1973 Rusty Subaru Conversion Restoration Options

[CamWilson]

First off, let me say hello to everyone here. I've been lurking for quite some time and have very much enjoyed following so many of your restoration threads.

Life and work are finally at a place where I decided to bite the bullet and go get my own 914 - and I'm afraid it's going to be quite the challenge.

Details on the car: 1973. Engine is a 2.5L subaru that's mated to the original 5 speed trans via some kind of kit/adapter plate. The engine runs - but barely. It's got quite a few OBD2 codes and it seems to me as though the spliced up wiring harness the PO created has a few issues.

Interior: Nothing installed in the car, but seems as though 70% of it is included in the boxes of parts that came with the car.

Chassis: Seems as though someone did a partial restoration on this one quite a few years ago. There are a few areas where signs of sheet metal repair can be seen. I basically can't tell what I'm getting into. Could be good - more likely it'll be a bunch of stuff that needs to be removed and then reworked.

Pics:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269620.1.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269621.2.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269621.3.jpg)

Hell hole area - you can see the old patching work

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269621.4.jpg)
Interesting routing of coolant hoses. Plus, pretty sure that's exhaust pipe being used to route the coolant.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269621.5.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269621.6.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1545269622.7.jpg)

[CamWilson]

It took me a few days, but I got the car up onto the rotisserie (which I first had to build). I went the cheater route and built the entire thing out of HF engine stands. 4 stands (all purchased during their holiday sales) turned into two uprights and two bumper bars. Lots of cutting and welding, but it was easily accessible and now its done (you can see the engine hoist in the back there that I had to use very creatively to get the car up on stands by myself

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049222.1.jpg)

With that done I set about further inspecting the rust. Starting in the hell hole I got to work on removing the old patches.

Good sized hole right at the hell hole spot

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049222.2.jpg)

Some more creative patch work by the P.O. - some 3/16 steel spot welded into the engine mount.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.3.jpg)

Now I've seen plenty of you guys on here replace the suspension console - but I haven't seen too many engine mount replacements. More worryingly, I can't seem to find any for sale. Cross the bridge when I come to it I guess.

I pulled off that 3/16 steel and this is what was left behind it.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.4.jpg)

Definitely going to have to get that motor mount off in order to replace all the sheet metal behind it.

Next was onto the jack post area, and this is where my day got really truly crappy.

First off here's how it looked when I got the car (it actually was covered in rubberized underbody coating, but I gave it a quick hit with the sandblaster before I took pics) - looks like trouble, I know.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.5.jpg)


(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.6.jpg)

First I removed all of the *extra* steel

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.7.jpg)

I don't have a good picture of it, but it then became obvious that the floor boards had a lot of patching as well. I got work peeling back these floor board patches so that I could get a real look at the longs. I found nothing but ugliness.

Here you can see the inner long where the heater tube comes through is completely rusted away.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.8.jpg)

You can also see that the outer long where the jackpost is attached and up into the wheel well is also pretty well disintegrated.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049223.9.jpg)

Here's a shot of the inner firewall. You can see another sheet metal patch that's been installed behind it. . Bottom inch or so all the way across is completely rusted away

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-22702-1546049224.10.jpg)

So that's were things stand at the moment. Next up is getting started on remving the sill plate, outer rocker, etc... as well as ordering a whole bunch of new sheet metal.

Will post pics as things move along.

Happy Holidays everyone!