57 356 A mild resto

[merbesfield]

Pans are officially in and all welding, on pans, is completed. All major grinding is done as well. So now it's just sanding prep, epoxy primer, seam sealer and Schultz. Lots more to do, but feeling good for the moment.

[John Pierce]

Looks real nice. It's a great feeling to get a large chunk done. Congratulations!

[JR]

Since you showed me yours I'll show you mine from back in 2010.
Dick









[attachment:5]2010_0223AA copy.JPG[/attachment]

[JTR70]

I'll bet you were pleased. Congratulations on getting the bottom all buttoned up, looks really nice!

[molleur]

Nicely done!

[merbesfield]

Thanks guys. Can anyone comment on the earlier question I had about my heater wire? I know Justin said it is just wire, but mine have an end on them as seen in the pics.

[911quest]

Looks like a VW throttle cable. Does the other side look the same?

[badsix]

heres what I can tell you as I have mine apart and getting ready to put my wires in. the wires exit the steel tube, then there was a rubber nipple that the wire go's through the nipple then it slips over the tube. it keeps nastys from getting in the tube. there is also a thin rubber tube that slides over the wire to protect the wire? the wire then connects to the heater box with that barrel nut. that's were you can make adjustments to the wire. the heater box then connects to the heater valve by a rod with the barrel nuts also.
i'm not 100% on this as it been a long time ago that I took it apart.
Jay D.
I think what Justin is referring to is for a double flapper heater box. I have a set for mine, one of them has just a wire connection to it, the other is broken off. the a's had single flapper boxes that I believe connect with the wire you have.

[merbesfield]

[quote="badsix" post=40768]

[JTR70]

That was a mistake on my part Mark. Looking at yours and that barrel clamp that would attach to the flapper door on the heater muffler units it should have those tips on the end. Mine where obviously cut short at some point.

[badsix]

here are some pictures, but the steel shaft is what comes on the 356A cables.
[attachment:1]DSCN1077.JPG[/attachment]
they fit the barrel clamps that fit into the lever on the heater box to allow for adjustment. the heater valves( cans) for an A are 11 1/2 overall the can part is 7 1/4 the later cans are shorter I believe. so the rod that run from the box to the valve will need to match.















you said you have the clamp that fits were the cables connect to the lever arm in the console could you please send me a picture of it at your leisure.I can't find mine, but I really don't know what i'm looking for.
the part no. of my new cables is 644-24-415 or new no. NLA-24-415 I compared the new with an old cable from my 58 A and the new cable is about 6 in. longer i'm not sure what that really means either my stock cable is short or the new is longer and trim to fit.
Jay D.

[badsix]

That was a mistake on my part Mark. Looking at yours and that barrel clamp that would attach to the flapper door on the heater muffler units it should have those tips on the end. Mine where obviously cut short at some point.

i'm in the same boat my double flapper boxes have been molested and the lever on one is gone the other has a lever for just a wire only.
Jay D.

[bbspdstr]

http://www.stoddard.com/media/catalog/category/356heating.jpg

The double-hole lever is often broken and/or bent. Yes, the wire ends are swaged onto the wire and often missing, sometimes replaced by a cotter pin the size of the missing normal end on the wire so the barrel nuts can make the adjustment for operation, the wire bent in and around the rounded end of the cotter pin....but correct new wires are available and not expensive...while the (6, 4 of one style and 2 of the other) barrel nuts are. The one shown in Mark's picture is a hardware store generic version that would have a lot of slop in the lever hole.
The pushing/pulling rods that open and close the two different early and late muffler/valves on the body tubes are a basic 1/8th inch part that can be sourced in many places. The two are a different length and have slight bends toward both ends for clearance and alignment with the two actions they coordinate. Nice stainless rods with correct bends are available from Ab Tiedemann at Afterwerks.

This system is notorious for being a PITA and often the corrugated paper connecting air tubes are deleted, the flapper boxes fixed as closed and the valves fixed as open and capped or have a ball of tinfoil added in the warm months.
With a Speedster, most of us who actually had a 356 as an everyday car just dressed warmly in the cold months and put a towel on the seats in the hot weather.
I suggest that you worry about the tubes in the tunnel and their short exits from the bulkhead now and get the rest of the car done. The rest of that assembly can be addressed just before the tunnel is covered by it's rubber mat and the engine and the snow tires are installed.

Iconoclastic Bruce

[Jack Staggs]

http://www.precisionmatters.biz/air-channel-adapter-levers.php

[merbesfield]

I have located what should be the correct part based on part numbers for the heater control. Thanks Sierra Madre Collection. Thx for the conversion part suggestion Jack. Floor boards are also on order so brackets can be placed. Door parts order set for delivery. I pulled out the doors and as expected Passenger side is only real issue. Just like the rocker it obviously suffered the most from the curb side.