Tools needed to do a ground up Resto Options

[proto31]

Other than normal tools, what sort of tools will I need in order to put together a 914-6 that is entirely disassembled? Which tools are the "would be nice to have" and which are "essential?" (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

Thanks

[michael_oberg]

Im doing a ground up restoration of my 1959 Ural motorcycle (partially in preparation for that porsche 914 that I will finally be ready to buy at the end of this year), and here are the tools that I have built up during the resto and have found to be essential:
- MIG welding setup. My used Lincoln 3200HD MIG came with a 20CF tank, and after having to refill after only an hour or two of use (20CF tank at 25CF/hour flow rate, you do the math), I realized that I needed a much bigger tank, and just bought a 125CF tank (ran about $110 with the 20CF tradein).
- Blast cabinet with glass beads. I built my own blast cabinet from scrap steel that I accumulated cheaply over the past 9 months, and bought all the accessories (media, gun, pickup tube, gloves, misc. hardware) from TPTools. From the time and energy spent building the cabinet I should have just bought a pre-made cabinet and spent the effort on the motorcycle. Although my cabinet is rather large and I am very happy with it, I would probably buy a harbor freight unit or maybe a Barrel Blaster setup if doing it again.
- Large air compressor to power the blast gun and assorted air tools. I only have 120V in my garage, so I bought the largest 110v compressor I could find (Husky 26 Gallon). It gives 5.8 CFM at 90PSI, which I have found to be pretty inadequate for any of the really useful air tools (cut-off, DA sander, etc) and of course blasting. It is OK for a small die grinder / drill / scraper, etc, but waiting for it to get back up to pressure is really annoying, and I would imagine it would be unbearable for restoring an even larger vehicle. I have since bought a 220V Ingersol-Rand 60gallon compressor rated at 12CFM@90psi, and another 60 gallon tank to prepare for all of the blasting I plan on doing soon (compressor was $225, and second tank ran me $100, both used). To get around the 120V vs 240V wiring issue, I plan on buying a 2x120V to 240V converter.
- Home powder coating setup. I plan on powder coating the entire bike, which is still probably less sq ft than what I would recommend powder coating on your 914. I bought the gun and powder from Eastwood, and just use a cardboard and duct tape shroud for overspray / easy media recycling. Find a used oven and you would be all set. I just picked up an industrial InfraRed curing setup (for $200) and will see how that works.
- 4 1/2" angle grinder. Buy a nice one to use for your grinding wheels, which you may be using a lot, and an el cheapo for the cutting disks. Not having to swap out the grinding wheel and cutting disks all the time is a huge time saver.
- Bench Buffer. I have been buffing and polishing all of the metal components, then giving them a high gloss powder coat and have been really happy with the results, but may be non-essential for you.

This Site, as well as 914world.com has been a huge help for me in deciding to do almost everything myself, and to see how straightforward some things can be (powder coating, plating, painting). Doing it this way can be time-consuming, but hugely rewarding - and a little lighter on the pocketbook. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Good luck on your 914!

- Michael