My 74 In-Garage Restoration Options

[barada]

Question on the engine bay.

Would you guys put the sound pad back in? I am on the fence the paint turned out better than expected since we really on hit it with the red scotchbrite.

Phillip

[1968Cayman]

From the pictures I'm guessing your welder is either a junkie or a hopeless womanizer. He should be fired if he hasn't already od'd on some aspartame-laced substance.

BTW, I'm really going to hate you if you post pics of that car in full color before the month is up . . . no self-respecting 914 spends less than a full year on jackstands.

[Andyrew]

I vote no on the backpad.

And the welds look great, They are tach welds which is good because that means that excess heat didnt go into those pannels.

Also Guide coat. In all seriousness I get a spray can and mist it in the air over each panel. This gives you tiny little overspray droplets over the body which is perfect because it wont clog up your paper to badly and you can spend all your time sanding actual paint.

[tscrihfield]

I vote no on the backpad.

And the welds look great, They are tach welds which is good because that means that excess heat didnt go into those pannels.

Also Guide coat. In all seriousness I get a spray can and mist it in the air over each panel. This gives you tiny little overspray droplets over the body which is perfect because it wont clog up your paper to badly and you can spend all your time sanding actual paint.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

You dont want to lay full beads! Heat = Bad things (Can I Hear Potato chip?)

Andrew, I use the same method for a guide coat! Way cheaper than that expensive crap and it takes less time and works just as well!

Love the color! That car will look great!

[barada]

I vote no on the backpad.

And the welds look great, They are tach welds which is good because that means that excess heat didnt go into those pannels.

Also Guide coat. In all seriousness I get a spray can and mist it in the air over each panel. This gives you tiny little overspray droplets over the body which is perfect because it wont clog up your paper to badly and you can spend all your time sanding actual paint.

Yeah we are using a guide coat, just the first time I put it on to thick. I am heading to Utah so not sure if it will be sprayed this week. We primed it one more time to block it for a 4th time. It was very straight when looking at the reflections when the water was on it. He may be able to spray it thursday but I will not be there.

[Jacob]

Love restoration threads! Thanks for posting! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[barada]

From the pictures I'm guessing your welder is either a junkie or a hopeless womanizer. He should be fired if he hasn't already od'd on some aspartame-laced substance.

BTW, I'm really going to hate you if you post pics of that car in full color before the month is up . . . no self-respecting 914 spends less than a full year on jackstands.

This is for you Scott.

Well. I had to travel to Utah this week for work and left early Tuesday Morning. I did not expect James to be able to get it sprayed as he mentioned some family things he had to handle. When I landed last night I peeked in the garage to find that it had been sprayed this week. PPG really makes a nice product. We made stands to spray everything verticle to help cut down on trash and overspray issues.
We blocked it 4 times and the car came out really really straight. The car was pretty straight to begin with but I am very happy with the almost finished product. With us doing it in the garage we knew we would not come out perfect and planned on some serious buffing when it cured. We will wet sand and buff in a couple of weeks.
To me it turned out better than expected although he sprays with about a $800 gun so I imagine that helps. It does have some peel (very little trash)in it that will be gone after wetsanding. He said it was drying pretty quick since it was near 100 all week. he did a fantastic job taping as we had no overspray in the trunks and no overspray on any of the other panels.
At any rate time to start pulling tape and plastic and start putting some parts back on.
BTW my friend's name is James Swilley out of Mcdonough so wanted to give him a huge thanks for his help.
Still have loads of work to do but I feel like we are going down the hill now.
Here are some pics. It is really cloudy so you do not really get the full effect today.

Phillip

[barada]

A taste of how poor the front trunk looked 2 months ago. To think I was torn on pulling everything out. I am certainly glad I did now.

[Cairo94507]

Beautiful!!! I will enjoy seeing it come together now.

[Andyrew]

Looks great! Love the fixture you made for the hoods and doors!

[barada]

Thanks Andrew. we did not want to spray anything flat if we could help it. Glad to have the doors back on the car though as I was worried I would hit the stand and knock one off.
Got a little done, but mostly had to get the engine ready to go back in. I replaced the rear main seals, starter, changed the tranny fluid to swepco and all the injector seals and reinstalled the transmission this morning. Still have to replace all the fuel lines and repaint some tin that got some overspray on it then it can go back in.
Outside shots with the the siblings as well. Green car has been at my GF's house for 3 weeks while we have been spraying. The silver 79 has become my DD while the 914 is down.
I bought new front turn signal lenses but I am leaning towards keeping the ones that are on the car in the pics now as they seem a little darker than the ones I got the other day.So may have some new euro front lenses to sell.
Thanks
Phillip

[Al Meredith]

Phillip, I live in Roswell and have an OEM pad if you want it, although I don't like them. I make my own , In fact I just made two and sold one to another Atlanta teener. I use aluminum foil ( like a windshield reflector) with a clotht backing I get from J C Whitney , cut it to a template and have it bound with a vinyl tape . Looks and works great. You are welcome to come over and see it or link up somewhere. Al

[barada]

Phillip, I live in Roswell and have an OEM pad if you want it, although I don't like them. I make my own , In fact I just made two and sold one to another Atlanta teener. I use aluminum foil ( like a windshield reflector) with a clotht backing I get from J C Whitney , cut it to a template and have it bound with a vinyl tape . Looks and works great. You are welcome to come over and see it or link up somewhere. Al

Al,
A tan backpad? I am intrested.

[barada]

When you buy a car with really no records anything you find on the history is cool imo. I was told this was a Cali car and have seen pictures from previous owners with Cali plates on it but took it at face value.
When I was opening up the vents to clean them out came some 70's packaged Wrigleys gum and these. Proof it was at least in the state a few years after it was built. The pics I have seen with the plates on it date back to 2001 or so.
Pretty neat to me to find.

Phillip

[Al Meredith]

Sorry, No Tan Backpads , I just sold two dark brown ones and only have Black left. AL Anything else??

[barada]

Sorry, No Tan Backpads , I just sold two dark brown ones and only have Black left. AL Anything else??

Lots,
1. Perfect passenger rocker cover- I know you are holding for you 6.
2. Gasket for the Fresh are blower for right under the cowl. Lacqeur thinner does good to remove paint but also turned it into jelly.
3. Tan Door panels
4. E30 BMW so this stays clean
5. Tool Kit.
6. Jack- I borrow from the 911's.
7. 1974 owners manual. I have one from another year not sure which would have to check
8. Plastic rivets for rockers and sill plates.
9.16x7 Fuchs all the way around. Happy with the 6's for now.
10. Fog/ Horn grilles in black- If with fogs, I would also need fog lights as I did nto have them.
11. Maybe rear black bumper. Mine is ok
12. Rear bumper top.
Thats it other than carpet that I can think of, I will order new there.

Thanks
Phillip

[Al Meredith]

I do have several jacks . My problem is that I have a real 914-6 and I am saving all my best parts for that project. I may have a 1974 book as I also have a 74, 914. Al

[barada]

I do have several jacks . My problem is that I have a real 914-6 and I am saving all my best parts for that project. I may have a 1974 book as I also have a 74, 914. Al

Thats cool I will find the parts.

[barada]

Well why we wait on paint to cure I decided to see if I could get the motor back in. I replaced all the fuel lines (good thing one was spliced), Rear main seal, Injector seals,and all maintanence parts, New Hi torque starter, as well as repainted the tin and started to set it back in. Putting it back in was not near as nerve racking as pulling. Engine went in pretty easy enough and I wired it back up, put the gas tank back in and wanted to see if it would run. At the moment I went to the dash I remember hey dummy no oil so I was glad to catch that small detail. Filled it up with Kendall and went back to the dash. Well it turned over and over fine (new hi torque starter), but no fire. I pulled a fuel line and it was dry as a bone. I thought I was hearing the fuel pump run up front. So I poured some fuel in it and still nothing. I was about to give up and remembered one of the postive wires from the harnes seemed weak when I put it back on the battery. Sure enough barely if at all making contact, grabbed a vise gripo and went back to the key one turn and a burp, two turns and it fired right up. Now there is no muffler so it sounded pretty mean running in my garage. Checked for leaks (replaced rear main seal so nervous there) and all was dry no fuel leaks either and engine was pretty peppy. Have to do some housecleaning in there but very happy to have that marked off the list. A shame all the paint work around there is now hidden by motor tin.

Phillip

[JawjaPorsche]

Awesome! I love the color! It really looks good!