Um...uh...this can't be good...., ...anyone wanna see my crack? Options

[J P Stein]

At risk of repeating myself, I'll say that the 914 was never built or designed for the things we do with them......even when the factory welds are worth a shit.

I don't think mine led as tough a life as yours but I put a lot more prep into it to forstall this type of problem.....and it worked.
IMO, one has to start at the ground floor. Welcome to the ground.......I say this as encourgagement to fix it. Looks to me as though it can be done, not easily but doable.

[bigkensteele]

Van914 has a never-installed Tangerine kit for sale. You might want to PM him if you are interested.

[Randal]

Man, those are big cracks; sure glad circumstances found you on the side. Great remainder to all of us to be checking the front and rear structures before every event.

FYI everything I've got from Chris has been stellar. That reinforcement kit will do wonders.

Time to soda blast the front and rear to be sure you can see any other issues.

[ChrisFoley]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-6073-1325892106.jpg)

Until now, this weakness wasn't addressed with my reinforcing kit sheetmetal.
The kit deals with the flex of the outer console which causes the cracks iin the first photos, but not the longitudinal cracks further aft.
My FP car with raised pickups and an extensive roll cage has the same crack on the side of the long, which I've rewelded without reinforcing and seen it recur.
So I had already decided to include reinforcing plates for the raised pickup kit.

Going forward, I'm going to include doublers in the pickup points reinforcing kit for both the bottom and the side of the long to help prevent those cracks from propagating.

[naro914]

At risk of repeating myself, I'll say that the 914 was never built or designed for the things we do with them......even when the factory welds are worth a shit.

Completely agree. But...you know how someone say something back in your life and against all logic, it sticks with you? Well, many years ago, I got a stiffening kit from someone (no idea who). It's been sitting in a box of parts for...maybe 15 years? Anyway, the reason it was never installed is one of my old mechanics told me it wasn't needed, and you really didn't want to add all that weight anyway.

so logic told me it was needed, but that comment has stuck with me all this time, so we never did it....Should have followed my own instincts.

IMO, one has to start at the ground floor. Welcome to the ground.......I say this as encourgagement to fix it. Looks to me as though it can be done, not easily but doable.

Oh, no doubt it will be fixed...being done this weekend. My buddy is a chassis builder for a NASCAR team, He looked at it and pretty much shrugged his shoulders, said 'yeah, no big deal'. And he's done a lot of Porsche and specifically 914 work, so he understands them. He's a long time PCA member and works with my mechanic shop to help restore rusted out 914's and early 911's...and anything else that comes along.

Besides the fix and stiffening kit, he's got some ideas of other body strengthening supports.

He builds roll cages and a killer 914/6 engine mount. I have one in each of my cars. He took Patricks design, made it better, and cheaper. And his welds are amazing...
I'll post pictures.

[sean_v8_914]

im sure you had fun pushing the car that hard, nice work. squeeze that lemon!

[J P Stein]

I've never had the "stiffening kit" either. Seam welding did the deed for me up until I did down tubes from roll cage to he shock towers. Bout that time I also reinforced the inner ears at the rear. ....that has all been in the last 5 years or so of a 12 year running project. My only cracks were at the lower front of the rear shock towers....small but both sides in the same spot. That was pre-downtubes.
Heavy springs (275s) will do that to ya. Another re-run: I also seam welded the pinch weld seam all around the rear arches then ground them to a nice radius.
That area gets a lot of stress.....but you know that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

[naro914]

OK, so here's where we are: Papa is broken. The old man is getting brittle, so it's time to install all kinds of artificial limbs....

The front suspension mount point was pretty well cracked through too. Got that welded up and are going to reinforce the entire area and tie into the shock towers. Unfortunately, that also leads to another issue with the placement of the oil cooler, so we need to redesign that too.

I've emailed Chris and need to discuss all kinds of stuff.

One project leads to another, which leads to another, which leads....

Good thing this is the off season!

[Chris Pincetich]

this thread just gets better and better (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[dlee6204]

One project leads to another, which leads to another, which leads....

...to an empty wallet.

[naro914]

this thread just gets better and better (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Glad I can entertain you... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

One project leads to another, which leads to another, which leads....

...to an empty wallet.

No doubt!
I was really hoping the new engine would be the end of any big monetary projects for a while... NOT!

[Van914]

If you have tubes from the roll hoop to the rear, you can run tubes down to the outside susp. mount to brace. We did this to the race car.

[naro914]

If you have tubes from the roll hoop to the rear, you can run tubes down to the outside susp. mount to brace. We did this to the race car.

Pictures?

[Katmanken]

Dang, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

You are Mr. Lucky. Better buy a lottery ticket.

[SCV]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) Ouch. Your braking issue was fortuitous for sure. Hopefully all will be fixed soon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[scotty b]

Scary to think it might have been splitting apart on the Dragon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[naro914]

Scary to think it might have been splitting apart on the Dragon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

?? Papa is not a street car, track only. He's the one with the cracks




Huey is the street car.

[scotty b]

oh yeah that one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[charliew]

When I bought my 86 v6 auto gt fiero it was obvious it had been treated to some cone racing by the looks of all four corners and the wheels. I tried it out before buying it and under wot throttle shifting it would change lanes. I let my son ride in it and my vette friend and they both grabbed for something to hold on to when it shifted. I discussed this with the seller and he just shrugged. When I got it home the rear a arm was cracked 2/3 of the way across it's width. I drove that car over 100 at least twice.

How bout the broncos?

[sean_v8_914]

is Pappa all welded back together?