My DIY Pre-A handbrake

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Got the handbrake parts back from the water jet cutters today. They need a bit of revision but look like they will work (always a win for a prototype). 

First blush, material is too thick, also main body is a bit too substantial (may change this to aluminium). The entire assembly looks a bit cumbersome, but then the originals are a bit like that too. The trigger was actually supposed to be thinner gauge than the rest of the parts as it needs to be pressed into shape., unfortunately it's not going to be easy to bend into shape without a bit of heat. (oops) I stuffed up and forgot to spec that on the drawing. (D'oh!). 

Of course these things rarely work out perfect first go around so no real biggie. I think that it will work fine as it is, but is probably just a bit TOO big. Really need to get it made up and on the car to check that the functionality is going to work out okay, but from what I've seen so far, I'm not expecting any major issues.


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DIY Pre-A Handbrake - Part 2

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In this episode I assemble the parts and drink some coffee.

Well, that's more-or-less what happened...

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The missing link

Missing Link?

Some of you may know that I'm trying to make my car look like a 'missing-link' car, something that might have come between the Pre-A cabs and the Speedster. Whilst the Max Hoffman commissioned America Roadster (shown below) is the actual link between these cars, it has very different body lines to either the orignal convertibles or the Speedsters and to me seems very out of place in the family tree. There are actually a few cars out there that fit in with this genealogy much better than the America Roadster; Take a Pre-A cabriolet and fit a low style windscreen or aero shields instead of the original and you have a very convincing missing-link car, a car that fits in much better than the America Roadster.


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Mail call

Pre-A Light

Received some more goodies in the post.

Early style rear lights and a red lense for my shine down light so that I can use it is a third brake light

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Mail Call

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It's been an exciting week for deliveries. Got another parcel today. Can you guess what it is?

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Glaser Karosserie

Karosserie Glaser Badge

Many 356 fans will know of the name Reuter, the coach builder responsible for the manufacture of the Porsche 356 from 1950 onwards, but many do not realise that initially Reuter did not have the capacity to build the convertible models so this task was awarded to Glaser, the renowned East German coach builder.

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