new guy

[surfer71]

Hi there, I see a new forum. I did post up about how did this come about and it looks like it got deleated. So starting well then LOL.

Just interested how it got started.

A newtral interest, owner of 5 Porsches one being a 356 Pre A Super.

Going to try very hard this years ( well 2013 ) to get back on with the project. Only had it in bits for over 12 years ops.

Better to have one in bits than to be looking to buy one is my ansewer to any one who asks why so long..

Still a member of 356 Reg although I note since the, I think silly move to close off the forum to non members has made it a poor'er place to be. I will still be a memember while I restore the car but then let it go. I did suggest a on line membership idea for say $10-15 bucks a year but it went down like a cast iron kite! LOL.. so interesting times ahead and I am seeing splinter 356 groups popping up all over the place..

[roy mawbey]

Sorry surfer, just put a reply on the welcome thread and should have read this one more carefully You have a 'pre-A' super. Thats very nice even if in pieces. I like the first series very much indeed.

The posting of photos work out very well here. I did have early problems first of all but it was all down to not having an upto date browser.

So would like to see some photos if you manage it.

Roy

[JTR70]

Hello Mark! (surfer71)
Welcome to this new forum!!
Your original post did not take for whatever reason. It wasn't deleted for sure. Sometimes the "captcha code" will toss out the message or photo attachments if you don't get it correct the first time out. BTW this code will be gone after your 5th post. This just gives us time to determine that this is not a SPAM account. All of which are a huge pain and a constant chore! I would equate it to pulling weeds from a garden.
To answer your question about why I created this forum; this was something I really wanted to do and it had been in the works since last January. Well before the policy change and all the drama on the registry. Even before that all started I always felt it was on the very conservative side bordering on stuffy at times. Especially on the subject of showing pretty women. My mission was and still is to offer and alternative Porsche dedicated website catering to all who love the shape even the Kitcar guys. I stated this on the registry a while back; I'm NOT looking to hurt or slight any other sites (356 registry, samba,pelican, etc) Im just offering "something else" (emphasizing on an open and casual atmosphere) 356 related to check out once you have seen all the latest on the other sites. Here's the link to that original registry statement. Mark Erbesfield was nice enough to post a thread about this site back in July. (Thanks again for that Mark E.!)http://porsche356registry.org/356talk/1/30654.html As for the cold reception on your idea of a 10-15 fee just to participate on the registry; in my view its strictly the principle and not the amount money. I personally would never feel its right to charge a fee or to ask for a donation. Thats rediculous; your participation alone is payment enough in my view. Thanks again for joining and particiating on this new forum Mark! I really hope you share your projects soon!
Best Regards,Justin

[surfer71]

THis is how the car was some er 5 years ago and I am ashamed to say how it is still.. but with abit of surface rust here and there I'm sure it's been under so many boxes and covers I can't see it now!


I started the floor repair it's not too bad it's been off the road for years!!!!!!!!! so it's a good shell

I did this before Charles on the 356 reg started to have a go at how I was going about the work, i understand there was two ways to do metal work his way or his way. He got so rude I just dropped out.. I now hear he has been banned from the club as a whole which I have to say was a smart move as he by the looks of it did one resto back in 1970 odd and it was full of lead work !

anyway this was the last posting as such of my work at the time this wing area



I will address this in Jan when I get some time. this is just one. I have 4 others 912's - 944 S2 cab. VW Camper and a Mercedes 280SE 1970 ( AKA the tank! )

Yep I'm real.. I used to have the web site classic356.co.uk I still do but I lost so much interest I dumped the content and just kept the name going. I have bought new web space so I will start this up again for next year. Yeah sorry to say again another forum ended up with some one who should have known better, having a pop at my hard work and well I was not happy as it's my free time I was putting in a hell of ALOT of time and effort in and well lets say it all came to boil and I left. Lets put it this way you suddenly know who are your friends when it's all out in the open..esp the work I did behind the scenes for our group. I'm sad to say I have not helped any once since either. Hence I have not been involved with forums since. I will be taking a back seat from how on because I don't really give a stuff about pollitical guff I'm more interested in when can I go kitesurfing, is the wind over 25knotts . 5 years of no classic Porsche input and I am not even missing it one heart beat. So I will do my best to keep it up on the odd forum where it's relaxed and more about restoration than show queens, like here and samba.

I have posted on samba about my views ( 356uk ) so not going to repeat them here. All a great shame really.

One thing I have had to help me kick start back into the classic Porsche world again is that I had my 356 and 912 signed by the one and only Ernst Piech of the Porsche family. I worked for him and the timing in meeting him couldn't have been better I was all about ready to sell up my Porsches though lack of total interest and well out the blue I met him and now I am more interested in getting back into it again.

here's what he did to my 912, he drew on it



some more







been more intersted back to my routes for the last 5 year, of Custom Water Cooled VW. With some Classic VW to mix. More relaxed group so I built this surf bus for my kitesurfing. So it's not a surf bus for show it's a surf bus for real.

[roy mawbey]

Mark, ( hope that is correct. )

Obviously I can see you have no trouble posting pics, and very nice ones too. Really hope you get back into the restoration, you have the right set up to do that. Sometimes a time off it all is good. I remember Charles on the registry, he wound me up as well.

Roy

[surfer71]

Hi Roy, it is Mark. I keep missing seeing your car at Goodwood events. One day, it will help push me along.

Yeah I didn't get where Charles was coming from bless him.. clearly there's more than one way to crack an egg. If Jim Kellogg said I was doing a good job on the floor then I was doing a good job on the floor. ( mainly cos I had read his books )

Lets put it this way I am still abit miffed by the turn coats. But I have learnt to not be bothered about them. More about my own cars and my own stuff.. and my own Porsche friends of which there are many. More than I thought as they came out the wood work. So their loss not mine. But I turned all that engery to other restoration and custom work and more important getting back out on the water. Which has been the best part. I just hope my two sons are as keen to kitesurf as I am. Certainly clears the head of a hards days work. I am certainly more chilled now than I was. As Chris Turner and Mark said once your the one with the cars.. There not. which is true who am I trying to impress. No one! I was just trying to help and motivate. Best stab in the back was the.. " Mark always thought of the 356 and 912 section as his own " well if you call trying to motivate others as taking over, then there definatly welcome to it.

Anyway that's the last I am going to talk about the past honest..... but I do have a nice knife collection now i have got them all out my back



my other air cooled hobbie and yes I am still out there and it's Dec and cold! dry suits

The 356.......... it's abit bogged down with er!!

crap and boxes and just about anything else in the way.. I will over Jan start to get in there and take a relook at where I was before all this. I have given up on the idea of 16" rims too expensive and I don't want to be driving along on some rusty painted 16" that will fall apart and put my car off the road I would rather wait till some one remakes new metal 16" rims and some one will one day I am sure. I could ask the guy who does banding wheels if he would make some I am sure he could.

Can I ask any one would it be really bad if I welded in my horn grills for the 53 look..

always liked that look.. clean lines.

[JTR70]

Hey Mark,

Between all those cars, work, surfing, and family you most certainly have your hands full! Roy has asked me "where do I find the time to do all that I do" but there better person to ask is you; where do you find the time? I understand about losing your motivation on your old Porsches. I went through it myself. I went pretty much through the 90's without touching my car again. 10 years certainly can go by fast can't it? I got the bug back my hanging around a guy here in town that restores them in '99. Just BS-en about them regularly got me back into it. My mortality has also been the big pusher; remember when you were in your 20's and you thought you'd never grow old? All the sudden I was turning 40 in 2010 and my car I had been toiling on was still not complete after 23 years!!! (on and off) I made my mind up to get it done no matter what. While I have since made alot of headway BOOM! here we are three more years have come and gone already and I am still not complete with it. Anyway my point is don't delay its later than you think you it is! Nice work on the floor repair BTW! Charles gave you grief huh? He was pisser wasn't he? A guy you really loved to hate but made for great drama; i mean people still talk about him. What was really rich was his critique of everyone elses work while his was marginal at best. (I went to his website) Oh well like all great theater you must have a villan. I hope you'll post that beautiful Burgandy 911 in the "long hood" forum would love to see some detailed shots of it. The Piech autograph is a nice touch. On your pre-A if you want the grills filled I'd say go for it. Leave the flanged opening alone so its easily reversable but just put in a simple shaped patch over the opening. Here's a "dark green" 51 my late buddy restored to inspire you... Justin

[surfer71]

my orginal green is lighter than that one. I have it on the back of the dash and the back of the glove box I will always keep the back unpainted as future ref for some one or me.

Looks a cracker so pleased so many are coming out the woodwork, sure the A is a better drive but the Pre A is the daddy

[surfer71]

Right once I git my tax return out the way irs. Then I can start to take a look at the car. I need to tidy space to get to it first. Byt I took a look at it last month ither than abit more rust its still there lol. Will take pics soon promise.

[JTR70]

There you are, Wondered what happend to you Mark. I was thinking the Porsche Mojo was running dangerously low again. Looking forward to some pics!
Justin

[surfer71]

Well yes it was abit but in reality its tax return and then car.

I have booked in my 65 at my mates for painting. So that gets me focused and the room. Then I can get to the 54, iam going to set up a shot blasting and parts painting area this will get small jobs done and feel like I am going in the right direction, Roy you ever passing Hamble kettles on.....I need 356 encouragement lol.

[roy mawbey]

Hi Mark,

Nice to see your posting. Pleased you are making a start again. It's a bit like me and my utility room, I know I can do it I did the kitchen but its just making the start

Your pre-A is just the right car to work on. Most people who really know 356 would love one. Its not a case of how fast it goes its more a case of fun when you drive it. You will enjoy just the feel of the car and the look of the dashboard with the dials all working. I wish so much I had kept our 52 car once gone....

Again preparation with everything ready to do it, is so important. When I did the welding on my car first of all in the mid 70's I did not like you have a spit. In fact I had never seen one then maybe they existed but they must have been rare.

When I built my garage on my first house, I dug an inspection pit quite deep and long and bricked it up. To do the 356 I then jacked the first side up at an angle of about 30 degree's and made sure it was safe. God, I remember so well the hours ( no days ) stripping the factory underseal off the first side. Then the work fabricating items and the gas welding. To be honest, the ability to heat and form some parts with the torch was really satisfying. That made gas welding fun, the distortion on body items using it was not fun though.

I have some slides I must at some time convert into normal photo's 'Classic Car' magazine did a nice article on my restoration back in the 80's and maybe I could scan that, it shows my car at the crazy angle. My attempts compared to those now days offer no comparision. Your set up as did Justins for example, look just right, you no doubt have mig, and you know already what will be acceptable as a standard to reach.

If you can keep to the standard you are are happy with that will be good. I know I could not reach that always with mine, I just lacked the experience but, I did do it all myself. Your other cars including your VW van look really so nice. The pre-a will be harder I think, but you know that already I reckon.

I doubt I can offer much on the experience side, but it would be nice to catch up with you to see what you are doing. Hamble isn't that far from me and as you say sometimes a chat about this and that on 356 matters can be really useful. In the Spring though when it gets a bit better weather wise, snow here today

Let me know when you have started and are ready Mark.

Cheers

Roy

[surfer71]

[JTR70]

Congratulations on getting her up and running after all this time Mark! I know what you mean; I have two other non-porsche related car projects I need to make an effort on. Its hard to get them finished in a timely manner when attention and resources are spread thin. Anyway Congrats again! Justin

[surfer71]

Hmmm oil leak on the head on the mbz, so thats taken up some time. But I have taken to the garage and I am with in 6ft of the 356. So much junk that grows in there. A whole trailer load of crap for the tip. Guys coming round to buy some vw stuff I dont need in the week. So that will free up some space. Booked the 65 912 in for paint so thats more space coming up. Im finding 356 in my clearing of boxes so thats good news.