of an early '57ish high bow frame (mis-identified and sold to me as a low bow) which still had its original wrap in position.

Of course what was interesting is that wrap was not one piece but capped separately at the ends then secured with this large rivet.

Its something that cannot really be seen once the canvas is in place so I can only assume it was for added protection against chaffing or wear. Don't know if they were all done this way either? thoughts?

That alloy tonnau is really slick! Nothing more nerve racking than test fitting metal parts to finished car

[JTR70]

10/6/14

Left splash pan install and T1 version brace fabrication.

While in process of tacking in the left pan I also wanted to fit this T1 specific bracket to the backside of it as it goes in so I spent yesterday fabricating a pair of them.

Fortunately I found the center embossment of it to be very similar to drain hats I've been making for the battery box floors of both my car and this one.

Finished paper template to the left. New steel piece (remnant heavy gauge perimeter kit section to the rescue again! ) chalked up on my makeshift hammer form and now ready for some torch heat.

First pass with several more rounds of heat and hammering to come.

finished embossment detail and the part is now ready for final trimming and flanging at the ends. I left the piece oversized since getting it centered in the exact spot would have been a total PIA if I'd cut it into final shape first.

One pair of T1 brackets before sessions end.


Close enough for Gov't work...

Put down my first couple of tacks this afternoon.

New T1 bracket welded into place shortly after. Continue plug-welding tomorrow.

BTW took delivery of my new TIG welder on Saturday. Looked every bit as nice as it did in the photo and expertly crated for the trip out West.

Got the Argon tank filled today but am waiting on a tank regulator to come in. Fortunately my buddy Rick who will be shooting my coupe also has this exact machine and has offered to show me how to use it. So between him and the great pointers I've been getting here so far I'll hopefully be able to fire it up before the week is out. Best I could do this weekend was just look at it.... The control panel looks like the cockpit of an airplane compared to my MIG.
Thanks guys! Justin