Rebuilding a 1958 356A

[roy mawbey]

There's one thing about it James you won't suffer the brown dandruff I sometimes get when going over bumps in your car. That from the headliner and small areas of the same colour 51 year old stuff that falls out of the back of my front seat uprights makes you wonder if originality is really the way to go.

Still a quick shower and shampoo after a run and I'm ready to go. Writing this it has just sort of clicked its probably why, my lovely wife has not sat in the 356 since 1971!

Very nice job on the headliner, actually you both make it look fun and easy. Really were there no swear words?

Roy

[58A - 71E]

Very nice job on the headliner, actually you both make it look fun and easy. Really were there no swear words?

Roy

Roy, I have to admit that I could quite easily of been accused of suffering from Tourette's - but I guess thats part of the "fun" of car restoration

The main thing was having the bottle to have a go - headliners are scary jobs, not unlike your first engine or gearbox rebuild, but with enough research and patience good DIY results can be achieved

[hot66]

popped around to give James a kick up the backside as I'd decided he's been slacking ..... turned out things are coming along well Going to be a superb car







still a pile of bits to restore though

[Gary71]

Loving the lead lamp

[911hillclimber]

Thought just the same!
Talk about blinding!

Looks like there is a good spring/early summer's worth of work yet?

[58A - 71E]

Its an improvement on the 500W inspection lamp that I had been using - only borrowed that one when the bulb blew! suntan sessions to be resumed again this week

Need to post up some more photos of the car but as anyone who has done a resto will know, even though it doesnt look like a huge amount has been done I have put a lot of hours in it recently and the amount of prep/cleaning that Mrs 58A & son and heir have done have nearly been the same



and here's where once a dining room was in the house



Anyway, since my last update:

Cables in tunnel are all in
All electrical equipment and battery now in and tested (finished off today)
Steering all in (except rod ends)
Pedal box and master cylinder in
Fuel tank in and petcock rebuilt
Rear torsion bars in
All chrome work done, most just waiting to go on
Huge pile of stuff gone to powder coaters
Seats at trimmers having guts rebuilt, due back in a couple of weeks
Huge pile of new parts arrived

One of the huge frustrations is how long some seemingly straight forward jobs have taken e.g. putting cables into tunnel - I had the car shot blasted and all the pipes in the tunnel were well and truly solid with media and old grease - trying to get that lot out took about 6 hours before hitting upon the best solution - a metre length of 4mm studding steel, ground to a tip, and chucked into the drill - finally got all the crap out There have been other stupid jobs that end up taking a day - but I reckon another 3 weeks will have the car looking different again

[roy mawbey]

James,

I really look forward to seeing all the stages you have as a pair accomplished. Really fantastic your combined effort. I think my wife would faint seeing all the parts layed out on the kitchen table

I remember years and years ago when still with my parents I put some Norton motorcycle crankcases in my mums oven to get hot enough to insert the main bearings. I should have cleaned off the old oil before doing that. You cannot believe the smell it made and the look on my mums face when she returned from her shopping trip.

The only thing my wife uses a file for is her nails

Roy

[Barry]

I'd got a bit out of date with how far you'd got.

It's looking fabulous .

I agree with the way some 'easy' jobs just completely sideswipe the schedule, on the other hand there's always a few that get put off because you just know they are going to be a nightmare, and then when you finally have absolutely no choice but to do them: Bingo, done and dusted having not been an issue at all after all.

Top work .

[timmyp]

[quote="58A - 71E"]First off I started to put the sound deadening kits in, I used Wurth product that was recommended by them - seems to be good stuff although the proof of the pudding is yet to come

Hi James,
Can you tell me what sound deadening kit you used?

Thanks,
Tim

[58A - 71E]

Hi
Sound deadening is from here (I think its the same as ones that Roger Bray sells)
http://www.stoddard.com/shop/shopdispla ... +Deadening

http://www.rogerbrayrestoration.com/int3.html

I bought them 3 years ago - they werent cheap then either

[58A - 71E]

Well its been a while since I updated the thread but things have been continuing in the meantime

Last time I left it the sound deadening, loom, headlining and some of the cables in the tunnel were in. One of the first things to happen was to get all the electrical equipment in and tested. This took about three weekends solid and included having to fit and refurb parts as I went along e.g the horns



and before putting the electrical connections to the fuel tank sender I rebuilt the petcock and installed the petrol tank

[58A - 71E]

There are connections for the horn and headlight flash in the steering column, so that also went in. The steering box was given an oil change (did it ever need one!) and was located onto the front beam, helpfully there is a locating pin for its location

[58A - 71E]

The new Koni steering damper could also go in



The remaining bits behind the dash including windscreen wiper motor and linkage as well as headlights, tail lights and reverse/number plate light assemblies also went in.

Also decided to finish off the pedal box, master cylinder etc

[58A - 71E]

Next I decided to clear some space as the house had parts in just about every room and the seats were due back from the trimmers after having some new springs in the bases (the old ones had snapped). Luckily the covers were in pretty good nick and just needed a good clean. So I completely ignored everyone’s advice about what order to put a car back together and decided to crack on with the rest of the interior.

First was to put the front and rear glass back in. After one half hearted wimp attempt, and reading of Dan (rustbucket's exploits) I gave up and called Stuby. Glad I did, it wasnt an easy job by any means

Then the interior upholstery panels went in



and the doors could be built up including the frame / glass etc

Then the carpets – once again Mr Mycar kindly volunteered his services in exchange for some fags and coffee (and posh bacon sandwiches )

[58A - 71E]

Some books and advice on the web suggests steaming or wetting new carpets – personally I don’t see how any glue could then stick to that, so instead reverted to the tried and tested Vidal Sassoon method, which works a treat



Then the seats and rest of the interior could go in