What the World needs now is... a progress thread, An update after 2 years? Unpossible! Yet, true. Options

[VaccaRabite]

So, when I started this restoration in October of 2005, I started a progress thread on the Subaru Board (NASIOC) that I active on. I have been meaning to create a thread here, but I never got around to it. I figured the kids over in ricer land would find it more amusing to see a classic resto in action then the folks here that have lived it.

But, I now post more here then I post in NASIOC OT, and feel more involved in the community then I did when I started. So, for the sake of ease, I am going to port over my posts from NASIOC, and posts from today on will be unique here.

As I get ready to paint (JUNE 9th - 13th are PAINT DAYS!) this thread will get more active. :-)

Zach

PS, it kinda fun for me to do this. Looking over the old posts brings back memories of the ride...

[VaccaRabite]

Posted 03-06-2006

I did more work on the 914 this weekend, and remembered to take some pictures. Hopefully, as spring startes to warm up my garage, I'll be able to spend more time out there on the car.

The mission: get the crappy, rusty front trunk out and replaced with a new clean one.

The task this weekend started when a body panel that I got from a salvage car showed up in the mail. The weather was nice, so off to work I went.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/static.flickr.com-179-1274377083.1.jpg)

This was what needed to come out. The big hole in the bottom was a cut out for the dealer installed AC (which will notr be going back in). Notice how crumpled this metal is. There are rust holes at the top left and bottom right corners. The top left suspension triangle is really rusty. What is left there is a patch work of steel welded and brazed in. This car has had several front enders... The more I dig into this car, the more I think it was raced pretty hard. There is lots of front end work on it.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/static.flickr.com-179-1274377084.2.jpg)

Almost all the metal is cut out. The front still needs to be cut away. At the factory this area was attached by spot welding. But the DPO brazed it on. The spot weld are drilled, but i need to grind off the brazing as well.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/static.flickr.com-179-1274377084.3.jpg)


Here it is looking at it from the front. You can still see a rust hole near the top left. The drilled holes along the left are spot welds that I drilled out. Before I cut that last bit out, I need to take very precise measurements so that I can replicate the cut on the new panel. The goal is not to have to have a gap when I weld in the new piece.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/static.flickr.com-179-1274377085.4.jpg)


This is the part to be welded up after a lot of cleaning. The guy who was cutting up his car left much of the fenders, nose and fuel wall on. the fenders and nose I took off (drilling out the spot welds) and when I get my measurments for the back rise, I'll make the same cut here. If doen right, it will make a very tight fit and be easy to weld in. All the white junk in it is ground out seam sealer. I wanted to take it all out to make sure that there was no rust hiding under there. Before the piece gets welded into the car, it will be bare metal, and right after welding it will get the POR-15 treatment.

Around 1AM Erin came out and asked if I was planning to come to bed. Time had gotten away from me. I work pretty slow, but I am teaching myself all this stuff as I go along. Sunday I had other tasks to do, but today is supposed to be nice out. Maybe I'll have the new front trunk welded in by this weekend. If so, it will be one of the big steps in my restoration.

Along the way this weekend, I realized that I had gotten a 2 for 1 deal on my sawzall. I bought one, on sale. Put it away without opening it. Saturday night, I take off the cellophane and 2 bozes of saws come out! They were packaged in bundles of 2, and never unpacked at the store. The checkout person just rang the barcode, and neither of us ever new any better!

Also, while wire wheeling the seam sealer out of the new piece, I felt something hit me in the forehead. Not too uncommon (and I was wearing goggles, a hat, and ear muffs). My neighbor stopped by to chat, and while brushing the dirt off my face, I felt something that was not right. Reached up and pulled out a 1/2 inch piece of wire that had embedded itself in my forehead.

Zach