Stoddard Newsletter: Early May 2016

By Per Schroeder
May 5, 2016

May 5, 2016

While We're In There...

A funky feeling clutch on our 1987 911 Turbo started a bit of a project for us as we fix it correctly, and address some "while we're in there" parts. Our car has only 19,000 miles on it, but the clutch has never felt quite right. The low miles are one thing, the fact that our car will celebrate its 30th birthday next year means there's actually quite a bit to do.

SIC-531-701-31 Door Striker Rebuild Kit, Fits 911 912 1966-1989

Striker Rebuild Kit for 911 and 912

Sometimes, a great restoration isn't about replacing parts, but rebuilding your original bits. For example, if you're taking apart your door strikers during a restoration, you'll want to replace the plastic sliders that prevent the door from rattling. These get hard and brittle after a few decades and most are cracked or partially missing. Our kits will rebuild one striker plate, with one Delrin guide and one Urethane bumper—both are precision molded with modern materials that will last much longer than the originals.

Tech Tip: Steering Dampers

   There are a few ways to tell if your 356’s steering damper is bad and needs to be replaced. If you’re driving along and hit a bump and get a lot of kickback and vibrations from the steering wheel, your damper is probably bad. Jack the front of the car up (make sure you use jackstands) so that both front wheels are off the ground.
    Grab one of the wheels and push it very hard in one direction—as if you’ve turned the steering wheel very quickly. If the wheel hits the end of its travel and rebounds all or most of the way back to you, your steering damper is worn out. A good damper will damp this movement and the wheel will only rebound slightly.
    We have three types of steering dampers in stock for your 356. A less expensive Boge, an excellent quality Koni and the Factory replacement option.

PCG-347-501-00 Steering Damper Fits 356A 356B 356C

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644-347-821-01 82mm Center Recess Horn Button for 356A

356A Horn Buttons Back!

The 356A has such a lovely art-deco steering wheel and dashboard that's topped off by a large, round horn button. These horn buttons have been hard to find, but we've got them back in stock and they will look great on your driver or concours queen!

Fuel Petcock Operating Rods

If you're restoring a car from a gutted shell, you might not realize that there's a small linkage rod that allows you to open and close the fuel reserve valve (petcock) on the front firewall without leaning down (and taking your eyes off the road.) We've got both the early and late versions of this rod in stock!

NLA-201-241-06 Fuel Petcock Operating Rod. Fits 356B T6 Through 356C

WKD-460-110 Driver's Manual 356B T5 Porsche Factory Reprint in GERMAN LANGUAGE

Factory Owners Manuals

The Factory periodically reprints the Owners Manuals for the older models. We've got the available ones in stock, including some German language versions. If your car was imported later in its life, one of these might be more original than the English version!

Dana Point...is still at Dana Point!

We had been hearing that the 356 Club of Southern California was going to have to move its Dana Point Concours to another venue, and we were bummed. Thankfully, the Club has arranged to once again have it at the Lantern Bay Park. We are thrilled and can't wait to go again this year. It's one of the best vintage Porsche shows in the world!

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356-41-503 Koni Classic Shock Absorber, Front, Fits 356 Pre-A 1950-1955

Koni Sale!

Koni Shock Absorbers are on sale! The prices are 20-percent lower than our normal list—and we have a great selection in stock for the 356, 911 912 and 914.

Any Old Porsches Hanging Around?

We love talking with customers at events. We met Craig Erickson from Rochester, NY at the Hershey Swap Meet and he later sent us photos documenting how he managed to store a 356 in the rafters of his garage....

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2016 Calendar of Events

6/3-4: Stoddard Swap Meet, Cleveland, Ohio
6/4-5: Friends of Steve McQueen Show, Chino Hills, CA
June 19-26: PCA Porsche Parade, Jay Peak, VT
July 23-24: Dana Point Concours, Dana Pt, CA.
July 29-31: P2O, Granville, Ohio
8/7: NorCal Treffen, Concord, CA.
9/7-11: 356 Registry East Coast Holiday, Akron, Ohio

Questions, Comments or Concerns? E-mail Per Schroeder at [email protected]

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Any Old Porsches Hanging Around?

Some Work on our Low-Mileage 911 Turbo