Is door gap widening when car is lifted normal? Options

[doug_b_928]

Thanks. I'm eager to learn.

[SirAndy]

Post some pics of your passenger side longs. In your first pic, i can see a rust hole where your jack post should be ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[doug_b_928]

I don't have pics on this computer, but if you search "1973 914 was/is my first car" there are plenty of pics there. The outer longs are gone, the inners are half gone at the back, the lower inner firewall needs help, the hell hole and a bit on the wheel house (from what I can see) also needs rust repair. Door sills, rear floor pans, rear trunk floor pan are all in need of replacement. Other than that the car is great (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif). Actually, the front (aside from the hood), is in pretty good condition. Engine mounts might be okay and suspension ears also look salvageable.

[Claus Graf]

Had I done the test of opening the doors and jumping, my 74 914 would have split in half. So I removed the engine and trans. Built a wood frame with casters and put the 914 on top. This way the car would remain aligned while I cut and rebuild the longitudinals.

[wndsnd]

Shhhhhhhhhhhh.......

Yep.

and this is 8 inches [ ] is what I told my wife....

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

John

[DRPHIL914]

Had I done the test of opening the doors and jumping, my 74 914 would have split in half. So I removed the engine and trans. Built a wood frame with casters and put the 914 on top. This way the car would remain aligned while I cut and rebuild the longitudinals.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

any more pictures of the process ?

[cary]

Yeah, that's the plan. BTW, the reason I'm not planning to go the roller route is because this is my first car and I'm hoping to save it (but not at any cost).

My kind of guy ................. LOL
And learn you will.

[Jonathan Livesay]

Is door gap widening when car is lifted normal?

Nope ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Wouldn't the correct answer be: yes it's normal, but it is not good?

[IVGUY]

"I noticed yesterday that it even has a block heater installed."

Ok I wasnt aware this option was available on Canadian 914's ???

[Claus Graf]

Had I done the test of opening the doors and jumping, my 74 914 would have split in half. So I removed the engine and trans. Built a wood frame with casters and put the 914 on top. This way the car would remain aligned while I cut and rebuild the longitudinals.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

any more pictures of the process ?

[stevegm]

Is door gap widening when car is lifted normal?

Nope ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Wouldn't the correct answer be: yes it's normal, but it is not good?

Yes. Or - Yes, unfortunately, it is fairly normal among many of the 914s left. And, unfortunately, is a signal that, although it can be done, it will be very costly to fix.

[Cairo94507]

The good news is once you fix it correctly, you will never have to worry about it again and can drive it knowing it is safe to drive. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[doug_b_928]

I built a bench a la Hail and put the car on it. Then I could really see that it is twisted in the rear up to the firewall (from 1.5" at the back, to 7mm at the firewall). The brain trust says that it would need to have most of the metal work done on a Celette, which is sounding the death knell for my car. The car needs everything else too, so I was hoping to do the metal work myself to save as much as possible (was really looking forward to it as well), or at least have a pro do the most difficult stuff and do the rest myself. But the necessity to send the car away for the metal work to be done on a Celette basically doubled the cost (might as well get all the metal work and paint done by the pro at that point). I was going to put double what it would be worth into it out of sentimentality (aka insanity), but doubling that amount again is preposterous. Though I have to say, I still intermittently think about making jigs from a good tub (a local guy has one--he doesn't want to sell it but might let me use it to make jigs) and trying to do the straightening and metal work with that..... and then I come back to reality.

[bandjoey]

Pull up the restoration thread. Many cars there saved and you can see the "insides" before cutting. I (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[siverson]

I agree that Doug B's photo looks really bad and that car needs repairs now, but I disagree that they should not flex at all.

I've owned 5 914s now and I think they ALL flexed to some degree when jacking them up on the donut with an engine in. Even the 30k mile, all original, essentially rust free, 1.7 that I used to have had some movement when the car was jacked up. It was very, very subtle, but if you marked the door with tape it was easy to see.

I never had a new car, so can't say how they used to perform, but I bet nearly all the cars are flexing now a little and the door gaps widen when lifted.

Another way to see/feel the small movement is to put your finger in the door gap as you jack up the car - you'll feel it pinch a little. But I wouldn't recommend doing that on Doug B's car! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

-Steve

Is door gap widening when car is lifted normal?

Nope ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Claus Graf]

This is what my longs looked like. Had some sheetmetal and angle iron covered with fiberglass.

[siverson]

I guess you just needed some thicker fiberglass!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This is what my longs looked like. Had some sheetmetal and angle iron covered with fiberglass.

[worn]

Had I done the test of opening the doors and jumping, my 74 914 would have split in half. So I removed the engine and trans. Built a wood frame with casters and put the 914 on top. This way the car would remain aligned while I cut and rebuild the longitudinals.

That wood frame looks great! I made a frame that held my TR6 out of half inch plywood. If you know about racking forces and diagonals they can be super strong. This is a car for which body work is not extra expensive in materials. A big length of sheet metal, restoration designs, amig or tig and off you go. But time will be an issue. Now parts, there you can spend the money. The porsche name seems to do something to the parts.