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Posted by: aggiezig Jul 13 2016, 03:31 PM

Hi 914World,

New(ish) member with new project - a 1975 2.0L. It's certainly a project, but I think it's a great starting place. The seller is extremely knowledgeable about the car and helpful with local contacts who are in the 914 scene. It's been on the local CL for a while for more than I wanted to pay, but was recently able to strike a deal. Here are some specs about the project:

• "Rust Free" car with the only rust being on the surface of cleaned metal
• Hell-hole looks very clean
• All original glass, bumpers, interior, suspension, rims, etc. are included
• 901 "side shift" transmission has been taken apart, inspected, and rebuilt
• Lowered hard mounts for drivetrain
• There are some spares included as well (doors, top, misc. / etc.)

The engine is the gem of this purchase in my opinion. Here are the details:

2055cc "build" project in pieces currently (with matching numbers)

• All balanced / clearance as necessary by H&H in Dallas
• 96mm Pistons / Cylinders
• 9.0:1 compression ratio
• 3-angle valve job on 2.0 Heads
• Iskenderian Cams #485128 Grind #VP-228
• Claude's Buggies' Lightened Lifters
• Lightened Flywheel
• Custom High RPM Cooling Fan
• Rotating assembly has been coated with polymer or ceramic coatings by Polymer Dynamics in Houston

I've put down a deposit to hold and will be picking up on Monday. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Plans are for a mostly stock rebuild with an attempt to retain as much value as possible.

Looking forward to this one!

Posted by: Frankvw Jul 13 2016, 03:38 PM

Welcome. Good luck with the pickup. Looking forward to the pics. Are you gonna build the engine yourself ?

Posted by: theleschyouknow Jul 13 2016, 04:10 PM

glad to see another Texan on the board
sounds like a fun project!


cjl

Posted by: 76-914 Jul 13 2016, 04:38 PM

and I would like to see a pic of that special high RPM fan. If'n ya see Linda Lovelace tell her I said .

Posted by: Shadowfax Jul 13 2016, 05:19 PM

From NW Louisiana.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 13 2016, 07:44 PM

As promised, here are some pics.

From the original ad:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00a0a_lDtKQuWlqBt_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00K0K_dV6ZbVPkfJH_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00K0K_1HBneXVMUqJ_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00F0F_5RvyFDJarei_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00B0B_Ppwz7T5D5U_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00P0P_1FizmGDU9A9_600x450.jpg.htmlhttp://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00I0I_comyFbxISF_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00G0G_jaJkoee0YZY_600x450.jpg.html

From today:

Small rust area below trunk button that will need to be replaced:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7328.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7327.jpg.html

Previous rust spot that has been cut out of trunk:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7329_1.jpg.html

Hell-hole area:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7330.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7331.jpg.html

The biggest of the nasty's:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7326.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7325.jpg.html

What does everyone think?

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 13 2016, 07:50 PM

Oops - found some additional pics from original ad:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00202_33Kyy6ZKLaE_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/01616_jZoaUJJt59S_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00909_jMiKPK1VbnG_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00707_2OIhGV4Pzxn_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00505_2Ik5ZGNcvy9_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00Z0Z_jhU53CZfxdI_600x450.jpg.html http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00b0b_Mwtz3NCS99_600x450.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/00X0X_3zRjKTuZ77A_600x450.jpg.html

Posted by: aharder Jul 14 2016, 04:17 AM

Posted by: Beebo Kanelle Jul 14 2016, 05:30 AM

Gig 'Em

Posted by: Grelber Jul 14 2016, 07:52 AM

Was the engine one that Wes did?

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 14 2016, 07:57 AM

Will have to confirm, but that is what I believe I was told. Will get more information from seller when I pick up and likely reach out to Wes' shop as well.

Not sure I'm wanting to tackle the assembly myself yet.

Posted by: blackmoon Jul 14 2016, 08:27 AM

It looks like you have your work cut out for you

Posted by: H&H1981 Jul 14 2016, 09:24 AM

H&H is still open, in case you have heard different. I am Wes' son Jay. Feel free to give me a call. Since I have taken over, we have modernized a bit. Dad hated computers and water pumpers. But I have changed all that. We still, and always will, specialize in air-cooled Porsche's, I just needed to bring us into the 21st century. Check out the webpage www.hhautoenterprises.com

Phone number is still the same. 972-423-8526

Thanks,

Jay

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 14 2016, 09:27 AM

Jay - thanks for reaching out. Good to hear you are still up and running. I will give you a shout once I have picked up the car and taken inventory of everything / know what direction I am heading in.

Posted by: stuttgart46 Jul 14 2016, 04:33 PM

Great to see another 914 in Texas.

Posted by: barefoot Jul 14 2016, 06:52 PM

curious about that fan with the axial flow impeller, never seen one before, who's design?

Posted by: zambezi Jul 14 2016, 10:33 PM

[/quote]
curious about that fan with the axial flow impeller, never seen one before, who's design?
[/quote]

looks like a vw type 3 fan thrown on top

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 17 2016, 11:06 PM

Will see what I can find out on the fan. No big update, but another pic from the seller. Going to pick her up tomorrow after work!

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/image003.jpg.html

Posted by: rjames Jul 18 2016, 10:25 PM

I'd look closely at the hell hole again. Maybe it's just surface rust, but there are appears to be a bit more than that.

Posted by: Elliot Cannon Jul 18 2016, 11:18 PM

It will be a bit of work but when done it will be the best handling little car you have ever driven. Good luck with it and keep us posted of your progress.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 18 2016, 11:41 PM

Just thought I would share real quick - I picked up the car tonight & will post pics tomorrow. But for now, here is the original saga of the car, as told by the seller: http://pohlman.info/muskrat.htm

For any wondering about the cooling fan - the answers are on that page and yes it is a combo with a type 3 fan added.

More to come. This car sure does seem to have an interesting history.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 19 2016, 09:09 AM

Ok, as promised here are some much better pictures from pick-up and drop-off at my storage unit (temporary). I met the seller last night and went over as much as we could before it got dark. He seems like he will be a good resource for any future questions / contacts in the local 914 arena.

Some photos from pick-up / loading up:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7419.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7420.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7421.jpg.html

L30C (Malaga Red, 75/76 only I believe)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7429.jpg.html

Once upon a time it wore its badges with honor…
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7430.jpg.html

As it always seems to go, my initial estimate of required work was a tad low. A closer inspection revealed that the "rust free" 914 (just doesn’t exist, lol) has a few small spots that will require attention. But, the important bits seem to be clean and structurally sound. There is no apparent rust on any of the longs and they door gaps and even with no sag. Here are my initial areas noted for repair:

1. A few patches will be needed below rear trunk release button, on the flat sheet metal that is usually covered by the bumper. These will be easy as it will just be flat rectangle patches that will get stitch-welded in.
2. There are a couple of small (penny sized or smaller) holes in the engine compartment sidewalls. Not sure if these were once factory holes or maybe someone got crazy with a sheet metal screw at one point in the car's history and the rot just manifested from that.
3. There is some rust around the antenna hole, but I am planning on filling this in anyways.
4. There is some bubbling on a corner of the passenger side sail / b-pillar. Might be able to mitigate with a clean & rust treatment but won't know until I dig further.
5. I knew the rear trunk floor pan was cut out when I agreed to purchase, so will be purchasing that patch panel.
6. I found out that someone installed aftermarket A/C at some point, so there are holes cut in the front trunk floor pan. Will have to get that patch panel.
7. A little further investigating into the engine compartment / hell hole led to the discovery of some rust on the lower firewall, where it meets with the engine shelf. It appears on the passenger side and to a lesser degree on the driver side. I studied this carefully yesterday and poked around to ensure it did not lead to any decay on the longs. It appears to be isolated to that one vertical, flat piece on both sides. I'm not sure which piece of a patch panel this is so will have to do some research.
8. Lastly, I will have to add back in the battery support, tray, etc. as they have been removed.

So definitely not a "rust free" car, but really not too bad considering age / it was at one point a barn find (previous seller). I can at least say it is much better off than some of the other teeners I looked at. Some other areas that will need love:

• A corner of the targa top is chipped off, and will have to be re-glassed. I'm not sure what that will mean for texture-match. Also, the front locking mechanisms appear to be missing handles and not properly functioning. Will have to post pics and figure out how to get this top off.
• The main wiring harness is cut aft of the passenger cabin and some of the dashboard wiring sheathing has been compromised. I was told going in that the harness was completely missing, so actually pleasantly surprised to see that it was still mostly in the car. I'm thinking I will use the existing harness and schematics as a template to recreate a new one. Am I crazy?
• The dash "skeleton" or frame is cut in half, but looks to be a clean cut so hoping it will be an easy tack weld back together. The original dashboard pieces are pretty badly cracked and torn up, so will have to do research on replacement options.

The car also came with literally a truck bed load of parts in boxes. I will be going back tonight with Tupperware, tape and sharpies to attempt to identify and organize what's there. I'm going to have to gather my thoughts and do some research, but my plan now is to go for a mostly-stock restoration with some tasteful customizations. This car, despite missing some things and being disassembled, is remarkably original. With that in mind, I think I'm not going to venture too deep into the world of custom modifications. Here are some things I do plan to change:

• Shave the side markers
• Shave the antenna hole
• Add "duck tail" rear spoiler
• Replace "steelie" wheels with fuchs or other
• Replace bumpers with either fiberglass or chrome (if I can find without having to sacrifice a limb or two in order to afford them)
• Thinking of leaving the sail panels / b pillars painted instead of covering w/ vinyl
• Possibly others? Who knows?

The game plan for now is to get the transmission and engine out, get the car up on a wooden rolling cart, remove front and rear suspension and remove any remaining interior / trim / electrical / etc. so that I can trailer it to have it blasted and epoxy-primed. While it's away, I'll focus on organizing parts and dropping the engine off for inspection and likely a build. I'll likely take parts to the powder-coaters / cad-coaters in batches. When it comes back, I'll tackle the metal repairs at my own pace. After that, I will send off for body & paint. I'm trying to stay more "hand off" with this project as I'm without my garage full of tools for the moment. (All subject to change, as with any project)

I'll be tracking every dime I spend, so will post that information for anyone interested in how much the restoration of my 914-4 comes out to. Anyways, here are some pictures:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7434.jpg.html

A few dimples here & there:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7438.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7441.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7436.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7442.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7450.jpg.html

Trunk with missing section(s) of the floor pan:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7443.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7445.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7446.jpg.html

Here is the rot on the firewall / engine shelf. As mentioned, I poked and prodded and the long itself seems solid:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7416.jpg.html

Passenger side:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7447.jpg.html

Driver side:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7448.jpg.html

Here are some shots of the longitudinal(s) and inner fenderwell(s):

Passenger:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7452.jpg.html

Passenger, holes are from where original battery support / tray were spotted in (I think?)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7455.jpg.html

Passenger:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7456.jpg.html

Driver:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7457.jpg.html

Driver:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7459.jpg.html

Here is the chipped corner on the targa:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7451.jpg.html

All tucked away for now:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7460.jpg.html

Fair warning: Once I get everything sorted and labeled, I'm sure I'll be posting pictures & questions about numerous parts & pieces. More to come!

Posted by: theleschyouknow Jul 19 2016, 02:07 PM

longs look good in the pic I'd check the b pillar rust pretty good many times that can go deep
looks like a great start!


cjl

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 20 2016, 09:22 AM

The organization has begun! I went through all boxes from the seller last night. Found a few goodies that I wasn't expecting like runners & plenum from the factory FI as well as a new in box O2 sensor kit. Will have to post pics of that stuff because I know close to nothing when it comes to D-Jet.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7471.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7472.jpg.html

Are the rusty crust exhaust pieces in this picture worth blasting and re-coating or should I toss and buy new? Also appear to have 2 sets of tin for the 2.0 engine so will likely be selling one of those to recoup some $.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7473.jpg.html

Here is a picture of the cut-outs for factory air conditioning. I think I'll get the patch panel from Restoration Design to fix this.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7482.jpg.html

Also, anyone know what these parts are? I'm guessing the left are some sort of 5MPH bumper shocks? And the right some sort of cross-links?

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7475.jpg.html

Posted by: Claus Graf Jul 20 2016, 12:52 PM

Congrats! Looks like you got a solid 914 with minor rust!

Claus

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 22 2016, 07:53 PM

So, today she is a roadster again:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7516.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7518.jpg.html

Also nice to see all my #'s match:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7493.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7497.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7494.jpg.html

I spent a couple of hours after work going through the car to begin disassembly. Nice to see almost no rust under the various seals (except the bottoms of both doors, which were a little crunchy).

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7498.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7502.jpg.html

Bottom of door crunchies:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7515.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7512.jpg.html

Think most of this is surface but will poke around:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7507.jpg.html

Don't know how I feel about the red inserts? I think they are original.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7508.jpg.html

Also dash is in two pieces... Will have to tack together.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7511.jpg.html

Anyone know what this is?
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7510.jpg.html

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 22 2016, 09:17 PM

On the left I are the bumper shocks. Hard to tell from the pics if they're from the front or rear. You should have four total (2 for the front bumper, two for the rear).

On the right kinda looks like drop links for the front sway bar, but they look too big for that. Could be just the way the picture looks, or they could be off some different car.

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 22 2016, 09:24 PM

The foam piece in your last pic is the passenger side foot rest. It goes under the carpeting and at one time held an EGR/Catalytic converter counting device. It was controlled via the speedometer cable. There was a cable that ran from the transmission to that box and another cable from the box to the transmission. The box would set off a light on the instrument panel so that you could bring the car in to have the cat and EGR systems looked at. There was a small reset button on the box, but many owners of 75/76 models just removed them and ran an early car speedo cable and bypassed the box altogether.

914 World is awesome, you'll love it here. And you'll need the knowledge base here because that is a ton of work you've got in front of you.

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 22 2016, 09:28 PM

Red inserts in the seat aren't original. But if Youre not worried about originality just clean them up and install.

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 22 2016, 09:50 PM

Sorry to keep adding posts, but just saw another post I missed earlier. Personally I'd look for another harness rather than try to patch yours up. Couple reasons. I'd go for a different harness. First is that even if you can get all the wires spliced back together, there may not be enough room for a big mass of wires in the engine bay side. As you can tell from looking at your car, there is a ton of stuff running into, near and through that area. Not even counting the engine. Two, that area could be considered an extreme environment, the chance of you developing g an electrical problem in that area down the line (think once the car is complete) is high. Working in that area will be a total PITA once the car is assembled.

Pulling the rest of what you have now out is easy, running a new harness (new as in used) is almost an impossible job on the 75/76 models. I'm sure that was the reason the prior owner cut it in half. But you may as well do this job right the first time, because you're pretty much taking the whole car apart again if you run into electrical issues later and want to put in a new harness at a later date.

Lastly, in response to your question about the exhaust pieces. It looks like the cat itself. I don't think I'd put it back on the car (not needed at this point in Texas due to the age of the car), but I'd probably keep it for future owners if it looks like the exhaust system is complete.

Posted by: Larmo63 Jul 22 2016, 11:03 PM

I feel sorry for you, I really do.

You've caught a sickness that we have and it is VERY hard to get rid of. And:

Posted by: barefoot Jul 23 2016, 06:14 AM

2055cc "build" project in pieces currently (with matching numbers)[list]
[*]All balanced / clearance as necessary by H&H in Dallas
[*]96mm Pistons / Cylinders
[*]9.0:1 compression ratio
[*]3-angle valve job on 2.0 Heads
[*]Iskenderian Cams #485128 Grind #VP-228
[*]Claude's Buggies' Lightened Lifters
[*]Lightened Flywheel
[*]Custom High RPM Cooling Fan
[*]Rotating assembly has been coated with polymer or ceramic coatings by Polymer Dynamics in Houston


[/quote]
Curious about the "lightened lifters" the CB website does not list such an item, what's up ? Anyone have some info?

Posted by: cuddyk Jul 23 2016, 06:41 AM

Congrats! Looks like you've got plenty to keep you occupied. Very cool that you'll be tracking the cost. Most of us are afraid to do that . Why don't we start a contest where we can all take a guess at the final number...

Posted by: charliew Jul 24 2016, 10:09 AM

Welcome to the world site. My son is a aggie me subie hotrodder. we live in the waco area. If you could see my completely original malaga red 75 you would cry when I tell you it is a subie candidate. I also thought it was a original paint no rust colorado, Wyoming car but it has had battery area repairs in the 90's and I have found some small spots that need attention. I have painted several of my projects in the past and had the car a year or so before I noticed the clear coat that may or may not be over the original paint. It does show ppg sanding primer on the jack post covers so it will get a very close inspection when I tear it apart. Also my car doesn't have the cat box in the floor but it did come with the foam piece as extra parts.

There are or was several good guys that part out 914's in the san antonio, austin, houston area that are on the world site. I would see about the rear trunk piece around the texas area as I think it will fit better. Look up strawmans thread I think. I haven't decided if the 1.7 in my car will be a donor motor in another project or not yet. The game plan is to build a motor stand and set it up to run and see how well the fi works. The motor was gone through in the 90's also. I have all the paperwork on the car from about the second owner on. It is all in a big three ring binder that came with the car from the last owner with some show pictures from the 90's. I drove it in the shop. I guess our cars are sisters but maybe mine is still a virgin. If I live long enough it won't stay that way.

I know right now it is hard to work in this heat for me but hopefully not for you. Also I hope you will be doing your own bodywork because your car will not be cheap to bring back. Keep the receipts but forget the labor cost. Do a lot of researching on this site and ask a lot of questions it will save you a lot of time and expense.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 24 2016, 10:56 AM

Rob-O - thanks for the help / advice. Much appreciated.

Larmo63 - you should feel sorry for me, I can feel the disease spreading already.

Barefoot - not sure on the lifters, I'll see about posting a picture of them.

CuddyK - yep, it will be a scary number for sure.. I'm tracking hard costs and my soft costs (labor, etc.) as well but in different categories so it can be broken down at the end. I'll definitely have some sort of guessing contest.

CharlieW - Appreciate the information regarding the local 914 scene. Do you have a build thread started for your '75? I'd love to take a look. This heat is killer, especially worse because my 75 is currently in storage unit with no ventilation. I'll be tackling the metal work but I am no body man, so unfortunately will be looking elsewhere for that.

Went back to CS this weekend to work on my '70 bug project and also built a body stand for the 914 while I was there. Hopefully I can get the powertrain dropped and suspension out this week after work. I'd like to get her up on the body stand so I can haul off to the blasters soon.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 24 2016, 09:06 PM

After a sweat-filled couple of hours this afternoon, the engine / transmission are out!

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7570.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7564.jpg.html

PO's all aluminum, lowered engine hanger / cross bar / mount: (this may go away)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7565.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7566.jpg.html

These heads were supposedly rebuilt with a 3 angle valve job, but have sat outside since and have rusty valves now. Thinking I will probably have them blasted and have new valves put in.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7568.jpg.html

I believe this was the PO's "short shift kit"
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7573.jpg.html

My body stand, ready for action. (http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=213063)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7578.jpg.html

Quick question(s). 1) are these inspection holes from the factory in the bell housing? 2) what is the large bolt threading into the transmission case?
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7576.jpg.html

Also - is this another factory inspection hole? (GC case)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7577.jpg.html

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 24 2016, 09:35 PM

Yes on inspection holes. The bolt doesn't look stock. Typically there is a breather there. Google pics of the 901 transmission and you'll see what's supposed to be there.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 28 2016, 09:45 AM

Quick update. I've spent a couple of nights working on disassembly. Most of the wiring harness is out, the interior is empty, and the last bits I have left are the pedal assembly, heater box assemblies and steering column.

I thought I'd post some additional pics of the firewall rust spots.

This one I knew about and can be seen from both sides. It looks like it will be a fairly simple rectangle patch with a couple of breaks.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7594.jpg.html

This one was new to me, where the firewall meets the floor. Hard to tell in this pic, but bottom right corner of the pan.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7592.jpg.html

I attempted to remove the axle nuts last week with a big ass breaker bar and 3' piece of pipe with no luck, I was spinning the tires on the concrete. So I broke out the impact wrench. The driver's side came off easily enough - but the passenger side was really stuck and once it loosened, tore up threads on the way out. I'm not sure if it was possibly cross-threaded at some point or if the threads were rusty / dirty.

The axle nut is trash but the axle shaft might be salvageable? When fully torqued, the nut would still be in contact with all threads plus it gets a locking cotter pin. Or should I just replace?

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7607.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7609.jpg.html

Posted by: Rob-O Jul 28 2016, 11:37 AM

I would replace for peace of mind. I'm sure you can find a stub axle for maybe $20 plus shipping. Or maybe someone local has one?

Making good progress!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 2 2016, 10:42 PM

Tonight I went through my cases of engine parts to lay everything out in preparation to take it to Jay @ H&H tomorrow evening.

I'm a little concerned at the surface rust on some of these parts that I did not notice on first inspection...

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7669.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7671.jpg.html

All new:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7673.jpg.html

"new" cam on left
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7674.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7679.jpg.html

Teflon coated rods:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7681.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7683.jpg.html

050 Dizzy
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7684.jpg.html

Also, here are some pics of the fan in question from earlier:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7665.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7666.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7668.jpg.html

All loaded up:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7687.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 3 2016, 08:48 PM

Spent the evening with Jay @ H&H in Plano. Great guy and really enjoyed touring the shop and learning the family history. The engine is in good hands now!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 11 2016, 11:08 AM

Pulled the 'teener out to load up and move from the storage unit to my uncle's shop. Here are some pics:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7735.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7734.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7732.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7737.jpg.html

Also lifted the car up and placed on my body stand. The stand itself is sturdy, but the cheesy pneumatic wheels will need to be swapped.

Straps around motor mounts:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7777.jpg.html

Lifting from front & rear:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7778.jpg.html

Tucked away next to the '56 oval project (for sale)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7781.jpg.html

Also, found a "parts car" I am planning to pick up on Saturday. It's a 72 and has 2.0L fuchs, chrome bumpers, some missing interior pieces, transmission, and lots of other goodies. I will probably take patch panels from this car instead of buying new $$ from restoration design.

More to come!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 14 2016, 10:11 PM

Picked up the parts car this afternoon. It's a '72 roller with no motor, no transmission. The engine compartment and hell hole are very clean, but the floors have some holes.

I'll be stealing the fuchs, bumpers, and targa top along with some other small pieces. Then I'll probably post what's left for a few hundred. If it doesn't sell, I'll take anything of value off and scrap the rest.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7837.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7834.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7833.jpg.html

Posted by: porschetub Aug 15 2016, 03:51 PM

Looks like a good sound base for a resto,not as rotten as many I have seen on here.
That parts car will come in handy it will save you having to weld your dash frame back together,god nows why the PO did that ?
Place a WTB for the g/box breather,its function is to vent the oil as it foams up which is important.
Keep up the good work

Posted by: aggiezig Sep 24 2016, 10:55 PM

Quick update for you guys. I pulled the front suspension and got the brakes off of the rear. I need to do some searching to figure out the best way to remove the stub axle assemblies out of the trailing arms.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8063.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8065_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8058_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8069.jpg.html

Took some pics of some of the parts I stole off of my parts car so far:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8007.jpg.html

P/O cut part of the exhaust pipe / flange off of these... wondering if they are worth anything or can be repaired?

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8103.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8105.jpg.html

Also hoping this top is the same style / will fit my '75, need to do some more research as well:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8106_1.jpg.html

Will be tearing into the interior soon to remove all the bits I want to keep:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_8111.jpg.html

Also got some bad news on my engine parts... The shop called to say that the crankshaft and cam I supplied were not useable. Apparently the crank has already been turned .020" under and he did not want to turn again? He also said the heads will need a valve job & new springs. As a result... my estimate has now jumped to $6500-7000 to source those missing parts and build the engine. I'm having a real hard time swallowing this one and not quite sure what the course of action will be at this point.

I'm hoping to get my parts car moved out of storage this weekend so that I can start cannibalizing more and get the shell on the chopping block. Will keep you all posted.

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 4 2016, 10:05 PM

Got the parts car moved out of my storage unit and my uncle is letting me park it in a square of his shop driveway. I spent a good 3 hours pulling parts with a buddy and my Dad last weekend.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0054.jpg.html

Also got the trailing arms out and suspension completely disassembled:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0102.jpg.html

Dad helping out:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0101.jpg.html

Our homemade bearing driver tool:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0103.jpg.html

Ended up using a 1.5" piece of metal pipe to get these out of the arms:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0105.jpg.html

Ready to head to the powdercoater tomorrow:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0114.jpg.html

Posted by: Larmo63 Oct 4 2016, 10:55 PM

There are some parts that you intend to powder coat that need to be carefully masked so they don't get powder coat on them.

Make sure that you know this and which areas need to be protected.

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 17 2016, 04:51 PM

Picked up some shiny clean parts today...

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0354.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 30 2016, 09:29 PM

I was inspired by the octagon / rotisserie that http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=209540&st=0so I decided to go ahead and build one for my project. This will be very helpful when media blasting, epoxy priming, painting, reassembly, etc. All in all, I have around $300 invested including steel, casters, hardware, paint, and some wire / cutting discs.

I had a hard time coming across the CAD plans for this stand but finally found them in the above thread. For anyone looking for these plans... dhttps://www.dropbox.com/s/ege8fnzzsunq0ne/914_Rotisserie.pdf?dl=0.

Here's all of the required metal:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0461.jpg.html

Marked up for cuts:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0466.jpg.html

Dad helped out with some smart ways to square it all up:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0468.jpg.html

Using the bottom hoop as a template for the top:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0471.jpg.html

I started to prep the angle iron for the brackets for the 8 connecting bars but that's about where we stopped tonight.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0469.jpg.html

Hopefully we will finish up the stand this week and possibly get the car mounted in the stand this weekend. I may deviate slightly from the RD drawings as I do not want to re-mount my clean, powder-coated suspension crossmember under the car. I will likely use a piece of 1-1/4" square tubing that's left over and extend the height of the front "pick-ups" off of the hoop.

If all goes to plan... I'm scheduling a media blaster to come out in two weekends. Would be nice to have everything blasted and epoxy-primed before the holidays.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Nov 1 2016, 08:12 AM

Nice project and you are making good time too. I like your dad is helping out. Have fun.

Posted by: aggiezig Nov 2 2016, 09:12 PM

Thanks, Cairo. I definitely appreciate his help.


Had a chance to get just a little more work done this week. The "cross bars" are welded and ready to go and the "hoops" are drilled (should have drilled these before welding together...)

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0504.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0503.jpg.html

All thats left is to add the caster wheels and actual car mounts. Maybe we'll see the teener in this stand in the next few days?

Posted by: aggiezig Nov 5 2016, 10:24 PM

All done... just needs a 914 inside of it!

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0548_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0554.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0553.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0551_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0552.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Nov 6 2016, 06:14 PM

It was a little bit of a challenge, but my 914 is now firmly mounted in its rotisserie!

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0557.jpg.html

The donor that will give life back to my car:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0558.jpg.html

All put away, for now:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0561.jpg.html

Posted by: mbseto Nov 7 2016, 11:02 AM

Nice work. I'm kind of fascinated by these octagon rotisseries. I'm wondering if you could make one out of this:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/galvanized-economic-bale-feeder-2168066?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-2168066&gclid=CNq0l6mPl9ACFZIBaQodNGME6g

$180, it would roll real easy, you would need to add minimal work to add brackets...

Posted by: aggiezig Nov 16 2016, 09:34 PM

Spent a little time this weekend working on some of the repair panels I cut out of my '72 parts car.

I will use this section to replace the missing rear trunk floor on my car:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0576.jpg.html

I trimmed it down to what I will need and cleaned up for a closer inspection:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0584.jpg.html

The typical rear edge where it meets the rear fascia is rusted pretty badly:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0585.jpg.html

Closer inspection finds some holes:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0586.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0587.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0588.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0589.jpg.html

I will be trying to fill some of these holes with a little help from a copper spoon. Hopefully I can salvage this piece because a new one from RD is $$$.

I'll also *try* to cut a patch panel out of this to repair where my car was chopped up for A/C. It definitely will need to be straightened and have a few crack seams welded up. It looks like the car was driven over a few too many things:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0579.jpg.html

There are some bad signs including serious rust under the seam sealer:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0580.jpg.html

Lastly, I stole the battery box & tray out of the parts car. It's in mostly good shape save some surface rust and twisting I did getting it out. It will only need minor repairs:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0581.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0582.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0583.jpg.html

That's it for now. Obviously these pieces will need more work in the future.

Posted by: aggiezig Dec 11 2016, 06:44 PM

Well, it's been a month but I was finally able to align the stars and bring my project home to my garage where I can work on it much more frequently.

Here it is all loaded up on the rotisserie with remaining parts from the 72 parts car:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0838.jpg.html

In transit:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0847.jpg.html

Finally home!
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0844.jpg.html

O/T - correct me if I'm wrong, but is the aluminum crossmember exclusive to the 911? It came out of the 72 parts car:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0841.jpg.html

Well, I wasted no time and dug in to start the sheet metal repairs. As I cleaned off the paint, the rust holes kept getting bigger...
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0849.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0852.jpg.html

Backside:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0861.jpg.html

I was able to fill a few small holes with the welder, but there are three main areas that will have to be gutted (under the trunk latch mount, and under the two side support mounts?)

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0862.jpg.html

All holes cut:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0875.jpg.html

Likely going to have to recreate the bottom 2cm or so of these support braces:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0876.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0877.jpg.html

Here's some rusty porsche for everyone:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0880.jpg.html

After taking measurements, decided to go ahead and fill in the trim holes so I can run without vinyl & cross-trim:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0867.jpg.html

Also O/T, but does anyone know what these carpet nail looking things are for around the rear taillights? I'm thinking they need to be pulled and filled:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0870.jpg.html

Decided to cut into the sail panel and see if there was any rust due to the foam seal inside. I figured there might be as there was some surface rust on the outside of these panels. Surprisingly, it is very clean inside. May not cut open the other side:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0872.jpg.html

At least I have the right sized patch panel? I'm going to coat the inside with rust-proofing before I seal it back up:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0873.jpg.html

That's where I'm stopping tonight. I realized I don't have any sheet metal lying around, so I will have to track some down to make patches.

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 15 2017, 07:58 PM

Time for a few updates… While I was out of town, my Dad was bored enough to wander into the garage and play around with the teener (much appreciated). He knocked out some patches for the side marker warts and also filled the antenna hole:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1193_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1191_1.jpg.html

Heat shield now separated from donor panel and ready to be welded onto new rear trunk floor:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1208_1.jpg.html

He also discovered what must be years of accumulated rat droppings under the headlight buckets:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1212_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1213_1.jpg.html

Enough to fill almost 3" deep inside of our 16 gal shop vac.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1224_1.jpg.html

Still some left even after lots and lots of vacuuming:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1260_1.jpg.html

The insides of these areas under the buckets will have to be treated with master series for sure.

I ordered a (cheap) paintless dent removal tool off amazon to try out on some of the dents on the car. It seems to work pretty well, other than the glue getting stuck to the plastic pullers. Here is a dent we experimented on:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1227_1.jpg.html

Glue applied:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1233_1.jpg.html

Using the puller:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1234_1.jpg.html

Dent is almost gone after one attempt (note it is in fact NOT paintless)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1235_1.jpg.html

After pondering over the patches I needed to make, I broke down and ordered a front and rear trunk floor panel from Restoration Design. We've just about got those in place now, so will update with more pictures soon!

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 18 2017, 11:42 PM

Playing around with some paint stripper...

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1359.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1323_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1355.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1327_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1360.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1324_1.jpg.html

Overall some very clean, very original sheet metal. A few bumps and bruises but no major beating required other than a crease in the front hood.

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Jan 19 2017, 01:55 PM

Decided not to blast it?
Zach

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 19 2017, 02:22 PM

I'm weighing up the time / money question. As of now I am planning to strip the "flat" surfaces and blast all of the nooks / crannies / areas not easily stripped. Should cut down the amount of time needed to blast and allows me to make some progress in the meantime. The whole bottom of the car will be blasted (then epoxy and color-match upol raptor liner).

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 23 2017, 12:22 PM

Time for some sheet metal updates....

Here's the trunk with what was left of the rear floor removed:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0989.jpg.html

We decided to weld the RD floor panel to the existing lip as a flange using rosette welds. Here is that lip cleaned up:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0994.jpg.html

After some sandblasting, you can see the areas that are heavily oxidized with rust (black spots). These areas were treated with PickleX20 and then top coated with Zinc Weld Through Primer for now.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1027.jpg.html

Starting to fit the new panel from RD:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_0999.jpg.html

First issue encountered -- the original trunk floor sat much lower than this replacement panel, causing an interference with the two reinforcement supports and with the trunk latch mounting bracket. In this picture, we had already trimmed the supports and latch bracket to allow the repair panel to slide up high enough in place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1012.jpg.html

Doing some minor shaping to get the replacement panel to fit snugly:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1015.jpg.html

Here's a reference shot of how much higher the new floor sits as compared to the old. The old was spotted in where the holes are drilled. You can see the new floor level through the holes cut for patches.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1018.jpg.html

The second issue we ran into is with regards to these bumper support pieces. Originally, the floor was tacked to these supports (see circles where old spots drilled out):
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1023.jpg.html

The new panels have a corrugation that falls exactly in the middle of this support, creating a gap between the two pieces:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1022.jpg.html

I blasted the tops of these bumper supports so that they could be top coated with Master Series encapsulator as they will be "sealed up" when the floor is welded back down.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1031.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1039.jpg.html

We decided to coat some other areas with MS as well including the inside of the transmission support frame. I also broke out the siphon gun to spray the inside of the sail panel I cut open:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1044.jpg.html

Third issue with the RD panel is that the corners are not formed anywhere close to the shape of the original panel. This leaves pretty significant gaps in the corners. One option would be to unfold the edge, but that would leave practically zero lip to flange to the car. Another option is to fill with seam sealer.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1222_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1223_1.jpg.html

After some final fit and finish, I used screws to hold the new panel firmly in place and rosette welded the panel in. Additionally, I finished the patches on the rear fascia.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1345.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1340_1.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 23 2017, 12:35 PM

Next up... front trunk floor! The front panel from RD was a very close fit and we had no issues getting it in place after some trimming. Similar to the rear trunk floor, we decided to flange the new metal with the existing and use rosette welds. This will call for seam sealer, but a lot less work than seam welding & grinding. I also salvaged the tow hook and spare tire hold down off of the original floor.

RD Patch Panel:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1197_1.jpg.html

Existing mess from aftermarket A/C & sharpie line for rough cut:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1198_1.jpg.html

The "final" hole size:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1199_1.jpg.html

Cutting to size / Fitting Shape:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1204_1.jpg.html

Trunk prepped w/ Zinc Primer:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1250_1.jpg.html

Holes Drilled & Prepped w/ Zinc Primer:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1251_1.jpg.html

Adding Tow Hook:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1253_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1252_1.jpg.html

Fitted & ready for welding:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1254_1.jpg.html

All done (minus the spare tire bracket)
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1265_1.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 9 2017, 10:56 PM

I've been making a lot of progress on unexpected firewall patches and soon-to-be new rear floor pans. Will update with those pics soon... but until then, the 914 just got a new garage mate:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_3213.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_7143.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1347.jpg.html

This is Dad's new project car, however I'll be jumping to help whenever I can. 1962 Sunbeam Alpine Mark II (which also came with a '67 parts car). In pretty good shape for its age with minimal visible rust. The only scary bits might be what is hidden under what appear to be outer rocker repair panels that were riveted on. Will find out soon...

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 11 2017, 11:01 PM

Well, this will be a pretty big update. After spot blasting areas of the floor it was clear that there were quite a few holes and a couple of the seat mounts were looking pretty crusty. There were a few holes in the lower firewall that seemed to grow as well. At that point, we decided it was best to order a rear floor half from Restoration Design.

In the mean time, we got started taking out the old floor and cleaning up the leftover spot welds. In order to do this... the car needed to go up on its side, so it was the perfect chance to test out the rotisserie stand!

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1424_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1425_1.jpg.html

After much much much drilling, the old floors started to come out:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1431_1.jpg.html

Inside of the tunnel, mostly clean. But if you look closely there are three fuel lines - one is the original plastic line and there are two other black rubber lines that were added later on. Of course, this means one of the PO's added another hole in the back of the firewall.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1436_1.jpg.html

Mud dobber nest hiding away in the tunnel:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1437_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1440_1.jpg.html

Of course, once the floor came out and we started cleaning around we found more and more rot. It became clear that I would need to make some serious patches in both inside and outside corners of the firewall. Here's some of the carnage:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1441_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1468.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1459.jpg.html

Note all of the junk that is on the floor that fell out of the inside of the firewall:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1455.jpg.html

Close up:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1456.jpg.html

More holes discovered on the engine side:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1533.jpg.html

Look how thick the white sealant from the factory is! Easily 1/2"
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1547.jpg.html

While examining the firewall, there was a small section of the long that seemed too soft for my liking. I cut it out and made a patch to go in its place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1530.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1528.jpg.html

Weld-through primer:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1536.jpg.html

Repaired and ground down:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1538.jpg.html

Here's the first patch I made for the driver front side of the firewall. I flanged around most of the edges to try and get a better flush fit using rosette welds. This worked ok, but still ended up having to do some stitch welding.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1523.jpg.html

The old crunchy on top, replacement on bottom:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1540.jpg.html

And another patch for the driver backside of the firewall:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1555.jpg.html

Backside patch in place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1552.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1557.jpg.html

Both patches welded in, and tubes for parking brakes repaired and back in place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1586.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1587.jpg.html

Cut out the bad metal from the passenger inside firewall:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1589.jpg.html

Some rust hiding out under the passenger side jack point support plate:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1590.jpg.html

I was hoping to be able to save the passenger outer firewall, but no dice. So this is my mark for what to cut out and replace:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1607.jpg.html

Outside patch welded in and fitting inside passenger patch:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1614.jpg.html

While I was there, I decided to see if there was a good way to add a doubler around the clutch tube as I've seen some other cars with metal fatigue / failure here. I also discovered some more history... it looks like the car had driven over something pretty hard that put a good bend on the middle of the firewall. I made some relief cuts and worked to flatten it back out. This picture is after re-shaping and with weld primer in place for the doubler:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1680.jpg.html

Here is the doubler I made:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1683.jpg.html

Welded in place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1684.jpg.html

After all of the firewall repairs were made, we finished grinding and preparing the flanges for the new floor. Prior to closing up the bottom side, I wanted to do some extra rust prevention measures for the future. We shot master series inside of the tunnel, firewall cavity, crossmember cavity, and into the longs.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1688.jpg.html

All coated with MS & weld primer on the flanges:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1692.jpg.html

Kind of a wild shot with no floors:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1593.jpg.html

Next up was test fitting the replacement floor from RD. Overall, a really quality piece that required minimal fitting for my application. Here is a rough overlay to determine what needed trimming:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1695.jpg.html

We decided to flange the new repair on top of the existing floor at the front edge of the crossmember. This will effectively leave three layers of metal spot welded together at that point. The entire piece was rosette welded into place. Here is the piece with all holes drilled and weld primer on top:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1699.jpg.html

Here it is screwed into place with self tapping screws:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1701.jpg.html

And finally, after a good two hours of rosette welding, here is the new floor firmly in place. I have new support rails and hinge mounting plates for the seats from RD that will go in next.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1702.jpg.html

Unrelated #1, but after quite the fit I also managed to separate the rusty crusty pedal assembly:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1461_1.jpg.html

Unrelated #2, spent a weekend building a nice metal shop table to house a vice and a break for all of the metal work:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1465_1.jpg.html

Phew, that was a long update. The remaining metal work includes two patches higher up on the firewall where it is single layered, a portion of the engine shelf, and adding back the battery box. After that work is completed, I'll shift my focus to blasting the bottom of the car, coating with epoxy primer, seam sealing, and top coat of paint to match bedliner.

I just dropped off another load of parts for powder coating and visited an upholstery shop to get some ideas for a slightly custom interior. In mid-March I'm planning to get started with the engine. I'm making pretty good progress and really pushing to have this teener driving in 2017.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Feb 12 2017, 08:09 AM

Very nice working documentation. That is going to be one very nice chassis when done.

Posted by: jmitro Feb 12 2017, 08:59 AM

nice work. Looked exactly like my crusty old car

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 28 2017, 10:41 PM

Thanks for the kind words, gents.

Small update, but here goes. I ended up spending all of last weekend with my other project ('70 Cal Look) that is stowed away for now. I had it before I bought my teener but, long story short, it's on hold and stored in my old college roommate's house for now.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1796_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1804_1.jpg.html

So, after a weekend of cleaning out / placing the bug body back onto the rebuilt chassis / bringing some tools back, I was pretty pooped. But, I had a little spare time & energy today so I was able to knock out a few quickies on the teener. The new seat support frames / rails from RD are now welded in place. I also cleaned up the jack points / mounts and Dad helped to straighten them out as they were pretty bent up from years of abuse. The backsides were coated with master series and then welded into place. I also took a few minutes after to grind down the high spots of all my rosette welds from the new floors.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1816_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1820_1.jpg.html

I think that's everything I need to do on the underside of the car, so it looks like I may be flipping her back over soon to look at the remaining patches!

Posted by: StratPlayer Mar 1 2017, 05:23 PM

Amazing job, well done

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 1 2017, 07:36 PM

Grinding down rosette welds takes the Fun right outa welding. I like your pace. Don't let up!

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 1 2017, 10:32 PM

Thank you! Just giving the car what it deserves.



Amen... I'm ready to drive this thing already!

Ok, so the fun continues tonight... It is officially time to tear into the hell hole and see what lurks ahead....

Firewall, engine shelf, inner fender, and top of long all rusted with pinholes. In this pic, the lower corner of the firewall has been cut out.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1824_1.jpg.html


So, I started dissecting... Here is everything all opened up with just a little bit of the engine shelf left to cut out. Also appears that a PO hacked off part of the engine tin seal channel and folded it down? Need to confirm but doesn't look original to me.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1827_1.jpg.html

This is the section of the top of the long I cut out and will have to re-create. I did not realize there was a doubler underneath, so I'll have to get creative to weld something back in to retain that original strength.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1831_1.jpg.html

But, still glad I cut it out because the top of the long was pretty pitted with a few pinholes:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1832_1.jpg.html

Pretty clean down inside there:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1828_1.jpg.html

Before stopping for the night, I coated the inside of the long with Master Series:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1834_1.jpg.html

We'll see how energetic I'm feeling tomorrow after work, would really like to get this repair knocked out to say I'm "done" with the major sheet metal repairs.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Mar 2 2017, 07:21 AM

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 2 2017, 11:10 PM

The repair saga continues... doubler is in and so is inner fender patch. These two tiny patches were four hours of work... not fun Next will be the long patch and engine shelf. I can't wait to close this back up.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1838_1.jpg.html

Repair patch for top of long is cut and sitting on top here, but will need final trimming and adjustment.
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_1842_1.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 21 2017, 03:22 PM

Small update... I just got a truck load of parts back from the powdercoaters so will get some pics of those parts soon. Also dropped off the engine at my "go-to" VW engine guy out in Comfort, TX. After closer inspection, the worst is confirmed, and some parts including the rods and crankshaft will be replaced with new. I'm itching to get back in the garage after being out of town for what seems like two weeks. Will post updates on the metal work once I actually make some progress !

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 23 2017, 09:20 AM

Finally got a chance to get in the garage and play last night. Doesn't look like much, but was a few hours worth of fitting and welding.

Hell hole / Top of Long patch fitted to size:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2018.jpg.html

Welded in place (still need to grind and fill holes)

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2021.jpg.html

Also made a new piece for the passenger side sail panel and got this welded in. I was way down on the welder (A-1.5) and used compressed air after each weld to try and prevent and warpage. I think we did ok, but will have to grind and block to see if there is anything serious.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2020.jpg.html

I'm still not sure if I am going to attempt to cut open the driver's side just for peace of mind. The inside of the passenger sail was very clean with no real rot to speak of. I'm wondering if I can find a way to drill / cut a small hole and "melt" the foam out with heat or chemicals. Then spray in some Master Series as future rust prevention. Not sure...

I still need to re-create the missing engine shelf, patch the firewall, and replace the missing engine seal track. And then still need to tack in the battery tray and muffler heat shield. Possibly some of that this weekend? I also have a bit of patch work left to do up where the front trunk seal channel is. There are definitely some crunchy corners that will need replaced. But, once that work is done I think I will be almost done with all metal repairs? Oh... except for the emergency brake pivot mount that is missing a pivot. The list never ends.

Lastly, I discovered two weeks ago when crawling around in the engine bay that the PO, for some reason unbeknownst to me, decided to remove both the rear trunk hinge pivot mounts and then lose one of the brackets. So, rather than fight with welding the OE style mount back in place, I broke down and ordered the J West Engineering kit with heim joints. I also ordered front & rear strut kits from Camp. Should be a nice upgrade. When life gives you lemons...

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 25 2017, 11:12 PM

Time for another update! Today we finished up the engine shelf, creating the patch from scratch. Man, that was a chore. We stared with a gaping hole to fill:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2034.jpg.html

Dad took charge shaping the patch:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2031.jpg.html

The PO had cut out part of the engine seal channel and folded down that portion of the engine shelf out of the way. I decided to cut out some more of the what was left of the original shelf and build out to where the seal channel should go with new steel. We made a template of the driver's side seal channel shape and mirrored it to use on the passenger side.

The main patch of the engine shelf took quite a bit of creative shaping, as neither one of us are skilled sheet metal workers and we certainly don't have all of the typical tools. But, we were able to create a patch that is pretty darn close to the original shape. We used a torch and ball-peen hammer to dimple the metal patch and create a low spot to re-create the original drain hole.

I think it turned out pretty good, but these aren't the best pictures:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2038.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2041.jpg.html

Also managed to blast & paint the exhaust shield and battery box with Master Series. Will be looking to tack these parts in soon:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2043.jpg.html

That's all for now... More metal work updates to come!

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 26 2017, 11:02 PM

Took her out, flipped her over, and got her wet.

I couldn't stand the road grime and grease when crawling around getting in / out of the engine compartment. So, I soaked everything with some super clean and pressure washed. Probably the first time the underside has seen a bath since new? Also ended up washing out a few pounds of petrified rat turds.. think I got the last of them now.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2054.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2055.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2056.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 27 2017, 10:46 PM

Gotta keep going while I'm on a roll...

I used the seat rails to figure out where to mount the hinges back in place on the floor. These were missing since the rear floor pan half was replaced with a new panel from RD. I wanted to make sure there would be no future fitment issues, so I tacked everything with the seat frame in place, then removed to burn in.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2092.jpg.html

I also welded the emergency brake cable guide back in place. I was curious about the overlap of this guide and the outside, driver seat frame mount. But, after referencing the original floor pan it looks like there was some overlap from the factory.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2095.jpg.html

Lastly, got the spare tire hold down back in place in the front trunk.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2096.jpg.html

Slowly getting there....

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 3 2017, 11:54 PM

Some small updates, but first a little day-dreaming:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2137_1.jpg.html

Loving these ABS rockers I picked up from another forum member. Going to look great when actually installed. Note the real shiny section of the door and front fender - I did a little polishing the other day. The original Malaga red shined up pretty good. It's a shame this car was taken apart and screwed with because the paint was good enough to be a survivor with a buff.

I ended up stealing the rotors off of my '72 parts car because they measured out to basically brand new thickness despite some really heavy rust. I had them turned down to within machine limits, so saved some money there vs. buying new rotors all the way around. I'm going to blast and paint the centers black once I get a chance:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2138_1.jpg.html

Now back to the last of the remaining hell hole repairs. I made the firewall patch and got it welded in place on the front side. I didn't feel like crawling around in the hell hole tonight but I'll have to finish the welds on the back side soon.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2145_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2147_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2154_1.jpg.html

On to the front hood seal track... the more I dig the more I discover some really rotten areas under the seal. There are likely 3 corners that will have to be replaced, like this one here:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2151_1.jpg.html

The passenger side where it meets with the fender has some areas of concern that really need to be cut out and replaced. I tried to tack weld up some of the rust holes but the more I poke around the less I trust the metal that's actually leftover. So, I think I'm going to cut it out in three sections, but it's going to be a pain in the butt to recreate some of this...

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2158_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2157_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2156_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2155_1.jpg.html

More to come once I figure out my game plan for the seal channel replacement. I'm also planning to knock out fitting the new J West hinges and Camp hood struts soon. My goal is to have all of the "metal work" done in April, so that I can strip down to bare metal and epoxy prime in May.

Posted by: jesse7flying Apr 4 2017, 09:51 AM

Great work and great thread! I've got the same problem with the channel seal on my 914, so I'm paying close attention to how you go about fixing the problem. Thx.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 4 2017, 08:57 PM

Thanks! Good to see another TX member here. Wish me luck with the seal channel... I'll take lots of pics and post them here for you.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 6 2017, 08:26 AM

Took the plunge last night and decided there was no time like the present to start cutting.

I've decided on two areas that need to be cut out, but I will make it out of three patch pieces. The black lines outline where I will cut:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2166_1.jpg.html

I had to use a pretty unique combination of tools to get the old channel out without damaging the inner fender wall too much. The long straight cuts were made with an air cut off and 4" disc. Then I drilled holes so I could fit my air body saw with a small blade to do the "cross" cuts. I drilled out the factory spot welds in the flange and then used a hammer and chisel to finally persuade everything out.

Spots drilled:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2168.jpg.html

Everything cleaned out:http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2170.jpg.html

Note that the further back you get towards the windshield, the inner fender wall starts to curve back towards the outside of the car. This just barely crossed the underside of my back patch, you can see in the above picture. I cleaned up the rough edges with my mini air belt sander where it would fit, and used the wire wheel to prep the metal and remove the factory seam sealer where I would be welding (that sh*t catches on fire easily).

Next, I made up some cardboard templates for the three patches:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2173.jpg.html

Here is the first patch made and sitting in the hole:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2174.jpg.html

That's where I stopped for the night, will get back to it soon and finish up the other two patches. It's really not been as bad as I thought so far, the worst part was just figuring everything out and then teasing the old metal off the car. Yes, some of it was paper-thin.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 8 2017, 10:24 PM

Spent most of today at the Mecum auction in Houston. Pretty sweet to see the action in person, plus there were over 1000 cars there this weekend. No teeners but a few 911's and a 356B. If you've never been, it's worth the $20 to go if nearby.

Anyways... back to the trunk seal channel. I made the two remaining patch pieces. One is just an "L" and one was a "U". Here's a pic of the "L" in place:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2182.jpg.html

Missed a picture of the "U" patch, but here is everything all welded in:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2183.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2186.jpg.html

I got sidetracked after finishing those patches and decided to go ahead and make the modifications for early bumpers to the front. I first took off the side rails by drilling out the original spot welds:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2188.jpg.html

Then took off the extra lip for late rubber bumpers in front of the headlights. Same technique here, just drilling spot welds:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2187.jpg.html

At this point, I stopped to read old threads and ponder what the best way to handle the remaining rail was. I've seen some just cut it flush with the seal channel, but that feels unfinished to me and I don't like leaving the extra strip of metal there. Additionally, I knew there would be some rust between the two pieces of metal. I decided to remove the front rail completely by drilling out spot welds:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2190_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2196_1.jpg.html

Next, I identified all of the corners I will have to rebuild. I was thinking it was only three, but I found four corners that were rusted out and a possible fifth patch up at the top of the seal channel on the driver's side. Yeesh, these stupid little fixes keep adding up time.

Driver's upper, inner headlight bucket corner, rust already cut out:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2193_1.jpg.html

And, here is the repair:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2195_1.jpg.html

Driver's lower headlight corner:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2199_1.jpg.html

Here is the fix:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2202_1.jpg.html

Still to go, passenger's lower headlight corner:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2198_1.jpg.html

Also remaining, driver's upper, outer headlight corner:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2200_1.jpg.html

Possible fifth patch up on the driver's side:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2201_1.jpg.html

Going to try my best to knock out those three remaining corners tomorrow to be done with the trunk seal channel. I really was not expecting to spend this much time on the front trunk, oh well. More to come tomorrow, hopefully!

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 10 2017, 12:10 PM

Few more repairs done...

Here is the passenger lower corner rebuilt:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2216_1.jpg.html

I was able to drill through the pin-holes and fill with new weld at the driver's upper, outer corner. Will grind and see what I'm left with, hoping this is enough with some rust conversion and encapsulation:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2218_1.jpg.html

Off topic, but managed to blast and paint my rotors with some satin black. Much better:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2220_1.jpg.html

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 12 2017, 03:57 PM

If you will recall, I was missing both factory trunk hinge mounting points from my car as the PO removed them for some unknown reason. Well, last night I got around to fitting the new J West trunk pivot mounts with heim joints. Overall, it wasn't too bad of a process. The hardest part was figuring out exactly where I wanted to align the trunk lid to still have maximum future adjust-ability. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good.

Here is the lid taped down after we shimmed (with an old valve cover gasket) to get the lid where we wanted it:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2263_1.jpg.html

Then, I crawled underneath and marked the holes with a sharpie. The trunk lid had to be removed to drill the holes, and even then two of them were challenge because of the angle you have to attack them from. Here is the mounted J West pivot:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2266_1.jpg.html

Lastly, a pic with the trunk hinge installed and in place:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2267_1.jpg.html

Also realized last night I might not be able to fit my Camp 914 struts while the car is still in the rotisserie as you cannot open the trunks all the way... Oversight on my end.

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 12 2017, 04:50 PM

You could have welded that in place. Probably not a bad idea to seam weld it if you can grind a clean spot on that piece. I believe that JWest hinge is for those that don't want to weld. Enjoying your build thread.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 12 2017, 11:28 PM

I did kick that idea around before getting started. But, I ultimately decided against it because I figure the pivot will get more sheer strength from the two plates being bolted together on either side of the inner fender wall. Who knows, but somehow I rationalized it in my head. I will be painting the black brackets body color to help disguise them.

On another note, glad you're enjoying watching my learning curve

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 14 2017, 09:29 PM

My hell hole repair is finally completed!!!

I finished up remaining welds and ground everything down. Not looking for a Dave Kendig perfection engine bay, but I didn't want my weld seams to stick out like a sore thumb. I soaked master series into the seams and brushed under where the battery tray will go / around the HH in general. I will probably end up blasting most of this off, but at least I know there is some rust protection in the nooks and crannies.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2312_1.jpg.html

Here is my "re-purposed" battery tray out of the 72 parts car. It's not perfect but it's in decent shape. I had a little issues getting the flanges to align with my long / inner fender wall. So, I re-shaped some of the flanges and made a new "L" flange piece on the bottom inner edge (closest to the engine) to help support the tray. Not factory by any means, but should to the job. Still need to clean up these welds.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2313_1.jpg.html

I stole some engine seal channel from a VW Beetle rear apron to replace the missing section of my 914. Not an exact match as the Type 1 seal channel is a little taller, maybe 3-4 mms. But, it should be close enough that with a little bending here and there, the 914 seal fits in place without problem. This was kind of a pain in the butt to weld in place, as I am not a skilled enough welder to not leave some weld in the channel where the seal would eventually go. So, I folded out the edges of the channel around the places I plug welded just enough to fit my air belt sander in place and grind them down after the fact. Then, when everything was smooth again, I bent it back to the "C" shape.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2314_1.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2319_1.jpg.html

I think I am finally getting close to done with metal work...

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 30 2017, 08:37 PM

Here's a nice break from all the metal work... I picked up my "new" engine longblock this weekend. This project ended up costing quite a bit more than I had planned once we discovered some of the parts that came with the car were not worth using in the rebuild. I'm taking a nice break from grinding and welding to get the top end assembled so I can hear this thing roar to life.

Here are some specs for the 2056:
-Factory GC Case, align-bored .020" Over
-New DRD C/W Forged 71mm Crankshaft
-New Connecting Rods
-New AA 96MM Pistons
-New Webcam 86a & Lifters
-Original, stock oil pump
-Original, lightened flywheel
-Rebuilt 2.0L Heads
-New Webcam HD single springs
-OE 911 Swivel Adjusters
-9.1:1 Static Compression

Will be adding a pertronix flamethrower III distributor and a set of Empi HPMX IDF 40 dual carbs shortly.

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2392.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2394.jpg.html

Still amazed by how clean these heads came out after bead blasting:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2396.jpg.html

I spent some time test-fitting cooling tin this afternoon. I will get this cleaned up and powder-coated for final assembly:
http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2405.jpg.html

That's all for now, but a nice distraction from all the metal work!

Posted by: aggiezig May 15 2017, 10:31 PM

Work has picked up and progress has screeched to a halt... I'm trying to pick away at small things for now until I can get a free weekend. I bought an oil filter adapter off of a world member and installed that and the oil cooler this weekend.

Also bought a 3-4 side passenger tin as the one I had was a 1.7/1.8 and the plug holes were in the wrong spot. It needed some repairs as a PO had hacked up the coil bracket mount. My repairs are rough, but good enough for engine tin:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2542.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2545_1.jpg.html

I'm going to drop the tin off tomorrow with the powder coater, hopefully I'll have some tin soon and be even closer to a break-in run of my new engine.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 9 2017, 10:54 PM

Wow long time, no post. Life has gotten in the way of working on my 914, but I am still pecking away every now and then. I've also been dreading updating this thread as photobucket has decided to limit my image hosting bandwidth unless I want to buy some absurdly expensive hosting plan . I knew I was going to have to make a switch, so now using IMGUR to host pics. If for some reason my previous pictures in this thread don't load, blame the greedy bastards at photobucket.

The engine is assembled and tucked away on it's test stand, ready for first fire and break-in. Side note -- how crucial is removing pushrods when building oil pressure? Seems like a lot of extra work.





Pretty much all of the "big" metal work is knocked out on the body. I started stripping down the car today. First, I roughed up the surface with my DA sander. Then, I applied chemical paint stripper. After scraping all of the paint off, I neutralized with water. I roughed over all of the stripped areas with 80 grit on the DA. Lastly, everything was coated in Picklex 20 as it will likely sit for a few weeks as bare metal.











There were a few dings and dents I beat on as I worked on stripping. Also found a hole by the rear passenger taillight corner when wire wheeling some rust spots under the paint. All in all, this is a very honest car with just the one (factory?) layer of paint on it. Pretty neat to see her back down in her birthday suit. I needed to do something to get the motivation started again...

The original plan was to sandblast everything, but I'm now making an analysis of what will be the best / easiest / quickest way to strip different areas of the car. I'm going to strip / sand the big flat areas that would otherwise take a while to blast. This will hopefully just leave me with seal channels, jambs, inside trucks and under the car to blast. Staging it this way will also let me keep working until I am set up and ready to blast.

I'm also thinking through now what will be the best way to stage the body work, primer and eventual paint. Pretty soon I'm going to have to commit to a color. I'm really leaning towards Adriatic Blue...

Posted by: Larmo63 Jul 9 2017, 11:53 PM

You aren't going to use the cooling flaps and thermostat on this engine?

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 10 2017, 08:04 AM

When the time is right and I have money to spare, I'll purchase those bits as I am missing everything. For first fire and break-in, I'll be fine without them. Last time I checked, I believe replacing all of the missing pieces was going to push $400, yikes. I'm procrastinating as long as I can.

Posted by: jesse7flying Jul 10 2017, 09:26 AM

+1 on the Adriatic Blue. My 914 has been painted a weird shade of yellow and I thought I would update with a correct shade of yellow, but after a lot of thought, I'm going back to the original Adriatic blue. Nice work! Keep it going.
Jesse

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 23 2017, 10:46 PM

If you missed my other thread, I'm choosing hard between colors. I think I've ruled out the original Malaga Red (gasp ) and I am now between Adriatic Blue and Mexico Blue. I love the way Adriatic looks when in the sun, but in the shade / inside it definitely gets darker. Mexico Blue is simply a fun color. Not going to be an easy decision...



This weekend we built a temporary blast / spray "booth" to do some sand blasting and get some epoxy primer on the car. I'm doing the stripping / spraying in stages. Its' not ideal but it keeps me and the project moving. Man, I forgot how much work sandblasting is. It sure seemed to go quicker when I was blasting my beetle.

Here are some pics inside the booth. Ignore the spot blaster, all of this work was done with a Harbor Freight 100lb blaster and "clean bite" glass media.









I ended up taking the rest of the seam sealer out of the front compartment of the front trunk. I'm too afraid of rust hiding out underneath the original sealer. I am going to order an air needle scaler to tackle the tight spaces of the back compartment of the front trunk.

After blasting, I wiped down the fresh metal with Picklex20. Here are some pics after cleaning & tack ragging:





Lastly, here she is after Eastwood epoxy primer in white:







I broke down and bought an inner long / stiffening kit that should show up this week. I will probably end up stripping down the cabin with wire wheels and the like. I still need to strip the engine bay and underside of the car. Fun fun fun...

Posted by: mbseto Jul 24 2017, 07:32 AM

I wish my "pecking away every now and then" resulted in as much progress as this. Looking great!

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 25 2017, 10:30 PM

Thanks mbseto. Your build isn't looking too shabby either, and you definitely have more metal work than I ever dreamed. I admire your patience!

I finished cleaning up the back half of the front trunk and sure enough found some rust under the factory seam sealer. This was a lot of work... it took two of us 2 hours or so picking away with about 10 different tools to get it all out.







Accidentally punched a hole through here, will have to repair:


Hard to see in this pic, but I decided to put a coat of master series over the seam line to encapsulate and treat any rust before epoxy:


Here she is in epoxy primer:





I also starting working on filler in a few small dings. I'm dreading stripping the rest of the paint on the bottom of the car, but I know that needs to come first.

Posted by: aggiezig Sep 10 2017, 11:10 PM

Hello world, time for an update! Progress has been slow, it sure seems like one step forward and ten back. For some reason I convinced myself last minute to add a chassis / long stiffening kit while I had the interior stripped down. I purchased the Maddog long stiffening kit. I have to admit that it wasn't as seamless of an installation as some of the write ups make it seem, or maybe I am just too nit-picky.

I cleaned out any and all seam sealer and used master series in the seams to prevent future rust flare ups. I drilled a pin hole in the door hinges and took the doors off as well to make some extra space.







Here are the stiffeners welded in place. I used some Eastwood self-etch weld-through primer under the new pieces. Lots of crackling and my welds were not the prettiest so there was some grinding to be done. For some reason, this new steel seemed to melt away way too easily with little heat, even compared to the 40+ year old OG German steel.





I decided to blast the inside of the cabin after several hours of trying to clean it by other means. The blasting worked pretty well until the cheap HF blaster started acting up and stopped feeding. There was about 10% left to do at that point so we broke out the wire wheels and scotch pads.





I noticed some of the seam sealer cracking where the fender meets the A pillar, so Dad helped clean it all out. There was a little bit of rust underneath but not as bad as we expected.





Side note: I would like to time travel back to 1975 with a 12-gauge and some buck shot to address whomever slopped so much seam sealer on this car. It never freaking ends.

The one downside to sandblasting is obviously the leftover sand. We spent a good amount of time blowing air and vacuuming crevices to try and get all of the grit out. Here we are prepping for paint:



I decided to put a thin coat of master series over the whole bottom half of the tub to prevent any rust from flaring up. It's not pretty but it gets the job done.





Finally, it was time to spray some epoxy primer. I laid a full wet coat on and a second coat in some select places. This Eastwood stuff sprays really well out of my Starting Line guns. No complaints there.









This was a good dry run for learning how to bend and reach to spray certain areas of the car. I'm not sure how I'm going to do when it comes time for color, because I had my fair share of bumping the air line into fresh paint or backing into the windshield frame. Will be fun...

Here is a good picture that illustrate why sand blasting may not be the best choice. Despite our efforts of getting all the sand out, it just keeps coming. I noticed when spraying but it was already too late. There is some fine grit in a few areas and this is just an example picture. I will knock it down with some sandpaper before color. Good thing this will all be hidden except for the door jambs.



Of course, what would a good weekend's worth of work be without a few surprises. I found two new rust spots I was unaware of during blasting, both on the passenger side door jamb / sail panel area. Hopefully I can just tack these up without blowing through the metal too badly.

The front fenders and front cowl are what's left to epoxy prime. Then, the whole topside will be in white and all that's left will be to flip the car over and tackle the bottom (no easy task).

Hoping I can stay motivated and push through while we're having some nice weather here in TX.

Posted by: porschetub Sep 11 2017, 12:28 AM

Very impressed have been following progress....POS to really nice car is my thoughts,well done.

Posted by: Tbrown4x4 Sep 11 2017, 03:09 AM

I didn't see if anybody answered your question about removing pushrods to build oil pressure. Never heard of such a thing.

Adjust your valves. Remove your sparkplugs and disable the ignition. Crank until you get oil pressure, then install spark plugs, connect ignition, and fire it up. Maintain 2000 RPM for 20 minutes to beak in the cam. (Or whatever the cam MFG recommends.)

Posted by: barefoot Sep 11 2017, 04:46 AM

Also bought a 3-4 side passenger tin as the one I had was a 1.7/1.8 and the plug holes were in the wrong spot. It needed some repairs as a PO had hacked up the coil bracket mount. My repairs are rough, but good enough for engine tin:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2542.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2545_1.jpg.html

[/quote]

The probable reason your tin was hacked up is that the coil mounted in that location often creates cracks due to heavy coil mounted on flimsy sheet metal. Mine was cracked badly in these locations as well.
You should mount the coil on the fan housing where it's much stronger as sone years were done

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 3 2017, 11:57 AM

Thanks for the kind words, they help to keep me motivated



That's exactly what I was planning to do. Good to hear some confirmation from someone else that my break-in plan was sufficient without pulling the pushrods.



Good catch & good advice. I will see if I can find a better place to mount the coil

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 3 2017, 12:16 PM

Well, I can finally say that the whole topside of the car is in epoxy primer. It took a lot longer to get here than I originally anticipated, but that's probably a true statement of most projects.

I noticed some black specs on my nice, new white epoxy primer in the front trunk. Turns out I'm an idiot and should have covered up the fresh paint before continuing with grinding, sanding, etc. So I forced myself to scuff down the entire front trunk and clean all of the mess off in order to re-spray another coat of epoxy on top. My fear is that those hot grinder sparks that melted through the original epoxy primer could have one day rusted through the top coat. Hopefully now I have abated that issue.

It was also a good chance to spray the front fenders and front area under the bumper while I was at it. I decided to spray essentially the whole front clip in one go.

I did a little bit of body work on my fenders prior to spraying the epoxy as the metal had warped where we filled in the wart holes. There is still some more filler work that will need to be finessed on top of the epoxy, but at least now I don't have to worry about the bare metal sitting out and rusting.

I was using eastwood fast etch to help mitigate the flash rust, but I noticed that even after cleaning with PRE (as recommended prior to painting), I still had adhesion issues with any type of filler. So in my paranoia I decided to go ahead and put a light coat of master series over the bare metal and under the epoxy primer. This should prevent any rust from coming through. I know... probably overkill.

Here are some pictures of cleaning / prepping and painting:

Posted by: bbrock Oct 3 2017, 01:30 PM

Thanks for the update.

You have been one of my several mentors as a follow behind and do my best to mimic the quality. It is a high bar to leap!

Posted by: aggiezig Oct 31 2017, 11:35 AM

Wow, that's one heck of a compliment. Much appreciated!


I decided it would probably a good idea to seam seal the car before blasting the bottom side so that I can try to keep too much sand from getting into the cabin / trunks. I'm using Eastwood brushable seam sealer in gray. It's not the easiest to work with and starts to get tacky really quickly. However, it can be molded / re-shaped if you spray some of their PRE paint prep on top of it before it fully cures. This makes it easier to smooth out hard tape lines after the fact.

I went ahead and masked around all of the seams to try to create the cleanest looking result possible:





It's not perfect, but looks great from 5 feet. I decided some of the pinholes from blasting the rust in the trunk aren't worth my time to cut out & replace. Especially when they are going to get covered up by bedliner / carpeting. This isn't "perfect" but I think it will do the job. The rust has already been neutralized with the blaster and fast-etch, so shouldn't be a recurring problem.





I've also done the front trunk but forgot to take pics... will get those posted soon.

While I was working, I went ahead and took a look at some of the surprise rust I found when blasting.



I tried to fill these holes with MIG weld, but there seems to be brazing and lead filler here as well... Not sure if from a previous repair or from the factory? At any rate, I will likely turn to aluminum filler once I know it's structurally sound.



I think I've decided to blast the underneath in two stages. First, I'll tackle the wheel wells and get them in epoxy primer or master series. Then, I'll do the rest under the floors. That way I can work in stages and bedline the underside all at once.

Posted by: aggiezig Nov 6 2017, 08:50 PM

Making progress....

This weekend we tackled blasting the fender wells an outer rockers as a part of the effort to blast the underside of the car in two stages. There is just so much factory seam sealer on the bottom of the car that I decided it wasn't feasible to remove every last bit.

Instead, we focused on removing seam sealer anywhere it appeared to be cracked or rusted through. This resulted in removing about 50% of the factory sealer. There are some nooks and crannies where it just wouldn't be feasible to take it all off unless you were cutting fenders off.

After removing as much as we could, we masked up over the fresh epoxy paint to prevent sand from getting everywhere during blasting.





Then, it was time to start blasting...



(enthusiasm quickly faded after this picture)


After a couple of hours of blasting and about 400lbs of abrasive, we knocked out the inner fenders. We even managed to blast the backsides of the fenders. I was on a mission to remove any remaining trace of red paint as the car will be a color change. Here is the end result:









Now, what's left to blast is the "center" section or the flat bottom of the car (and the engine bay). Hopefully, what's left will go quicker as it's easy to access and the paint appears to not be as thick.

I also found some nice swiss cheese rust holes under the headlight buckets. These were full of mice droppings when I got the car. The insides have already been cleaned and encapsulated, but now I have these to deal with:





It amazes me to see what engineers at the time thought were good ideas for longevity. Up in the far corner in the rear of the vehicle, under the factory seam sealer appears to be open cell foam. This will have to come out...



With all of that said, I now have a big section of the underside clean and in Master Series rust encapsulating primer as a preventative measure (pics to come). My goal is to do the remaining portion in a couple of weekends and prime it as well. Once the whole bottom of the car is clean and primed, I will cover it in color-matched raptor liner bed liner. That means I have to actually pick which color blue I want to go with soon...

More to come.

Posted by: 76-914 Nov 7 2017, 02:16 PM

Looking good. It's a great time of the year for working in TX.

Posted by: barefoot Nov 7 2017, 05:17 PM

Also bought a 3-4 side passenger tin as the one I had was a 1.7/1.8 and the plug holes were in the wrong spot. It needed some repairs as a PO had hacked up the coil bracket mount. My repairs are rough, but good enough for engine tin:

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2542.jpg.html

http://s120.photobucket.com/user/cameraman123_photos/media/IMG_2545_1.jpg.html

[/quote]
Put you coil where God intended on the fan housing, Mounted on the top tin will just result in future cracking in the same place (ask me how i know)
(photo borrowed from someone else's engine)

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 29 2018, 12:45 AM

It's time for a big and long overdue update. In the last couple of months I've been making steady progress trying to button up the bottom side of the car. I think half of this whole car restoration thing is a psychological game. So, I figured that if I can get at least half of the car in color, it'll mentally push me closer to the finish line. With that goal in mind, work started on prepping the bottom of the car for color matched raptorliner bedliner paint.

First up was picking away at the foam material that the factory hid up inside the rear fender-wells. I'm very thankful that Dad decided to take on this job, picking away at the nasty stuff with a variety of different tools. We didn't get all of it out, but as much as we possibly could.





Next up was knocking out some of the remaining metal work. After blasting, we found some pinholes under the headlight buckets. I really wanted to avoid having to make and shape this piece, so I worked slowly trying to fill in the holes with mig weld. Almost all of it was fixed this way, just leaving a small area I cut out and patched later.





I also fixed the gaping holes left by the dealership that installed the air conditioning in this car. From what I can tell, they butchered open this area to use as a pass through for lines. I just made a patch and plug welded it in place.





In the process of running of hacking away original metal, they also removed a door sill support. I'm guessing so they'd have more room to run some sort of lines. I fabricated a piece to replace what was missing based on the original support on the other side of the car. I think it turned out pretty good.





After the metal repairs were complete, the entire bottom side of the car and the engine bay were coated in master series rust encapsulator primer. Even though it was freshly blasted metal, this should keep anything from ever coming through the paint. It should also keep any rock chips from ever growing into a rust spot.







All original factory seam sealer was removed and will be replaced. I wanted to have a good primer underneath the seam sealer first.





I'm going to break this update here before it gets too long. Keep reading below…

Posted by: aggiezig Jan 29 2018, 12:46 AM

Now that the bottom side of the car was covered in primer, I started to plan out the remaining steps. First up was sealing all of the underside seams before spraying anything else on top. I used Eastwood seam sealer and to be honest, wasn't too satisfied with the results. Their brushable stuff is a lot easier to use that the kind you squeeze out with a caulk gun. It was hard to smooth and really didn't turn out too great in my eyes. At least it will all be covered up with bedliner.







You won't be able to tell from reading this forum post, but it was at this stage that the car sat for several weeks while I waited on the weather to play nice so I could spray paint. It's been unusually cold and very rainy here in Houston. I spent the time prepping the silver primer and masking off the car. UPOL also recommends (and I did) spraying etch primer over any bare metal before spraying the raptor. Worth noting, I think this is the first time the car has been completely inverted while in my octagon rig.



I decided to first spray single stage color over the areas that I didn't want a high build of bedliner. This included anywhere that was a mount point for something. I also sprayed color around the "edges" where it will later blend with the color coat on the top of the car. This car actually has a lot of really great places to create break lines for paint.





After the single stage color was down, I would follow up with the color matched raptor liner and overlap to blend where necessary. In practice, I made two mistakes. First, was not allowing enough flash time after the single stage paint. I think some of my raptor liner runs came from issues here. Second, was not paying attention when spraying raptor and I ended up getting it some places I was trying to avoid. The third mistake was not starting earlier in the day…













In case you hadn't noticed, yes - the car will be Mexico Blue. And yes, it is that bright in person.

A few thoughts for anyone considering going this route…

• I used a standard bedliner kit from UPOL. This included (4) bottles of liner, which was exactly enough to cover. I wish I had another bottle or two to do a second light coat. It's by no means thin anywhere, but it would be nice knowing there is another coat on it.
• Also, the UPOL instructions are very unclear on a few things… If you fill up the containers exactly as they say, you will overfill their bottles. I ended up dumping everything out and measuring in cups, then pouring what would fit back in bottles. It should be 250ml of activator and roughly 100ml of color (approx. 10% by volume).
• Make sure to purchase your tinting color without binders. My paint shop had no issue mixing it this way for me. I used PPG JAU Single Stage Acrylic Urethane paint to tint and one quart ran me about $30.
• You can adjust your air pressure to achieve the desired texture. I ended up shooting somewhere around 65-70 PSI.

I'm really pleased with the color and mostly pleased with the results. It's not 100% perfect and there are a few places where I got a little heavy handed and the texture shows accordingly. I think for a weekend warrior like myself, it turned out about as good as can be expected.

The plan now is to cover the fresh bedliner with plastic so it doesn't get trashed while I move on to bodywork. I'll get the car flipped back over later this week and start working on areas that need filler. Hope you all enjoyed the update, I'll be back with more soon.

Posted by: jd74914 Jan 29 2018, 12:56 AM

That looks great! Awesome color!

Thanks for adding some tips. I'm planning on going the same way when mine finally gets to this point so its nice seeing what works for others.

Posted by: djway Jan 29 2018, 01:48 AM

Everyone has that problem with the color tint UPOL. You did the right thing. I will be going the same route on the 914 I am working on. I did this on the 59 Ghia and it is really quiet. Good to know how many bottles to get. Love the color, it is on my final 10 list. One thing I have noticed with the epoxy is that if you get a chip in the exterior color it tends separate at the epoxy. I actually used a rougher grit before I spayed primer over it the second time I used the epoxy and that is where it chips so we know one thing. The epoxy really sticks to the metal!

Posted by: Cairo94507 Jan 29 2018, 09:41 AM

Nice work and nicely detailed progress. Mexico Blue is a great color. Keep up the great work.

Posted by: bbrock Jan 29 2018, 11:39 AM

Nice! I've been waffling between using 3M Body Schutz or Raptor on mine but have been leaning more and more toward Raptor. I'll be referencing this when the time comes. Thanks for posting details and tips!

Posted by: Shadowfax Jan 29 2018, 12:04 PM

Thanks for the update. Car is looking really good. Love Mexico Blue!

Posted by: turk22 Jan 29 2018, 09:14 PM

very enjoyable to watch your progress, thanks for all the detail, and keep on going!

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 5 2018, 06:14 PM

I really appreciate all of the kind words, it helps keep me motivated!

I picked up some PPG Concept DCC Single Stage paint last week. Man, that stuff is pricey but supposed to be miles ahead of Shopline. I guess we'll see! I'm working now on prepping my trunks, cabin and engine bay for two or three coats of color.

I figure that will probably take me the rest of this month as each section has to be sanded, seam-sealed and then masked off before painting. I'm hoping that seeing the color inside of the car will really motivate me to knock out the remaining filler work on the outside so that I can get the whole thing in color.

More pics to come soon, hopefully.

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 23 2018, 10:09 AM

Lately I've been dreading the last two areas I have to seam seal (the cabin and the engine bay). I knew both were going to be a pain in the a$$ to mask off and when it comes to seam sealer I must have some sort of perfectionist complex. I decided to tackle the cabin this week, hoping that I could get enough done to consider spraying color inside the car.

I bought a new tube of SEM seam sealer and gave it a shot earlier this week. Long story short, I would not recommend this product. It dries (for my use) way too quick and gums / balls up very easily. By the time I went back to pull the tape off of a section, it had dried so much that I ended up pulling the whole seam off. After a frustrating few hours with this stuff, I decided to try another route.

It was also at this point that I realized I was being a perfectionist about this area of seam sealer for no reason. The cabin is going to be covered in sound deadening and then carpet / trim. So, none of this will ever be seen... With that in mind, I decided to go back to brushable sealer. This time, I tried Evercoat's product. I think I found a winner. This product is a little bit thinner than the Eastwood stuff and easier to spray. It takes longer to tack up and skim so you have plenty of time to work with it. I will probably mask the seams in my engine compartment and use this stuff when the time comes.

Here are some pics of the seam sealer inside the cabin:









And some pics of the much cleaner seam sealer lines in the front trunk:





I'm hoping to be able to spray color in the front trunk and also the cabin this weekend. Everything is scuffed so it just needs to be cleaned and masked for paint. I think I will have to set up my canopy in the driveway because the pollen is still really bad down here. Wish me luck!

Posted by: bbrock Mar 23 2018, 10:50 AM

Can't wait to see your next update. Good luck!

Posted by: 914forme Mar 23 2018, 08:45 PM

Great work with the Raptor I am liking this one

Posted by: Shadowfax Mar 25 2018, 11:27 AM

Great progress! Pollen is bad here too sniff sniff

Posted by: Mueller Mar 25 2018, 11:52 AM

Awesome amount of work, it looks great. The "next" owner of my car can do all that work, mine will never be torn down to that level and I'm okay with it

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 26 2018, 09:33 AM

Well, it was a productive weekend for us! Progress was slow as usual, but the front trunk and cabin are in Mexico Blue and that is a big step forward. No, it's not show quality paint but I think it looks pretty great for parts of the car that will never be seen.

Before I could lay any paint, there were a few things to attend to besides scuffing and cleaning. One of those tasks was reinforcing the front trunk pull area. When stripping paint, we noticed rust around this area that led to a couple of holes. After trying to fill the holes with mig wire, I had no luck. I decided the best course of action was to put a doubler in place to strengthen the area. After securing it in place using plug welds, I seam sealed over the patch to hide it.





We built the canopy to try to keep the wind and pollen out. It was a beautiful day but the wind was blowing pretty good. After pushing the car under the tent, I gave everything a final wipe down. One thing that I didn’t plan on was that the wax & grease remover I've been using (shopline) started to soften the seam sealer. This made things messy when I was trying to prep for paint. I'm not sure if the seam sealer didn't have enough dry time (3-4 days) or if it's permanently soluble. At any rate, I cleaned the best I could with that obstacle and while trying not to wipe off too much sealer in the process.





Next up was paint. I'm using PPG Concept DCC Single Stage paint in Mexico Blue. It's a 4:2:1 (base : reducer : hardener) with the activator I purchased (DCX61). I tried to spray some of the tighter areas with my touch up gun first, but ended up just using my full size gun for almost everything. I sprayed using a Devilbiss Starting Line gun at 28-30 PSI or so with a 1.3mm tip. First I laid down a lighter but full coat and then followed up with a medium-heavy wet coat. The only place that didn't receive two coats were the floor panels as they will be completely covered.









I'm really impressed with this DCC paint - the color is deep and the gloss is outstanding. With proper prep work, this paint is going to really stun on the outside of the car. These areas that I shot look good enough for what they are. The finish definitely isn't perfect and there was obviously plenty flying around in the air when I was spraying and there are some fuzzies in the finish. I only put a couple of coats on so I don't think it's enough to color sand and buff nor do I think it'd be worth the effort. Because all of this is under hoods or carpet and covered up, I'm not too worried about it.









There is one area that I will have to sand and re-coat because of solvent pop. I'm not really sure what happened here as it's the only place with this issue. I was using a slower reducer than probably was needed and this may have led to the issue, but again it only occurred in one spot on the driver side fender top.



I think I'm going to let the paint sit for a week or so and gas off before I wrap everything up in plastic to keep it from getting dirty or damaged. I still have to spray the engine bay and the rear trunk but I think I may take a slight detour and work on getting hoods and doors in epoxy primer first as they are still sitting in bare metal after being stripped. I'm really hoping (and needing) to see this car in color over the summer, so this is a good push in that direction. Thanks for reading so far and thanks for all of the encouraging words!

Posted by: bbrock Mar 26 2018, 10:07 AM

Lordy that's blue!!! That is going to look fantastic. Good to know you liked the Concept DCC, that's probably what I'm going to spray on my interior areas. Keep up the great work.

Posted by: jesse7flying Mar 26 2018, 12:57 PM

Man, that is looking really good. That DCC is pretty expensive isn't it? Can't wait to see color on the outside.

Posted by: 914Sixer Mar 26 2018, 01:03 PM

Mexico Blue

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 26 2018, 08:28 PM

It's great stuff but yes, very expensive. A gallon plus reducer & activator ran me $700+. It's really great stuff and easy enough for a novice like me.

----

I started cleaning up the remaining paint on the trunk lids tonight after work so I can get them covered in epoxy primer. Unfortunately, it looks like more rust repair on the rear trunk lid. Why did the folks at Porsche put open cell foam inside of these lids...







I really don't want to, but I think the best course of action is to cut a section open to clean out the foam and rust treat. Then seam weld it back in place. Not going to be fun... But I don't really think I have another option. Hopefully there isn't any foam in the front trunk lid...

Posted by: aggiezig Mar 28 2018, 10:04 PM

Alright, I made the plunge and cut into the trunk lid. There was a lot of pitting, deeper than I expected where the foam sandwiched the metal. It can be saved, but still a major PITA.

Cut lines laid out:


Revealing the rust underneath:


After lots of clean up and chemical rust conversion:


Looking down the framework:




Filling some smaller holes with mig wire. I think the larger one will need a patch.


And finally, coated with Master Series rust encapsulator:


I'm going to take a break here before tackling the other half. The rust is much worse on the bottom half and I really hope I don't end up making compound curve patches for such a small area. We'll find out soon. Anyone know if the front trunk lid also has foam in it?

Posted by: Cairo94507 Mar 29 2018, 06:37 AM

That is a beautiful color. Nice work and you will love the finished project. Rust hides everywhere on these old babies. Glad you are addressing it now. It would surely rear its ugly head in a couple years otherwise.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 5 2018, 02:41 PM

Small update, but was able to finish blasting everything that was once Malaga Red.



Of course, in the process I found some more rust...





These will be fun to fix because 1) I'll have to re-create that c-channel by hand and 2) some of the rust is in spots that are double layered.



While I was at it, I also coated the trunks in master series primer. I decided to put this down under the epoxy because of the spots of rust on the trunk skins (I don't want it to break through the epoxy even though it was treated). I also found some oil-canning on the rear trunk lid that will need fixing. Gonna be fun...

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 8 2018, 10:26 PM

Okay, spent a decent amount of time on the teener this weekend and have some progress to report. The rust in the bottom of the door seal track has been repaired. I used a copper spoon and filled with MIG wire. Concours guys would probably cut out and weld back in a new channel, but I blasted and treated the rust before welding so we should be good.





I cut out the areas that were completely rusted through on the bottom of the door and replaced with new 18ga metal. The original metal here is double walled but my replacement is just one piece. Again, not concours but looks great and no one will see the difference, especially after the seal is in place. After the repairs, I treated with master series and then seam sealed.





Lastly, I prepped and cleaned the doors and engine decklid and got everything in some epoxy primer. Today just the back sides and tomorrow will likely do the fronts.









Progress, progress, progress. I'm moving to the West Coast this Fall, so I'm extremely motivated to have this thing in paint and on its own wheels before I move in September.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Apr 9 2018, 03:50 PM

Nice progress. At the rate you are moving, your goal seems reasonable and attainable.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 12 2018, 10:53 PM

Thank you, I hope you are right!



I have a little more progress to report. I was able to get the top sides of the doors and decklid painted in epoxy. While the epoxy was still glossy and curing, it was a good chance to scope out the state of the panels and track down all of the dents and waves. There are a couple of decently large dents and lots of little ones. I'll see if I can pull the big ones but the little ones will likely be filled. I'm no metal man and as long as I'm not laying on the filler too thick, I think everything should work out ok.









I also started working on the front hood. First some guide coat to see what I was working with. This revealed a lot of lows and I ended up finding an area that wasn't quite oil-canning but on its way there. I pulled out the torch and got to shrinking as best as I know how (heat, hammer, quench). After an hour or so I had it to a point where there was no more flex and only some minor valleys that could be filled.






So, next was a coat of Evercoat Rage Extreme over the whole panel. I let this cure overnight and today after work started blocking the panel down. I roughed it up using an air inline sander and then pulled out the 24" durablock and some 80 grit. Here's where I stopped for the night. I'm starting to see the beginning of some "metal islands" so only a little more blocking to go before re-applying filler in a couple of low spots. Overall, the panel is really shaping up with this first coat and block. I was thinking I'd need to follow up with polyester but honestly might skip straight to 2k after blocking the filler smooth.







While I've been working away on the body, my mind's been racing forward thinking about everything I'm going to need to get the car back on its own wheels after paint. Unfortunately, it sounds like about $1500 worth of new parts.... shocks, ball joints, bushings, bearings, rebuilt calipers, etc. It amazes me the cost of some of these P-car parts.

I've also been thinking about the hardware I'm going to need. I've already started tumbling and stripping back hardware. At this point I think I have everything set aside that I'll need to get re-plated. I'm having a hard time finding a shop that will even both returning my emails or calls. I think a lot of operations are pretty picky about what type of jobs they take on. Hopefully I can find someone soon-ish and have work started on that element of the rebuild.

Posted by: KBMAN Apr 13 2018, 02:42 AM

wow, that is really amazing....looking at the beginning pics, I was thinking to myself, 'who would want to fix THAT?' But I tip my hat to you guys, and what lovely work you are doing to that 'Smurfet'...JOB WELL DONE SO FAR

Posted by: autopro Apr 13 2018, 09:10 AM

Man great job on your car and on this thread, it's great you are providing all the details of the tools, products and procedures you are using. It really makes it easy for others to do the same. Awesome

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 23 2018, 10:11 AM

Appreciate the feedback!

I took another look at the rear trunk lid section that I cut out. It was really toasty. I thought about making a patch panel but with the complex shape, I just don't think I have the metal working skills to make it look right. So I decided the next best thing would be to repair the OG piece. I cut some 18ga steel to act as a patch behind the holes. This way there would be structure behind the holes when I try to fill them with mig wire. In all honesty, it worked out pretty well and will be hidden. I just need to finish grinding everything down.





I'm still chugging away on bodywork over here... I skimmed both doors and started blocking down the passenger door. I'm using evercoat rage extreme. It spreads a lot easier if you thin it down some with "plastik honey" which can be bought on amazon. I switched to thin metal spreaders and they are way easier to work with than plastic spreaders. After using, they clean up really nicely with just a bit of thinner.





I start by using my air sander to rough level the filler, then move on to the durablock and hand blocking. On the doors I didn't go for the big 24" durablock because of the size of the panel and curve. Instead, I used a smaller block and some 80 grit to shape. This Evercoat Rage Extreme feathers out pretty nicely.



I tried to fill the void between the crash bar and the door skin with 3M flexible foam. The idea is to provide something to keep the door skin from flexing while still allowing for movement as the metal expands and contracts. I splurged and bought the fancy gun and all but this stuff was still a pain in the a$$. The foam is a 2-part mix and it was hardening in the tip before it could reach the end. I'm talking mere seconds. I tried using two different tips before giving up. Basically I ended up having to mix on some cardboard and spread with a bondo spreader. It's messy but will be hidden.





Cleaned & ready for 2K







I also sprayed epoxy and 2K on the front trunk lid hood. My goal is to get the filler work done and everything in primer before moving on.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 25 2018, 09:47 AM

I finally got back around to stitching the trunk lid back together. It's not pretty but it's there. I was fighting crappy metal the whole time so ended up using more mig wire than one would hope. Good news is you'll never know the difference after I grind it all down:



I am in a little over my head with the rear trunk lid. There is a decent amount of flex in the middle of the skin where there is no support structure underneath. From what I can tell, it's very straight and doesn't ever look like it was dented or hit. However, if you push anywhere in the upper middle section of the trunk lid you can get the metal to flex. I'm scared to try to shrink anything here as it's a huge section and I don't think I have the skillset to fix it without toasting the piece. Will have to do more research.

Also, finished up with the driver's door. About 90% of the filler ended up on the ground and just a skim coat was left. I prepped the headlight covers too and shot everything with 2k:





Not sure where I'm going to turn next. I've continued to work on cleaning up and stripping parts for plating. I tried to disassembly my calipers over the weekend with some luck, but a lot of frustration. I will probably take another look at these and see if I can't get everything together for plating.

I also found an issue with the epoxy primer on the engine decklid. There are some areas of bubbling in paint, and I think it's from the wax & grease remover I've been using that was still on the panel when I sprayed. I'm going to have to strip and re-spray that panel before it can continue. Nothing like doing something over again.

One of these days I will finish the seam sealer in the engine bay and prep the rear trunk for blue paint. It would be nice to have all of that done and sealed off while shaping and sanding the exterior body.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 30 2018, 11:25 AM

I keep chugging along over here, slowly but surely. It's taking a lot longer to clean up and prep hardware for plating than I thought it would. First, everything is soaked in degreaser for a day or two. Then, smaller parts are tumbled. Next, I drop everything in diluted muriatic acid (about 10-15% HCL) for a quick pickle. Lastly, I coat everything with WD-40 to ward off the flash rust. The problem is, I keep finding more hardware to clean!

Here's a bucket of parts after acid dip and WD40.


Here are some of my parts laid out. I have a lot of duplicates thanks to the parts car I disassembled last year. Might as well re-plate everything.


I still need to finish cleaning up the brake caliper halves so that they can be plated at the same time. I'm hoping to get everything sent out this week to the platers. We'll see if I'm that lucky.

It looks like someone had shut the hood on tools before, so I had a small area to pull & fill on the underside of the front hood:




Then a coat of epoxy primer to seal it in while it sits until everything else is ready:




The rear hood is still on pause until I can talk with someone who has more metalworking experience than me about the skin flex. Now that most of the removable pieces are in 2K, I will probably try to shoot some polyester on the body and start blocking. I'd really like to be spraying color in June, we'll see if I'm that lucky.

Posted by: aggiezig May 6 2018, 09:39 PM

It was a productive weekend over here. I picked away at all sorts of small things and made a decent amount of progress. Last week I pulled a few pieces out of the attic that would need to be prepped for paint including: the fuel tank, the rocker covers, and the front / rear bumper chin valence pieces.

First up was the fuel tank. I tried using the chemicals included with the KBS coating kit to remove the rust in the tank but no luck. It was built up pretty good so I ended up setting up the tank for electrolysis rust removal. I used washing soda for my salt and a piece of square tubing as an anode. I let it run all weekend and the tank is much cleaner inside now.



I also worked the dents out of the rocker covers and bumper chins and stripped them down to bare metal. No pics right now, but will take some once they are in primer. I think I am going to paint them in either raptorliner black or SEM chip guard.

You may recall that the PO cut my dash in half for some reason. So I worked on fixing that, too.





Finally finished cleaning and sorting parts and everything is boxed up to go to the plater in Dallas. This is one of (3) large USPS flat rate boxes.



Threw a coat of SEM trim black on these u-joints:



Lastly, I finished shaping the body filler on the driver front and rear quarters. Because I sanded through the epoxy, I decided to put another thin coat on. This made for a really good opportunity to wet check the quarters before applying polyester primer.





Looking good so far. After the epoxy flashed, I sprayed three wet coats of Evercoat Feather Fill G2, un-thinned. This is a polyester primer filler that will be a great base for me to do all of my blocking on to take care of the small imperfections that weren't worth body filler.



I'm going to try to get the driver's quarters in poly primer this week as well. In hindsight, I don't think I would tackle paint and body work in stages like I have been so far. Yes, it's helpful to keep motivated and see progress. But, I spend a sh*t ton of time masking, cleaning, and re-doing things because everything is sectioned off in different stages. Oh well, live and learn.

More to come, soon!

Posted by: Travis Neff May 6 2018, 10:03 PM

Great thread!

Posted by: bbrock May 6 2018, 10:10 PM

Great progress. Thanks for the insight on staging the paint job. As I inch slowly toward painting my car, I've been wondering about how to approach this. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

BTW, do you remember roughly what it cost to have your Raptor bedliner tinted? I'm leaning in that direction but haven't decided.

Posted by: aggiezig May 6 2018, 10:13 PM

Thanks Brent, you've got a great thread as well.

The tint was cheap. I want to say $30-40 for a quart of color at my local Tasco (which is more than enough). I just used PPG shopline for the tint color. Make sure to ask for them to mix it without binders.

Posted by: aggiezig May 14 2018, 01:25 PM

Small update for this weekend:

I picked away at a few little things. First up was stripping the gas tank. In the process I found a couple of pin holes at the bottom. I had no idea they were there before, but went ahead and welded them up. Hopefully these are it. I'm going to see if I can rig up some way to pressure test.





Next was getting the other side of the car (passenger side) in poly primer:



After a day of curing, I reluctantly started block sanding. This evercoat featherfill sands really nicely. It also changes color when sanded (well, lightens up) so that it's really easy to find your highs / lows without needed guide coat.







I'm going to keep at it and get all of this poly sanded out to 220 grit and then coat with 2k primer. I'll take the 2k up to 600 grit before a sealer coat and color.

I think the game plan is to get the car back on it's own wheels so it can be easily transported for paint. I'd like to rent a booth if possible for spraying color. We'll see!

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 1 2018, 09:30 PM

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post. I was traveling both of the last weekends so progress has been slow but hoping to get back at it now. Lots and lots of sanding... I need to finish taking the poly primer up to 220 grit and then I will spray 2k on top of everything and wet sand up to 600 before paint.

In the mean time... I have some parts porn to share with everyone. I sent all of my hardware out to Texas Precision Plating up near Dallas. They did three flat rate USPS boxes for me in two colors for $270 which included rack plating & baking some pieces.

Overall, I am very pleased. There are a few parts I should have cleaned up better. The cleaner you get the part, the shinier the coating ends up being. Of all the parts, I am least pleased with the calipers. In retrospect, I should have blasted these with some fine sand or something to get them really clean before plating. They're going to be hidden under the car so I'll be ok, but they could have been better if I did more prep work.

















Only one faux pas. For easy shipping, I slid the stub axles into the hub plates. One set was plated together as a unit and is now stuck together. I talked to TPP and they said they will re-plate after I am able to get them apart.



I went ahead and bought new bolts for some "critical" places but I still re-plated all of my old hardware. This pic is before sorting, which took a good 2-3 hours.



I'm hoping this will be a productive weekend for me so I can keep moving forward with paint / bodywork. Will post more progress soon!

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 3 2018, 09:57 PM

Well, lots of sorting later and only identified a few missing pieces. Luckily I sent spare parts from the other car I disassembled so I should be OK. Here are some pics:





I spent some time on assembly this weekend to (hopefully) have everything ready to go together so I can trailer the car to a booth for painting color.

Rebuild rack & turbo tie-rod kit:


Re-plated hardware:


New Koni Shocks front & rear:


I also worked on pressing new front rubber suspension bushings for the A-Arms from 914rubber. I followed Ian Karr's youtube video and got them pressed on. Had a couple of issues with the rears (small tears) & sent Mikey914 a PM to get his thoughts.

New bushings pressed into carriers:


Made sure to sand smooth carriers & arms:


Heated in boiling water:


Pulled on using all-thread & LOTS of soap:


Also spent some time doing body work. I finished sanding the poly primer on the rear of the car up to 220. I used spot putty in a few places to fix a couple remaining lows. I was happy with everything and went ahead and sprayed 2k primer on top. I did a couple of wet coats but had real issues with the 100+ TX heat flashing the primer instantly out of the gun. The finish isn't quite as smooth as I was hoping for but a lot of it will be sanded off anyways.

Before w/ self-etch over bare metal:


After:




Going to try to pick up some slower reducer and get the front half in 2K soon as well. After that, I will probably get the trunk & engine bay in blue and allow some time for the 2k to fully cure and shrink up.

More to come!

Posted by: Tdskip Jun 4 2018, 08:26 AM

Great thread!

A bit late to the party but subscribing.

Thanks for keeping it going.

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 5 2018, 10:56 AM

Thanks, tdskip.


Small update, I put the pedal assembly back together last night with new bronze bushings from Pelican. Overall, not too hard of a job and I consulted the http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=32578.









Obviously still needs accelerator arm installed, rubber pedal covers, brake pushrod & switch. But, the "hard" part is done now.

I may tackle the CV joints, boots & axles tonight. Reassembling components is a nice break away from sanding.

Posted by: xperu Jun 5 2018, 03:39 PM

Hi, I sent you a PM. Mike

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 6 2018, 10:09 PM

Tiny update, still pecking away at reassembly jobs to avoid sanding. Rear axles are reassembled and just need grease. The axle shafts were powdercoated and the original CV joints were just cleaned and reassembled with new boots.





It feels great to have clean parts ready to go back on the car. Next up is getting the calipers rebuilt and ready to roll.

Posted by: 914Sixer Jun 7 2018, 01:22 PM

Was your plating done at Del's Plating in west Houston?

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 7 2018, 02:22 PM

No, I ended up using Texas Precision Plating in Garland. I tried contacting Del's a couple times via their website and never got a reply. I spoke with another shop in Houston called Delta Specialty Coatings prior to choosing TPP. I think they would have done a good job, but they would not plate my latches and mechanisms as complete units without disassembling first and that was a deal breaker for me as I'd never get them back together right.

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 10 2018, 09:45 PM

Busy weekend for me knocking out some loose ends. I'm doing everything I can to avoid sanding primer right now . So, I decided to tackle a few different pieces laying around the garage to get the finished and put them up out of the way.

Before I get into that, I got some goodies in the mail. New rotors & pads. The rotors I found on ebay at a really sweet price. One set was NOS and the others were just priced well. The pads are from PMB. I also have a new brake hardline kit (not pictured).



Went ahead and seam sealed my door jambs too:





Then I went about finishing up with the dashboard. I welded the two halves back together in an earlier post but I still needed to fix where the radio hole was enlarged. I also threw some body filler over the welds to try to smooth it. I didn't go crazy with the dash as it will all be covered up anyways.

Here's the dash & fuel tank getting ready for some master series primer:


I can't read German, but found a secret message on the dash:


I had a quart of single stage black paint mixed up for these pieces. I went with shopline (JAU) and it ran about $40 a quart. I asked the shop to flatten the paint down to satin for me, but somehow ended up with a pretty glossy finish. Oh well... Not worth doing over.







Next up was finishing up the rocker covers, bumper valences and exhaust heat shield. These pieces were all pretty mangled and I spent a good bit of time beating them straight and making sure they fit the car well. They are not perfect, but I think for their purpose they'll do just fine. Unfortunately, the front valence was really mangled and while I have it straightened out, it's still pretty ugly. Not sure if I'm going to be able to salvage it with my skills.

I wanted to coat these pieces in something more durable than the factory black so I opted for UPOL raptor liner in black as I have experience shooting this product. It mixes 3:1 and I thinned it out 3:1:1. This is a little thinner than they recommend, but I shot it out of my HVLP with no issues and I'm very, very pleased with the texture. Just what I was looking for.







Lastly, I riveted the exhaust shield back in place using 3/16" aluminum rivets. I'm glad to have this piece back on the car and off the garage floor.







Unfortunately, I'm going to have to get back to sanding soon and finish up the front end so I can get 2K on it. Still need to spray the engine bay and trunk in color, too. One of these days...

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 14 2018, 09:16 PM

It's been a few days and time to update this thread. First up, small item but took a bit of effort. New rear bearings are in the trailing arms and the bearing caps are installed. Still have to press in the hubs.



Next up, the big update. The whole car is officially in 2K primer. Except the rear trunk lid, I still haven't gotten around to fixing the tin-canning. I finished sanding the poly primer up to 220 grit and sprayed everything that was still in white epoxy. Here are some shots during primer and afterwords. I put on two wet coats and will sand this up to 600 before sealer & color.







Stowed back away:


I'm going to try and get the engine bay and trunk sprayed in blue this weekend if the weather co-operates. That would be a big push forward for me and inch me closer to my goal of spraying the car at the end of July.

Posted by: bbrock Jun 14 2018, 09:51 PM

Loving the progress. This looks fantastic!

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 16 2018, 09:52 PM

Today, I am a happy camper. I finished spraying Mexico Blue "inside" the car. Just the engine bay and trunk were left, but those felt like huge obstacles for a while now. When I was prepping, I wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out. In fact, I bought some more tint-able raptor liner to spray the engine bay and trunk floor with after seeing how rough the primer was in some places.



After spraying color, I decided that despite the flaws, it still looks pretty good. I think I'm going to hold off on the raptor liner and live with the paint for now. I sprayed two medium wet coats. I still can't get over how nicely this PPG DCC lays down. Really, really great paint.











I did only shoot myself in the foot once today. Before spraying color in the engine bay, I wanted to lay down some epoxy primer to promote adhesion. Obviously, I thinned the epoxy too much and ended up with a few runs that now show through under the blue paint. I was pretty pissed at myself about it, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's just the engine bay and a lot of things will be covered up.

You can see one of the runs in the upper left corner:


After I finished spraying the paint, I decided it was time to take all of the old masking off and admire my work for a few minutes. I think I needed to see how much I've done so far to really believe it. It's easy to forget what all has been accomplished when it gets covered right back up with masking plastic.





Here are a couple of reflection shots to show just how great this DCC is laying down. I am not a painter and have no real experience other than reading forums and watching YouTube videos. I've had really great luck with this stuff and my Devilbiss StartingLine gun. Would highly recommend.





Minimal orange peel:


Also, while I was out I had to play with my dash and make sure everything still fit right after joining the two halves back together.



I'm going to focus on some reassembly for the next couple of days before I start sanding on the 2K. I may also play with polishing up my 2L fuchs. Stay tuned, more to come.

Posted by: Travis Neff Jun 16 2018, 10:20 PM

The trunk and engine bay turned out great! Great job.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Jun 17 2018, 06:30 AM

Terrific build thread and very nice work. I love the Mexico Blue. You definitely deserve a beer for that.

Posted by: aggiezig Jun 17 2018, 11:35 AM

Thanks, gents. It feels good to have all of the interior paint finally knocked out. Big step forward in the right direction.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 30 2018, 10:13 AM

Wow - it's been a minute since my last update. Life has definitely gotten in the way of my project but I can't complain. A month ago I proposed to my now-fiance. We've also been preparing for our move to L.A. in September. So, all of the distractions that come with engagements and cross-country moves have taken over my life for the last six weeks or so. Needless to say, the 914 has been a little neglected.

Any free time I've found has been spent sanding, sanding and doing more sanding to get this thing ready for color before we move. I don't want to have to deal with the hassles of VOC paint compliance in CA.

I decided to focus on getting as many panels as I could prepped and painted before working on the body itself. One thing I definitely under-estimated was just how many coats of primer & sanding it takes to get a perfectly flat & smooth surface. I think I ended up shooting between 6-8 coats on the doors and hoods, sanding every 2-3 coats. I've used Eastwood's 2K primer this whole time and I have to say it's pretty good stuff. It mixes and sprays well as long as you thin it 5-10%. It sands super easy and acts as its own guide coat.

After 2K, I worked my way from 240 grit (dry) up to 320 (wet) and then 400 (wet). I used soft sander blocks and a meguiars foam sanding pad for the final sand. I also gave everything a once-over with a light gray "finish" scotch-brite pad before spraying color. I would recommend spending the extra $$ and getting good quality 3M sandpaper. I used wax & grease removed to occasionally wet the panel and check for any issues.

Here are some shots of various panels in process:





Before spraying the hood, I wanted to go ahead and spray the underside and have it done so that I could lay the hood flat and spray how it will sit on the car. I seam sealed some of the ribbing to the skin to help with support / flutter. I put two coats on all of the ribbing and just lightly blew color on the inside panels. I am planning on cutting matching carpet and adhering it to the cut out sections on the bottom side of the hood.



When everything was ready for color, I took the pieces out to my uncle's shop about 30 minutes away from me. He has built a make shift paint booth in his shop for his Willys truck project. He's offered to let me use the space to spray my project as well.





I followed the advice of my local paint shop and sprayed a coat of PPG Urethane Sealer in white immediately before spraying color. Frankly, I wish I would have not done this. The PPG product was tough to lay down flat and I ended up having to come back and sand before color. In the future, I think I will just spray some thinned epoxy primer immediately before color. I've had pretty good luck getting my Eastwood epoxy primer to lay down flat.

As a reminder, I am using PPG DCC concept single stage acrylic urethane paint. I am mixing 4:2:1 with DT reducer and DCX hardener. I am spraying out of a Devilbiss starting line gun with a 1.3 tip. I have no prior paint experience, so this is a big learning curve for me and fun to watch for you.

Worth mentioning, after this weekend, I have gone through almost an entire gallon of color. It's covered two coats in the front trunk, cabin, engine bay, rear trunk and three coats on these panels below. I think I will need another two or three quarts to finish the car, and a gallon is about as expensive as three quarts anyways.

OK, let the color pics begin...












And here is a close up of the orange peel. It's a little worse in person than this pic shows, but nothing that shouldn't sand and buff out.



Of course, what would a weekend of work be without a screw up... I sprayed the hood a few hours after the doors and wanted to keep down the overspray. So, I laid some .7 mil thin plastic sheeting over my painted pieces to avoid overspray. I *thought* the panels were dry enough (they were to the touch...). Turns out they were still pretty soft. Most of the marks I made will buff out but I think the decklid is going to be a re-spray:



Don't touch drying paint

More to come, stay tuned!

Posted by: simonjb Jul 30 2018, 11:20 AM

Looks Fantastic !

Posted by: 914fahrer Jul 30 2018, 11:26 AM

really great work.



This is the german word for the color " Hellelfenbein " I think in english "light ivory"

grettings Ralf

Posted by: BeatNavy Jul 30 2018, 11:48 AM

Well, did she say yes? She knows about the teener in your life, right?

Congratulations!

Posted by: mlindner Jul 30 2018, 12:06 PM

Wow great job and thanks for sharing. Best, Mark

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 30 2018, 04:59 PM

Not only did she say yes, she also knows about my teener (and general auto obsession).

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 30 2018, 07:45 PM

Ok, couldn't resist. Did a little wet sand with 2000 grit and compound to see how everything will turn out...

Before:


After:




I'm pretty thrilled with the results. Now just need to muster the energy to finish the rest of the car...

Posted by: bbrock Jul 30 2018, 10:39 PM

That car is going to be gorgeous! Nice work and thanks again for the details.

Posted by: defianty Jul 31 2018, 02:10 AM

You're doing a great job. The car is looking fantastic!

Posted by: Shadowfax Jul 31 2018, 06:25 AM

Congratulations to you and your fiancé!

Great work on the paint!

Posted by: 76-914 Jul 31 2018, 12:23 PM

Nice work. Enjoy the drive out. My wife drove with me when I moved to CA from TX. We made it as far as Ft Stockton before a motel stop that evening. It's a long drive. Don't fill up in Ft. Stockton. I'm pretty sure they import their gasoline from Hawaii.

Posted by: xperu Aug 1 2018, 04:02 PM

Congratulations Cole, sorry to see you go, I would like to have met you before you left Texas. I grew up in California and had a good life. The big difference is no payroll tax in Texas and I make the same money here as California and housing is about 1/2 the price. all said I still get homesick when visiting.
I truly wish you the best in your marriage , what a great time to be alive. Keep posting. Mike Kelly

Posted by: dakotaewing Aug 2 2018, 10:28 PM

Congrats on you progress with the car, and the proposal!

How did you clean your parts before you sent them to the plater?
Just curious as I need to do the same thing -

TE

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 2 2018, 10:45 PM

Thanks, Thom.

To prep my parts I used a variety of methods. First, degrease everything. I like Purple Power and use it either full strength or 1:1. Then, small parts are tumbled (HF vibratory tumbler 5lb) and large parts are wire wheeled or blasted. Last step for me was a pickle in Muriatic acid which is diluted HCL. I typically diluted further around 1:2 with distilled water. Then I coated everything with some WD40 to prevent flash rust while parts waited to go to the platers.

Couple of caveats...

• If a part still has its original plating and is reasonably clean, then the acid wash will take the part back to "brand new" and ready to plate. Don't waste your time trying to grind off the original coating (also not a good idea for health reasons).
• Most shops will take care of the acid step for you so you may not have to do this at home. I just wanted to save a few $ and have everything ready to roll.
• The more time you spend prepping and smoothing the metal of the parts before plating, the shinier it will come out.
• Lastly, I did a lot of research on hydrogen embrittlement before dipping my parts in acid. There is a risk of part failure in really hard metals if the parts aren't baked properly after pickling. From what I've read, grade 8 / metric 10.9 are right on that border of what's considered a hard metal, which is somewhere around Rockwelll 34. I do not know enough about this, so I played it safe and will be replacing all of my mission critical hardware with new.

I shipped my parts but it would be way easier to find a local shop to work with. Some shops will even clean your parts (for extra $). Take everything with a grain of salt, I am no expert. Good luck!

Posted by: 76-914 Aug 3 2018, 08:43 AM

I believe that you meant "Income Tax". Funny thing; I moved from TX to CA and found that I could make more $$$ here on accident than I could in TX on purpose!

Posted by: porsche913b_sp Aug 3 2018, 10:44 AM

Whaaattt more $$ by accident No state tax in TX but you pay for it back in higher utilities, tolls, double property tax and flights going back home.

Sorry aggie for the Off topic.

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 3 2018, 10:46 AM

Hey, all good - I'm enjoying the read. I sure hope I end up making more $$ by accident...

Posted by: 76-914 Aug 3 2018, 06:32 PM

Your correct. Every state needs "X" amount in taxation. How they do it is another subject. In Texas they have a School Tax that hits every property owner. It's their version of an income tax!

Posted by: amfab Aug 5 2018, 06:28 AM

Where in LA are you moving?

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 6 2018, 02:57 PM

We're going to be on the Westside, close to Westwood. We found what is essentially a garage apartment situation. I get both garage bays though, so I am a happy camper.

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 17 2018, 10:26 AM

Hello world! Back with a pretty big update this time as I continue to prep the car for paint and for my cross-country move here in a few weeks.

First, an update on the paintwork from my last post. Overall, everything looks great. Unfortunately, there are some mistakes I made as a new painter that I'm going to have to deal with. The front hood ended up having solvent pop in several places. I think I didn't allow enough time between coats of color. So, I will be sanding it back down flat with 600 grit and spraying the hood again. The decklid has one single fish eye on it, and I may try to fill it with some touch up paint and see if I can sand it smooth and polish it out. If that doesn't work, I will have to re-spray the decklid also.

The doors turned out great. I color sanded them with some 1500 grit then 2000 grit to knock down the orange peel. Here are some reflection shots after sand, compound, polish and jeweling the paint.





In this shot, the door on the bottom has not been color sanded (look for orange peel) and the one on the top has:



----

Next up was getting my fuching wheels to a point where they could accept tires and be used to transport the car. In a perfect world, I would have finished restoring these before tires ever got mounted. However, I'm on a serious time table here and I just don't have enough time to do them right before I move. So, I decided to get the backs cleaned up and the lips polished knowing that I could mask tires and access the rest later on. I'm planning on painting the centers black and leaving the petals polished.

I needed to strip the anodizing off so I coated in oven cleaner and let them sit. In retrospect, I left the cleaner on way too long. I ended up having to wire wheel and scotch brite these things clean. It was a huge PITA.

Before:


Cleaned:


Etch Primed:


Satin Black backs:


I chose Pirelli P4 all season 195/65/15 tires. They seem to be a pretty decent tire and after a rebate I will get these for under $75 a corner, installed from discount tire.

Tires mounted:





----

Now that I actually had something to mount on the car, I could start thinking about re-installing the all new suspension underneath the car. The big reason behind getting the car back down on all four wheels is so that it would be easier to trailer to the "paint booth" I've been using.

Here's a list of everything "new" on my car:

• All OE parts blasted and powder coated satin black
• All OE hardware re-plated in yellow zinc
• All "mission critical" bolts , washers & nuts replaced with new 10.9
• New Front 914rubber A-Arm bushings
• New Front Lemfoerder ball joints
• Rebuilt OEM steering rack w/ new bearings
• New Lemfoerder turbo tie rod end kit
• New 914rubber steering "hockey" puck & shaft bearing
• New Front FAG wheel bearings
• New Front Sebro Rotors
• New Rear 914rubber trailing arm bushings & SS pivot arms
• New Rear wheel bearings
• New Rear Koni yellow adjustable shocks
• Re-used Koni springs, powdercoated red
• New Rea 914rubber shock mount bushings
• New Rear Sebro rotors

Here are some of the parts laid out:




We planned to assemble the car in stages and this required creating a sequence to get everything installed properly and also to get the rotisserie disassembled and out of the way. Once the car was up on jack stands (and taking up both garage bays) there would be no coming down until everything was assembled and wheels were mounted.

With that in mind, the rear was the easiest place to start as the rear suspension components do not interfere with the rotisserie stand. We started with the rear trailing arms and then the shocks followed. The only tough part about the rear end was getting a 22mm wrench to fit up in between the fender and the outer mount for the pivot nut. I couldn't remember which adjustment shims were in the car, so I started thick but will have to change anyways when it comes time for alignment.

Here's Dad helping out:




Had to make sure the Koni labels faced out:


Next was getting the car up in the air so that the rotisserie stand could come off and allow access to the front suspension mounting holes. We used (2) 2x6 boards under the donut jack points for the car and raised with floor jacks. We went ahead and mounted the rear rotors and wheels while we were at it.



Then we disassembled the rotisserie and took everything off (rear hoop still on in this picture):


Now, it was time to start on the front end. Reassembly of the front suspension is considerably more work than the rear. I was hoping to do the front in one night but ended up taking two nights after work to complete. We got stuck in a couple of places, needing to tap and clean out holes and "re-learn" how everything goes together. Lots of referencing the parts catalog and diagrams. Finally, it seemed like everything was coming back together.





Wheels are on!


Time to go back down…. for the first time in almost two years!




Obligatory goofy pic with Dad:


Man, that was a lot of work in about a week's worth of time. This "hobby" has turned into a second full time job for me as I race the clock. I'm shooting for paint this weekend, but still have some final sanding prep to do. Hopefully, I'll have another update for you all soon with lots more Mexico Blue!

Posted by: ValcoOscar Aug 17 2018, 10:46 AM

Great update

I've enjoyed this thread. Beautiful color choice.
Perhaps I missed it, but when are you moving to SoCal?
Fun to meet up with you.

Oscar

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 17 2018, 02:26 PM

Hey Oscar - thanks for the kind words. We’re moving to the Westwood area this September. Would love to meet up! I’ll shoot you a PM when we get settled.

Cole

Posted by: ValcoOscar Aug 17 2018, 02:35 PM

Excellent Cole-

Good to hear. After talking with a few local members I'm considering having another tech day at my home late Sept or early October so perfect timing.

Exact date TBD for now.

Oscar

Posted by: bbrock Aug 17 2018, 06:13 PM

What a milestone!!! Great post and well done!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 18 2018, 09:59 PM

I spent all of today doing final prep for paint and then renting a trailer and towing the car out to the "booth". Tomorrow is D-Day. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing and no issues with the paint or setup.

Wrapped with plastic to prevent road grime:




Still have some masking left to do:


Wish me luck!

Posted by: bbrock Aug 18 2018, 11:17 PM

Good luck!

Posted by: jesse7flying Aug 19 2018, 10:44 AM

Looks great Cole. Let's see some pics!

Posted by: aharder Aug 19 2018, 08:15 PM

good luck !!
Can't wait to see the results !!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 19 2018, 08:44 PM

Alright everyone, some pics as promised. I can't remember the last time I was this exhausted.

We started bright and early. I had a few small areas that still needed scuffing before we could mask. Next up was masking. This was no small task and probably took a good two hours if not three. I wanted to make sure my shiny new suspension was covered.

Here is the final masking shot:


Next up was spraying the sealer. I don't have any pics at this stage because we had just as many fits as last time. I should have learned from my lesson. Stay away from Shop Line urethane primer surfacer and do a thinned epoxy primer instead. After coating the whole car with the sealer, we had to wait for it to dry and sand everything (again) with 600 grit because the surface was just too rough to lay smooth paint. I think the problem is this stuff flashes quick, I mean almost instantly. So overspray is a real issue.

After that fiasco, it was time for color. Again, I can't say enough nice things about this DCC color. It sprays so smoothly and covers well. I turned my pressure down some to about 25 psi and really got it to lay glass smooth. Because the booth isn't 100% air tight, I will still have to color sand and buff the dust out of the paint. But otherwise, orange peel is very minimal. I shot three wet coats and I am very pleased with the outcome.

Here are some shots, still in the booth:









Here is the front hood. I had to re-spray after sanding out solvent pop. Should be much better this time around.



I'm going to let it cure for a few days before towing home. Will probably bring it back on Wednesday or so. It gives me a good chance to clean up the garage bay that the teener has been living in.

On my list to do before moving in 2.5 weeks...

• Fill / Shape / Sand / Paint Rear Trunk Lid
• Tune Engine, Install P.P. & Clutch, Install in Car
• Mount doors, hoods, etc.
• Install windshield
• Pack....

We'll see if I am able to get to everything. More pics in the sun to come in the following days!

I think this is my favorite angle on the car... just a neat reflection.

Posted by: Larmo63 Aug 19 2018, 10:03 PM

Anybody who has the balls to take on this project and succeed as you have so far is really alright in my book.

Mexico Blue?

This thread has been a joy to watch so far, and I can't wait to see the finished product.

Posted by: Travis Neff Aug 19 2018, 10:31 PM

Fantastic!

Posted by: bbrock Aug 19 2018, 11:33 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW68goC4_es

Posted by: saigon71 Aug 20 2018, 06:00 AM

Your paint job looks fantastic!

Posted by: ValcoOscar Aug 20 2018, 07:04 AM

Bob also painted his own 914 so he should know. Saw his car in person recently.


Great job guys...keep them on the road!!!

Posted by: aggiezig Aug 20 2018, 09:32 PM

Thanks for the kind words, gents. I am very excited to get this thing out into the sun and see how it shines. Will update with more pics as soon as I pick her up.

Posted by: jd74914 Aug 21 2018, 08:48 AM

Looks great!! The color is awesome!

I used the exact same paint/gun (DCC/Devilbliss FinishLine) combination and way very happy with both-I can't recommend highly enough for anyone reading here too.

Posted by: aggiezig Dec 3 2018, 01:14 PM

Hello from sunny SoCal! It's hard to believe it's been just over three months since my last update. Needless to say, a LOT has happened since then. Here are some updates…

When I last posted, the car had been sprayed and was sitting / drying in my uncles shop. I rented a uhaul trailer to get it there and back. Here are some pictures bringing the car home:









After getting the car back home from the "booth" - I started to put the doors and hood on and noticed I had a color discrepancy between the doors and the body. It was very minor and most of the people I asked said they couldn't see it. But, why spend all this time and $ if you're not going to do it right. So, I decided to spray one more coat of color on the doors to help get as close of a match as possible. I know this is always a risk with "panel painting" but I thought I would be OK as Mexico blue is a solid color. Now that I look at the paint, I'm wondering if there isn't a very small hint of metallic pigment in the mix?

Anyways, here is the color mismatch:


Picture out in the sunlight:


I also had to finish body-working the rear trunk lid. I seam sealed around all of the support webbing first to solidify the top skin from pushing down as I blocked the top. Used a little more filler here than I would have hoped but I was running thin on time and needed to push through. Overall, I think the rear trunk lid turned out fine.



Wet check of the lid:


Here are the panels ready for paint:




And after three coats:




While I was finishing up paint and body work, I dropped the engine off for tuning at a local shop that has worked on other aircooleds. After breaking in the cam, I couldn't get it to idle and transition smoothly. After a few days with the shop, they had it figured out and we picked up the engine and mounted it up into the car the night before leaving town. Man, this was a lot more work than taking it out. It was quite an effort to get it balanced and safely down from the makeshift test run stand we had made. Couldn't have done it without Dad's help.

Here are some process pictures:




(I realized after this picture that the trans bolts needed to go in first… d'oh!)




Of course, it will have to come back out again to install pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing. After installing the engine / trans, we attached the rear trunk lid and engine decklid so they would be secure for towing.

My fiancé, her dad and a college buddy of mine made the 1700 mile trek from Houston to L.A. last week and the car is now safe & sound in our new garage. Moving the car was not an easy task as so much of it was still in pieces. There were lots of last minute finds that I had stashed away and needed to pack. I also wrapped the entire car in mover's cling wrap and then a tarp on top to keep road damage and rain out. If it wasn't for the plastic cling wrap as a sacrificial layer, the tarp would have destroyed the paint with all of its flapping around in the wind.

Here are some pics of getting the car loaded and ready for the trip:



(pointing to the Indiana plate I think?)


(I am beyond delirious in this pic)


After we made it to L.A. and moved the car into its new home it sat for a couple of weeks while I pieced my life back together in our new place. After un-wrapping the cling wrap, it looks like the car made it through OK with a few small nicks on places that can be touched up and won't show. Here are some pics of the car situated in my new man cave, excuse the mess!





I've been tinkering away with small projects since then and will post an update soon about those.

Posted by: bbrock Dec 3 2018, 02:18 PM

EPIC!!!! Looking forward to seeing the story continue. I still can't believe you pulled this off. Wow!

Posted by: jesse7flying Dec 3 2018, 02:22 PM

What mess are you talking about? You should see my shop! Looks great man, happy you made it there in one piece. Good on you.

Posted by: Tdskip Dec 3 2018, 03:21 PM

Fantastic!

Posted by: ValcoOscar Dec 3 2018, 04:50 PM

Great updates Cole and welcome to SoCal. Hope to meet up with you when time permits.



Oscar

Posted by: xperu Dec 3 2018, 09:19 PM

Welcome back Cole, looking forward to you’re progress. Sorry you left Texas. Mike Kelly

Posted by: raynekat Dec 4 2018, 01:06 AM

Epic in many ways....the work, the move and change in life, the results so far, etc.
Nice work.

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 6 2019, 02:13 AM

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I would love to meet up with some of you SoCal folk one of these days soon. I'm going to try and make it to the show in El Segundo this March. I was hoping to meet some people at the PCA show in the valley this last Sunday but it was rained out (so did the VW show at Santa Monica Pier).

Man, time just keeps flying by. Small update this time, just pecking away at little projects when I get a few minutes here and there. Color sanding and buffing has taken way more time then I ever imagined. Once I knock out the paint correction, my goal is to finish up controls and all the other mechanicals.

I did manage to get the engine and transmission back out of the car so that I can install a new pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing. I am not in love with the look of the transmission and contemplating painting it with some high-temp aluminum paint. Will see if I can muster the motivation. If it ain't broke…



I reassembled the headlight buckets (without bulbs yet, thinking LEDs) using powder coated and re-plated hardware. I had the chrome bezels coated satin black and the framework a gloss gray. The original plastic housings cleaned up really well with a coat of CQuartz Dlux ceramic. I think I will try to save as many original plastic pieces this way instead of using plastic paint.





Also rebuilt the door catch mechanisms with original re-plated parts and rebuild kits from 914rubber. Top is before, bottom is after.



Seat tracks and bases were rebuilt with re-plated and powder coated hardware. Seat bases were rebuilt with a kit from 914rubber, although I had to drill out a couple of holes to make their included roll pins work in my cast pieces. I think I have the release handles installed the wrong way here in this pic.





Installed knock off dynamat from Noico. I bought this stuff on amazon a few years ago for another project and it never got used so I decided to roll it out for the 914. Instead of covering every square inch, I'm trying to strategically place it in places with the most flex and / or resonance. The interior is pretty much complete and I plan to roll a strip under both trunk lids and also on the backside of the firewall.



But mostly, I've spent a lot of time color sanding and buffing the paint job. Everything is looking great for essentially a garage booth job. There are a few small imperfections that I know by heart but the average bystander would be hard pressed to point out without a detail light.



Unfortunately, I wasn't able to save the runs in the driver's side door and it will eventually need a re-spray. I sanded through the outermost layer of color trying to get the run to level out. I'm going to post another thread about it to see if I can get some advice from more experienced paint / body folks.

---

On an unrelated note, I came across a 914 at a dealership in Sherman Oaks the other day and had to stop and look at this '74 1.8L. I added it to the VIN database. Pretty clean car and gives me inspiration to finish mine out.



---

Lastly, some other car-related news. After relocating to the city, I was tired of bottoming out and scraping on these LA roads. So, I sold my extremely fun DD (2008 M3 6 speed) and joined another vehicle cult (Jeep Owners).

Sale Ad Pic:


The morning I said goodbye:


New (to me) ride:




That's all for now. I'm enjoying sunny SoCal and will try to keep you all posted more regularly!

Posted by: Peashooter Feb 6 2019, 08:38 AM

If you have enough, add a square of the sound deadener inside the doors on the outer skin. When you shut the doors, they will give a nice thunk.

Posted by: bbrock Feb 6 2019, 10:27 AM

Glad to see you've been plugging away at it Looking good.

You are right that you have the seat release lever on backwards. Also, I'm pretty sure the release handles go on the tunnel side of the seats.

I need to ask how you handled replating the tracks. I would really like to replate mine, but lost my nerve when it looked like rivets would need to be drilled out to take them apart.

Huge bummer about your color sanding. Hopefully you can get a good match on the resprayed panels.

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 6 2019, 08:30 PM

This is a great idea but I have the "crash bars" inside my doors. I'll have to see if I can find some space for it, I have plenty of extra left over.



Thanks, Brent. I've been watching your thread whenever I need the inspiration to get out there and do some work.

On the tracks... I went ahead and drilled out the rivets. I replaced using pop-rivets and used roll pins for the pivots. Send me a PM if that's not clear and I'll shoot you some pics.

Yep, the color sanding issue really sucks. I'm putting it in the back of my mind for now and going to fix that dead last so that I can keep making progress. The hood is easy enough to bolt on and off and so is the door, thankfully.

Posted by: aggiezig Feb 24 2019, 11:57 PM

Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but it's been nasty and rainy here in SoCal for a few weeks. Folks around here keep telling me this kind of weather isn't normal and I do have to admit I miss the sunshine. At any rate, time for another small update! I'm chugging along with small stuff, trying to knock out paint correction so I can focus on other bits.

Window regulators were cleaned up, treated for rust and painted gloss black. You'll never see 'em but at least they'll be clean during reassembly. Does anyone know if you can buy replacement nylon rollers for these regulators?



Also decided to polish up the heat exchangers, only took about five minutes because they really weren't too bad. Used some fine steel wool then 2000 grit with WD40 to lube. Before on left, after right. Still need to paint the non-stainless pipes with some exhaust paint. I believe this is a 1.8L exhaust, not sure if I'll run with it or try and swap for a 2.0L.



Sprayed the stain black under the engine grilles with some SEM Trim Black. I think the finish is pretty spot on.





Spent some time wire wheeling the paint off of the transmission. The PO had sprayed it a dull gray and blue. Would like to just do a bright aluminum look.



Next up was the targa top. I decided to clean up the donor top I stole from a 72 a while back because it was in better shape than the original top from my car. Here is its state before refinishing.



First, I sanded everything down with 220 grit. I smoothed out all of the knicks and scratches along the edges by re-shaping the profiles. There was only one spot I decided to fill with a bit of putty. Here is after sanding:



After that, I sprayed 2-3 coats of raptor liner in black thinned about 15% with urethane reducer. I used one complete bottle with a tiny bit leftover. You can buy a single back on Amazon for about $40 and I think it's well worth it.

Bottom side sprayed first, did not completely spray where headliner glues




Close up of texture:


Lastly, here are some pictures of the paint correction. Everything is being color sanded down smooth to remove orange peel. Then correcting with Menzerna 400 heavy cut on a dual action (15mm throw) with a heavy cutting pad. The DA can take out the sanding scratches almost completely. If anything is left over, I can hit it with my rotary and wool pad. After cut is a polish with Menzerna Super Finish 3800. Then a pass with Meguairs #7 show car glaze. Then Menzerna power lock sealant and lastly some Collinite 845 insulator wax.

Here are the results:









Pretty happy with how it's turning out. Not perfect and truthfully the paint is probably an 8/10 but for a garage warrior and first-time painter it's not too bad.

Side note - stopped by Cars & Coffee this morning by Griffith Park. Lots of sweet rides, below are a few of my favorites.







Believe this is a member's ride, the car is in the VIN database


Alright, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed reading

Posted by: bbrock Feb 26 2019, 12:17 AM

That roof came out really nice! I have to be honest, when I read you used Raptor, I wasn't expecting that good of a result. Nicely done.

Now as for your weather... you are welcome to come up here and enjoy -15F with a stiff east wind kicking snow in your face all day.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 20 2020, 02:32 PM

Hello 914World!
 
Wow, it's been more than a year since my last update. I did not mean to leave you guys hanging. Life has certainly gotten in the way of my 914 restoration. Some quick, personal news - my wife and I tied the knot last July and my 914 made a big debut… well, sort of.
 

 

 

 

 
It was the next best thing to actually having the car at our wedding! The cake shop did a really great job.
 
Ok, now back to the real Porsche. I told myself that 2020 would be the year she is back on the road - and so far, it's looking good! While this COVID business has affected a lot of people, I will admit that I am loving the extra time I have to work on the car. Combining that along with a new wrenching buddy (my neighbor, who also has a p-car project) and I think my 2020 goal might just be attainable! Here are some updates since I last posted…
 
GENERAL UPDATES 

I had a few more parts and pieces plated in yellow zinc:

 
Spent way too much money at 914Rubber:

 
Installed the pedal assembly and (loosely) steering column:

 
For anyone wondering, here's what my "shop" looks like. It's a 2 bay garage under our house. It was built in 1922 or so, meaning the size is pretty small and there's a line of support columns running down the middle. The ceiling has been "modified" with several botched plumbing repairs in the past and is about 7' tall (good thing I'm pretty short). But, for LA, this is a prized possession. I added some LED lights to the ceiling to see better. I sure do miss TX sized workspaces.
 

 
WIRING
 
I purchased a complete wiring harness kit for a 1972 & up deluxe VW beetle from Rebel Wire. As many of you know, the beetle and 914 of this era share many of the same electrical components. My intentions are to re-wire the car with this kit, modifying as necessary to incorporate factory and aftermarket pieces. I chose this kit because it uses "GM Style" wiring with separate fuses for each circuit. Additionally, it will have all new wire and they are labeled every 6". I'll document this process as I go for anyone else out there looking to do the same. For reference, the kit was around $300 and I'll have another $1-200 in supplies when I'm done. A lot less than a replacement harness and a lot safer with less mess.
 

 
TRANSMISSION
 
I painted the transmission silver and completed it with nice, refreshed goodies:

 

 

 
FUEL TANK
 
I finished the fuel tank with a new sender, refreshed wiring, fresh paint on the plastic and new seals:

 

 
I also added new metal lines and nuts for the bottom. I'm not using the return line with my carbs but didn't want to epoxy it shut or completely block it off in case of future need. There are a ton of rubber caps online but none seemed to be for certain fuel rated. So, this is my cheap fix. It works fine for me and allows future flexibility.
 

 
BRAKES
 
A new 914Rubber master cylinder was installed with re-plated/polished line fittings:

 
A rebuilt proportioning valve (PMB Performance) was installed and a rubber guard/grommet was added to the line after this picture:

 
I wasn't thrilled with the condition of my re-plated calipers as compared to the rest of the car. So, I broke down and splurged on rebuilt units from PMB Performance. They sure are pretty:

 
Rears installed:

 
Fronts installed: (I believe I have the clips in the right position, but correct me if I'm wrong)

 
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
 
I've spent a fair amount of time crawling in and out of the engine compartment over the last few months. Turns out, the space is just big enough to fit my rolling shop stool (ask me how I know). I wanted to button up as much as possible in here before putting the drivetrain back in place.
 
For whatever reason, this shift rod guide bushing was a total b*tch to get installed:

 
I followed @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20505 's build as a guide for my fuel pump and filter:

 
I wired my fuel pump in with a relay that grounds through a crash circuit interrupter. I'm not sure that the placement is optimal, but the idea is that in the extremely unfortunate event of a crash, the fuel pump will be cut off. Also, I'm using a Miata sized AGM battery - need to fab up some sort of hold down still.
 

 

 
I purchased a new firewall pad from 914Rubber and it is installed in the pic below but not currently in the car. I'm having difficulty using any sort of velcro to attach it - nothing wants to stick to the backside of the pad. Does anyone have a suggestion for some very strong adhering tape? Additionally, the pad (in my case at least) needs to be trimmed for proper fitment as it is too tall and won't allow the decklid to properly close. Kind of bummed that such an expensive replacement requires modification to install but I understand this is an aftermarket replacement.
 

 
I finally got around to painting the piece that holds the decklid catch mechanism to the rear trunk firewall. For whatever reason, the PO had removed this on my car and I didn't realize it was missing until after paint. So, I sourced a replacement, painted it to match and used aluminum rivets to hold it in place. It's very strong and not going anywhere. Yes, you see the rivets in the trunk, but it's a pretty clean look overall for not being factory. I still have to fabricate a sleeve of some sort to hold the release cable in place because that, too, was missing from my car. I am thinking about using a nylon sleeve like the front trunk guide and using some clamps to hold it in place.
 

 

 
While I had the paint gun out, I also repaired the rear valence that had been chafed by the tie down straps I used when we trailered the car here two years ago. It's not perfect, but it's completely hidden by the bumper and I bet you can't tell where it was repaired in this picture:
 

 
We also sprayed my buddy's 944 front valence since we had some extra paint… This is his track car and will be repainted anyways, but it looks pretty cool! I love Mexico Blue!
 

 
Last, but not least, here is the engine decklid finally re-installed. I'm noticing now that I have some blue paint to cover up with black under the smaller, side grilles. The decklid has been reinstalled with the factory spring bars and rain tray.
 

 
DRIVETRAIN
 
Ok, onto the main event. After more than a year of sitting on a dolly on the floor - it was time to marry the engine and transmission back up to the car. If you recall, I had pulled it out to install a new pressure plate and clutch. Well, in the process I learned that the PO had shaved the flywheel down so far that the new pressure plate would not bolt up properly. So, I purchased a new flywheel from AA Performance and had it machine balanced (it was actually pretty close already).
 
I also learned in the process that the engine builder had used a rear main seal that wasn't the full 12mm deep and I was already getting a slow oil leak from the back. This was replaced with the proper size RMS and endplay was reset with the new flywheel. Then the new pressure plate and clutch were mated to the engine with new socket-heat bolts.
 

 
Finally, I was able to re-install the transmission along with the starter and new ground strap:
 

 
Here is everything ready to go back up into the car (note my TX flag that I waive proudly here in CA). I use the two jacks method of raising and lowering the car without wheels on to attach the engine and trans in place.
 

 

 
After the engine was reinstalled and I was riding the high of accomplishment, I set out to run some wires and get her running again. I purchased new 1 gauge welding wire and made my own battery and ground cables. After hooking everything up, I wanted to test the starter and roll the engine over. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished…
 
The starter was cranking very, very slow. So, I went through the troubleshoot list. I checked grounds, battery voltage, even swapped starters to no avail. After a few times of trying to start, I realized it wasn't just cranking slow - but I was also hearing what sounded like a grinding noise. Sh!t.
 
With much reluctance, I decided to pull the tranny and investigate further. Of course, all sorts of dangerous thoughts are running through my head at this point and I have no idea what's causing the issue. We jacked up the engine and removed just the tranny. I do have to say this was very easy - clutch jobs must be pretty quick on these cars.
 
After a quick glance, we found the grinding right away. The trans was showing metal shavings and the pressure plate clearly had witness marks. See the ring around the edge in the picture below:
 

 
With a little further investigation, it turns out the clutch fork arm was rubbing against the pressure plate. The PO had shimmed the pivot ball with (3) washers and as a result, the fork was sticking way too far out.
 

 
This was an easy fix, and it could have been a lot worse. I removed two of the washers and reinstalled the pivot ball with just one washer. After another hour or so, the transmission was back up in place and the grinding was gone.
 
I could have stopped there for the day, but being so close was just too tempting. So, we ran to get some fresh gas and installed and filled the gas tank for the first time. After some fiddling with wiring, it was time for a test fire. As a reminder, the engine was rebuilt in May 2018 and broken in at that time. It has sat (sadly) un-used on my garage floor since then. This was going to be the first fire in about two years. I was pretty certain that I would have carb issues from letting the old gas sit and evaporate out of them. But, after a few cranks…

SHE'S ALIVE!
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqEaXaETHQ


Obviously, I'm over the moon to hear her run again. Yes, I need to adjust timing and tune - but she sounds great (especially without a muffler) and it's great to have a throbbing heartbeat in the car for the first time since the mid-90's. I couldn't have gotten this far without watching all of your builds for motivation and support and I've definitely leaned on my new wrenching buddy (neighbor) a ton throughout.

WHAT'S NEXT?
 
My ambitious goal is to take her out on a "test drive" before the end of April… we'll see if that happens or not. I need to bleed brakes, hook up the emergency brake, tighten down the steering u-joints, torque all suspension bolts to spec, adjust the clutch cable, connect the shift rod, connect the accelerator cable (and fab a bracket), and install the latches / catches for the trunk lids. So, that gives me ten days to start wrenching… Here goes nothing!


 
Stay tuned, I promise it won't take 14 months for my next update!

Posted by: bbrock Apr 21 2020, 07:41 AM

Woo freakin' hoo!!!! I think about your build often and wonder how you are getting on. Congrats on you wedding and all the progress on the car. Very, very exciting!

Posted by: Cairo94507 Apr 21 2020, 08:20 AM

You have done beautiful work and your car looks terrific. I like the documentation and start-up video. Great work. I look forward to the driving video.

Posted by: siverson Apr 21 2020, 10:00 AM

Wow looks great!!!

-Steve

Posted by: mbseto Apr 21 2020, 02:19 PM

That's a gorgeous car, congrats on the first start up! I've been thinking about what to do about my own harness and your kit idea is very intriguing... If you do document that process, I will be paying attention.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 22 2020, 11:15 AM

Thanks, everyone, for all of the kind words. It's hard to describe just how great it felt to hear her start up again. I've been tinkering away most nights this week, so hoping to have another exciting update here soon.

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=17743 - I will definitely keep track of what I am doing with the harness for you. I'm not a master electrician but I've used this kit in the past on a VW project and was pleased with the results. I may start a separate thread altogether with that information.

Posted by: aggiezig Apr 30 2020, 10:27 PM

Well, today is officially the last day of April and while I haven't taken her out for the maiden voyage, I am very close! Here are a few updates since my last post…

Before I get started, just a quick shot of my second home lately. Man, I've probably spent a totally of 8-10 hours underneath this rear end over the last couple of weeks. Don't worry there are jack stands behind the jacks. Man, I envy you guys with lifts!



Here are a few shots of the rear end after installing and adjusting clutch cable, throttle cable (more on that later), emergency brake cables, shift rod, CV axles, etc.





Man, those CV axles were a HUGE pain in the butt to get installed because of how deep they sit in the trailing arm. The CV joints are the ones that came with the car, but completely taken apart, inspected and re-greased with new boots and C-clips.

I replaced what would have originally been clevis pins and clips for the emergency brake levers with a shoulder bolt from McMaster-Carr. I was having a hard time tracking down the right hardware and these will be easier to remove in the future and technically safer.





-----

No pics to share, but I used a motive power bleeder to bleed the brakes with DOT4 fluid. This being my first 914, I had no idea about adjusting rear disc vent clearance first - so, imagine my frustration with a soft pedal and no idea why. After adjusting that down to .004" and bleeding several more times, I have a pretty firm pedal. I'll bleed again after a bit of driving as I suspect there's still some air trapped in the pressure regulator. I have a slight leak from one of my rear bleeder screws and they are brand new, so I'll also be watching that to see if I can get it seated properly.

One word of advice, be sure to pressurize your system and do a leak down test first. I found quite a few loose fittings that I swore were tight when doing so.

-----

I've also been working my way around the car and torqueing down all of the suspension fasteners. I found a PDF of a technical service manual and have converted all of the torque values to ft lbs in a google sheet. I'll share this in a separate thread for anyone who needs the values. I'm also marking bolts as I go with a paint pen, very racecar-esque (and it looks cool).



-----

A small side project and not related to being road worthy, but I followed @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20845 's lead and "fixed" the 914Rubber door stop arms. For those that aren't aware, 914Rubber makes a new set of arms and pins and they are very good quality, but drilled for 1/4" holes and not 6MM like the factory. This is an issue if your holes aren't super worn out because drilling the pin holes in the door jamb would be near impossible.

So, here's the "fix" - it's pretty simple. I purchased a set of 5/16" x 7/32" aluminum spacers from McMaster-Carr. This size has a slightly bigger O.D. than the new arms. So, drill the new arms out and then use some JB Weld to hold the new bushings in place.





After it has cured, then use a 6MM drill bit to drill out the spacer to fit the stock pins. Lastly, file down the surface so it is flat.



Now, @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20845 uses spring roll pins instead of the OE clevis pins. I think that's a really slick install and I ordered a set of 6mm stainless roll pins, but I could not get them to squeeze tight enough to fit my doors, so I will have to order a new size and try again.

-----

I also got around to "fixing" the lack of a sleeve for my decklid pull cable. I ordered some 6MM O.D. nylon tubing and cut this to length, held in place with adel clamps. After some adjustment and lubing, it all works as intended. Just need to adjust my gaps now because the rear trunk cannot open with the decklid shut.





Looks great with the decklid on!



-----

We spent some time this afternoon doing a string alignment to get the toe set before taking her out on the road (and it's a good thing, because the toe-in was nearly 1"). I've never done an alignment before, nonetheless with the string method, but this is pretty neat to setup and see in action.



We ended up with just about 1/8" (or 3mm) of overall toe-in on the front and just between neutral and 1mm toe-in on the rear.



The priority for the test drive is just to get toe "set" as camber and caster would require an flat and level surface (which my garage is not) and preferably some additional equipment. However, we did do a quick adjustment and measurement with digital angle finders and the front camber is about neutral, caster is neutral in the slots, and rear has a very slight negative camber. This is good enough for me to test drive.

-----

With the car up on jack stands, I've tested the clutch, all gears, brakes and speedometer. The throttle cable isn't perfect and I'm going to have to re-engineer how to use the stock cable with the CSP bell crank linkage. I'm having an issue with the car returning down to idle after any throttle input, but I think the issue is actually with the CSP linkage and not with the throttle cable. I've adjusted about a dozen times but it's still not working quite right.

Also, threw the dash in-place temporarily for the upcoming test drive. Starting to look like a real car!



Yes, I've spent a few minutes sitting behind the wheel playing speed racer in my head. If you can't tell, I am ready to drive this thing already! Stay tuned because the first drive is just around the corner…

Posted by: 76-914 May 1 2020, 08:38 AM

Beautiful work!

Posted by: bbrock May 1 2020, 10:32 AM

The suspense is killing me!

FWIW, I had a helluva time getting my roll pins in my hinges too. I had to squeeze them in a vice as tight as they would go. After releasing them, they sprang back to just enough smaller diameter that I could tap them in place.

Posted by: Root_Werks May 1 2020, 11:13 AM

Everything is so clean! My 914 is dirty, used and abused.

Posted by: aggiezig May 2 2020, 05:42 PM

Alright, gents, ask and you shall receive. For the first time in 25+ years, she is officially back on the road under her own power!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcsNQB5Z7Vw


Link: https://youtu.be/YcsNQB5Z7Vw

So not only was this my first time driving this car, but it's also my first time ever driving a 914. Pretty cool little car, I am over the moon. (ignore the crappy video quality, I'll shoot a better video one day soon when I have a muffler and windshield)

Before the test drive, I gave her a good wash for the first time in a long time. She cleans up nicely! Paint definitely needs another polish, will probably ceramic coat this time.



Also took the chance to install the sill plates and rocker covers. I may change these rivets to black later, but for now, I like the contrast.



My original tail light housings were not powering up (too corroded) so, yes, these are tail lights from my other project (Jeep CJ7) zip-tied in place.



Here she is, ready to roll:



The test drive was a hoot and total success. We got her up to about 45 mph and blasted through first and second on a couple of pulls. The steering is fantastic and the suspension feels great. Brakes still pretty soft, so that will need some attention. Accelerator linkage is FUBAR... not sure what's going on but I'm going to take off the CSP and make sure everything is actuating properly. Also, the clutch is releasing pretty darn high so I think that I must have the cable too tight.

These are all easy fixes and I'm just glad to have hit this milestone. It's all downhill from here, right? I'm going to enjoy the moment for a bit then start attacking the few small issues before moving on to finishing up the wiring. Who needs lights anyways? Also going to order a Triad West exhaust and get the engine buttoned up.

But, hey, it sure is great to not have to push the car into the garage anymore!

Posted by: 914forme May 4 2020, 06:50 AM

Love the ingenuity

Tidy build and congratulations.

Posted by: porschetub May 4 2020, 03:10 PM

[quote name='aggiezig' date='Feb 7 2019, 02:30 PM' post='2686928']
[quote name='Peashooter' post='2686726' date='Feb 6 2019, 09:38 AM']
If you have enough, add a square of the sound deadener inside the doors on the outer skin. When you shut the doors, they will give a nice thunk.
[/quote]

This is a great idea but I have the "crash bars" inside my doors. I'll have to see if I can find some space for it, I have plenty of extra left over.

[quote]

I noticed the same issue with my car ,I found it easier to cut 75mm strips ,I put 4 top to bottom ,huge difference even without the door panel on,no more tinny noise,even better with the panel on ,still have RH side to do but I now know it works .
Nice to see your progressing well,nice car .

Posted by: bbrock May 4 2020, 04:08 PM

I just did two pieces per door, one above and one below the bar. Huge difference. Has that nice German *thunk* when it closes.

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 22 2020, 07:45 PM

Quick update... progress continues on the 914. I've been working quite a bit on wiring and have taillights, blinkers, hazards, horn and instruments all figured out. Next up will be headlights and accessories like the wipers, blower motor, etc. I've driven the car up and down the block a few times, it's a total hoot. I'm going to try to get the glass in soon though so I don't have to take the windshield out before I cruise each time.

However, I did a thing today and I thought I'd share...







I think I have a disease.. never seem to learn my lesson. It's a '73 with a 2.0L in her. She's not perfect but a ton of fun and a complete car. I think she'll be a short term project - I'll do some minor fixes and actually enjoy driving a 914 while the Mexico Blue car is being restored.

In the meantime, my driveway screams UCLA Bruins with the yellow & blue. I'll post a vid of the new car soon.

Posted by: 76-914 Jul 22 2020, 07:53 PM

Another repeat offender.

Posted by: bbrock Jul 22 2020, 09:17 PM

No WAY! That's so cool and love the color combo. Quite the attention grabber.

Posted by: jaredmcginness Jul 23 2020, 12:41 PM

I dont know how I have missed this thread. Totally awesome work! Really inspiring. Love the color.

Posted by: ValcoOscar Jul 23 2020, 12:54 PM

_________________________________
I have the same disease. Dr says I can be treated but never cured.
I'm okay with that.

Oscar

Posted by: Jett Jul 23 2020, 05:08 PM

Lol, 1 leads to 2, which leads to 4... we are building another garage

The sickness is real!

Posted by: aggiezig Jul 23 2020, 05:16 PM

My sickness runs deep... In addition to these two 914s, I'm also working on a 1980 CJ7, a 1958 Chevy Apache, a 1967 Ford F100, a 1970 356 Speedster Kit Car, a 1987 944S Track Car, and a 1994 325i Track Car. My neighbor and I started buying up cheap Craiglist projects when the pandemic hit and we're working on a shop one of these days soon... My wife thinks I've lost it.

Posted by: Jett Jul 24 2020, 07:27 AM

That’s great...

Posted by: 930cabman Nov 26 2020, 09:23 AM

Curious, have you fallen off your medication for the sickness? we haven't seen/heard any recent progress. Please provide an update, your thread has been very informative.
Thank you so much for sharing, I am just getting on the road now with a '74 rustoration.

Enjoy the holiday

Posted by: aggiezig Dec 8 2020, 11:09 AM

Ask and you shall receive!

Crazy how time has flown during this COVID era. I have been tinkering here and there on my 914 and will share some updates. Some of the other projects have gotten most of my attention in the last few months and the CJ7 has turned into a full frame-off restoration.

I did spend way too much money on 9/14 day at 914Rubber stocking up on new parts. I should be pretty much covered as far as parts go to get this car back together. I still need to track down some bumpers that I can paint, and figure out what I’m going to do with my trim - but those can happen later.

After my last big update and now that the car is officially road-going, I’ve made a few trips up and down the hills around my neighborhood. It’s been a blast to enjoy this thing even if I’m just going slow and staying close (and driving without a windshield). I did pull one bonehead move on a quick drive and left the e-brake just ever so slightly engaged… Yep, you guessed it - I caught my freshly powder coated backing plate on fire. Luckily there was no other damage that I can see or tell so this will be a minor fix and a reminder to finally get that e-brake handle return spring in place.



I’ve had a tough time finding the right way to make my horn work and retain canceling turn signals with an aftermarket Momo steering wheel. After trying literally four or five different hub adapters, I finally found the “right” one for my car which is Momo 8002. Below is a pic of one of the wrong adapters and the eventual right adapter that illustrate the issue I was having - too much clearance between the hub and the column.

Wrong:


Right:


You may notice in that last pic I have a “temporary” dash set up. I’ve roughly mounted things in place so I can work on wiring and also feel comfortable going for a spin and at least having a few gauges.



I’ve got the horn working but still having a tough time with the canceling signals. I can feel and hear the canceling ring interacting with the column but it’s not enough to cancel. Going to have to keep playing with it and perhaps build up the tab on the cancelling ring. I went ahead and added a pair of Hella Sharptone horns and although they will never be seen, I really dig the yellow color. If you haven’t yet noticed, I have a few tasteful accents of yellow in the car to offset against the blue.



I went back and forth quite a bit on how I was going to handle my tail lights. I have two sets of housings and both were pretty worn out. Unfortunately, these things don’t grow on trees and so I decided to try and restore them to an acceptable level. Despite cleaning the terminals, one of the lights would not send current through the original wiring. I did try adding new wires back to the original terminals but the soldering iron heated the plastic too much and it was doing more harm than good. So, I improvised and rewired the housing, drilling a small hole for the wires, sealing with hot glue and using a Deutsche connector.





The other taillight did not require re-wiring, but I went ahead and made a pigtail with a Deutsche connector so that both sides would look the same and could be disconnected easily.



I think it looks fine and frankly the Deutsche connector is easier to use than five individual plugs. Luckily the connectors are on the bottom side of the housing so they’re not visible anyways. I also repainted the inner reflector a metallic silver as it had lost some of its mirror shine. Lastly, I scuffed and sprayed the housing a satin black. This helped hide a lot of the ugliness. I used new 914Rubber taillight seals but to be honest they left some to be desired.





I originally tried out a set of Euro look lenses from Sierra Madre but was completely displeased with the gap between the lens and the body. I went through two sets with them before throwing in the towel and getting a set of US-spec red lenses that fit much better. One thing I noticed when working on these was just how ugly and un-stylish the taillights are compared to the rest of the car. WTF was Porsche thinking with these big blocky trailer lights



Look at that gap!


Where I landed:


You might notice my new muffler from Dave at Triad West. I really cannot say enough great things about the quality of his work and how easy and friendly Dave is to work with. The muffler is handmade and is an absolute steal for the money. It retains the factory look with one tailpipe exiting the driver’s side valence while still being a dual exhaust with the second pipe turning down. It sounds great!



For the longest time, I’ve dreaded re-installing the pop-up headlights. I think partially because I didn’t remember how I took them apart and partially because they seemed pretty intricate. But, I was tired of people calling my car “blind” - she deserved better.



Looking at a gaping hole in the body, I wasn’t even sure where to begin. After fiddling around for a couple of hours, I finally discovered the right order to install all of the pieces and then how to align the lids with the body. I’m using new nylon bushings and pushrods from 914Rubber which are ok - a little loose where they fit the rods.





The headlight motors were another chore. Thankfully mine cleaned up fairly nicely with a Scotch-Brite pad. I could get one side to work but the other would only rotate one way… After some research, it appeared I had a broken diode. So I ordered a new set of 1N4001 diodes from Amazon and re-wired the side with the break. The 5 pin relays are new from 914Rubber.





I’m also learning that my front trunk lid appears to be too proud on the passenger front corner. I’m going to have to try to adjust the hinge but I have a feeling it’s in the hood. It’s going to be re-painted anyway since I screwed up when color sanding and went too far, but it still sucks. Here’s a couple of pics to illustrate the gap difference (notice the passenger side gap around the headlight).

Normalish gaps:


Massive gaps, hood not sitting low enough:


The alignment isn’t perfect. The front brow pieces that are just held in with rubber grommets leave much to be desired in terms of adjustability and staying where you put them. Are there any tricks to getting these suckers to stay put? Maybe some silicone around where the tabs meet the body?



Sometimes it’s the small details that make all the difference. So, I added a set of new black badges from 914Rubber to the rear valence. These are quality pieces. The finish is matte and I might change this to semi-gloss at some point, but I really like how they attach to the car with small thumb nuts.





I also added a set of Porsche letters to the decklid. I bought some cheapo eBay push nuts to hold the emblems and unfortunately, they were total crap and disintegrated upon install. I will have to find a good quality set to replace these with. At least the letters look good.





I went ahead and put the back window glass in place using butyl tape from 914Rubber. I learned the hard way that the butyl they provide is really too thick for the job. It is what it is now because it would be a huge mess to redo, but it doesn’t look as good as it should (too much butyl showing). I’ll have to try and go back with some sort of solvent to clean up the line around the window.





When I work on my cars, I tend to blow up a million things at once for no rhyme or reason. So in appropriate fashion, I decided now was a great time to test out my new seat covers from 914Rubber (I told you I went crazy on 9/14 day…). I started by assessing the old seat first. The foam had definitely lost some shape and the bottom fiberboard was cracking in half. I started by building a new bottom board. I decided in the process that I am not going to retain the original seat sensors for the fasten seatbelts light. This may not sit right with everyone, but keep in mind I am building my own wiring harness. It would just be one more added complication for a pretty pointless warning system. I will probably leave the spot blank on my dash when I recover.



I tried to first steam the seat cushion to return some of its shape. That helped a little but still left a lot to be desired. So, I added a layer of 1/2” high-density foam to the top and bottom of the original cushion.







I decided for my car to order a set of tartan inserts with blue and yellow accents. I think these are going to look really great in the car. The color isn’t an exact match for Mexico Blue but they still look very sharp.



Originally, the seat bottoms are sewn through with some thicker thread to hold the cover down to the foam and add a “kick” up for thigh support. I debated on whether or not to replicate this and eventually decided to do just a couple of holes to help pull the seat cover down into the foam and create the crease you see in the pic below. I am happy with this.





Just for grins, here is the new cushion in the old seat. It definitely is a lot nicer to sit in with the extra foam - I think just the right amount for my car. I will start working on the rest of the seats, soon.



I’ll end with a pic of my “shop” with both projects inside. Man, I cleaned and organized for an entire Saturday to make room for both of these projects and things are busting at the seams. I need to get a real workshop one of these days.



That's all for now. We're driving back to TX to be with family for the holidays (don't tell the Governor...) so probably won't get around to doing too many things before then. I think I am going to push to finish up the wiring so that I can start installing the interior without worrying about covering up anything. One thing I am dreading but will need to do soon is to install my front windshield with the proper 5/16" butyl tape... from what I read, that will be an exercise!

Posted by: Cairo94507 Dec 8 2020, 11:26 AM

Great progress and I love the new seat cover material on your car. For the windshield, don't forget to order the new blocks/spacers and the new clips for the trim.

Posted by: jaredmcginness Dec 8 2020, 01:56 PM

There he is! He's back! Love the seat. Shocked by how bad the Sierra lenses are. Keep it up.

Also, a tip I learned from the guys on here - roll that dynamat out reaaal nice until it is smooth/flush. That is when it really bonds to the metal and does it's job.

Posted by: bbrock Dec 8 2020, 09:01 PM

Love the progress!!!

I love 914Rubber but those tail light gaskets are junk and really not up to their standards. I've been told the AA gasket material is a better reproduction of the original so I have a set on order. Will let you know. I'm also not sure why they are still selling that 3/8" butyl either. Lots of threads on it being the wrong size - plus the factory manual that clearly states the correct size.

Now to the important stuff. You are making a big mistake not replacing the seat belt sensor. You know that special thrill you get every time you make the headlights pop up? Fess up. You can stop doing it, can you? You get similar thrill bouncing up and down on the seat watching the fasten seatbelt light go blinky, blinky.

Posted by: aggiezig Dec 11 2020, 12:49 PM

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Much appreciated and helps keep me motivated on this project.

Brent, you're right. I've been tossing and turning every night since my decision to forego the seat belt sensor. Hah! In reality, I took one look at this part of the wiring diagram and said f*** no.



For those who've never had the pleasure of reading the current flow diagram before, "J34" is what Porsche calls the "Seat Belt Warning System Relay with Integrated Buzzer".

Posted by: aggiezig Dec 11 2020, 01:19 PM

Another small update, this time it's about the junk in my trunk.

A few years back (wow, time flies) I bought a trunk shock kit from Craig @ Camp914 for both the rear and front trunks. Well, I sat on it and lost the paperwork sent with the kit. Luckily, when I started getting tired of holding up the lids every time I worked in the trunks, Craig was kind enough to send me a new set of PDF instructions. So, here is documentation of my install and some tips.

First up is marking your holes. You know the old, "measure twice, cut once" saying? Yeah, I was measuring ten times before drilling into my fresh paint. Craig advised me on the phone that variations in these cars over the years they've been on the road may mean that his measurements aren't exact for my car, and to check a few times before drilling. Of course, that's easier said than done with something like these gas struts. Fortunately for me, his measurements worked perfectly for my car.

I broke out the tape measure, triangle square, and combination sliding square to help. Start by measuring for your bottom holes in the trunk rain gutter. You need to measure 19.25" back from the edge of the black engine decklid grate. So, shove the tape measure up against the engine grill in the rain gutter and measure back. Then mark your first, forward hole. Use the bracket to measure the distance for the second, aft hole. I used the combo square to find the distance from the edge of the bracket to the center of the holes and translated that as best as I could into the rain gutter.

The top trunk lid holes are a different approach. Using a flat ruler, measure 1.5" straight up from the inner, aft corner of the trunk hinge bracket (if trunk were closed). In the picture below, that would be the top-right edge of the bracket. This is the distance for your first hole. I then used a triangle square aganst the trunk hinge bracket to draw a line straight up. This line is essentially a continuation of the inner edge of the trunk hinge bracket. Use the same technique to mark the second hole using the bracket as a template.



Now, take a walk around the block. Come back and triple check your measurements. Then, go take a shot of whiskey or something else to calm your nerves. When you're feeling manly enough, break out the drill and drill your holes.



I deviated slightly from the instructions and used a larger drill bit than Craig recommends. The screws provided with the kit are stainless and will, unfortunately, strip themselves pretty easily in the mild steel of the decklid. I ended up driling a 4.5mm hole. YMMV, hold up your screws under your drill bits and find the right size that leaves just enough "tooth" for the sheet metal screw to bite. Another alternative here might be to use a rivnut and I may look into that at a future date.

I used a liberal amount of clear silicone in the holes and under the plates before attaching the car. Craig includes some rubber o-rings to go around the lower bolts through the rain gutter but I had a tough time with mine. Because they are o-rings and not rubber washers, they tend to "walk off" when tightening up the bolts. I will find some rubber washers at a later date to add under the bolt head, but for now I used silicone to seal.



After that, it's just a matter of popping on the struts. I applied a little bit of lube inside the socket end of the struts and then popped them on.



And, voila! We have a self-supporting trunk lid (finally). Also pictured is a rear trunk carpet from 914Rubber. I'm debating on adding some velcro to keep it in place and conform to the shape of the trunk.



After doing the trunk struts, I got an itch to "finish" up the trunk. So, I searched through the parts bin and found my OG trunk lock mechanism along with new plated retaining cup and the brass nut. I used a new seal from 914Rubber.



It's so satisfying to have a trunk lid that latches! No more painters tape to hold it down on test drives. One piece I haven't fully finished yet is the trunk lid catch pin mechanism. I had the assembly re-plated and have a new nylon bushing from 914Rubber, but I've apparently lost my original spring and have no idea where to find a replacement. Does anyone have a source?



---

Oh, and one other thing. I wasn't too thrilled with my previous application of butyl primer on the windshield. So I took it all off with solvent, masked a very straight and pretty line, and re-applied. The trick is to apply a small section and pull the tape up immediately because this stuff dries fast.





I've also already installed new windshield trim clips from 914Rubber (had to order a few extra after some showed up broken from my last order and some disintegrated on install). I have spacing blocks as well, but not really sure that they are thick enough. From what I've read, the best way to install is to first "center" the glass in the opening and use tape and markers to make some alignment marks that can be used when sticking the actual windshield using butyl.

One other thing, it's hard to see on camera but my original windshield has a scratch from a wiper blade on the driver's side. I am hoping that I can polish it out and bought some cerium oxide. That being said, I don't really want to put any pressure on the glass until it is properly installed and solid. So, I'll be crossing my fingers and taking the risk that it will polish out after install.

Stay tuned

Posted by: djway Dec 11 2020, 11:16 PM

I had really deep scratches on my original glass in my LowLight Ghia. While out I set up a table then built support to fit the glass curve. I hooked up a hose on a slow dribble to keep the glass moist then went at it. The water also kept the glass cool. I had to use wet dry papers then finished with the cerium oxide.
Good luck.