Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[Paolo]

Hi Justin,
In your post #33097 you refer to the lower 4-cam option, perimeter tin installed. To be clear, do 4-cam Carrera 356 models have unique lower perimeter sheet metal panels that would not be found on pushrod motor models? Is it your understanding that these panels would have been welded into the Reutter chassis/frame when a Carrera motored 356 was ordered by a customer, before the body panels were welded on?

[JOP]

Here you see how it should be with a 616 engine.
It gives the distance from transmission to the front of the perimeter sheet panel

[JTR70]

Hey Neil, thanks again! Does that factory diagram that Per just posted answer that question? If not, sure I can take a measurement or two for you. Let me know.

Per, thank you for jumping in and providing that.

Hi Paolo,

1956 and most 1957's 356A T1 cars ALL came "4-cam" ready. The factory began to phase this practice out some time in 1958. I say that because a 1958 pushrod coupe I just had here was still equipped with that lower perimeter tin though there were no brackets for the oil tank as with all the earlier cars.

The example above is a late 1959 pushrod version with the pushrod shelf welded into position.

Underside shows only the pushrod shelf there. No more unused 4-cam perimeter riding underneath.

donor pushrod 1956 coupe clip "4-cam ready" with all the perimeter tin, brackets and holes needed to install a 547 engine. So glad they did this because I desperately needed that back wall with all those goodies to repair my car.

Though a factory pushrod car everything was there including the mount plate for the oil filter and the twin coils. All it of course unused for this model but ALL there. The slotted holes above this 4-cam perimeter is where the original 616 perimeter shelf bolted into and was easily removable where as in 1959 it was welded in as the first photo shows. So by late T2 only the cars designated to be 4-cams received this hardware. Hope this all made sense.
Justin

[JOP]

Here are some mm.... U Americanos have to convert to inches yourself

1958 Speedster

RED line 620 mm corner 2 corner
GREEN line 637 mm to backside of tranny holder @ bolt to body !

1965 Coupe
RED line 615 mm
GREEN line roughly 635-38mm didnt have a tranny holder

/ JOP

[neilb]

thank you per.

I'm not too far off at the moment in length but my width is off slightly, i am just shy of the 970mm width.

thank you Justin for letting me hijack your thread for a moment

[Paolo]

[JTR70]

Thanks again Per!
No problem Neil, I'm all for getting you down the road on your project.

My pleasure Paolo, Makes sense since it was being phased out during the A production run then anything later B&C 4-cam related would most certainly require a specifically "Carrera ordered" chassis as with the Abarth's you're describing.

4/22/16
Chassis finish details. All very boring stuff from a few days ago. About as exciting addressing it as updating it here but it might be of some use to somebody down the road, who knows...

Tube welded and set against the closing panel. Early T1 cars had the tube mounted high and later it was secured down low on the frame rail.

rear mounted back on the rotisserie to handle all those tedious frame details.

begin with finishing off the end caps of the cross-member.

Fortunately once again I've got a reference car.

End cap fitted and just about ready to install.

before I could close it up I had to weld in a captive nut for the eventual push-rod perimeter shelf that will attach here.

Now I could finally begin tacking it in.

Welding complete.

seam welded along the sides as my car shows.

repeat other side.

Same procedure on the left side.

Begin welding it in tomorrow.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Phil Planck]

As some of you know, I also have a 912 besides Foam Car. While doing some research on oil cooler bracket original finish I came upon this 912 coupe to speedster:

http://www.ferdinandmagazine.com/australia-day-radical-porsche-912-speedster

Looks a lot better than a Targa to me.

Phil

[JTR70]

Thanks for the link Phil, I've seen that car before and yes a lot sleeker without the Targa roll-bar.

4/25/16

My parts order arrived from Rusty Tubs the other day.


fender braces

and a pair of headlight buckets.

The original manufacture I believe is Dansk.

Pretty nice stamping and overall shape details. I'll have to fill and change the smaller holes at the bottom for my application but not the end of the world and I do like them so far.

Quick test fit to Trevor's headlight opening seems promising. It got a little bound up here which was exactly the same experience I had fitting an original headlight bucket to my right coupe fender a few years back. So all in all about the same fitment issues I had with original parts. I'll know for sure soon enough. Anyway nice parts and am glad to buckets and braces on hand now.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JOP]

Looking good Justin.
You are right it sure looks like Dansk 356 parts.

I enclosed a link for the pdf file IF anybody wants to seek parts....they are adding parts the whole time for the Porsche.

They are located in mainland Jylland in the city Viborg where they have a showroom with cars and parts they make.

/JOP

http://catalogue.jpgroup.dk/pdf/jpgroup/Porsche_Dansk_Cat.pdf

[JTR70]

Thanks for the link Per. They seem to have some nice stuff!

4/26/16
Lower 4-cam tin install completed with one last detail.

My late friend fabricated his own lower perimeter tin when he retrofit a 4-cam motor into his '60 Roadster. Going back to what Paolo was describing unlike the early T1A cars there was nothing Carrera related in the chassis of standard 356's by this time. This item has been floating around my shop for several years now so what better project to donate some of its useful items to.

Harvested the captive nuts and most importantly the channel which the seal mounts into.

Took a bit of extra care to harvest the channel as its super thin like maybe 21 or 22 gauge. Eventually got it and now mounted and shaped for contour here. Heeling over the bottom lip of the perimeter around it as was done by the factory on my car.

Last of the lower tin "Carrera ready" T1 details complete. I've noticed even by mid to late 1957 the lower tin was still installed but the channel for the rubber was not. It seemed to be the first piece phased out.

Just a quick shot with the rubber seal installed in that channel.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

4/28/16
Lower engine compartment details complete.

All plug welds along the chassis finished and followed with my panel spotter.

replicated the gas welds in the corners as done originally.

A portion of the forward corners as well.

rewarding to look down into the compartment and see all these loose ends tied up after several tedious sessions to get here.

A question for Per or anyone else with an open A car. If you can, as this will save me a trip across town; could you possible provide the placement of the regulator brackets on the fire wall? The spacing won't be an issue as I have my coupe here for that...

but where exactly are they located on an open car firewall? Thanks in advance for any help on this!

And yes I still have those heads to grind and finish on the firewall. Never seems to end. Upper engine compartment finishing next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[John Pierce]

Looks really nice, Justin. The small details and parts do eat up a lot of time. Congrats!

[bbspdstr]

Hope this helps.
-Bruce

[JTR70]

Sure does John, Thanks!

Perfect Bruce, Thank you!!

4/3016
Regulator brackets harvested and mounted.

donor brackets are from my coupster projects original wall I cut out long ago. As you can see it was a T1 and was equipped with the 4-cam fuel pressure regulator bracket on the opposite side.

After some care spacing and squaring the new donor brackets they were plug welded from the other side. Matches close enough to Bruce's original example with flange overlap etc. Also spent a while grinding and finishing all those rosette heads. PIA; I was really hating life.
Bruce thanks again for the photo!
Justin