6 Parkway Shudy Camps Cambs UK CB21 4RQ
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Parts for the classic and enthusiasts Porsche

LATEST NEWS -JOTTINGS 04 February2009

This page is an amalgam of the latest bargains and/or rare parts finds intermingled with the progress on some of our bigger projects plus findings and solutions encountered along the way

Another word for the wary. Beware buying used 912 engines. The likelihood of a good buy is shrinking and prices are growing as there are so few 356 engines and parts available. Note to fit these engines into a 356 you will have to change tinware, clutch, flywheel and probably the exhaust and heat exchangers. But also please note that going from 60HP to 100HP generates more heat and requires better brakes and a stronger, higher ratio gearbox. The above conversion parts can work out to be quite expensive. We have had several customers who have paid (against our advice) £1500-£2,000 for 912 engines described as running OK but with no inspection or proof. In fact none of them could possibly have run and in two cases the crankcases were badly cracked one having been repaired with Isopon and silver paint which would have seperated immediately with any heat generation. One engine also had odd rods, odd cracked heads and totally rusted bores with broken rings. We could only use the crank and cam. Another was worse as the crank was already a third under and the cam was shot. The last one was the best as we couldn't use anything other than the studs and parts of the valve gear. please learn from the experience from others unless good luck and great skill are on your side this conversion can easily end up costing close to £10,000.

Braid BZ 'replica' Fuchs 9" and 11" x 15" 'one piece wheels' are now available. We have purchased a set to see if the 'high quality, exact copy' is true and whilst we cannot comment yet on the structural integrity, the presentation on our set was poor and an 'exact' copy they ain't. Briefly the outer rim detail is all wrong as the ledge turns outwards at the tyre bead as per a steel wheel, this is a dead giveaway, (but we suppose it could be turned off on a lathe). The shape and angle of the ledge where the valve hole is also curved and wrongly formed. We cannot understand this as the inner rim has the correct flat edge profile. However they are actually lighter than a genuine wheel and quite probably in reality are as strong as most of the originals, most of which must be tired to death by now. The satin black paint line  ends a little way up the rim and is not level on any of the wheels we had. We cannot get sight of any approvals but are assured by sellers that they are FIA approved, the outer rims do look thinner but they are not cast and the rims 'ring' like an uncracked Fuchs -ho hum. If I hadn't hoped for better I would say that they didn't study and copy an actual original wheel. Having said that at under £2,000 a set they are probably the sanest, safest and most cost effective way to go, bearing in mind these must have a guarantee and genuine wheels are circa £2,000 each and rising; regardless of condition, (all would have been for competition use originally). Add to that tyres at £800 a set upwards and your choice is £2,750 or £8,750. PS the manufacturing factory tell us that they are not replica Fuchs (oh oh ), are not made in one piece and that they are not FIA approved or approved by any test house. It seems that the sellers have got carried away. Caveat Emptor.

Tyres for early 911/912 and 356 are well catered for but you will need determination (or ask us) to acquire them-assume £100 plus per corner for any of the period looking tyres and about £70 for the moderns, the big Michelins and Yokohamas are however another matter. 

Avon and now Michelin make a brilliantly sticky ZZ tyre in three compounds in both 165 and 175/70 x15" sizes ideal for the 356/912 as the tread pattern is simple and period.looking.

One very important point though if you have tubed rims you MUST fit the EXACT correct size inner tube, if you can find them. It has been our bitter experience that the multi size/universal types will either fret or pinch and then fail with potentially awful results. For 356 owners it is safer to fit the aftermarket wheels that have tubeless rims. Early 911/2 folk get the later tubeless wheels-originality isn't worth dying for in my book and no-one will guarantee a tubeless tyre without tube on a tubed rim.

Easily available modern patterns are Pirelli P6000 and Continental Sport Contacts-195/65 and 215/60 ZR x 15" great for RS and replica owners.

For RSR and real nut jobs the following are available as are 285/40-15 AVS Yokohamas in small batches

Michelin road legal tarmac tyres TB15/TB5 in the old pattern but with 2x mixes of modern rubber tread wear indicators and E marked are now available in the following sizes for 15" wheels--

15/60-15 (195/65) for 4-6" wheels--18/60-15 (215/55) for 6-8" wheels--23/62-15 (270/45) for 8-10" wheels but be wary of the larger diameter--26/61-15 (295/40) for 10-12" wheels and V rated-- add to that the availability of 245/50 ZR high speed 7-9" tyres and you now have a range of top class tyres for rims of 4" up to 14" as there is even a 29/61-15 for 12-14" wheels. These are by far the most period and best tyres you can currently get bearing in mind that few manufacturers offer a choice for 15" wheels

We have just got  a set of the Michelin 295/40-15 for the 11" rears on the RSR just don't ask the price. Interestingly the Michelin is marked both 26/61 and 295/40 but are are 15mm narrower than the Yokohama 285/40 but the racing size 26 means 260mm wide by 610 diameter but in road tyre terms 295 means 295 mm wide so the Michelin is theoretically both 260mm and 295 mm wide but actually measures 270mm. Smudgy!!.We also understand you can get quite close now with Hoosiers but we have no hands on experience with them.

NB We are now SWEPCO agents because we tried the oils and found them to be far superior to those we were using. Now we are sole distributors of Swepco 210 for full house race gearboxes ie straight cut gears, LSD and 400plus horsepower.

We have the equally rare three hole swan neck interior mirror for the early 912/911 and the later breakaway three hole recessed mount type plus for the 356A a single bolt mount aluminium item in unmarked condition.

Add to that a large ever changing stock including such rarities as 6 volt 356 Blaupunkt radios, rare panels for the 911 and you will see why it will be worth visiting our site now and again when that good part eludes you.

On the RSR the car has been re-united with its original works Matter cage, they are quite unique in many ways and we have just developed a cheap device for holding cameras and videos to roll bars window glass and posts for that matter. also we have waided through the mud regarding lightweight/racing batteries and have found one clear leader that only weighs 26lb and is about £115.

All body and paintwork is done and we have had Paintshield clear film protection fitted to the front valance, wings, doors, rear arches and under the rear quarter bumpers which, with growing reservations gives some peace of mind both with scuffs, stones and bird droppings. As always we learn the hard way. Repro Porsche seals can and did leech a dye into the film (we think if fuel is spilled onto the channel) which cannot be removed-presently from the bonnet and indicator light seals.-Don't use traffic film (truck wash?) cleaners as apparently this can remove the protective coating from the film; also some squashed bugs colour the film, we are told that this is only for a while as it also will not clean/polish out but will gradually fade.  For other reasons our area where this had happened was replaced so we cannot comment further. The nearside wing film edge had lifted and its replacement has bubbled but we have been told to leave it and it will disappear-3 days and counting. We would advise that on our installation  there is a vulnerable area of paint that is not protected under the headlamp rim and surprisingly the door skins don't wrap around the vulnerable rear edge. Lastly there is a fair chance of faults in the film, removal of which can test the paint adhesion on a repainted car. 

Painting by Mike Giddens

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As the 356 had become too valuable to enjoy we have sold it and  started another budget project. We ordered a weld in half cage from 'Custom Cages' and it duly arrived correctly marked but was yards out when we came to weld it in. It turns out, that despite advertising the correct cage, taking money for and manufacturing the correct cage they had lost all the details/profiles and rather than try to reolve their problem they provided one for another unrelated model. I wouldn't like to comment on anything regarding competence or quality control. When politely requesting some action to resolve the problem there never was an apology but I was told they needed the car for a few days but can't manage it for about 10 days. Problem is it was on the ramp stripped ready for the cage and welding and we had already wasted 2 weeks. We are now trying to get our money back and will probably have to go to the small claims court as they are unable to relate to me as a customer who has a legitimate grievance. As we don't have time to develop our own we have ordered a full OMP bolt in

Don't forget that now and again we have good project vehicles awaiting purchase for a similar madness that afflicts many of us.