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Posted by: 1973Porsche Sep 30 2017, 10:32 PM

So I'm on the fence about selling my 914. I discovered that the rust on my car was worse than expected. At this point I'm not sure if I can afford to fix the car properly but at the same time the car does bring me a good amount of joy. I posted these pictures on a 914 page and was told it was bad. Here's what I would like to know. Roughly how bad is this rust? Could I just por15 it and just enjoy the car as is for now? Finally how much do you think it's worth in the current state? Any advice is appreciated

https://imgur.com/rmp3TVJ

Posted by: rjames Oct 1 2017, 12:21 AM

POR15 doesn't fix rust, it just covers it up.

The pics are hard to see because of how small they are, but I see lots of holes and guessing at least some of them are in structural areas. For the sake of your safety, fix it before driving it, but first verify that it's worth saving. Post more photos here if you don't know anyone local to you that can really assess it properly.

Posted by: GeorgeRud Oct 1 2017, 06:59 AM

Depending on where you are in Texas, you might find some local enthusiasts that can check it for you, but the pics look bad. Replacement panels are available from Restoration Design, but they need to be installed by someone who knows how to repair the longs without warping the car.

Posted by: era vulgaris Oct 1 2017, 07:46 AM

I used to own a '72 that was similar to your car. From the outside it looked ok, but underneath it was rotten everywhere just like yours, if not worse. I took it to a 914 resto shop here in NC, and after closely inspecting it they basically told me not to waste my money repairing anything and to just sell it. You know it's bad when a shop actually turns you away
I was able to sell it for $5k being fully honest about its condition with buyers. Make of that what you will regarding your car's value.

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 1 2017, 08:46 AM

Thank you all for the advice. I adjust the pictures to be seen easier. Sorry if they're still weird. I'm having a hard time with them still. Anyway, from the sounds of it all I either have a long path ahead of me restoring it or selling it to someone who can restore it properly and no middle ground?

Posted by: mb911 Oct 1 2017, 08:50 AM

Looks like it needs long repair, rear floor pan, jack plates and possibly firewall.. Its a big job I am just finishing up mine and it took me 2 years inbetween life..

Posted by: cary Oct 1 2017, 10:01 AM

Downsize the pictures with Paint : resize. Most of mine off my phone I use 25%.

Posted by: Mblizzard Oct 1 2017, 01:19 PM

As a guy that has looked at many hopeless causes and thought I could fix that and was so wrong. This is about as bad as it gets. Unless you have the drive, passion, skills, and $$$$$ to bring the dead back to life. Move on unless you are looking for a parts car.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Oct 1 2017, 01:23 PM

If you are close to me, I will be happy to give you an evaluation of your car.

I am near DFW airport, Northeast of Fort Worth.

Posted by: SirAndy Oct 1 2017, 01:25 PM

If you just upload the images here instead of imgur the forum software will automatically resize them to fit better.

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 1 2017, 04:47 PM

Don't think this a parts car yet. I know it's not beyond saving. I know it's beyond my means of saving but someone knows these cars more could really helps this at I believe. Anyway what do you guys think this car is worth in current state judging by the bottom picture?

Posted by: Unobtanium-inc Oct 1 2017, 05:31 PM

One thing to consider before making this a "parts car", you can always repair it wrong. I know this is sacrilege but long before most Porsches were worth anything people were just fixing them and driving them. I've seen it all, even street sign floor pans, you name it. Every car doesn't have to be perfect to be fun. I would much rather see a car poorly repaired than scrapped, generations from now you will be thanked. I think of all the 356's and 911/912's that were scrapped because they "couldn't be fixed". Well the ones that weren't scrapped are now being fixed, and the values of the cars will absorb the work. So please don't scrap another Porsche. Buy the replacement panels, buy a Mig welder and make a mess out of it, and then drive it!


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Posted by: rjames Oct 1 2017, 05:34 PM

Good paint on the top side may just mean it's a good looking parts car. But it's not safe to drive and will cost you a lot to repair correctly. Given the pictures, im sure there's a lot more rust lurking if you look hard enough.
Definitely fixable though, they all are. What's your time worth? How deep is your wallet ? Got welding skills? Want to learn?

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 1 2017, 05:43 PM

Like I stated before I don't think this is past material yet. It does need a lot but there's still good in this one. I am selling it as I do not have the time nor the skill to do it correctly and half assing isn't my way. I just want a ball park estimate for well running 1.7 with passenger rust that mine has.

Posted by: mb911 Oct 1 2017, 05:47 PM

Not a parts car.. Very savable.. I teach welding at a college level for a living and can tell you this. It takes very little in the way of welding skills to fix this.. It needs a desire to work with a metal puzzle.. You need to research proper order of things etc but it can be saved amd should be. People are quick to scrap cars.. I think that is a shame and want to see them all saved.. If I am lucky in a year I see 1 914 on the road. They are rare around here and that will be the trend everywhere Becuase they rust and people give up on them..

Posted by: Andyrew Oct 1 2017, 07:22 PM

New floor pans and new rockers. Likely new rear trunk and battery tray.

If you dont know how to weld thats about 10k in repairs. If you do know how, thats about 2 years and 2500 in repairs + paint, based on the average timelines that I see.

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 1 2017, 07:50 PM

Rear trunk is good actually been under it, and above looks solid. Battery tray yeah. What I really want to know is what this car would go for in it's current state as I'm pretty set on selling it.

Posted by: rjames Oct 2 2017, 12:31 PM

Hard to make a call given the small # of pictures, but unless it's structurally sound, you need to price it like a parts car because that's what it is. If the engine and tranny are good, I'd say it's worth ~$3k, depending on the condition of the other parts and the full extent of the rust.

Posted by: Andyrew Oct 2 2017, 12:46 PM

Its worth the price of a running engine and trans combo and the wheels if your selling as a whole. I say 3-5K depending on buyer and engine condition. Its a prime candidate for a chassis swap.

Its much better if you part it out as a whole. Those bumpers will bring a good deal of money.

Posted by: tygaboy Oct 2 2017, 01:54 PM

Don't mean to hijack but if you do decide to part it out, I'm calling first dibs on the bumpers!
Seriously, please contact me if you're willing to sell them.
Thanks,
Chris

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 2 2017, 05:46 PM

I think people who are calling this a parts car are over estimating the amount of rust it has. Millking this car for parts would be a shame and honestly would just put another 914 in the ground.

Posted by: Unobtanium-inc Oct 2 2017, 05:58 PM

Here, here! I hate to see a Porsche scrapped. In the 356 world there are no longer such things as "parts cars", they are all saved. I hope 914's follow this trend too.

---Adam

Posted by: cary Oct 2 2017, 07:40 PM

Can you take another picture that gives it more dimension ?







Where is this ?

This is SOP, battery acid damage to right long. Like Adam said this isn't parts car.
You don't have to do a concours restoration.

I'm envisioning something like this on the outside. Maybe the inside too.

Posted by: cary Oct 2 2017, 07:54 PM

How about a shot of the right door gaps .......................

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 2 2017, 08:41 PM

Right door gap


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Posted by: cary Oct 2 2017, 08:58 PM

The other side. That one isn't effected by the rust.

Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 2 2017, 09:23 PM

1.


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Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 2 2017, 09:24 PM

2.


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Posted by: cary Oct 2 2017, 11:22 PM

Same shot as number 2. But the other (right) side. But shoot it straight on so we can see the gap.

Posted by: Philip W. Oct 3 2017, 06:39 AM

this is close to how bad mine was . It is fixable . depends on the shop and their experience with repairs of this magnitude and these cars. also depends on the hell hole and suspension points etc , on how far it goes- mine did not have rust in the upper part in the engine area at the hell hole- it was rot from the bottom so we replaced floor pan on both sides rear 1/4, and then we also had to rebuild the longs and jack points that were so bad that they fell out no triangle left at all on one side!!
My repairs were close to $6000 - and it was done in 2 months - I took it o Chris Foley at Tangerine racing and Ed and his other body guy did the work - now I also had some fender work done and the pedal area replaced so it would have been closer to $5000 for the longs jack points and rear floors - you have to ask if its worth it- I've had the car for 8 years, bought it not running for $2000. - I had already done all the suspension work and replaced the interior etc -

Look at the picture in my signature - that is the repaired jack point and long!

I had 2 choices- Buy a tub that would cost more than $5,000 or for about the same amount fix mine- I chose to keep save mine - its a rare color and now values are worth it- Cost vary depending on time and materials -

Next week my car goes to body and paint and the estimate for this is about another $5000. might be closer to $6000 - so add it up - well I cant because of so much other stuff that happens over 8 years of ownership of a project car - I can tell you initially I only put $1000 to get the car running after the $2000 purchase-
so $3,000 + @$6500 of rust repair and other work and $$6000 for body and paint , that's @$16000 into it and I would have to say I've spent another $4,000 on the
full suspension replacement new 16" fuchs and tires and interior replacement( ive done all the work myself including brakes lines, suspension ball joints and bushings 5 lug upgrade etc and ) and I'm all in for around $20,000.
And by the looks of it it may be a wash at this point but I've said I would not sell the car for less that $25,000 and the recent sales seem to point to it being worth at least that.

But even if it had not appreciated in value as much as it has in the past 5 years I would have done it - I've had that much enjoyment out of it.

I hope that helps - if you love your car, enjoy working on it or just driving it - andyou do need to fix that rust before its too late if you want to continue to drive it- then fix it. OR Sell it for $4-5,000 now and go buy a rust free car to enjoy now.

Dr. Phil

Good Luck!! LOTS of cars way worse off than that here that have been saved!

Posted by: era vulgaris Oct 3 2017, 07:59 AM

Here's an example. We need to see a shot that looks like this. Straight on, on the passenger side rear door gap. That's the one that will tell you if the frame is starting to fold (the driver's rear door gap will as well, but it usually starts on the passenger side because that's where the battery is). If there is a consistent gap from top to bottom, you're good. If the gap varies, or if there is little or no gap at all, or if the gap changes when you lift the rear of the car off the ground on jacks, then you're in trouble.


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Posted by: bbrock Oct 3 2017, 08:12 AM

I agree with those saying your car is NOT a parts car. It is a project car that needs help. I just finished rebuilding the passenger side long on my car that was WAY worse than yours.



It took me 2 months working weekends and evenings plus several days off of work, and < $1,000 in materials. That included a new inner wheel house, outer long panel, threshold, and seat belt mount; plus sheet metal to fabricate new lower inner long sections. I don't pay myself for labor so that is where the savings are. I'm no master welder or fabricator. Just a reasonably handy guy with determination. And here's how it looked before grinding the welds:



Don't let the missing parts scare you, I'm dealing with a LOT more rust than you are.

If your door gap looks okay, I think the type of patch that Cary posted would be a good way to go to get the car back on the road quickly. After a mechanic suggested I haul my '91 Pathfinder to the junkyard because of the extensively rusted frame, I bought a $20 sheet of metal and spent a weekend welding in similar patches. That was over 10 years ago and the car has remained solid and strong since.

While the car is being worked on, I would pull the seats and carpet out to remove the tar on the floor pan and address any rust you find there. If the floor pans are not rusting through, they are probably working on it so you might be able to get on it before the panels need replacing.

Posted by: Philip W. Oct 3 2017, 11:36 AM

this was mine- pretty bad,


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Posted by: Philip W. Oct 3 2017, 11:42 AM

i dont want to clog your thread with my pictures but its nice to see before during and after pictures- here are a couple after


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Posted by: 1973Porsche Oct 12 2017, 06:26 PM

Here's the picture of the passenger side door line.


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Posted by: Porschef Oct 13 2017, 03:40 AM

It's certainly shiny...don't look bad!

Posted by: bbrock Oct 13 2017, 10:26 AM

There are others more qualified to answer, but your door gap looks good to me. I think your car can be saved with some work.