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Posted by: PlantMan Jul 4 2014, 12:13 AM

Hey All,
I saved this car, I am sure, from pending doom as it was sitting in a Coparts yard in the SF Bay area, not to mention it was donated to charity........
I thought it had potential so I scooped it up. My last 914 was a 1.7 (72) and I always wanted the 73-74 2.0l, so here we are.
Anyways, you can see from the attached photos she is a little long in the tooth!!!
BTW, this car is a true California car and appears to have spent it's entire life in NorCal. Who said Cal cars have little rust??? It also appeared to have a trans change-out around 30k miles, interesting.
I have gone through 80% so far, got the car up and running, fixed a majority of the oil leaks, and now getting the brakes sorted out so I can road test it.
Interior is in very good shape, minus the carpet, dashboard is a solid A grade for 40 years old and the seats and back pad are still quality as well. I am debating the AC system, which I will remove for now, but it might go back in in the future.
The motor starts right-up without any problems and after I get the brakes back on I am going to check for vacuum leaks, it has a high idle but I think maybe the AAR maybe stuck.
Debating the next step, starting from the front of the car and possibly working my way to the back, doing the body work. I am trying to gather pieces now for the sheet metal clean-up.
Enjoy the photos!
I did add it to the VIN database as well.

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Posted by: 914Sixer Jul 4 2014, 05:58 AM

It has potential. It has AC too!

Posted by: Java2570 Jul 4 2014, 06:15 AM

Looks like a lot of good parts on that one.....my opinion is if you are going to do rust repair, strip it all down and see what you have afterwards. Lots of rust likes to hide in the lower firewall/floor area on passenger side. You have structural rust in the hellhole and longs that needs to be assessed. That rust in the front cowl is not a good sign and can be a tricky repair. It definitely has cancer.....dig deeper and see if it's something you want to tackle as a long term project or you can always look for a better tub to use some of the good parts on.

Posted by: bandjoey Jul 4 2014, 10:30 AM

Put it on ebay Europe and it's a $5000 car. There are threads here where European rusted cars like yours are saved.

Posted by: johannes Jul 4 2014, 11:55 AM

Nope ...



.

Posted by: SirAndy Jul 4 2014, 12:18 PM

Those are some odd places for rust (well, besides the long under the hell hole) ...

Posted by: Mike Bellis Jul 4 2014, 12:23 PM

Yep. that's a parts car. Not worth the amount of metal word required.

But I see lots of good parts.

Posted by: mepstein Jul 4 2014, 12:30 PM

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 7 2014, 10:14 AM

Yes, I would agree on the odd rust locations.
Same hell hole issues that I have seen in many of these cars.
Fire wall, floors, and trunks in good shape though.
I have a sheet metal piece for the lower window thanks to Bruce.

Posted by: boxsterfan Jul 7 2014, 11:53 AM

Wanna sell the fuel pump?

Posted by: Valy Jul 7 2014, 07:36 PM

If you part it, I want the interior.

N. CA Pacific coast it rust-land. Seems this one comes from there...

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Jul 7 2014, 08:51 PM

TONS of good parts there!
Zach

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 8 2014, 11:22 AM

SF Bay area is where it is from.

Interior is in great shape but it does have a smokey odor from the PO. Carpet is coming out this weekend which should eliminate some of the issues.

I wont be parting it out. There is some rust but nothing that cant be fixed with a little sweat equity!

Posted by: green914 Jul 8 2014, 11:38 AM

Posted by: Bleyseng Jul 9 2014, 08:55 AM

Get the ECU hanger piece so the the ECU hangs off the battery tray instead of tucked in the sound mat. The Decel valve mounts above the MPS under the battery too.

Car needs some welding love but lots of metal parts are out there to fix this car if you have the time.

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 9 2014, 09:52 AM

I have noticed that on other cars as well but I don't remember where my 72 ECU was located.
I believe the current location is due to the AC compressor, does that sound right? Maybe not enough room.
Is there a problem with the current spot other than something flying off the fan and taking it out!!!
A lot of welding to come!!!!

Where to start!

Posted by: Chris H. Jul 9 2014, 09:55 AM

I was gonna say that looks a lot like what happens to a car in the midwest when you park it for several years without washing the road salt off beforehand. Weird rust patterns in odd places due to the salt that just happened to land/collect there. Looks fixable. Definitely a lot of work, but go for it.

Posted by: Chris H. Jul 9 2014, 10:04 AM

And I agree you should move the ECU back...just not a great place for it. The stress on the wires is also not good. It goes here....looks like there's room. As Rick said get the bracket or make one.

Posted by: blabla914 Jul 9 2014, 11:07 AM

I had an AC equipped car a while back. If I remember correctly I tried to mount the ECU with the correct bracket and it interfered with the AC compressor. Maybe I did it wrong, but I'm 90% certain it's not going to work. Mine was attached further up on the firewall with two little L brackets.

Posted by: Chris H. Jul 9 2014, 11:58 AM

Maybe the battery tray can be moved back?

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 9 2014, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the info.
Even if the AC stays in the car I need to change out the compressor to another model. That may allow for an easier relocation effort.
There is going to be a lot of work in the hole to do so I will work on a better solution then.

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 9 2014, 12:16 PM

Paint is in really good shape. I am sorry the car was left to rot.
Kinda looking forward to cutting into the funk! I am weird that way.
Going to start in the front and work my way to the back....at least that is the plan for now.

Posted by: PlantMan Jul 10 2014, 12:03 AM

Couple new photos.
Removed the back pad.
Not good...obviously but could be worse.

Passenger side.

No wonder I was having issues getting the trunk open.

Right at the seam will need some attention.

Tunnel is rusted as well but does not look bad from under the car. Fairly solid while poking with the screw driver.

Posted by: boxsterfan Jul 10 2014, 12:45 AM

This car makes my 914 worth $1,000,000...errr...$1,000,000,000!!!!!

Posted by: Chris H. Jul 10 2014, 08:38 AM

Yeah that's the key. Dig in and get that rust cut out. You'll be glad you did. At some point you MIGHT decide it's too much but that's OK too.

I found a '73 2.0 back in 2000 that only had 59k on it. I was the 3rd owner, and the first owner only drove it for one year. It had been sitting for 15 years and was parked during the winter without being rinsed off. There were weird holes in the front fenders from where salt collected and ate completely through as well as other random odd rust spots that were pretty nasty. Both longs were rusty but it wasn't quite structural yet. At the time no one was saving rusty tubs and the replacement panels were pricey so I parted it. Still wish I saved it. GO FOR IT.

Posted by: Claus Graf Oct 20 2016, 02:11 PM

Save the Porsche!

It has rust in all the places my 74 has. However my rust holes were huge compared to the one you have.

The lower corners of the windshield are difficult. Remove one fender at a time.

Claus

Posted by: PlantMan Dec 30 2020, 02:23 PM

I have held on to this car for a long time!
Each time I think I am going to let it go I end up hanging on to it......
So 6 years later we are going to get into it and see what we can do over the next couple months.



Engine out in a couple hours with the help from my boys and a friend in town from Texas.



You have all seen this before. Lot to do in here.



Injectors are rough looking but sending these out to Mr Injector. These were all working up to the time I started pulling the car apart.




My son cleaning things up. Luke is no stranger to engine to working on engines.



No wonder why I could not get the triple square into these. Obviously will need to replace.



The clutch appears to be nearly new but the flywheel looks like garbage. Throw out bearing is clean as well. Anything to be concerned about here?

Working on bracing the car today and cleaning up the engine bay.


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Posted by: pete000 Dec 30 2020, 02:30 PM

My the force be with you !

Posted by: KELTY360 Dec 30 2020, 03:42 PM

Smart! You waited til your boys were old enough to help. Good luc!

Posted by: ctc911ctc Dec 30 2020, 03:57 PM

I just rebuilt one that was much worse - NOT a parts car, looks great!

Posted by: Superhawk996 Dec 30 2020, 04:13 PM

Great father & son project. Cheers to you for working to save it!.

Posted by: Unobtanium-inc Dec 30 2020, 04:48 PM

It's a twofer, Save them all and get the kids involved! I salute you sir!

Posted by: rgalla9146 Dec 30 2020, 05:01 PM

The cowl/windshield frame rust is unusual.
The parts necessary to do this repair are not often removed from scrapped cars, so
should be fairly easy to locate.
You'll be in uncharted territory but I'd consider replacing the cowl w/shield frame as a unit.
Good access for that task will be available with the front fender/cowl joint open.
I love the brown interior....actually the whole car....and the project...Good Luck !

Posted by: wonkipop Dec 30 2020, 08:50 PM

can see why you'd be torn about that car.
it looks unmolested and original, apart from the atmospheric molestation.

the brown interior is great. the carpets look original if faded.

takes me back to 89 in chicago. i used to see the same thing. cars that were still intact original, with perfect interiors etc but rust holes you could put your fist through.
even the bumpers had rust holes through the chrome. most were still not 20 years old at that point. as a naive aus i could not believe the severity of the rust in some north american snow belt cars. we don't have snow (except at the alpine ski resorts)...... or salt (except if you drive your 4x4 on the beach).

but like cali cars ours get burned to a crisp by the sun if they sit outside.
australia invented cracked dashboards.
back in the 80s, 1960s ford falcons were a popular youth vehicle of choice because they had metal dashboards and you did not have to stare at all the cracks like you got with a holden (gm product).

Posted by: bbrock Dec 30 2020, 09:07 PM

Good for you for diving in!

If you can DIY and it's a labor of love, it is absolutely worth saving. Looking forward to watching the progress on this one.

Posted by: r_towle Dec 30 2020, 09:13 PM

Abel’s (rocket) first car came in 20 boxes.
He loved 914s from that project forward.

We rebuilt it from the ground up.
Welding and basic simple car skills are invaluable to teach the next generation!

Enjoy the time together, it’s a great memory.

Posted by: 930cabman Jan 3 2021, 05:26 PM

Great decision to go for it, keep us updated and have fun with the boys. Nothing a little elbow grease, $$ and time cannot fix

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 17 2023, 08:48 AM

Cant believe it has been two years here and have been a bit tardy on posting.
I will get some new pics up soon...

We have amassed a bunch of RD metal and begun cutting out the bad, braced the doors, and considering out next move. We are going to jump into removing the suspension console and misc bits so we can start on the long repairs, etc. Need to get a good jig going for measurements and the reinstall but we are struggling trying to decide on whether or not to remove the quarter panel completely or just cut out what we need to make the repair to the area. I have seen everyone do it a bit different but if you had to do it again would you remove the entire QP or just cut out a section and spend the time welding it back in? Either way there is a lot of work and part of me just wants to remove the complete panel and clean it up real good.

Thoughts and experiences are appreciated!

Thanks

Posted by: drem914 Jan 17 2023, 08:59 AM

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=17352 Was this car sitting by the OC airport last year by Haus of Performance?

Posted by: bbrock Jan 17 2023, 10:10 AM

I have never removed a QP so don't have a fair comparison for "if I had to do it again," but what I will say is that the metal work to get those QPs straight and pretty after welding back together was probably the single most time consuming part of my project. I'd at least look hard at threads with complete QP replacements before tackling another. It seemed too daunting at the time.

Posted by: Root_Werks Jan 17 2023, 11:41 AM

What a cool story! Can't wait to see some progress pictures.

Posted by: 930cabman Jan 17 2023, 01:51 PM

Me too, great story. Are the boys candidates for having ownership?

Posted by: Dion Jan 17 2023, 02:20 PM

Well being a bit crazy and on the advice of a fellow 914 restorer, I’d remove the quarter panel again. It allowed so much access to address my cars issues.
Granted it took a day to remove all the spot welds. But glad I did.


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Posted by: 914sgofast2 Jan 17 2023, 02:41 PM

The rust makes me think that car used to live in the SF Sunset District or Marin County where there is lots of fog and salt air.

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 17 2023, 05:45 PM

No, I have owned this car since 2014. I got it off EBAY back in the day.

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 17 2023, 05:47 PM

It did come from the Bay Area and from what I can find out it was originally purchased up there....dealership I am not sure.
Car was donated sometime in 2014.

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 17 2023, 05:49 PM

Sure they are but more than likely the car is going to my wife.
I would like to get another for a 6 conversion someday!

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 17 2023, 05:52 PM

One of those things......
We are spending sooooo much time cuttin rust out and cleaning the car up what is a day to pull off the QP and another week putting it back on.

Appreciate your insight!

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 23 2023, 02:52 PM

Some of this work happened a couple months back, especially within the area of the drivers side. Driver side was almost as bad as the passenger side!!!!
Also, deleted the entire lower fire wall. Thought it to be easier just to remove the lower section and weld in new.


Looking down.

Outside jack post. Not too bad.

Passenger side. Trying not to remove the suspension console, most of the metal looks good behind too.
Going to remove everything between the green lines of the inner and outer.


Going to add a lower door brace as the car started to sag a bit once we started cutting out metal. Looks like it moved about a 1/16". My son said he heard a few cracks once he cut through the inner long. We do have it braced at the doors...just wondering if it will pull in once we start welding. I would prefer to get the measurements back into spec prior to welding though.

Looking at getting it onto a rotisserie, the RD version. Looks like I can fabricate one for about $300 and will make it a lot easier to get to the hard to reach locations.
But will a rotisserie really help with bracing at the longs when doing this work????

Posted by: 930cabman Jan 23 2023, 03:34 PM

The longs are double thickness, staggering your lap seams is best, but tricky. Some of the metal is available, but some must be fabricated as you go. All the while make sure the chassis is straight and true. Quite the project, keep the faith and "soon" she will surrender.

Posted by: bkrantz Jan 23 2023, 08:37 PM

You might already know this, but acid-rusted metal near the battery can be a real b*tch to weld. Before you cut, maybe try sanding through paint and rust to see if you can get clean metal.

Posted by: PlantMan Jan 24 2023, 09:42 PM

10-4, this is good info.
We will mess around with cleaning the area really good and try welding a couple different ways.

Planning out how we will weld this back together with additional reinforcement.

Thanks again!

Posted by: PlantMan Feb 10 2023, 05:14 PM

A little progress over the last couple weeks.

Started removing the rear suspension in order to lighten the car for the rotisserie.
Obviously planning on cleaning everything up as well. The big black bins from Home Depot will be helpful for storage. I have parts to this car everywhere and originally thought I would have enough room for everything. I was wrong.
The Black Bins are helpful and hold a lot!



Old floor section and firewall. Going to keep these for awhile for patches if I need them anywhere. The car got picked up once by a forklift and dented the floor pan in a couple spots so I just decide to remove that section and will replace with a new RD rear section.



Passenger side motor mount, it is a mess on the back side. Going to see if I can clean this up at all. This is a piece I purchased from a member. True about the rust hiding behind layers!



Went to Industrial Metal Supply and picked up a bunch of cut-off sections for the rotisserie. For a little over $200 I got want I needed and a set of 6" wheels. Hope to start this project over the weekend.



Got a box full of drill bits so I invested in a Drill Dr. The bits I currently have are a lot better than most of the crap available now so I figured for $125 I can re-sharpen the good ones and continue to use them for awhile. So far works pretty good.



If my real job doesn't get in the way this weekend, I will be able to get more stuff done this weekend!
We will see.

Posted by: 930cabman Feb 10 2023, 06:27 PM

What could take a higher priority than repairing a 50 y/o rust hulk?