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Passenger's side front.
A 1953 356 Porsche Coupe.....
By Charlie White, Scottsdale, Arizona
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Passenger's side front.
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"The Cockpit"
What do we see here........that is of interest?
1. A two spoke steering wheel.
2. Seats with corduroy inserts, and corduroy door panels.
3. Square foot pedal pads.
4. An early Telefunken radio with vertical pushbuttons.
5. Second generation black/green Viegel speedo/tach with hoods (BJ).
6. VW style ivory dash knobs and ivory steering wheel (BJ).
7. A single plastic sun visor in chrome frame.
8. Early oval overhead interior light centered above the windshield.
9. Handle for fresh air slide, below left side of dash.
10. Headlight switch upper left side of dash.
11. No grab handle on the dash.
Source: 1953 Owner's Manual
A Closer view...........
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12. A temperature gauge left of speedometer in Centigrade, lower numbers Fahrenheit (BJ).
13. 3 "idiot lights" between the hooded speedometer and tachometer.
14. 120 mph speedometer, 6000 RPM tach.
15. Shaded area on the tach between 3,000 and 4,500 RPM.
16. Dash illumination light switch, bottom of dash between speedo & tach.
17. Chrome ashtray.
18. Emergency brake to the left of the steering column.
19. Is that a "black" knob on the turn signal switch?
20. What is the switch on bottom left of the speedo?
The Whole Front.
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21. Early hood handle with hole (you'll see the hole in a later photo).
22. "Dark" possibly amber (odd!) beehive turn signal lights/park lights (BJ)?
23. Vertical license plate brackets above the bumper.
24. Early "P O R S C H E" aluminum script (BJ).
25. Bosch symmetric lights with adjusters at 12 and 9 o'clock (BJ).
26. Full deco-strip on front detached bumper.
27. One piece "bent" windshield.
28. Windshield wipers facing "opposite" directions at rest.
29. No exterior rear view mirrors!
The Whole Rear.
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30. Shine down licence plate light.
31. Dual beehive taillights right and left.
32. Square inside rear view mirror.
33. Single engine compartment vent grill.
34. Early "wide" rear bumper guards?
35. Still has the "Porsche im Einfahren" sticker on rear window.
36. This 356 is a 1500 Super!
37. No holes drilled for a licence plate!
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The "Right" Side.
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38. Wheels are the color of the body with "moon" hubcaps.
39. Body builder badge on lower fender behind front wheel.
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40. Early "Reutter" coachbuilder badge.
Source: 1953 Owner's Manual
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41. Lower rocker panel curved in, no deco strip.
Inside Passenger Door.
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42. Corduroy door panel.
43. Can't tell if "whatchacallit" above the door panel is body color or darker (BJ).
44. Chrome door pull.
45. Chrome window frame.
46. No door pockets.
Passenger Compartment.
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47. Chrome ashtray.
48. Chrome door pull, driver's door.
49. Bent shift lever.
50. Full black rubber floor mat.
51. Heat control on dash left of lighter, not on floor in front of shifter (BJ).
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52. Just below and left of radio is choke (large) and starter button (small).
53. Under the ashtray, in order: heater knob, cigarette lighter, and "extra" knob.
54. Notice ribbed window crank, left side of picture above.
55. See the metal "Telefunken" script on speaker cover of radio.
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56. Reclining seat mechanism.
57. "Black knob" on seat mechanism.
58. Early door lock post, black painted screw heads on striker screws (BJ).
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59. Full double rear seat back with corduroy insert.
60. Double rear seat cushion, corduroy.
61. Pop out rear quarter windows with white "crown" knobs (BJ).
62. Carpet with rear rubber mats.
Front Trunk, Gas Tank, & Spare Tire.
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63. Black painted gas tank.
64. No fuel tank sender.
65. Silver painted gas tank straps.
66. Slotted early 3.25" x 16" drum brake wheel (BJ).
67. No spare tire strap.
Source: 1953 Owner's Manual
68. Diagram shows emergency opening for hood lock.
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69. Hood hinges are the color of the body, and black at back (BJ).
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70. Slotted 3.25" x 16" wheel (BJ).
71. Tire by "Englebert", made in West Germany.
72. Spare tire is balanced, riveted on wheel weight (BJ).
Engine Compartment.
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73. Dual exhaust pipes.
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74. White (or cream colored) rear deck lid rubber bumpers.
75. Back of engine compartment appears to have sprayed on undercoating.
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76. Metal fuel filter.
77. 40 PBIC Solex Carburetors.
78. Oil moistened metal mesh air filters.
79. Early Bosch VE 4 BRS 383 distributor.
80. Black voltage regulator on top of generator.
81. Radio suppression on fan shroud.
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82. The line from block under generator going thru the support to the front of the compartment is the dipstick oil temp gauge capillary line from the Störk gauge (BJ).
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The Source of these Photos!
Many years ago, I purchased a collection of Porsche literature to add to my beginning collection. Among the items was an envelope containing 13 high resolution black and white photos of a 1953 Porsche 1500 Super Coupe. All of the photos were stamped: Department of Technical Data and Information, Central Engineering, Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Michigan. Apparently the photos were part of a design study conducted by Chrysler. The 13 pictures comprehensively cover the insides and outsides of the car. Unfortunately, no photos were included of the underside of the car. Close examination of one of the photos reveals that there are 93 miles on the odometer, possibly the distance between where the car was purchased and the Chrysler Engineering offices. But then, maybe, some of those miles represent spirited driving by some of the Chrysler Engineers! Who knows. The back window still has the "Porsche im Einfahren" sticker which I think translates to: "Porsche in transit", or something like that. Below is an image of what we called in the military, a "buck slip" that was attached to the photos. I hope this website will add to our collective knowledge about our early 356's, and be of some use to those restoring these early cars.
Charlie White, Scottsdale, Arizona
The Beginning.
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The End.
For Sale...........!
You can now order a CD which contains all of the above images, including the 13 original high resolution images (not shown here), along with numerous additional images.......for a total of 72 images of this 1953 Porsche 1500 Super Coupe. These images, including the high resolution images, can be a useful tool in restoring an early Pre-A Porsche, and a valuable addition to your technical library. Package of images on CD - $17.00 + $3 postage. Additional postage outside USA. Personal checks welcome. For info: email (derwhite@aol.com). Send order to:
Charlie White
8639 E. Via de los Libros
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258 USA
Derwhite@aol.com
This website was prepared for educational, historical and informational purposes.
The pictures on this website are copyrighted, but can be downloaded for personal use only.
Click Here to see an extensive collection of original factory
356 Porsche Sales Literature, and lots of other 356 stuff!
Thanks to Brett Johnson, Bob Raucher, and Ron LaDow for technical contributions!
Research and Website Creation by:
Charlie White
Copyright@2003, 2005 DerWhite Productions, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Website updated 10/10/08
