Welcome to Abcgt Forum

[Don C]

Bruce,
I've got a COA on order (++$$) to check if all the #'s match and to see what the original interior color was. I believe the #'s will match and the exterior color is correct (6404). The interior will be OK for the time being but down the road I'll probably refresh it, the drivers seat is especially clapped out.
I'm already collecting parts to tackle some of the items you mentioned, all brake hoses, caliper rebuild kits, pads, etc.
I seem to remember looking at the steering coupler and it looked fairly new but I have no documentation on it. Will have to check that again, thanks!

[MMW]

Hi Don, welcome to the forum. I'm about 30 minutes south of you in the northern end of Long Valley. There are a few 356 owners by me. If you need any advice/help let me know & one of my buddies has stuff/parts if you need something. My seats were pretty shot too so I'm redoing them. You can see my thread here. http://www.abcgt.com/forum/14-356-Restoration-Projects/14591-My-59A-seats.html I'll pm you my contact info.

Edit -- I can't figure out how to pm someone? Shoot me an e-mail at mcwmetalworks@verizon.net & I'll send you all my contact info.

Also I have put together a loosely organized group of local p-car guys that we hit a bunch of shows/cruises together. See the events section of this forum as I posted lots of pics from stuff this year.

[JTR70]

Nice looking driver and a good color combo as well Don. Great to hear that Mic is up near your area. Always nice to connect with newly discovered local 356er's! Man, I can't believe all the snow you guys are getting back east! Justin

[bbspdstr]

"I seem to remember looking at the steering coupler and it looked fairly new but I have no documentation on it. Will have to check that again, thanks!" 'Out of sight, out of mind.' Quick story while I warm up from shoveling and salting;
More years ago than I want to think about, my web guy took his C Coupe to his wedding and drove away from the church with his new wife, tin cans rattling behind and the "just married" typical decoration. We all waved and wished them luck. I later got a call; "Hey, does it mean anything if when I incidentally pull back on the steering wheel as I did going over a rise in a country road, that the steering gets 'loose'?"
Yikes! They could have had a nasty crash if the two pieces of steering coupler had failed to reconnect, as his ground for the horn had also torn.
From then on, I have added a second ground strap as a safety tether, even if it's a piece of #10 wire with crimped and soldered ring ends. Like adding the dual circuit brakes, redundancy is a good thing, trumping originality in a 356 that's actually driven.

As for snow, my own A Coupe is hiding under a car cover in a big mound of snow, now including a layer of ice. More snow tonight, maybe 3". The PHL area is now at it's 3rd highest amount of snow of record and any more may bump us up to #2. Last year, only one snowfall worth the effort to clear and that wasn't much. This year, one after another with lower temps has been a PITA.

We easterners should all go west and visit Justin!

-Bruce

[roy mawbey]

I replaced my steering coupler a couple of years ago. Its the original one a sort of fabric mix. I kept it because after 50 years I tried my best to see if I could damage it. Well that thing is well made it looks sad but I couldn't split it and was actually I think still servicable. But Bruce you are correct if that thing fails you are in real trouble. Feel extra movement stop!!

By the way you have snow, we have floods, and high winds upto 100mph. Tonight, its forecast to run at 80mph where we are around 200 yards from the beach. Like your records this winter has for us the highest rainfall ever recorded. Its going to cost probably billions to put right and build protection. The Dutch did that of course as most of them are under sea level.

Roy

[Don C]

This is the result of last nights storm. We got about 12"-14" on the flats and the drifts are over my snow blower!
Know what's under that pile?

[bbspdstr]

Roy, we over here in the colonies had heard of the floods but not the winds. Hope you are OK through 80mph gusts!
My wife's source has been 'downsized' recently, as Shire Pharma scaled down the old Basingstoke HQ and moved it's HQ from near me to Lexington, Massachusetts, over here. (New CEO and what they do nowadays) Auriel has now 'retired' and their daily chatter that went with their business dealings has come to a halt. (Obviously now I must watch BBC News more often!)

As for the steering coupler's quality on all models, that would make a good thread if ALL replacement/repro parts were to be discussed. I see many parts just not quite good enough, some Chinese made parts not QC'd by US vendors, and that info shared could be either safety or cosmetic oriented.

I'd hate to make more work for Justin if such went from here in the Howdy-do section and had to be moved to another, but that's all up to him. I'd like to/hate to suggest placing ads here like Everett does so added work would be worth doing, but maybe it'll come to that and that'd be fine by me.

[JTR70]

Nice Shot Don. Even under few feet of snow that graceful 356 shape still comes through.

That's true Bruce the weather here could not be more opposite; we are experiencing serious drought conditions with lake Meade falling dangerously low. Then there is the anemic snow pack up in the Sierra Nevada's which is putting pressure on California. We'd gladly take some of that snow which is burring you guys at the moment. The rain that's washing Roy away in the UK would also be welcomed. That's nature huh, feast or famine. The steering coupler thread is a great idea. I'll get some photos and start it. Like you said, "out of sight, out of mind" but I can't think of scarier scenario than that coupler failing at highways speeds. Thanks again! Justin

[tperazzo]

Hi Don, glad you joined here.... You're in good company on Justin's site.


Your car looks fun the way it is and nicer than my car. Your decision to drive it first is a good one I think. Once you start taking it apart its a slippery slope that gobbles time away from the road .

Nice find, enjoy it! Was yours made by Karmann?

[Don C]

Tom,
Yes Karmann, chassis # 220994. Built late '64 sold as a '65.

[jstenner]

We easterners should all go west and visit Justin!

-Bruce

Short sleeves, working on my bus all weekend here in Florida. Come on down

[roy mawbey]

Jack,

SUN You are lucky. Yesterday the wind stopped the sky was blue and no rain all day. We could hardly believe it. I rolled the 356 out of the garage smiling, started her up and put on the velve radio. First tune to come out was ' Buddy Holly ' I went round our roads so happy! Truely, never in all my life have I experienced weather like we have had really since before Christmas.

I was so relaxed on my return, I took the plunge and stripped down the windscreen washer system on my BMW. The jets would not produce more than a dribble but the pump worked and the jets were not blocked. Under the pump I eventually found a mesh filter. ( not mentioned in my workshop manual.) It was gunged up, after bleeding the circuit its now perfect. Finished off the day removing 6 weeks of salt from the windows of my house. We are only a short distance from the sea.

A good day indeed!!!

Roy ( Nice bus by the way )

[bbspdstr]

Roy, what a change! Glad to hear. Salt on the house? Bad enough on a 356!

And Jack Stenner wrote: "Short sleeves, working on my bus all weekend here in Florida. Come on down."

So here I am, a 'selfie' of me working in a t-shirt I got from another guy named Jack, also where it's usually warm and sunny.

Now, it's just another 'layer' for working in a 55* shop.
Come to think of it, my brother-in-law Jack offered us a piece of his property near Tampa, where 'chilly' is 60*.....hummmm.

[jstenner]

Come to think of it, my brother-in-law Jack offered us a piece of his property near Tampa, where 'chilly' is 60*.....hummmm.

It's meant to be, then. The JACKS are telling you something

[JTR70]

Nice shirt Bruce! I think you need to get Bill to send you out one of his "pink Inimical's". You'll be so easy to spot at any event no matter how many attend!