Lift until the front of the car is high enough to put two jack stands near each end of the 2x4, or under the sway bar mounts (pad the tops of the stands as needed) or the frame rails. Carefully lower the floor jack so the car settles on the front stands. Be sure the assembly is stable enough to stay up on the stands when you try to rock it before you roll under there. And use a backup for safety (see below for details on that issue.)

Ron LaDow offers custom-made bolt-on aluminum front and rear jacking points that protect the front sway bar and rear torsion bar plate.

Changing A Tire On The Road Or At Home

The factory understood the stresses involved in trying to jack up only one wheel of these cars. Avoid doing so unless you have an absolute emergency situation. (Open cars have enough chassis flex that trying to jack a single corner can crack windshields – ask Mike Robbins.)

If your longitudinals are in excellent condition, and you carry a couple of wood blocks (1x4x12 will work), put one on top of the saddle of your modern jack at about the same fore and aft location as the jacking points. (The second one might be needed under the jack if you are working on soft ground.) Lift the whole side of the vehicle (don't forget to "break" the lug nuts first.) If you are traveling prepared, one or both of those wood blocks will be slotted (partial saw cut) to fit around the vertical seam at the inside of the longitudinal member. Do not attempt to lift most cars by using the horizontal surface of the longitudinals, nor a "saddle adapter" in the jack points. The saddle adapter can be used if you are very sure the jack points are solid, and will of course lift that entire side of the car, not just one wheel.

The longitudinals were not designed for the single point load of a floor jack when new, let alone rusty. And if you use an unprotected floor jack on the bottom of the jack point, you will crush it. (Chances are good your car already shows this damage.)

Emergency One Wheel Lift

For the Rear:
Use your modern jack under the outer chassis vertical seam below the rear torsion bar plate, with suitable padding (e.g., a wooden block with a slot to fit around the vertical) to avoid crushing the vertical seam. Cut a slot in a piece of 2x6 or 1x4 to fit over the seam, and if you are feeling creative and want assurance it won't slip, cut a ring or slots on other side to fit your jack's saddle. This location is easy to reach, and uses what should be one of the strongest chassis points.

For the Front:
The junction of the closing panel and longitudinal, at the inner edge of the longitudinal, is a strong point, but again will need padding to avoid crushing the vertical edge.

Getting All 4 Wheels In The Air

If you don't really need to put all four wheels in the air, don't. The car is much more stable two wheels on the ground. And even if you have all four wheels in the air, leaving two tires in place is one more safety margin against a stand or jack slipping.

OK, you need all four wheels up for some reason. With the front wheels blocked, use your floor jack under the trans hoop to lift the rear of the car just enough to put jack stands under the torsion bar tubes at each side of the car. Pad the top of the jack stand with something soft to avoid damaging your pristine 356 underbody (closed cell foam glued to the saddle of the stand. Now slowly release the floor jack so the car settles onto the jack stands, allowing for the slight arc the car body makes as it is raised and lowered by the floor jack (they don't lift the car straight up and down!). Be patient, put the jack stands under at a low setting the first time, then lift the front, come back and lift the rear a bit, and so forth. More stable than a full lift.

Now move to the front of the car and position the jack saddle where the two diagonal members meet the vertical bulkhead at the front of the passenger compartment. Could also be considered a "K" member. Bring your jack in at an angle from the side and spread the load with a piece of wood. (Could be a 1 foot square of ¸ inch plywood or a 2x4 load spreader.) If using a 2x4 it should be long enough so that it extends the width of the chassis at that point. While you are lifting, keep pressure on the handle of the jack, maybe wiggle a little, so the jack doesn't pull the rear stands off sideways! Remember, as the jack raises, SOMETHING has to roll! Lift until the front of the car is level with the rear and position two more jack stands near each end of the 2x4.

Carefully lower the floor jack so the car settles on the front stands. Some prefer to put the front stands on the frame members which run the length of the front end (the square section) to get a bit wider stance on the stands. Possibly the strongest location is the sway bar mounts, with a suitable pad to avoid crushing the mount. Any of the three choices mentioned should work, just be sure the whole thing is stable enough to stay up on the stands when you try to rock it before you roll under there. And use a backup for safety (see below for details on that issue.)

Ray Knight tells us that on pre-A versions of the 356, you will want to put a 2x4 across the width of the car under the flat bottom of the battery box. Lift from the center and support with jack stands on the ends of the 2x4. Ron LaDow uses the same approach on the back of the battery box on T-6 bodies.

Take Your Time

Life is short, but if you get in a hurry when jacking up your car it might get much shorter (or more expensive). Don't get in a hurry and be tempted by "just for this little job we'll leave out the stands". Your life is at risk, not to mention that fine car.

Technical advice given on these pages is provided free and without warranty. The user of information presented on these pages assumes all responsibility and liability in its use. We're not lawyers, we're car folk, just sharing our experience. Be careful, use your head, have fun.