'63 356B T-6 Rebuild

[Phil Planck]

Not sure anyone had identified why all these Karmann holes. I Googled in Karmann factory pictures and after looking at the pictures below, is it possible that Karmann used these holes to locate the body on the dolly? Looks like that used dollies to move the body around on many different models over the years. The dollies have vertical posts that maybe go into those holes.

[John Pierce]

Good photos, Phil. It's been mentioned on the R that the holes were for jigs/dollies also. Seems like a good thought.

I started fitting the rear floor pan.



The first thing to do was get the correct measurements from front to rear using the front pan as a guide. Then place the transverse tube cut outs in the center tunnel so the pan will sit flat.



I then turned the car over to let gravity help me with the fitting. I had to place cut-outs for the rear frame flanges to allow the pan to sit flat.



I've had the car to the media blaster twice and have had it on its side and roof multiple times, but I kept on hearing rattling in the windshield pillars. Since the car was upside down I figured I'd push a coat hanger through the electrical wire channels to see what I got.........lots of acorns!!



I've been removing acorns for 2 years now, but hit the motherlode as these suckers were packed in tightly. I guess Bubba storing the car outside made a good home for some rodents.


JP

[JTR70]

Looks like some creatures winter storage. I remember on my coupe it being so nice finding sand and other junk accumulating in the center of the roof like your last shot. Feels great in the knowledge that there is no crap stuck in the pillars. Its coming along beautifully John!
Justin

[John Pierce]

Getting closer to installing the floor pans. It's amazing all the little details that have to be done before they can be welded in place.



Both pans fitted and Teks screwed in place. The pans were "laced" in placed starting at the tunnel. Bruce: thanks for the tutorial as the pan edges did want to bunch up.



Lots of rosette plug holes to fill



Last of the Karmann details: the drainage holes in the rear pan.



Seat rail standoffs, toe board brackets and pedal assembly "C" bracket primed and painted. Ready for installation after the pans are in.



The tunnel and transverse tube areas on the pans along with the tunnel itself were primed and painted. Rust is not going to get these areas again!

While I have full access to the tunnel I'm going to install new fuel and brake line. I'll also fit new rubber/plastic around the 2 clips for the accelerator rod as the old rubber/plastic has disintegrated after 50 years. I'd think that these should be slippery for the rod to travel through and Porsche probably put grease there. Has anybody thought about using a teflon coated substance or anything else?

Thanks for following.

[bbspdstr]

"I'd think that these should be slippery for the rod to travel through and Porsche probably put grease there. Has anybody thought about using a teflon coated substance or anything else?"

Yes........then just greased 'em to be "original."

I'm sorry, I was distracted by the photo that shows a key in the lock of a tool box......I'm just not used to seeing that.......

I'll shake that off and say that it is ALWAYS a good idea to think ahead as to what is easier now than later, like the three e-brake tubes being clear and lube'd. Too much is better than none, even tho the instuctions say to lube those cables as they are reinstalled.

Looking almost TOO good (if there is such a thing).

I'll assume you will punch the holes for plug-welding the seat riser mounts and floor board mounts. Unless you got one of those ~$50k trick spot welders......

I have heard of someone doing the 'extra mile thing' and gently dimpling between each plug weld with a narrow-tipped drift to give the appearance of a spot weld.

-Bruce

[Jack Staggs]

A just restored C cab came through the shop... both heater cable tubes completely plugged up.

[JTR70]

Looks fantastic John! Yes, a ton of plug welds to come. I still haven't dressed all of them down yet on my project. That part is no fun...
Justin

[bbspdstr]

So you think T-6 Karmann details are funky? Here is a virgin-floored Reutter T-6 with original longitudinals (note the saving of a crushed jack receiver to be leaded smooth) and 4 (2 each) round shapes intentionally pressed into the part, inside-out.

I have a lot more 356s behind me than in front of me and I have not seen this before. Or at least noticed or remember such a shape. It's a '63 C-2. I have owned and restored such over the last 40 years but have no recall of that circular shape. It does not seem to correlate to anything else.

I have posted this before and do not remember any posted theories or similar findings. Is this just a one-off? Is it a Carrera 'thing.' The rest of the chassis has details not usually seen on production 356s in this range, like added gas welds for strength. That all goes with the advance knowledge that certain bodies were to be 4-cam, as the fender braces in the front that hold the oil coolers were very different, the rear engine surround had to have the channel installed for the sealing rubber, etc.

It has been quite a (continuing) education while checking the parts books for what goes back on this former faux GT racer as it goes back to GS spec. Most everything on a GS is referred to the common 'Coupe' column EXCEPT a few things that are not noted and some that are noted but can't be used, like the upper horn grilles.

Oh well. Ambiguity is a restorer's delight. "Nope, this must have been done differently as an experiment or maybe Dieter was out sick that day." That sounds a lot better than "So shoot me....I had to flip a coin."

John, keep up the exemplary work.

-Bruce

[bbspdstr]

More floor trivia.

Roll-welded floor half flanges a la gas tank seams next to overlapping spot welds with a really bad gas weld for good measure. Nach mittagessen an Freitag mit zwei liter bier?

[JTR70]

That is a curve-ball and about impossible to replicate.

[bbspdstr]

.....but wait, there's more!







The rear bulkhead was roller-welded to the rear of the floor.
The gas (or electric) welding was well done but splatter was just left alone.
More supplemental welding was done when the body had already been designated as a Carrera.

Details, details......for the OCs among us.

-Bruce

[Don C]

Bruce,
In the last picture what's with the weld around the opening of the heater tube? Is it capped off?

[bbspdstr]

Yes, that's a Carrera 2. Those had gasoline heaters. I had to find one for this car and just ordered an exhaust for it from Urs Gretener. He makes a very good reproduction.
Like so many things in 356 bodies through the model changes, all T-6 cars had the ports and shapes for gas heaters in the battery box. That's why there is a bulge in the left side and plugged holes in the rear of the box. A rubber plug is in that bulge where the outside air intake would be.
I had a gas heater in my C Coupe. When it worked, it made a LOT of heat in the car, but most of the time one safety or another would prevent it from firing and I finally gave up fixing the thing and just dressed more warmly, as I did anyway when driving a Speedster.

Thanks for asking about that Factory modification. I'm guessing Justin's A has the same arrangement?

-Bruce

[John Pierce]

Great info Bruce. I've got a heater that I haven't tested yet and may install in my car. The exhaust made by Urs Gretener looks spot on. Were you able to locate the dash levers to control the heater? They are scarce. Is it possible to make one?

[JTR70]

My car was a few months too early for the Gas heater option so there are no signs of any fixtures or embossed knockouts for it or any plumbing like I've seen on later T1A's and of course T2's.

That sure is sound looking frame Bruce...