Rebuilding a 1958 356A

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:03 pm

Meanwhile attention turned to the front clip

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:04 pm

despite best hopes of saving it in the end a new one was going to be more economical and easier to replace as the front was well and truly battered

big thanks to Julian at KK here for helping to source a genuine Porsche one and negotiate a very competitive price

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:05 pm

Whilst the clip was off it opened up the front battery box area, headlight bowls, support braces and wheel arches for closer inspection

Well they all needed replacing as well

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:06 pm

Finally most of the rot was chased back and some more good new metal could go in the car again

First the floors

Then the centre tunnel back in after coating the underside in POR15 and the central section of floor

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:07 pm

And both heater tubes rebuilt with supports in and completely blathered in POR15 – (these areas seem to suffer with condensation build up – considering how little metal survived in there then anything that stops the tin worm is going in)

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:07 pm

The dodgy right door lower hinge repaired and new metal let in at the bottom closing panel

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:08 pm

then the longitudinals went on, having being blathered in POR15 and anti-rust, then the jacking points

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:09 pm

Outer rockers and lockposts

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:09 pm

Rear wheelarches

and new panels at bottom of wheelarchs next to lockposts

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:10 pm

Front wheelarch bottom sections

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:10 pm

Battery box front wall and floor, again covered in POR15 before the front clip goes on

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:11 pm

Petrol tank floor

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:11 pm

Front clip

Headlight bowls, strangely the same part as for the early 911, with a few slight alterations to make them into 356 spec

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:12 pm

Repair to front wing

58A - 71E · Post by **58A - 71E** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:13 pm

Rear closing panels at end of longitudinals (taken off rear jig mounts and lifted up to allow panel to be put in and bottom bolts to finally go in)