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Posted by: cary Feb 4 2013, 08:56 PM

Looking for some help.............
Went back and re-read Jeff Hail's Dead thread.

When I tie in the new to me part that is double walled. How/can you cut back the existing inner wall without damaging it or the long?
I want to build a new inner box to tie the two parts together.



Picture from Jeff's thread.

Posted by: TargaToy Feb 4 2013, 09:37 PM

I would be glad to offer suggestions but, huh???

Can we see some pics of what you are trying to fit?

Posted by: cary Feb 4 2013, 09:58 PM

The blue line is the inner box that I'll need to figure out first.

Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 4 2013, 10:30 PM

There is nothing easy about what your doing and it's even harder to explain. But I use a BF screw driver to pop spot welds and sometimes even surgically slice through panels. When you have two panel like we have on the 914 chassis you may want to leave the inner panel longer than the outer and stagger the butts.

Posted by: cary Feb 4 2013, 11:27 PM

BF screwdriver makes sense. Then I could lift it enough to cut it with a small cut off wheel. Kind of take it out in pieces.

They'll be staggered and I have an RD clamshell for the outside.

Posted by: nathansnathan Feb 5 2013, 08:06 AM

That is no easy task. My build thread shows this area pretty well- even has a link to Jeff Hail's thread and that same pic from him in there.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=113507&st=100

Posted by: bulitt Feb 5 2013, 08:17 AM

Way too much time on your hands...outstanding work.

Posted by: nathansnathan Feb 5 2013, 09:29 AM

Not to say that anyone should do it how I'm doing it. Just to see the parts as I've made them almost just as the factory with the corrugations at the bottom, the different radius curves at the top bottom, forward and back; it transitions right around that area. Not to say that that is necessary.

IIrc in the bringing out the dead, though, he didn't do it quite the same as the factory. He talks about it there, better than I remember actually, I could have quoted a better part on my thread.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=76791&st=200

When he's talking about the need for reinforcement he is referring to the lap welded part on the inside.


Definitely should be something more than the corrugated piece welded to the smooth part forward of the firewall. That the new piece is thicker doesn't matter, as it would fail right where it met the thinner if not for putting in that reinforcement.

I would say the stock original double wall all the way up is the best. I considered putting a third layer all the way up, like an Engmann engine compartment extension. The engine is held right there directly, and the suspension console is supported by that, too. There is a lot of weight on that part especially at launch. he really should have brought the inner forward to back the seatbelt bolt. 1 layer of 19 gauge equivalent I could see that tearing right through if you really needed the seatbelt, but it is a challenge on account of the heater tube hole that needs to be there.