Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club
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Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club OVERSTEER
The Complete
IDIOT'S
Guide to 356 Lubrication and Maintenance By Skeet Gifford
It is with some trepidation that I write on the subject of automobile
maintenance. Being a member of an automobile club is evidence enough of your
interest in--and respect for--your cars. With 135 members, I'm sure we have at
least that many variations on how we care for our automobiles. Mine is only one
opinion. If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it. I'm always open to
suggestions.
One of my earliest memories is of my father tinkering with his new 1939 Lincoln
Zephyr. That lesson was continued when my grandmother gave me a subscription to
Mechanics Illustrated, the magazine which featured road test pioneer, Tom
McCahill.
In 1951, my first year of college, I purchased a Crosley Super Sport. I had the
car for only about nine months and was forced to sell it after it threw a rod.
Somehow, the Service Manual has survived, and in the back are my notes
chronicling service and maintenance. In 6,200 miles, I lubricated it six
times--not bad for a teenage driver.
My second car was a 1949 Mercury, purchased just a couple of months before I
graduated from pilot training. I shipped it to Europe (dumb!) where I drove it
for a year and a half, and sold it after I took delivery of my 356. Maintenance
records, if any, are gone.
When I first acquired the Porsche, I maintained it in accordance with the
scheduled lubrication and maintenance plan. For the first several years, I
didn't keep records of routine service because (I suppose) I did the work
strictly by the odometer. I did, however, keep receipts of major purchases such
as the radio, tires and other work performed by a garage.
Along the way, I had the opportunity to learn how airplanes were maintained,
both in the Air Force and later at United. In the Air Force, I performed many
maintenance test flights.
In 1972, I purchased a 1941 Plymouth that had been parked in a Denver alley for
eleven years. I intended to teach myself automobile restoration, and this was my
project car. As I went through the car, I learned firsthand the deterioration
that takes place when a car is simply parked and abandoned, rather than being
properly prepared for storage. My interest engaged, I began collecting
references on automobile preservation and long-term storage, and combined them
with my own experience into a "check list." Parenthetically, I also learned that
there are often substantial differences of opinion among "experts." Sorta like
politics.
At United, I had the opportunity to tour the Maintenance Base in San Francisco
several times, and in two fleets worked directly with their Engineering staff.
It was a unique opportunity and one that was not wasted on this confirmed car
nut. I often checked gas mileage on trips, and in the early 1970s, began keeping complete records of all gas purchases and service in a small, spiral-bound notebook. About ten years ago my son Paul asked me if I kept records in my computer. "No," I answered, "but I should probably do that." And that's how my spreadsheet was born.
In its current version, there are four sheets for each car: 1) Gas purchases, 2)
a line graph depicting miles per gallon, 3) maintenance required (which is
automatically updated from the most recent gas purchase), and 4) the history of
all maintenance performed. The file is not large and I'd be happy to share it
with anyone who is interested.
About eight years ago, I sold one of my collector cars, a 1969 Plymouth GTX with
a 426 Hemi. As a courtesy, I printed the maintenance records and included them
with the car. A couple of years ago, I got a call from a guy in Kentucky who now
owns the car. He commented on my records, which, incredibly, were still with the
car, and asked about certain work that was done. It's a show car now and gets to
ride in a trailer. When I owned it, it was a driver. Trivia: He was able to get
the same license plate that I had, HEMI X.
Over the years, experience with the Porsche, other cars (with influence by
aircraft maintenance) has caused me to modify the factory recommendations
somewhat. The table lists lubrication and maintenance items as published in the
1957 Porsche 356A Owner's Manual. The last two columns are my modification to
that
schedule. Note that some items have been added or modified due simply to the
fact that my Porsche is no longer driven to work every day.
Tech Tip
By Gary Moschetti
I recently needed some wheel spacers and longer lug
bolts for my “other” car. So I
called Ralph Boothe, of Boothe Designs (www.boothedesign.com).
While we spoke he reminded me to use a soft socket to install the new
wheel bolts, which are chrome. Then
he said, “If you really want to keep the bolts looking nice, use a grocery bag
with the soft socket.” I had never
heard of that one, so I asked what he meant.
He said you simply grab one of those flimsy plastic bags, poke it into
the soft socket with a finger and torque away!
When the bag wears you just move it to a fresh spot.
I followed his directions and it works beautifully! Price is right, too!! If you need a soft socket, wheel spacers or lug bolts, I highly recommend a call to Ralph (626-336-1396). His products are very reasonably priced and you won’t believe how beautifully made they are. And by the way, if your other car uses wheel bolts (instead of nuts) just go ahead and buy Ralph’s “wheel hanger”; you’ll thank yourself every time you use it!
February 2008
Rocky Mountain 356 Porsche Club
OVERSTEER
February 2008
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