1961 356 T5b - 'rstytub'

[964RS]

Thanks for update and glad to see you are using it!

[Mr Pharmacist]

Great car - i loved this when i saw it up for sale.

I recently fitted a primer bulb to my 912 as i had similar issues to what you describe. however on my first run out the primer bulb collapsed - almost as if it couldn't handle what was being pulled through it and so the sides of it got sucked together slowly and i conked out. I have heard of other people fitting them, thats what gave me the idea, but no idea why it didnt work for me.

I've gone back to pumping the pedal a few times before starting now...

[marc500]

[img][img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5513389488_1cd9af7a84.jpg[/img]
DSC01888 by RDenton, on Flickr[/img]

My 356 at last Goodwood breakfast club....

(There is now a baby seat in the front!)

[marc500]

I loved my rough and ready looking T5 but it just wasn't doing it justice - my rattle can painted doors and 'rust features' were less patina and just a bit pants. So... after debating strategy with my mate Si, who's done most of the fixing up so far and who was suitably encouraging, I waded in to a proper respray and rust clean out. My strategy with this car has always been to fix it up in stages and I hope this is the last of the big tasks...

This 356 had been fixed up over in the US a fair few times and that seemed to have involved smothering everything in bondo. So first job was chipping off tons of the stuff:



I just can't get my head around why you'd purposely fix in new pieces of metal that allow for 1inch of filler:



We're tackling this side first; there's been quite a bit of metal magic worked on the front and rear wings:





Then into the start of primer coats to help see the right shape:





So far, I'm dead pleased with how its looking. There's not 'too' much more work on this side now, and then its same again on the other, and then a little bit of tidying up through the middle, and then underneath the arches. The underneath was all done a few years back. Mike at PRS is recurving my distributor at the moment and I'm going to take the opportunity to rebuild the leaky steering box too. It'll be finished in the Silver Metallic 6006 as it left the factory. That's it for now!

[hot66]

That is a lot of filler ! Looking good in primer

[misteralz]

Love it. Anymore pics of the mk3 Farnham Abbot Zody? :D

[marc500]

...its rare, apparently... not really my thing but it's sharing workshop space with my T5 at the moment so it may figure in future snaps....

[misteralz]

They certainly are. I'd love one as a 'sensible family car'.
I also think your T5 would look amazing on BRMs, so maybe you should just ignore me...

[marc500]

I've had the very same thought about BRMs - my current wheels are cheap chrome plated wide fives and I'm not sure whether to play safe and source some original steels or go for something like BRMs...

[misteralz]

I can wholeheartedly recommend the SSP ones - I've got them on my splittie and they're ace.

[roy mawbey]

Looks like some nice improvements on the body. Well done!

Roy

[marc500]

...this bodywork business takes a looooooong time.... it's incredibly fiddly to get the right shape (which was turned out quite different to how it started off!). Bits of paint has gone on, been flattened, come off, gone on, and on, and on.... the bonnet has ended up needing to be completely bare metaled in the end and so this is where we are now.... shouldn't be much longer now but hey all good things and all that.... there's definitely a good result somewhere there lurking under all that dust!

[roy mawbey]

Marc,

These jobs always take longer than you ever imagined especially with a 356. You will be so pleased you addressed the issues on the body later on when you are driving it. I think once you get it painted it will progress quickly. I know with mine I could have taken even more time in places than I did, but make a too good job of it and you might not drive it that often as if its perfect, other cars or big lorries spitting back stones from their tyres etc, will stop the enjoyment of driving.

I have sprayed the outer body on mine twice, the first time 36 years ago I got the paint supplier to match it to the still original dash panel. After I sprayed it I was sure my eyes were better than his. I also used a home made compressor unit not the best idea..

So the second time over 20 years ago now I hired the correct compressor and receiver and gun. I also got a perfect match to my dash panel using the code number on the lock post.

I was lucky there, since then I have seen so many different paint swatches from different suppliers for my Meissen Blue colour. However over 20 years and its not perfect now but its a driver not a show car.

Keep up the good work

Roy

[marc500]

still in primer....but making progress....paint on next week is the plan....

lots of work on door gaps:




back end - lots of fiddling:


other side:


TaDa!

[1968911s]

Beautiful car, you must be getting excited to get the paint on!