Hellhole and Longs Inspection when looking at a car, How to inspect the Hellhole and Left/Pass Long? Options

[J-Gaz]

I've been reading up on 914s for the better part of 2-3 years. Maybe longer.
I've been shopping and looking at them locally here in the Puget Sound for over a year now.

Lots of cars seem to be really rusty... and bondo'd or repainted [AKA covered up] under the battery, in the hellhole, in the rear trunk, the lower Bulkhead etc - the usual spots people tell you to look for.

I even saw one where someone bondo'd up the hips where the longs, floor pan, and bulkhead meet - underneath the car... and coated with an undercoat - but the bondo was clearly flaking off, and they did a piss-poor job with their putty spreader, leaving tool marks everywhere.

I still haven't found a 'good way' to inspect the Left/Pass Long. To me - that's the actual 'HellHole' as the battery tin isn't as difficult to get to. But when it starts to leak down into the long, and eat it apart - that's the crux of it.

No one seems interested in removing the rocker for me either, and even when I squeeze my head to attempt to observe the jacking point, I can't see much.

Plus, there doesn't seem to be a good way to inspect inside the left long when I'm out looking at these 'projects' - because all of them seem to be, no matter what price point I look at... a project.

Any tips or tricks to help inspect these areas when I'm meeting people to see about a purchase?

Should I get a cheap borescope? IF so, where can I access the long to insert the camera?

Really appreciate it.

J.

[Cairo94507]

Yeah, it is difficult. I have inspected a few cars and I take a small floor jack, rubber pad, flashlight, pick and safety glasses.

Jack the car up, block the wheels to be sure it is not going to roll, and get under and look closely with the flashlight and use the pick to check the metal frame and suspension points. I check both sides of the car to be as sure as one can be without disassembling a car.

I also have the top removed and open the doors and get someone to stand on the rocker and kind of bounce up and down a bit to see if the chassis is flexing. Check the typical spots in the door jamb for rust that has been covered up- a magnet is helpful here. Check the sail-panel where it meets the quarter panel, check around the windshield frame and the rear lights.

If you can remove the floor mats and carpet easily, do that to check the floor. Check the bottom of the firewall if possible (some cars have not got a backed or it is just sitting in place).

Look in the front and rear trunks for obvious rust of sloppy repairs. Check around the brake fluid reservoir for rust as well as the pedal cluster it possible.

Then comes mechanical and electrical. Mechanical is not that big of a deal. When it comes to electrical, try to determine if everything works. Turn everything on/off and verify it functions. All is fixable, but if something does not work, that may help negotiate a better deal.

A paint gauge will help you determine how many layers of paint may be on the car- another indicator of condition.

Good luck; there are good cars out there looking for a home. Patience and persistence is the key. Once you know what it is you are looking at, you will be able to ID "the one" when you see it and make the purchase. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)