Project 25

[rhd racer]

Somehow I have missed this build completely....

It is going to be the cat’s knackers. Excellent problem solving throughout, and I know it is hard to be separated from your car for a long period, so keep the faith, nearly there. It’s going to be epic....

[jwhillracer]

Looks a fabulous project, it's going to be a hoot to drive!
Will you be able to adjust or change the fan belt through the number plate mesh slot?

JW

[Ignatzcatz]

I might have to drop the engine to change it, actually I was thinking a straight cut gear drive would be good, make a lovely noise too!!

[Ignatzcatz]

Something of a slight delay since my last few words on the wee beasties' progress not due to any virus related occurrence or other similar nastiness I am pleased to say, actually I have been wielding a spade in my back garden shifting about 20m3 of earth to make way for a summerhouse and large recreation room. Plus rebuilding a very sad looking wall and starting on the foundations for an extension to the garage to make it a triple, well it's going to be an attached single alongside the existing double but it will be great to have all the toys under cover. So muddy boots off and back to the car which at last is out of the spray shop where it has been having the offside rear fender and area re-painted following the discovery of some rear end damage that had been quite expertly repaired by slavering about a quarter inch of pug over the offended area. Dug that mess all out, inserted a strip of metal into the fender and we are back to square one thankfully. Steve took the sawsall to the engine lid in order to give clearance for the rear fan of the 911 engine and he's not finished yet because there is a small section of the lid which still requires clearance for the rearmost rampipe of the offside Webers. Of course the lid will need painting but that will be small potatoes. One problem that has become apparent is the loss of a securing catch for the engine lid. When the little four pot was resident in the car I had brazed up brackets to take a section of bike brake cable which was operated by a hidden pull knob under the rear valance to a Ford catch on the body by the lid. I sorted out this arrangement because the tube which took the original wire from the door jam back to the rear body was very badly rusted and missing in places. One thought for a catch was to fit those leather straps similar to the ones' fitted to the bonnet but I wasn't happy with these things in fact I wish I had not fitted them to the front, I guess I was just following fashion at the time. So not wanting to disturb the line of the car especially the flowing rear end I thought the best way for securing the lid must be by some hidden arrangement and the current thinking is a pair of small rally style rubber pull over catches fitted inside the bodywork either that or some electro magnetic catch. I've gone a bit electro since test driving a Taycan, I'm not saying anything more.
There is not a great deal more to be done on the car, well not serious fabrication, it's just a case of chucking everything back in and making sure it all works. One thing I haven't mentioned is with regard to the 915 transmission which is an unknown factor although I did have assurance that it was in excellent order (famous last words) however to give it a good start I've got some Swepco trans oil for the box which came highly reccommended which I'm also running in my 911 with good results so hopefully it will give no problems.

[roy mawbey]

Neat modification to the rear lid !! Strange but I would not fancy those leather type straps on the front lid either. Although when my brother had his lid fly up on his 1951 356 many years ago and the kinks put in the lid and scuttle he was not a happy guy and often said he wished they had been in place! He sold that car now years ago but I have never forgotten that tip of looking. However about a month ago went local to get some petrol and it was on arrival there, on first catch! No problems but if I had done say 60mph and gone over a few bumps you never know!!
So good rule always check its shut!!
Roy

[Ignatzcatz]

Yes good advice Roy, the straps on my bonnet are not the sole method to secure it however. I didn't like the rather involved 356 bonnet catch so I welded on a much simpler affair which came from a Ford and I have no idea what model it came from as I bought it at a car jumble but it was small and neat with a double latch mechanism.
I also had a flying bonnet moment many years ago when I was navigating for a pal in a Sussex Car Club 12 car rally in his 1071 Cooper S. Thundering down a 'white' the bonnet came loose and instantly totally blocked all vision. It was so bent that it wouldn't close but he had one bungee cord which we laced from front wheel arch to the other to hole down the bonnet but at speed it kept opening and then closing which must have looked like some sort of freak machine opening and closing his jaws whilst making as speedy progress as possible down Sussex's country lanes. We didn't win that rally.

[Ignatzcatz]

I've been desperate to zoom down to Classic Fabs workshop in Devon but with the lockdown it is not possible right now. Steve called me to say when he was checking out the paintwork to be done he noticed some cracking of the old paint around the roof area and did I want him to rectify this. I knew the roof area was slightly damaged, the car hadn't been rolled, more than likely some twot had walked over the roof when it was sitting unloved and damaged prior to me getting my greasy mits on it. I had pushed the dents out best I could but with all the welding and movement of the shell I guess these dents maybe reappeared and had a detrimental effect to the paintwork. There was one thing I had deliberated on prior to getting the car painted and that was whether or not to have a couple of stripes put on the car. The problem I had was that I couldn't find any pictures or photos of 356's that had had this done, there were a few 911's with stripes and looking at these they didn't in the main look too good so, at the time I said no, just straight colour. However, now, I have seen a US modified 356 with stripes and it does look pretty cool, so, I said to Steve stripe it. It's going to be a dark blue, there is a Nissan colour I fancy will look just right. So that's the situation as of now. I'm slaving away in my back yard building my third garage plus other assorted garden stuff and hoping to get my wee beastie back in time for Christmas.

[roy mawbey]

Graham,

The stripe on the 356 could look really super. I remember Nick Faure and his historic racing 356 at Goodwood a number of times. Just looked up to find a photo.
If you go on Ebay and enter Porsche 356 Nick Faure car Historic Racing A4 Photograph Foto in the search area you will see one of his car. I have also seen one with a blue stripe but no info on it

Roy

[Ignatzcatz]

Ooo I'm always a bit afraid of visiting Ebay, I always find something that I really don't want but need or need but don't want and the finger goes down onto the BUY it NOW button. But I think I did see that car at Goodwood a few years back.
I'm going to throw up a pic of the car I don't think I have posted before but it shows the full polished Fuchs on the car 6's on the front and 7's on the rear. Now I have got a second set of Fuchs for my wide body 911 which are 7's and 9's and these I have had fully polished so I only run them on the car in the Summer months. The original 6's I had on the 356 I had just the outside of the rims polished then sprayed the rest of the wheel gloss black then lacquered the whole of the wheel. They looked quite tough on the car, the polished rims made the car look much less so. So, I have got another pair of 7's for the rear and I shall be polishing and painting them identical to the original 6's and hope they will give the toughness back to the car.
OK I realise some folks are thinking what the f... is he on about but wheels do make the difference to a car so I shall continue to play around until I'm happy, it might even end up on rally Minilites, anybody got a set?

[Hugo 356]

These look good on modified 356s, but they don't come in wide sizes. Can put you in touch with a mate who has sets for sale in 15 & 16 inches if interested...

[anglophone1]

Great looking outlaw Graham- just as I expected!
Love the Cibies..........

[Ignatzcatz]

Sorry Hugo, I don't know anybody who has any 16's for sale. The Vdub guys usually nick the 15's but Sportwagen Eckert in EU land are producing 6,7,8 and 9's in 16" and for what you may pay secondhand they are quite keenly priced. See page 69 of the current 911 and Porsche world for more info.

[914-6]

Hi Graham.
Totally agree with the fully polished wheels!!!

BTW I do have a set of miniltes, ali not mag, I think theyre 6" if interested.

Cheers

Ian

[Ignatzcatz]

I do think polished rims look better on 911's. Here's my SSE on its' Summer rolling stock. BTW I have a nice set of American racing 5 spokes - look good on your pickup!

[Ignatzcatz]

AR rims for the rear on my Cobra