DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Recently speaking to my brother about the time in the early 60's when he worked for AFN we ended up talking 356. He has owned like me, a number of these and purely bought because he liked what he saw when working there in the spare parts division.

I asked him what items seemed to fail after a short time and were being returned either for exchange or repair. His comments were interesting. The part that broke probably the first time it was removed was the thin approx 80mm diameter thin plastic escutcheon with thin flat plastic legs that fits into the hole in the door so you could reach I guess the nuts for the wing mirror? The plastic legs that you compressed to go through through the hole and hold the escutcheon in place broke with slight pressure on removal. ( I still have one of mine broken on one leg ) If you have original ones still in place after 50 years I guess the car is virtually untouched!!)

The next thing he mentioned was seeing always piles of brake drums in for reconditioning he thinks for skimming the steel inserts in the ally bodies. Never had mine done ( or not for 40 years ) so what were the drivers doing I wonder to induce ovality??

The other items always returned in number for repair were speedometers maybe the odometer stopping??? ( I did have to remesh mine once ) and on T2 cars the chrome horn grills. These items ( are they Mazak?) failed within a year on the chroming. Many complained they started to bubble after just looking at them. I must say I bought replacements in the early 70's from AFN and mine have no rust as the car does not get driven in the wet but they still have the bubbles. ( Anyone know the material they used ? and are they better now if bought from current suppliers?)

He is not that mechanically minded so I don't know what engine or gearbox parts had problems. I do know the alloy barrels on super engined cars were often exchanged for cast iron versions.

Roy

Have to say I agree on the plastic discs that go in the doors. Amazingly one of mine is still in tact!

Hendrik,

Your 59 coupe is an exception to the rule! But even with this car you only have one! I wonder how many good original plastic discs with their arms exist!

How is the 59 coming along?

Roy

Yes, I do have the other one but one of the arms has broken. I bet there aren't many left on any cars!
The '59 is driving beautifully (I had a little drive last night), had to change the fuel filter which was put inline as there is a lot of cr4p in the fuel tank. The body is still rusty around the edges, but solid enough.
I still intend on driving it as it is for a good few years before I restore it.

Good idea Hendrik, if it's restored to perfection you might well not drive it so often.

The 59 or probably all T2 cars had petrol tanks that seem to be much better protected from rust than later B cars. The "zink" or galvanised? coating was perfect under the black paint on my A and the interior has no rust. Although of course, the old petrol will contaminate and cause problems in the filters. I have never put an in-line filter on my car although so many have. The petcock on yours if its still original? might cause some problems from the cork gasket. It becomes as hard as wood and small fragments seem to come off the cork surface. Since changing the gaskets on my mine its been great.

Roy

Don't know if the petcock is original, probably is though.
I knew there was a load of cr4p in the fuel tank so the inline filter was there to protect the pump and carbs really. If you'd seen the filter you'ld understand! The amount of gunk in it had slowed the flow of fuel and had starved the right hand side of the engine as you face it.