Collected the car from docks

[Dave Lane]

Hi Guys, well seems like forever I have been waiting for this time to pick my 356B from Felixstowe. Having bought it on Pics only and some 51 years of history was pleasantly surprised when the customs worker drove it out the warehouse ,as I fully expected that 6 volt battery was going to be flat, so a good start seeing as it had not been started for 2months. Body and paint was as good as the pics showed and driving it the short distance to the transporter and up the ramps the underside was very solid. Interior was also very good but the wiring needs some attention in various places and starter is suspect , so will be coming off and checked out soon. Drove it upto the MOT garage where they took starter off and is presently with auto electrician . Its passed the Mot and now awaiting the return of the starter. Needs 4 new tyres where there starting to crack with age and the Sun. will hopefully collect it on Wednesday can then get on with the Regestration


Arriving home and in my garage at last


One thing I will say to anyone who is shipping a car from the states is to take out the insurance as I was pleased I had done so. I was told when we arrived to collect it that the 356 had been damaged it transit in the container. Lucky enough one of the guys who unloaded the container took loads of pics and e mailed them onto me which I have in turn sent them onto the Insurers in the US.
Pictures to follow on here shortly.

[Bootsy]

Hope the damage isn't too bad, looks lovely

[roy mawbey]

Dave,

Well worth the wait your car looks great. And for it to start after 2 months when the guy who got it going did not probably know the 356 procedure well I am amazed! I think you are going to enjoy that car.

Hope the damage was light but a good point about insurance and photos to prove taken before yolu actually drove it home.

Roy

[Dave Lane]

Dave,

Well worth the wait your car looks great. And for it to start after 2 months when the guy who got it going did not probably know the 356 procedure well I am amazed! I think you are going to enjoy that car.

Hope the damage was light but a good point about insurance and photos to prove taken before yolu actually drove it home.

Roy

Thank Bootsy and Roy. I think the guy who started the car was used to starting porsches and 356s as it was his job to get them
into and out of the Warehouse and there was several in there awaiting collection.

Mine was in a shared container and they try to get as many cars as they can into them.you will see in the Pics that they build
like wooden frames around the cars and when they have a low headroom car like the 356s the put one above.at an angle and in my case it was a very rusty old Merc .they had sheeted my car up ,so it wouldn't have oil and muck on the roof from the car above but because that car was rotten the exhaust fell down at one end and had been constantly rubbing on the middle of my roof and wearing the paint away. It looks worse in the pics than what it is but will be getting a estimate in the next day or two. Was lucky it just missed the windscreen,was just under the centre ,that will need blending in though. Look at the last pic and you can see the exhaust hanging down.on the car above.

[roy mawbey]

Dave,

Do you know if the yellow is a factory colour? Easier to get matched or nearly so, if its a known colour. I wonder how pleased the Merc owner was when he came to collect his car?

With care I am sure the roof will look just fine.

Roy

[neilbardsley]

Glad you have got it! I didn't take out insurance but lucky you did

[neilbardsley]

Glad you have got it! I didn't take out insurance but lucky you did

[Dave Lane]

Dave,

Do you know if the yellow is a factory colour? Easier to get matched or nearly so, if its a known colour. I wonder how pleased the Merc owner was when he came to collect his car?

With care I am sure the roof will look just fine.

Roy

Thanks Roy,yes it is the og color and is Champagne Yellow and code no 747 so shouldn't be a problem Roy.
I think the owner of the old merc bought it for scrap

[Dave Lane]

Glad you have got it! I didn't take out insurance but lucky you did

Hi Neil,yea someone told me I should get it as they have had several friends to have had damage. did you have a shared container or of your own container, I think when theres damage most of them are in a shared as its cheaper

[mycar]

Looks lovely Dave, must be an emotional rollercoaster bringing a car over like this, congratulations on making it work.

Regards, Mike.

[vwgillybilly]

Looks good Dave!

Keep us posted!

Gill.

[Mike Smith]

Dave Champagne fades badly so it will probably be a question of the painter having to match what you have, rather than using the Glasurit formula

Get the car Polished first and then worry about the roof - there may be other areas that you might also want to deal with

[TLC356]

I would insist on a full re-spray since it will be impossible to get a good match. I was once rear ended (while stopped) and the other insurance company refused to do a full re-spray and I was forced to live with a two tone 356 for more than ten years-but she's back to a beautiful one tone now. Tom

[Dave Lane]

Looks lovely Dave, must be an emotional rollercoaster bringing a car over like this, congratulations on making it work.Regards, Mike.

Thanks Mike Its not really that bad, but glad its home now

Looks good Dave!
Keep us posted!
Gill.

Will do thanks Gill

[Dave Lane]

Dave Champagne fades badly so it will probably be a question of the painter having to match what you have, rather than using the Glasurit formula

Get the car Polished first and then worry about the roof - there may be other areas that you might also want to deal with

Hi Mike ,yes I agree just before he starts I will do the polishing . and his going to do a few other bits in the with price, just waiting for the his quotation to come through anytime now and im e mailing it straight of to the US shippers. thanks Dave