1972 914 Build log Options

[jimbot2000]

Okay, now that I have my little Sprite sorted out and back on the road I can get started on this 914 again. I started stripping the car over the weekend. The PO had taken care of the heavy stuff already, engine and trans out.

As I've been stripping I've been finding more rust, than I had bargained for. Down by the pedals is an absolute mess!



I'm going to get the dash out next and that should be the interior stripped. I just was reading posts about the 9 plastic bolts that hold that thing in, so I'm sure I'll get that sorted.



I get the idea that this car is bent, and I'm trying to measure it to see if that's the case but I'm having a little trouble understanding exactly where to measure. This might sound strange but it seems to me that dimension "F" between the roll bar and flange has opened up a little. If it has opened up, then it's only a little, but knowing exactly where to measure is the hard part. Figure 4 isn't very clear, can anyone post a photo
of these measurement points?



The sand blaster is on it's way, should arrive before the end of the week. However, my wife is on the phone with her parents and they say they'll be here tomorrow, and stay through the weekend, so I'm afraid this will put a damper on things this weekend.

[ThinAir]

I just now found this thread and will be following your adventures since I've got a 72 with similar issues that I'm hoping to get to someday.

I'm also a former Sprite owner so seeing your photos brings back some good memories from about 1973. Unfortunately, I didn't have a clue about car mechanicals back then so it wasn't as great an experience as it could have been.

It looks like you got the 914 in the Netherlands. Just out of curiosity, where did it come from?

[jimbot2000]

I live in Germany and bought the car in Holland. Two Dutch guys we're going to try to restore it, but we're failing miserably with the welding work. To their credit they figured out they we're in over their heads, and gave up before they cut the car up too much. They did acquire a 2,0L and a side shift transmission before they got going.

Looks like most of the car is all here. It does have a 916 nose, and I haven't decided if I like that or not. A chrome bumper is really expensive so I might have the nose painted up, and convert it later to a chrome bumper. Right now the back bumper is painted black, but all of the chrome trim has been painted matt black. It's an interesting look, but I'll look into stripping the paint and probably having them re-chromed.

[billh1963]

This looks like quite a project!

Would it not be easier (and less expensive) to import a "rust free" car from the USA?

[jimbot2000]

Importing anything to Germany is never a cheep option. Just getting my Austin Healey to pass the Tüv (German Inspection) so that it could be imported cost almost 2K€. Then I was allowed to import it.

Besides for me it's more about the journey rather than the destination. I can improve my skills with sheet metal fabrication, welding and that's something I love to do.

Even if I fail at the sheet metal part. I can get rid of the rest of the car and make a fair amount of my money back. I an rebuild the engine and trans and get my 3K€ back. But the seats, gages and the rest of the goodies on ebay and even get some more.

"I don't do this because it is easy, I do this because it is hard!"

I've built my little Austin Healey twice now, and it's come out great both times. The first time I had to replace the floors, the longs, and basically anything in the lower 6 inches of the car. Knowing that just makes the smile on my face bigger when I drive it ;-)

I think this will end up being floors and longs. The hell holes are solid, and the engine was leaking enough that it protected the rear suspension.

Right now I need some time, and better explanation of some of these body measurements.

[jimbot2000]

Well, I've been working on the car and much more than I've been working on updating this build log (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I have been updating my Facebook Group very regularly, my family and friends are really interested in these projects, and don't have world memberships (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

So here's where we are!

I've got the car stripped down to the body shell. The rotisserie will be done today, maybe I can even get the car up on it.

[Hammy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Go for it. Good project and sounds like you know what it takes to get it done right.