Body flex Options

[yeahmag]

Where in Pasadena are you?

[Montreal914]

Where in Pasadena are you?

Hastings Ranch,
How about you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[realred914]

wow, part of door sill gone too???? before you spend any more time, you need to also hcek teh interior side too, remove the seats an dlift out the carpet and check out the bottom of the inner rockers near where they meets floor, stab the inner rocker with a screw driver to check if it is rusting thru from inside or not, also look at floor, paty attnetion to back wall under winodw near floor.

then do a carefully insepction of hellhole 9some have been cheaply wleded or bondoed over and look great form far, even from up close, make sure they is no signs of prior repair there. you do NOT want to waste time/money repairing the jack points only to find you have terminal rust elsewhere (ie thousands of bucks worth of repairs) when a better body tub can be obtained for less money and effort, so do a complete inspcetion like never before on this car before youproceed further. only then can youbudget for this

[tradisrad]

I'm sorry, that sucks. Do you weld?

Not really. Do you have someone to recommend? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I dont have anyone to recommend. I had a bunch of rust in a car and I found it cheaper to buy a roller and x-fer all of my parts to the new car. My rust was not as bad as yours.
Check for a tear in the long on the driverside at the e-brake handle recess. Inspect carefully under the battery tray and on the bottoms of the longs near the rear jack point.

[yeahmag]

Where in Pasadena are you?

Hastings Ranch,
How about you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Near Allen and Washington (there's a Vons there as a landmark). I'll PM you my contact info.

-Aaron

[scotty b]

One thing that I would like to avoid is cutting the quarter. Do you think it is possible? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

No, you can't even properly replace the jack point without cutting some of the quarter. You will most likely have to take the whole panel out. Find someone local to you that is competent with a MIG and can help you out. Hope for the best, but expect the worst.

[yeahmag]

I plan to take a look at the car sometime soon, but being in So. Cal. it's probably much more affordable to replace the chassis than it is to fix the rust...

[Montreal914]

I plan to take a look at the car sometime soon, but being in So. Cal. it's probably much more affordable to replace the chassis than it is to fix the rust...

So I thought I would update the recent work that I've done to repair my daily driver. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)
The difficult part was to do this as I use the car to go to work everyday...and weekends is usually familly time (as some of us know). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
So the interior was pretty much stripped, keeping only the driver seat and some tools.

I removed the rest of the jack point and sanded down the area.



I removed the rusted part where the two panels used to join and I used 16ga steel, shaped a piece using my available tools: hammer, vise, 2x4 block, lots of elbow grease and patience. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)
The first side took close to 3 hours, and the second one about 2. The fit was very good.



Then I went to get both sides mig welded for a reasonable price. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) I wish I had a welder (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) I might get one to finish up the work.



The car is now much more rigid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I need to do my caliper test again to see if the door gap opens up when I jack the car, as it used to but I think this issue is solved.

My next step is to install the Brad mayeur kit that I should receive tomorrow.

I'm currently debating if when I'm done I will put back my fiberglass rocker or find decent steel ones. Any ones out there for sale? What price should I expect to pay for a set?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[cary]

Having been where you are a couple times. What your doing is only temporary. Anything that is pitted still isn't really good metal. Kind of usable, but not good solid clean metal. You really need to take off the outer long to really inspect it.

Don't expect this to be a life time fix. Being in CA where its dry it will last a while but not forever. I have one just a little better then yours I'm fixing up for a daily driver. But being here in Oregon. When I'm finished putting it together I'm going to start hunting for another tub.

Fix it, get it back on the road to enjoy. Just don't forget about it. If you plan on keeping the car forever like some of us. Start making plans for a major inspection and repair.

[Bartlett 914]

My next step is to install the Brad mayeur kit that I should receive tomorrow.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Good to see you are doing a proper repair and not just a band-aid. The Brad Mayeur kit will really make the car rigid. I have a totally rusted shell I am about to cut up. Floor is gone and the longs are a mess. It had Brad's kit. The car has less flex tham my DD

[sean_v8_914]

sorry to burst ya'lls bubble but dont call that proper. I commend your innitiative but...the 914 longitudinal is like an onion. it has more than one layer of skin there and they are not flat metal for a reason. this bandaid will help for a while but what else is in there? you cant be scared to cut away till you find clean metal and dont be scared to remove this bandaid patch if you deside to do it right.
that bandaid should at least have some plug welds thru the middle to tie it into the underlayign layers

[sean_v8_914]

when you add the Brad M kit, dont forget som plug welds

[sean_v8_914]

spot weld, plug weld, swiss cheese...

[sean_v8_914]

the factory used them

[sean_v8_914]

plug loco ese

[Montreal914]

Having been where you are a couple times. What your doing is only temporary. Anything that is pitted still isn't really good metal. Kind of usable, but not good solid clean metal. You really need to take off the outer long to really inspect it.

Don't expect this to be a life time fix. Being in CA where its dry it will last a while but not forever. I have one just a little better then yours I'm fixing up for a daily driver. But being here in Oregon. When I'm finished putting it together I'm going to start hunting for another tub.

Fix it, get it back on the road to enjoy. Just don't forget about it. If you plan on keeping the car forever like some of us. Start making plans for a major inspection and repair.

Thank you for the reply,

I'm originally from Montreal Canada where there is salt on the streets half of the year and the other half is raining 50% of the time. New galvanized cars rust after 6 years! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I would be surprised if there are more than 5 914 left in the Montreal area (pop 3 million). I don't believe that cars last forever unless there are dry garage kept and driven to yearly shows. Now I live in CA, bought this car and drive it everyday, putting at least 10k miles per year on it. It is not a show room car but a driver that I enjoy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Yes I agree with you that the real job is to remove the outer to make sure everything is OK, but I can't justify to spend 8000$ when the car is worth half of that, plus I will not enjoy my car for a year.

I know that it is not the best solution and am fully aware that wathever rust there is will not go away.
Thank you for your recommendations. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I will keep a close eye on things as any 914 owner has to. If I get to the point that I'm uncomfortable with the car, I will look for a tub like you did. With the addition of the Brad Mayeur kit, I should be good for another five years. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[Montreal914]

My next step is to install the Brad mayeur kit that I should receive tomorrow.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Good to see you are doing a proper repair and not just a band-aid. The Brad Mayeur kit will really make the car rigid. I have a totally rusted shell I am about to cut up. Floor is gone and the longs are a mess. It had Brad's kit. The car has less flex tham my DD

Great! I'm glad to hear that! I'm looking foreward to feel the difference. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to do this. When I spoke to Brad he told me that customer usually have to pay 700-800$ for him to do the complete job with paint and seam sealer. I would like to do this for half of that and I'm currently looking at the option of buying a mig welder.

[VaccaRabite]

Before you start welding there, please make sure that you brace your door openings. if you do not do this, you can warp your car from the heat of welding. Its a common mistake for guys learning to weld or learning the quirks of these cars.

[mepstein]

Also make sure your passenger seatbelt mount down by the long has not been compromised.
(credit Scotty B for that bit of info)

[Montreal914]

sorry to burst ya'lls bubble but dont call that proper. I commend your innitiative but...the 914 longitudinal is like an onion. it has more than one layer of skin there and they are not flat metal for a reason. this bandaid will help for a while but what else is in there? you cant be scared to cut away till you find clean metal and dont be scared to remove this bandaid patch if you deside to do it right.
that bandaid should at least have some plug welds thru the middle to tie it into the underlayign layers

Thank you Sean for you reply. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I know the long have a few layer in that area and they are still there. This bandaid (12" wide) was installed with plug weld and a good overlap. I intend to do (or have done) the same thing with the Brad Mayeur kit. Coming back to the extra layer of skin, I think the 1/8" thick kit should make for it if there is any problem with it.

As I said in a preious reply, I know there could be other rust, it's 37 years old and has never been opened up. I regularly look at door gaps, rear wheel angle and things seem good.

I don't want to make this car a jackstand project, it runs good and I enjoy driving it.

Thanks for all the images, here is one!