DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Just picked up my first air-cooled porsche - this newly imported USA rustbucket:

https://classic.angliacarauctions.co.uk ... 48008f6ab6

You can literally see the road through the floor! So hopefully you can expect to see me around asking for advice.

Any advice on where to start with restoration? Also:

- Those hideous Recaro fabric seats are of the period - is there any chance they're original equipment?
- Aside from the obvious - kidney bowls, floos, sills, inner wings etc., where are the first places to expect rust that needs remediating?
- What issues should be checked / or should expect problems, on a car that's presumably been stood for a period of time?
- It's Signal Orange apparently (the second best colour after Bahama Yellow.) Is there much variation in this colour - does one need to carefully match the original, or can one simply specify Porsche Signal Orange and expect a paint shop to get it right?
- That aftermarket Whale Tail - is it likely the original engine cover is under there with the wing glued on top?

Thanks in advance. Rob

Welcome to DDK Rob

Probably worth getting a large glass of something and sitting down and reading some of the restoration threads

There's some great detailed ones which show where (most places) these early cars can rust.

Welcome Rob. That's quite a project you have there but no better way to make sure it is done right!

You might be better off asking specific questions in a restoration thread and people will be able to help out. At first glance:

- Seats aren't original
- Expect rust everywhere and you won't be disappointed. Hard to tell until the shell has been stripped.
- If the car has been stood, assume nothing will work (sorry for the glum outlook)
- There is a paint code for Signal Orange (great colour!) but the results can vary. Best thing would be to try and find an original sample (from your car or elsewhere) and check it matches. That's a long way down the road though!
- Unlikley to be the orginal engine cover under the tail.

Are you planning to do the resto yourself or get some help? As Bootsy has said, read a couple of resto threads and take a deep breath. Then start one of your own. Good luck.

yoda wrote:Welcome Rob. That's quite a project you have there but no better way to make sure it is done right!

Are you planning to do the resto yourself or get some help? As Bootsy has said, read a couple of resto threads and take a deep breath. Then start one of your own. Good luck.

Thanks. I'm getting Steve Cato in King's Lynn to do an assessment and some initial structural work. Once it's roadworthy and driveable, I haven't decided how precisely I'll progress the rest of the work. I have some limited skills and experience, but lack the time these days. But I'm 150 miles from Steve and it would be nice to have the car nearby so I can be on hand to tinker in a personal capacity.

Welcome to DDK,

I think all of us that have gone balls deep into a shell restoration look at those pictures with a slight dread!

If you just want to get it through an MoT you can patch it, but those patches then make the subsequent restoration even harder. Also you’d have to patch so much to get it an MoT that you may as well spend a bit more now and do it properly.

Those rust holes you can see are always the tip of a very chunky iceberg.

Best of luck, do post up your progress

Hi Rob,
glad you decided to join DDK - plenty of invaluable knowledge here and a large bunch of helpful members.

As for your car enjoy the journey and who doesn't like a bit of Signal Orange.

If you state where you are based I'm sure you will find some local DDK'ers willing to lend some advice/help.

Best of luck
Andrew

Welcome to Ddk glad you made it across from 911uk

The knowledge and advice on this forum is second to none - good luck with with project.


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Gary71 wrote:Welcome to DDK,

I think all of us that have gone balls deep into a shell restoration look at those pictures with a slight dread!

If you just want to get it through an MoT you can patch it, but those patches then make the subsequent restoration even harder. Also you’d have to patch so much to get it an MoT that you may as well spend a bit more now and do it properly.

Those rust holes you can see are always the tip of a very chunky iceberg.

Best of luck, do post up your progress

I have some experience of bodywork so not afraid of taking it right back and getting it right. I'll probably do structural work first and enjoy it a while, then do the cosmetic stuff after. I might even clear-coat the rust etc. in the meantime!

AndrewSlater wrote:Hi Rob,
glad you decided to join DDK - plenty of invaluable knowledge here and a large bunch of helpful members.

As for your car enjoy the journey and who doesn't like a bit of Signal Orange.

If you state where you are based I'm sure you will find some local DDK'ers willing to lend some advice/help.

Best of luck
Andrew

I'm in Lichfield, just north of Birmingham.

Bootsy wrote:Welcome to DDK Rob

Probably worth getting a large glass of something and sitting down and reading some of the restoration threads

There's some great detailed ones which show where (most places) these early cars can rust.

Where can I find those - are they just in here: https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=2 ? i.e. search through the long list?

Under the “technical” section is “restoration threads”.

For a perk up, read one of Dusty’s (a professional and they are typically short & sweet as he knows what he’s doing!)

Gary’s thread is a good DIY story (not finished).

Manhattan Project - plenty to read.

Anything that features welding by “Barry” is a good place to see examples of good work.

Hello Rob - as above - plus definitely treat your self to something nice in a glass.

On the upside you've kind of got an idea of what you're getting into in advance. A very long time ago - when such things were possible I bought and imported a 912 on a bit of whim - which I'd seen one picture of and had been described as some fibre glass in the floor.. when it arrived the "some" turned out to be a euphemism for "all" - there was pretty much no reason why the seats hadn't fallen through.

Signal orange is a helluva colour

Any advice on where to start with restoration?:

Since you ask... one word of advice, from someone who has been there...
From the pics, this is not a local repairs / patching candidate. It needs stripping back to a blasted shell.
Floors and sills will be coming out both sides, so it _must_ go on a (Celette) jig for the metalwork.
Get the shell right. Anything that bolts on can be improved over time, but the shell is a one-off effort. Spend the money once with someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

Good luck. DDK is a great place to learn, I find.

^ This.

Happy to come over to Lichfield and look over it with you and offer some thoughts if you decide to keep it as it is for now.

Kings Lynn is a bit far!