More restoration

[john fletcher]

Well James's incredible journey along the road to 58A preservation has prompted me to add some more pics. of my efforts which are nowhere near as dramatic but here they are:-http://s358.photobucket.com/albums/oo28 ... 0progress/

John

[58A - 71E]

Good stuff John

Bab luck with the transaxle, I knew the ring and pinion were knacked but selector shaft and axle tubes as well How were the bearings and synchros? Good to see the "gauge" paying dividends again

Interesting to see we have been doing similar jobs at the same time - I too have recently rebuilt the starter and given it a freshen up.

I'm sure Roy will be interested to see the choice of colour

You must be feeling close to finishing now, have you a date in mind?

[Binjammin]

Great idea with the dinitrol then expanding foam injection into the cavities, that should stop condensation which is the cavity killer, and like you say add noise reduction and heat insulation, top tip.

It's looking nice with the colour on now too, just a shame you had to go through all the drive train issues, still you know you can trust it now it's all been gone through.

Keep up the great work

[Dakota]

Hi
its interesting to see different approaches to rust prevention, I'm not so sure about filling the car's cavities with fill foam, in the early seventies VW experimented with filling bits of their cars with foam, not sure why, on beetles this resulted in a seam of rot from the bottom of the rear quarter air vent to the rear inner wing body mount ,on bugs this was an area previously unaffected by rot(in general) on MK1 golfs the windscreen pillars would rot badly, repairs were complicated by the flammable stinky nature of pu foam, I guess once water got between the inside of the panels and the foam it could not get out or evaporate so it sat there rusting the steel, also once water is in there it can travel over a wider area by virtue of cappilary attraction the same capillary attraction that causes water to travel up seams etc, so potentially water could end up be given a helping hand to travel higher up the cars structure, I would also be concerned about fumes given off by the foam inside the sill sections as the heater tubes can get rather warm, and if there are any issues with the foam how do you get it out ? I would paint inside the box sections during the repair process and wax treat once the car once its finished , and provide adequate drain holes so any water that does get in , and it will, can get out.

[roy mawbey]

You have done so well on your restoration John, it's been a pleasure passing on any info I have to help you. And of course the colour choice is perfect.

Looking forward to the road test report and final pics. Will that be this summer?

Roy

[louis356]

Looking good.

There was a car on the 356 registry that was injected with foam in the '70s I think and it was the story of the guy who restored it afterwards. So leave it for the next guy!!

Keep us posted

[KS]

I've just had the rear arches and quarters done on my VW T25 camper – the PO had used expanding foam like this to fill certain cavities and guess what? They were the parts that rusted most. The foam, far from excluding water, actually absorbs it, acting like a huge sponge. I have to say I would never, ever use it on a car – but I hope in this instance, I'm proved wrong.

[911hillclimber]

Personally; I think foam filling a road car cavity is asking for long term issues with rust etc, and you cant get it out after, but it will escape when the welding torch gets to it....

My race car Lola has foam filled cavities to increase strength. Water/corrosion is not an issue in this case.

Graham.

[Binjammin]

Well that is interesting, possibly why it's not a common practice, i wonder if there is a way of letting the foam soak up some sort of water resistant liquid or rust preventative? That would surely help.

[john fletcher]

Well this is obviously an emotive issue!
Yes I had read the various reports about foam in 70's VW but I discounted that because in that era they had lost the plot and made lousy vehicles.
The modern foam is closed cell and should not absorb moisture otherwise it would be no good in the building industry where it is used extensively - having soggy foam holding widows and doors in place would not be much use.
I think the important point is to ensure absolutely every internal nook and cranny is coated with oil/rust preventative on any restoration and in particular the welded seams which are where nearly all corrosion starts.
In fact on my car I have specifically avoided replicating the triple thickness seam where floor, inner sill and longitudinal come together.
The longitudinal enclosures offer a perfect environment for rusting because the air is heated then cooled regularly and they can not be air tight so moisture continually condenses on the inner surfaces. This area must be one of the most abysmal bits of car design on record.
Obviously painting as much of the inner surfaces is important on a rebuild but you still end up with raw steel at all the welds and so you have to rely on oil or rust preventative fluid. The big advatage of foam is that all the oxygen is displaced and if it's done as I have there is a squidgy oily mess in between the foam and the structure.
I'm a great believer in the fact that if you don't do something differently then the rot will start again. Some cars, like Roys and Hendriks have survived remarkably well in our climate but the majority have rusted almost to the point of no return.

[roy mawbey]

Interesting thread this one. The only reason I have original battery box, floors and a large percentage of the original longitudinals is because the car was very well looked after up until then late 60's when I bought it. Then in the early 70's I saw the beginning of what can happen driving it as a daily car so I bought a 356C for under £300 and watched that one rust instead. My car actually since 1971 has only seen about 2 or 3 really wet journeys and I sort of feel guilty about saying that!

However, my first garage a "Marley" I erected myself and for 10 years the condensation did not help. For the past 30 odd years my garages have been integral to the house and its really rare to see condensation on my car now. ( although I am getting "garage rash" on some panels I last sprayed over 20 years ago so nothing stays the same even with care.)

Like John, when I welded mine, I paid attention to really covering well everything I could with the best rust preventative I could obtain. I am not sure if everyone is the same but if they have spent possibly years finishing a project will you not look at the weather first before driving it? With its antiquated demisting and small wipers they are not the best to drive in the wet. If John is like me, his "A" won't see the daily driver situation and filling the longitudinals with foam if its closed cell will make for a quieter drive and will last I reckon for many many years if not subjected to weather like we have had for the past month.

It would be really interesting for me to know if John, Hendrik or Paul Vernon who recently finished a fabulous restoration and of course James ( sorry Tracy with another super looking car ) will be a little careful in the weather they choose to drive in with their 356's?

Roy