'63 356B T-6 Rebuild

[John Pierce]

I wonder if I could hire a local kid to grind down all these damn plug welds?!! Man....what a boring job At least the bottom is done. Now for the cockpit side.

Thank you Bruce and great timing on the Wurth product. Can you spray the Wurth undercoating at anytime over the primer or does it have to be inside the 5-7 day window before the primer sets fully?

That's great that a younger person wants to save another 356. Someone just posted a "reasonably" priced project car over on the R: https://porsche356registry.org/classifieds/10850

JP

[bbspdstr]

"....the Wurth product. Can you spray the Wurth undercoating at anytime over the primer or does it have to be inside the 5-7 day window before the primer sets fully?"

The primer should be allowed to cure (depends on ambient temp and humidity) and then, regardless of the time after that, scratched lightly with a rough scotchbrite pad or similar random overall abrasion to give 'tooth' to the surface prior to the textured stone guard, regardless of brand. IF it was a solvent based texture coat rather then a water based texture coat, a close timing after initial cure would make the scratching less important.

"That's great that a younger person wants to save another 356. Someone just posted a "reasonably" priced project car over on the R: porsche356registry.org/classifieds/10850"

Thanks John, I looked via your link and think that car may be too ambitious for Harvey Young, especially if he does not do it all himself. I have (3) Ruby red T-6 Coupes that came to me all at once, within a few weeks of one another, (1) T-6 B and two C's....one C I restored about a dozen years ago and one which I've worked on that is all original excepting a repaint many years ago, that I have been asked to help sell...all for age of owners and a lack of driving now. Those are from $65k through $85k....but the T-5 on the R-site at $35k would consume more than the highest of the T-6 cars. The C versions are the dreadedly all-important "all numbers matching" and run well TODAY, but all on the east coast. Thus, transport costs.

I have told the owners, "I am not a broker, I just fix 'em".....but I'll take the time to put sellers and buyers together just to keep 'em on the road.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled interesting thread.......

[ukinusa]

OK so we have the paint brand/type(thanks Bruce!) - but that gun - is it generic "under-seal" gun or have you a preferred / favorite ! I apologize for 'persisting ' but the finish just looks great and would like to replicate as best I can

[bbspdstr]

[merbesfield]

Warning another slight highjack. What is recommended for internal rust coating after assembly? I have seen vendors who sell sprays w long tubes for shooting into crevices and I assume penetration into low areas as it settles. I have sprayed Wurth Body Wax, but it seems a bit thick and I don't know that it will move much once dry. It seems like this product I am referring to is used quite often in Eroupe for rust prevention. Maybe like Zebart of the old days? Thx

[bbspdstr]

If there is still rust, just started or remaining, nothing is better than using the wrong thing that can lock the rust in and make it travel out the opposite side of the metal. Any "cavity wax" or Ziebart type of product can be as bad later as it can be good with "new construction."

I use a thinned 1K primer through discreet 1/4" holes that get plugged to saturate and block oxygen from getting access to ferrous ions. That's the key: "waterproofing."

In the early days, we'd add the juice and jack up one and then the other. Now, it's add the juice and then lift the rotisserie one end and than then the other, turning as it flows.

Had Porsche done this when the 356s were new, I wouldn't have had a career!

Bruce

[merbesfield]

If there is still rust, just started or remaining, nothing is better than using the wrong thing that can lock the rust in and make it travel out the opposite side of the metal. Any "cavity wax" or Ziebart type of product can be as bad later as it can be good with "new construction."

I use a thinned 1K primer through discreet 1/4" holes that get plugged to saturate and block oxygen from getting access to ferrous ions. That's the key: "waterproofing."

In the early days, we'd add the juice and jack up one and then the other. Now, it's add the juice and then lift the rotisserie one end and than then the other, turning as it flows.

Had Porsche done this when the 356s were new, I wouldn't have had a career!

Bruce

Of course there is still rust, it's a Porsche. I agree, you don't want to cover the rust. What I was referring to is some sort of Oil type penetrating fluid that seeps into all the nooks and carannies. Like the old days when farmers took used diesel oil and poured it in their truck bodies and fence posts.

[bbspdstr]

Hi-
Funny, I can see the quote in the emailed prompt but not here on the site. I'm on Mozilla-Firefox now and should try IE or Chrome. (I can only post pictures from IE)....but on:

Mark, the FFA should include 356ers in their ranks. An old friend kept his 356 semi-rust-free with old trans oil spread in his door bottoms and an old customer had Brit cars AND a leaky trans and engine in his 356 that also subscribed to the "controlled seepage" method of lubrication and rust-proofing. The trans oil in the tunnel of his C was very effective.

In both cases, the smell inside the cars was something you had to get used to. "WD-40" doesn't smell that bad, but doesn't last that long, either, but "W-D" stands for "water displacement" and is the right idea for cavity rust-proofing. You want a product that can stay on all panels regardless of up or down or sideways and still "creep" into the tight areas and seams to displace the oxygen that feeds the rust.

There are fogging oils that protect engines in storage, so they could be potential protection in a longitudinal. Small holes and a wand and a few seconds of spray front, back and middle.

Just think, if a complete sheet metal restoration is done when the 356 is already more than 50 years old and protected from rust in all areas...could it last another 100? For most of us, a report on that would require a seance in far less than 30 years with someone now less than, say, 50.....

[roy mawbey]

Very interesting thread, thanks guys. I can say the thought of oil with a low viscosity and a pump to enter it was in my mind even before I finished the underside of my car in the mid 70's. I scraped all the old factory stuff off and after welding where needed the underside was coated in two coats of Zink based paint and then 2 coats of Hammerite black then a generous coating of a rubberized underseal. The interiors of the longitudinals still original apart from end areas were sprayed with oil so it actually almost poured out has proved very effective over nearly the past 40 years.

But.... the car has only ever got wet a couple of times since as its driven in the dry days all year round.


Roy

[merbesfield]

I was concerned about two things with the oil flood method. Smell and prolonged continued seepage.

[merbesfield]

I heard from my friend who lives in Europe and is also a genious auto engineer. He said he uses Fluid Film on all his cars. He has used it for years and highly recommends it. I trust him so this is what I will use.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=fluid%20film

Here is an interesting demonstration.

https://www.theruststore.com/Undercoating-Gun-System-for-Fluid-Film-P216.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAjwpfC5BRCT1sKW2qzwqE0SJABkKF KREOb5ggYx_wprtcZy1VrCYMD7LbO0jfxructiLzE_gBoC4vvw _wcB

[John Pierce]

Great posts about undercoating and rust prevention. Thanks for all the information!!



The bottom is done!! It's so nice to have this behind me.



The cockpit welds are ground down and most of the metal sanding prep is done. It's better than lifting weights if you want a workout.



I spent a lot of time getting into the nooks and crannies with 3M metal prep disks and sand paper to remove any remaining dirt or rust.



Tomorrow I'll wipe the metal down to remove any dust, tape off the edges and spray some primer. So nice to be here!!


Thanks for following.

John

[Phil Planck]

Pans came out really nice John. Again, great work! Yeah, plug welds are a pain to "smooth".

Phil

[merbesfield]

Wow, those pans look amazing. Inspirational. Now if you could just get my ass in the shop.

[MMW]

If I was you I would throw a seat in there & hold the steering wheel in my hands while making engine noises for awhile. That looks awesome & you should be really proud of yourself!