State of rust and unknown plastic bit Options

[macnichol]

Hi all, thought'd I'd share my continuing progress on my college 914 project. I was able to get a better look underneath the car and poked around with a screwdriver, the rust looks to be mostly surface. I got the calipers off, they are def worn out and need a rebuild.

My question to you guys, is that crack in the long something that I need to be especially worried about and is it a good fix to remove the rust and patch it up with the TIG? Also, what's that plastic piece hanging from the underbelly of the car? Thanks guys

[dlee6204]

Your long is not original. It's likely someone did a sub-par repair and didn't completely fix the previous rust issues. It looks like the the crack is the full height of the long? If so its likely the chassis flexing so yes it should be an area of concern. I recommend inspecting this area further to determine a course of action.

And the plastic piece hanging down is a cover that protects the shift linkage connection just outside the tunnel.

[macnichol]

Your long is not original. It's likely someone did a sub-par repair and didn't completely fix the previous rust issues. It looks like the the crack is the full height of the long? If so its likely the chassis flexing so yes it should be an area of concern. I recommend inspecting this area further to determine a course of action.

And the plastic piece hanging down is a cover that protects the shift linkage connection just outside the tunnel.

Are quality aftermarket longs available? I've found the ones on restoration-design but it seems to only be the inner longs. I supposed it would be possible to fabricate a solution but I'd not want to go this route if possible. At some point I certainly would like to remove the non-original repair work but as of right now, I only have a rented garage to work in so it's a little tough.

If the chassis is structurally sound, would it be advisable to do some rust removal, weld the crack closed and add a patch panel overtop? It looks like it was poorly welded to begin with and ended up breaking.

[bdstone914]

@macnichol

By any chance has the jack post and plate been removed?

The plastic piece is the shift linkage which should be up against the firewall.

[Tdskip]

Are quality aftermarket longs available? I've found the ones on restoration-design but it seems to only be the inner longs. I supposed it would be possible to fabricate a solution but I'd not want to go this route if possible. At some point I certainly would like to remove the non-original repair work but as of right now, I only have a rented garage to work in so it's a little tough.

If the chassis is structurally sound, would it be advisable to do some rust removal, weld the crack closed and add a patch panel overtop? It looks like it was poorly welded to begin with and ended up breaking.

How are your door gaps? Nice and even still on both sides or a bit tighter in the top near the door handles?

[macnichol]

Are quality aftermarket longs available? I've found the ones on restoration-design but it seems to only be the inner longs. I supposed it would be possible to fabricate a solution but I'd not want to go this route if possible. At some point I certainly would like to remove the non-original repair work but as of right now, I only have a rented garage to work in so it's a little tough.

If the chassis is structurally sound, would it be advisable to do some rust removal, weld the crack closed and add a patch panel overtop? It looks like it was poorly welded to begin with and ended up breaking.

How are your door gaps? Nice and even still on both sides or a bit tighter in the top near the door handles?

They look even and open and close easily when on all 4 tires. I felt maybe a *tiny* bit of rubbing when putting the front end up on jacks but it was so imperceptible I can’t say for sure. Part of that may be the hinges themselves I think from what I can see. I can grab some pictures when I stop by later.

[Mikey914]

You are lucky there are quality replacement parts available

http://www.restoration-design.com/store/category/914-FULL

I would remove the doors and cross brace to start replacing the panels you need to. to keep things from moving around on you.

The good news is that you are in the right place to sort this out (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

[Superhawk996]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

There are a couple red flags in this post.

1) Car is in Midwest. Midwest has not been kind to these cars.

2) College project. Limited garage space and limited $$ are not your friend. You may be better off to wait to graduate and just buy a better starting point. I had a 914 and was broke in college too. Often used my bosses garage for work. Somehow you have acess to a TIG so you're way ahead of where I was in college. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) BTDT.

3) Prior work appears to have been done poorly.

4) The work to properly repair the long is way greater than you might think. Parts are available but not cheap and you may need more of them than you currently think. Feel free to visit build link in my signature if you want to know how I know. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

On the plus side, you probably have time and energy to do the work even if you can only pull off a temporary repair. However, beware. Rusty longs compromise the seat belt restraint mounting points and even a low G impact could become injurious if the seat belt mount pulls though the long due to compromised sheet metal.

Go into whatever you do eyes wide open.

[bbrock]

I'm a little skeptical you'll be able to just weld that crack shut. I would stab it with a screw driver like you are trying to murder it to see how solid the metal is. You can't weld rust and usually a crack on the outside means more rot on the inside.

Of course, doing it right is always best but I owned 3 914s while I was in college and did some quick patch repairs to keep cars mobile. Like @Superhawk996 said, don't compromise on important safety items like seat belt anchors. No judgement here as long as you make it solid and safe, and don't try to pass the car to the next owner without being honest about what was done.

While in college, I learned how to gas weld by welding a front clip into my first 914 on weekends in my dad's garage 60 miles from college. It wasn't smart and the repair looked exactly like what you would expect, but the car continued to get me around for a few years. I got my current 914 also while in college for dirt cheap because the dreaded hell hole rust had roached the rear suspension console. Again, weekend welding in my dad's garage got it on the road again and was a fun ride for several years. It wasn't a repair to be proud of, but it worked. Thirty-five years later, I've finally fixed it the right way and am looking forward to having her back on the road. All this to say, I've been where you are and I get it. Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[rhodyguy]

The outer floor patches are not factory. Put 200 lbs of weight in the seat, see how the door operates and if the margins remain consistent. That appears to be a pretty rusty car. You're seeing the tip of the iceberg. what do the trunks look like? Invest in some good penetrant before you start turning too many nuts and bolts.

[Tdskip]

The outer floor patches are not factory. Put 200 lbs of weight in the seat, see how the door operates and if the margins remain consistent. That appears to be a pretty rusty car. You're seeing the tip of the iceberg. what do the trunks look like? Invest in some good penetrant before you start turning too many nuts and bolts.

Excellent coaching.