DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

My car is a 356b rhd built in germany dec/jan 1959/60 can anyone advise me as to whether it should have the PORSCHE script on the front.

thanks in advance Mick

Well mine is RHD 1960 and does not have the script but my friends is LHD 61 and his does. Cant say if both are right as cars have checkered history. What we had found was some early cars had it but later cars did not.

My friends 61 does not have it any more as his is a later t-5 B so probably should not have had it on the car. Also do you really want holes in the front of the car for water to get in to? I would say not.

Restorer's guide to authenticity, by B Johnson, says

"The (front) script changed with the introduction of the 356B in late 59, it was similar in appearance but was about an inch longer. Like earlier scripts it mounted with five studs, Early 356Bs had them on front and back, but most on back only. Which cars did and which did not is a troublesome question. If overall impressions mean anything it appears that all early 1960 cars had front scripts....no cars after 1960 had them"

So it might have had, it might not have!

maybe they were a customers option ?

Mine is a B T5, made in 1960, shipped to the US and sold in '61.
When I stripped it down, I did not see any holes that would suggest a front script, although I have a feeling my car could have had a new front at some stage ( or a new front wing, not sure)
There was a post earlier this year about drilling holes for a rear script- it might be a real pain to get access to the back of the panel at the front end to drill out the original holes, if you can see them from underneath with a torch etc ?

Rustbucket wrote:Mine is a B T5, made in 1960, shipped to the US and sold in '61.
When I stripped it down, I did not see any holes that would suggest a front script, although I have a feeling my car could have had a new front at some stage ( or a new front wing, not sure)
There was a post earlier this year about drilling holes for a rear script- it might be a real pain to get access to the back of the panel at the front end to drill out the original holes, if you can see them from underneath with a torch etc ?

Interestingly that's exactly what I've been doing today. I think the post about the rear script was me too, and I've only just got round to tackling the front. I've jacked the front of the car up a bit then used a torch to see where the bog has "wormed" through the old holes. I then used a home made right angled pick to dig out the bog until I can just see it raising the paint on the outside. I think know pretty much where to drill.

It all worked perfectly for the back, however the front is a different story. The middle three holes all line up with the pins on the script (more or less), but the right hand hole seems like it is about 5 mm to wide to match up with the pin on the script. I haven't opened up the left hand end hole yet.

I'm not sure why there's difference on the front...

It could be the badge type then.
I bought a badge - a genuine Porsche script- for my rear ( Matron!) and took a template off the rear clip I got from KK to help with my work.
The template I took of the rear clip did not match the holes on my replacement badge!
I think you should be ok, but I would check that you don't drill any holes that aren't covered by a letter. The front script is different to the rear, although I guess you would know this anyway....

Rustbucket wrote:It could be the badge type then.
I bought a badge - a genuine Porsche script- for my rear ( Matron!) and took a template off the rear clip I got from KK to help with my work.
The template I took of the rear clip did not match the holes on my replacement badge!
I think you should be ok, but I would check that you don't drill any holes that aren't covered by a letter. The front script is different to the rear, although I guess you would know this anyway....

I didn't know the front and rear were different - I actually just asked that question over on the 356 registry and have been told they're not! How do they differ?

I purchased the scripts from Roger Bray about six months ago.

Mick,
According to the parts book the B only had one (rear) script and it had a different part no. to the A (which had two) so it must have been different in some way.

John

All,

The general principle is that T5B cars had front Porsche scripts, which were deleted for the T6B models.

That being said, it could be optionally deleted upon order at the dealer/factory. Unless you have known the car from new or have documented provenance, the script holes could have been filled in by POs or restorers.

As far as i know front (where fitted) and rear scripts are always the same.

"A" 5 Studs, 215mm
"T5 B" 5 Studs, 254mm
"T6 B & C" 2 Studs, 200mm