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.

[J-Gaz]

Great advice all around.
I'm familiar with all the 'usual spots' I thought, but never had anyone say to look at the pedal cluster, or near the break fluid resivior, so I'll add that to my punch list.

I've watched a lot of Dr. 914/ AutoAtlanta videos on how to inspect and what to look for, then used that info to build out a punch list.

But the 'HellHole' and subsequent rot in the passenger jackpoint, and Long is elusive when rolling around in a parking lot.

I've never gotten to a point where I thought a PPI was warrented, because everything I've seen was just too far gone in all the other places, and on top of the hellhole/ bulkhead/firewall corner where if you see pitting, flaking, and bondo - you just know the long is toast.

So it sounds like there is no clever way to 'borescope' that long, or truly see inside it.

Like Brant says - Insist on Pulling the Rocker.

And @Cairo94507 , are you using the jacking tube for this? Or another Jacking point. I like the idea of jacking it up and using a flashlight. In one of Dr 914's videos he mentions also jacking up the car and opening and closing the doors - I think that was him. Plus just checking door gaps that may indicate the hips are sagging.

But sounds like the only way to inspect is the 'hard way'
Jack up the car, Flashlights, and pull the rockers.

Is that what I should take away from this?

Thanks so much - super helpful.