Body/Paint Shop Reccos & Estimates, SoCal, CA & Out-of-State Options

[Tom_T]

One other comment on solvent based paints in Cali. I've been told by a guy who runs a plating shop (who paints small things) that a shop that does restorations is allowed to spray a very small amount of solvent based paint a week or month. Something like 1 gallon or so. Maybe someone can chime in here to confirm that comment, maybe I was dreaming or something? Point is, it is possible to paint a 914 with a gallon of good paint and have some left over. I did everything but the interior, including door jambs, front & rear trunks and engine compartment.
Kev

I'll check around on that Kev - Thanx for the possible "out"!

I'll also call the bodywork guy you PM'ed me the info on before/today.

[Tom_T]

tom, a few suggestions if i might add...

when our 73 was wacked in the front it was a close call to replace front fender & front misc. or hammer out. we decided to hammer out. it came out GREAT, i'm really glad we DIDN'T cut. it was much worse than yours appears to be. i'd really vote to find a good body shop to pull it.

i don't know if you've ever done a ground up or not, but for me i learned to establish 4 or 5 basic and realistic phases and the vital importance of organization, not just organization, but over the top overkill organization of removed parts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif).

that said my thought is your not to the cost estimate stage yet. you may get a ballpark, but there are way too many variables yet. if you are commited my start would be to teardown (baggie and mark and shelve everthing). you'll know so much more about the car at that point.

best of luck, i'm sure your car will come out top notch. do you plan on any modifications or stock? keep i mind the early 73' thing and let us know of any other weird things you come accross for my research on them if you don't mind

mike (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Thanx Mike -

You're right - the front end can probably be pulled on the bench, then perhaps only the headlight assembly, box & brace from the donor shell, & maybe the inner fender replaced too if it cannot be worked back into shape.

The rear end is a different matter & will need at least the rear face panel between the body seams & maybe the rear trunk floor - depending upon how well it pulls out. The rust-rot areas will be obvious cut-n-weld replacements in at least the larger areas. I was considering using the old leading method for the small ones, but a prior post really pushed for replacement, so who knows.

Not only am I over-kill organized & doing the zip-lock thing with the parts into various boxes, but I'm stripping the donor shell in tandem, & doing pix other than these to show me how it all came apart, to make sure I can get it all back together again despite any brain-farts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

My basic phase now is stripping down to shell & organizing/storing parts. The pahse before this was collecting mechanical & some body parts over the past 6 months or so, & before that was trying to decide how far to go with it - full strip to shell or exterior only, back to OE "white" (not my fav color) or another color change, modify or stay original, etc. I've decided to stay/go back to original.

Next will be to have the drivetrain & suspension out for refreshing & resto work while the shells are at a tbd body shop, then reassembly & re-installation of suspension/drivetrain, then work out the kinks to have it running well. I don't know if that's the detail you're thinking of, but that's my plan.

One early 73 oddity which I have found, is that I have late style doors & windows/regulators, but without the side impact braces welded in place. So I guess that's a 3rd door type - the "Lightweight Lates"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

There is actually more progress since that initial set of pix which I'd posted, as I'm done with the rear trunk except pulling the damaged lid, & am 1/2 done in the front trunk area, & some progress in the engine bay & cockpit - but rain & other conflicts keep stealing my time away from this. Now if my schedule & weather could just give me more time & more consistently without all sorts of other honey-do & business side-projects, then I could actually get this sucker to shell soon!

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Tom_T]

Hi,

Stop posting pics already.
No decent shop will give you an estimate without seeing the car in person.
What you need to find is a great restoration shop in your area that has a soft spot for old porsches...they are around.

Rich

Rob,

With all due respect - yes they can give a preliminary estimate based on pix, & I've done so in the past on other vehicles. In truth, it's not much different that the shop guy coming out & taking his own pix back to the shop for an estimate.

Second - as I stated in the very first post - I'm trying to expand my search to not only include local shops, but also out of the area & out of state for the stated reasons. since it hasn't run in 25 years, it's kinda hard to drive it anywhere for an estimate (also as stated in first post).

While I appreciate & understand your suggestion about finding a local resto specialist - which I do in fact plan to do - I do also need to look further afield, since we have certain issues & obstacles here in California to get a good paint/body job done, which you don't have in MA & most other states (don't worry, it will eventually get there too).

So, if you don't mind - I'm going to continue posting my pix on the off chance that a shop or resto person wants to give me an estimate. If you do mind, then just don't look at them.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[Tom_T]

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Continuing with the lower to upper firewall & engine shelf seam area rust rot pix -





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FYI - this is the culprit in the firewall rust - an early engine lid drip tray which warped at the L & R front edge due to engine bay heat, which then sent 2 waterfalls L & R onto the sisal backed heat/sound pad below, & held in the water against the lower firewall/engine shelf to rust away - which BTW lines up perfectly! So I'd suggest that others with early rain trays - or any - to also check behind your heat/sound pads periodically & catch any rust before it holes, & maybe apply a rubberized coating to the inner-side & edges to prevent moisture absorption in the pad! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) -



1/4" diameter Chip in front edge in Targa Top to repair & refinish (I may redo this top myself) & windshield frame paint chip (no rust) from ski rack - the top was refinished in 1980 with the last repaint/rust-bubbles repair, but the paint/texture materials bond failed at the flex & vibration points along the roll bar & at the front edge/corners - I'm including the pix here as an optional item to quote if I decide to have the tbd shop/pro do it for me -





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Doors - Drivers Door Stay Mount Sheetmetal Tear to Repair (Pass. side okay), then series with Rust along undersides above outer seals on doors - or probably preferable unless the tbd shop/pro tells me otherwise to fix the original doors - I'd replace these doors with a pair of L&R clean/rust-free doors, with the pass. side at the donor sheel being such, but the L/driver door on the shell has rust holing at the bottom also (although less than on mine below), so I'll be looking for a better clean/rust-free late L door to swap out -





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Pass. Door Stop (good) & rust on underside & seal channel - pass door on donor shell is perfect except for some "extra" screw holes up top from mounting a racing R side mirror (similar at L donor door), see those pix later in this series -







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Clean Sills under Thresholds @ Driver & pass. sides -





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Floor Pan Underside in Quarters - L Half F & R - Only Surface Rust in Spots - Orange area in top pic below is my flashlight beam as I was shooting these at night in the garage last yere (not a rust area) -





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Floor Pan Underside in Quarters - R Half F & R - Only Surface Rust in Spots - BTW the black stuff on the underpan & wheel Wells etc. is the original dealer applied rust treatment/schutz over the original L80E (white) paint & factory chip gaurd (if any) under the paint, with some areas peeling the black coating back to the original white paint & a few areas where the white paint has come off to bare metal & surface rusted - not onf the areas on this main floor/underbody pan failed the screwdriver test for rust-through & the surface rust brushed off fairly easily (I will wire-wheel & pre-treat/pre-prime them to be sure & to preserve them from further damage) -





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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rear End: Trunk Lid, Face Panel, L & R Fenders, Trunk Floor (full or rear half) as/if needed -







The 3rd hole below the left bumper mounts is a small area of through rust on the donor shell pic below - which area on my 914 is solid & rust-free & usable, if the bench pull/etc. can get that area straight - while the rest of the rear panel & rear trunk floor on the donor is clean & rust-free for cut-n-weld -



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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rust-free Pass. Door but needs extra mirror holes closed-off -







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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rust-free Pass. Door but needs extra mirror holes closed-off - continued -









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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rust on Driver Door but needs extra mirror holes closed-off, Outer Skin Damage, & Rust @ Bottom Repaired - Will Try to Source better Undamaged Rust-free door-







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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rust on Driver Door but needs extra mirror holes closed-off, Outer Skin Damage, & Rust @ Bottom Repaired - Will Try to Source better Undamaged Rust-free door - continued -









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Parts Donor Shell (Red & Black) `74 914-2.0 - Rust Free Upper & Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf as needed - but the battery tray/support & hell hole area isn't great, so I'll need to get clean used or new sheetmetal parts (e.g.: from Restoration Design, AA, etc.) in that area & already have a new battery tray/support to put in there - & a couple of people have rcco's also replacing the suspension consoles there with the new Resto. Design parts on both sides just to be safe (so I may get those to do as well if shop/pro agrees) -







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