New Member George

[admin]

Hello to all porsche friends on abcGT,

I'm a long time owner of a 1969 911S - 14 years to restore - and a 356B T6 that I'm currently working on. The 356 is a Euro version with an electric sunroof and a special color smyrna green. However, I've yet to see the car in original color. Hope that will happen some day soon.



At the moment, we are working around the left door using it as a jig to replace the outer longitudinal, rocker/sill and rear quarter panel leading edge.

To begin my abcGT experience, I'll ask the following question: Does the leading edge of the rear quarter panel originally have a "Z" profile that mates to the lock post (B-pillar)? The replacement panel simply has an "L" shape or flange (Fig 1).

Also, some might be interested in my attempt at rebuilding the sound/heater tube and tubing (Fig 2).

Kind regards,
George

[JOP]

Hello George,

Welcome to abcGT it is really a good site to seek and share information.
All due to our own abcGT Justin whom share alot to us all.

Have a peek in the link I enclosed....there you can see NOS green metal to the 356.
And the link is to my photo.

Cheerio
JOP/Per

http://www.abcgt.com/forum/4-356-Forum/23034-PORSCHE-356-NOS-Green-Metal-101.html?limit=6&start=6

[JTR70]

Hello George,

Thanks for joining us here and Welcome!! Looks like you're doing a really nice job on your restoration so far. Please think about beginning a build thread on your car in the projects section and keep us all updated on how its going.

Yes, originally the leading edge flange has the double bend while those replacement only have the single. IMHO its easier to work with what you have now as you have depth control on its mounting height to continue the line off the door evenly. If the second bend was there it could interfere with position depending on how deep the vendor decided to add it. It can still be secured to the lock post just fine the single flange and by the time its all releaded it won't matter anyway. Hope that made sense. Thanks again for being part of the forum!
Justin

Thank you too Per!!!!!!!

[JOP]

Oups George,
I did not answer your question but was saved by our own "BODY" man Justin who posted you a good photo and correct info
/JOP

[Jonesy_356]

Hi George, welcome to the site, would love to see your work on a thread. Lots to learn here, very kind people who share their knowledge.

ADJ

[bbspdstr]

This an example of Smyrna green, matched to this Cabriolet's best preserved areas of original paint. (Visual representations may vary with various computer screens.)

Welcome aboard!

-Bruce

[bbspdstr]

Ah, the question about 'Z' overlap on the quarterpanel-lockpost; my personal theory.

That area was made that way for the same reason so many rust-prone overlaps were used: it was easier to fit when the body was made. It also added strength (until it propagated rust).

It is prudent to realize that these cars were NOT supposed to still be around, especially in such numbers. Porsche may not have had the same idea about their model 356 cars as we see today.....that a vehicle should only last as long as the payments......and then you buy another new one.....but 50 years or more? Really?

You, we, are taking the challenge of keeping the Porsche 356 and 'newer' (older) models alive for very personal reasons. I guess that also explains 'car clubs' in general and dedicated sites such as this, which Justin created and for which he is to be thanked. Come on in, tell anyone you know to come on in...the scenery and camaraderie is the best there is in "our world."

[bbspdstr]

George,
Sorry...one more thing; one of my Porsches that makes me the most sad that it 'got away' (a long time ago) was a blue '69 911S (Coupe). It was the most 'fun' of my 6-cylinder Porsches. All of them were great, but that '69 brings back the most SPM (smiles per memory) when I think of it now. Crazy remembrances, like how it required an empty stretch of three highway lanes to 'safely' reach a speedo-indicated 150 MPH before aero devices came along! Top speed lasted only seconds before adrenaline turned to fear...but what a rush!!
Even though it's been over 4 decades, just typing this took me back! Wow. I closed my eyes for a second and in my head I could see and feel that first time I reached that speed in a vehicle.
Thanks for tickling that memory by mentioning your S.
Imagine....I sold it when it became somewhat 'rusty'....more so than the $1,200 Speedster I had at that time....

-Bruce

[neilbardsley]

Is it true that the 69 was the least heavy 'standard' 911? I think I heard that somewhere

[bbspdstr]

I would think so, but only by personal 'feel' between that '69 and my '72. That was fun as well, but my '66 wasn't and gotten rid of as soon as I could. (Yeah, balancing the 6 individual Solexes was fun, right? Or were those Zeniths? I've put that 911 right out of my memory as it was so problematic.

My '76 got heavier and my last, the '85 Carrera, was heavier yet (especially the A/C option) but also fast and durable, not as "high strung" as it's predecessors.

That '69S was light and nimble and made great noises. High revs and high speeds, but I was lucky....I got a few speeding tickets in my 356s but none in my 911s. Go figure.

-Bruce

[roy mawbey]

Pleased to see your post George. You are doing some nice work on your car and the colour is one of my favourites. Nice of Bruce to put some pics on that colour. ( sorry I tend to spell some words different to some of you guys.)

Will follow your progress. I had a BT6 for a few years way back and enjoyed it a lot.

Roy

[Bill Sampson]

Welcome George. John Willhoit of Willhoit Auto Restorations, a well known West Coast 356 restorer sells color cards and would doubtless be happy to sell you one for your use on your car.

http://www.willhoitautorestoration.com/paintsamples.php

[bbspdstr]

Good suggestion from Bill, but be careful. John and I have traded colo(u)rs (that's for Roy) and samples/formulas over the years that are now mostly extinct due to changes in chemistry and industry sales demands and government regulations.

In such a low volume of paint work and variable colo(u)rs, it seems that each time one is painted in a restoration facility, one must start over to create a viable formula.

John's samples are a good beginning, but get a 'second opinion' on your own colo(u)r. Colo(u)rs on 356s, even when new, changed from one to another by often very noticeable variances if seen side-by-side.

John's sample card of Stone gray, for instance, was very much more dark than the hidden areas of my own 356's dash, such as under the chrome switch bezels. His sample of Aquamarine blue was darker than the samples taken from 'safe' samples of original cars I used to satisfy a customer's 'color memory.' Other cards from John were right where I expected them to be.

The bottom line is that your own 356 should be what YOU like for the color, whatever that may be. Go to a show, an event, and see how many variations of one color there can be.....like Ruby red. Pick the version YOU like and go from there....asking and networking until a fairly large sample can be sprayed and taken into many kinds of light to see if it floats your boat.

The man who owns the white Cab pictured below wants it back to the color on the foreground, as that was the original of record. Luckily, he really likes what was formulated for that....but he is still sending me pictures of others he has found online. That's hampered by computer screen interpretations...and on it goes.

[roy mawbey]

Bruce is correct, the current suppliers of 356 paint offer a colour that is usually close but not a perfect match. Take Meissen blue. I have seen a number of paint swatches from various people. I have an original factory dash panel that people have asked me to check with their obtained sample. None of them so far has been exact. The Wilhoit sample was too light blue other's were too dark. Meissen has an element of green in it which is so important. A swatch compared to a small area can be seen to be different but when the car is resprayed as a whole entity the car by itself probably looks original Meissen blue. That's why Bruce's comments about making a choice from the available suppliers is important. You have to be sure it suits you and your eye.

I attach a photo of some swatches held up by my dash panel. Of course online photos of colours are not like the actual painted item in front of you, its not always an easy task to be sure its correct.

I guess like Bruce mentioned suppliers now work with different paints mine was cellulose, now not used.









These sample pieces were all sent to me by various people wanting to paint their cars Meissen blue. Can you see the differences some more green than others some too blue.

Roy