I found the rust!, : ) suggestions? Options

[914Next]

This is the extent of the rust that I have found on the car so far....and I have looked quite hard. Have not removed the rockers because they are still held on with the original rivets. I did loosen the bottom screws, however and bang on the rockers knocking quite a bit of dust out...not rust or scale. Then I used a scope to go in through the rear wheel well to see what lurked behind the rocker. Looks very clean...dirty and a bit of what may be some slight surface rust but red painted surface in most areas I can observe.

So...what should I do, if anything about the rust in the pics? I will say the car will not be getting wet so I'm tempted to leave as is. Trying to keep the car as is to the extent possible. Can I safely leave these spots or do I need to repair. If repair? What is the best way to do it? Thanks.

Wow. Thanks for the guidance on the posts, guys. Simple once you know how. I added a few additional pics of the jack post areas. I'll continue to contemplate taking the rockers off but given what I see, I'm more likely to leave them as is. Not concerned about rust underneath. May even take a video and post what I see in there with the scope.

[stevegm]

This is the extent of the rust that I have found on the car so far....and I have looked quite hard. Have not removed the rockers because they are still held on with the original rivets. I did loosen the bottom screws, however and bang on the rockers knocking quite a bit of dust out...not rust or scale. Then I used a scope to go in through the rear wheel well to see what lurked behind the rocker. Looks very clean...dirty and a bit of what may be some slight surface rust but red painted surface in most areas I can observe.

So...what should I do, if anything about the rust in the pics? I will say the car will not be getting wet so I'm tempted to leave as is. Trying to keep the car as is to the extent possible. Can I safely leave these spots or do I need to repair. If repair? What is the best way to do it? Thanks.

IMG_1215.JPG
IMG_1216.JPG

Can't see the pictures. However, you can't fully evaluate the rust on these cars without removing the rocker covers. So step 1 is to take them off. If there is rust on the longitudinal or jack post supports, hardly at all, then it likely goes deeper. Post some pictures of the longitudinals and I am sure everyone here will steer you to the next step.

[914Next]

This is the extent of the rust that I have found on the car so far....and I have looked quite hard. Have not removed the rockers because they are still held on with the original rivets. I did loosen the bottom screws, however and bang on the rockers knocking quite a bit of dust out...not rust or scale. Then I used a scope to go in through the rear wheel well to see what lurked behind the rocker. Looks very clean...dirty and a bit of what may be some slight surface rust but red painted surface in most areas I can observe.

So...what should I do, if anything about the rust in the pics? I will say the car will not be getting wet so I'm tempted to leave as is. Trying to keep the car as is to the extent possible. Can I safely leave these spots or do I need to repair. If repair? What is the best way to do it? Thanks.

IMG_1215.JPG
IMG_1216.JPG

Can't see the pictures. However, you can't fully evaluate the rust on these cars without removing the rocker covers. So step 1 is to take them off. If there is rust on the longitudinal or jack post supports, hardly at all, then it likely goes deeper. Post some pictures of the longitudinals and I am sure everyone here will steer you to the next step.

Thanks Steve, as a newbie can you tell me how I can past pics directly into a post without using a link?

[76-914]

Click on the "Help" button, upper right hand side of the page. Then look under posting. Several bits of info there on adding items to one's post.

[bandjoey]

Click on full edit of your post. Bottom left side is 'choose a file'. Pulls them from your phone or computer. Wallaaaah!

[Dave_Darling]

Here's the how-to:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=13637

--DD

[stevegm]

This is the extent of the rust that I have found on the car so far....and I have looked quite hard. Have not removed the rockers because they are still held on with the original rivets. I did loosen the bottom screws, however and bang on the rockers knocking quite a bit of dust out...not rust or scale. Then I used a scope to go in through the rear wheel well to see what lurked behind the rocker. Looks very clean...dirty and a bit of what may be some slight surface rust but red painted surface in most areas I can observe.

So...what should I do, if anything about the rust in the pics? I will say the car will not be getting wet so I'm tempted to leave as is. Trying to keep the car as is to the extent possible. Can I safely leave these spots or do I need to repair. If repair? What is the best way to do it? Thanks.

IMG_1215.JPG
IMG_1216.JPG

Can't see the pictures. However, you can't fully evaluate the rust on these cars without removing the rocker covers. So step 1 is to take them off. If there is rust on the longitudinal or jack post supports, hardly at all, then it likely goes deeper. Post some pictures of the longitudinals and I am sure everyone here will steer you to the next step.

Thanks Steve, as a newbie can you tell me how I can past pics directly into a post without using a link?

In the lower part of the screen that you use to type your post you'll see the - Choose file - button.

[stevegm]

The pictures look promising. Fairly clean. But the rust on the exterior isn't your primary enemy. It's the rust underneath that matters most. You won't know what you have without removing the rocker covers. It's 3 screws and 6 rivits, IIRC. I have bought a couple cars that looked just like yours. And once the rocker covers were removed there was rust. Minor. But there. I'm glad I caught it before it festered into a major problem.

[Tom_T]

Back to rust -

Before you take off the rockers - & I understand why you're hesitant to do so - go borrow one of those fiber-optic snake-cameras or buy one from Harbor Freight etc. & stick it down the holes into the longs behind the firewall @ L & R sides of the low-point on the engine shelf.

You can also take off the lower cheesehead screws on the rockers (Liquid Wrench on them, soak, repeat, try & repeat again if necessary - they will be stiff), & then carefully open them a bit without bending the rocker metal, in order to see a bit of the bottom of the longs under the rockers' return "ell" at the underside.

Hopefully that all checks out clean, but if not & you see rust, you'll need a longer snake-cam to go deeper inside the longs & also to remove the rockers.

In any case, plan on fixing the rust areas & touching up now, before they spread!

Your one pic of the underside at the rockers/Longs looks like you may have some rust issues up inside there.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-17695-1421855676.jpg)
^ That looks like rust between the seams of the welded floor pan & longitudenal pieces .... maybe??

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

[914Next]

The pictures look promising. Fairly clean. But the rust on the exterior isn't your primary enemy. It's the rust underneath that matters most. You won't know what you have without removing the rocker covers. It's 3 screws and 6 rivits, IIRC. I have bought a couple cars that looked just like yours. And once the rocker covers were removed there was rust. Minor. But there. I'm glad I caught it before it festered into a major problem.

Thanks, Steve. I'm going to stay the course for now and leave the rockers on. I do have a boroscope and will poke around with that a bit more to see what I can see. I understand the fear of what lurks behind those rockers but I'm an observing, trusting patient sort of guy and tend to go with my gut based upon my insepctions. Everything about this car tells me that its clean under those rockers. May try to get a video with the scope that I can share also. I'll let you know if I ever get solid evidence otherwise. Then you can be the first to issue me the "I told you so"!

[Tom_T]

The pictures look promising. Fairly clean. But the rust on the exterior isn't your primary enemy. It's the rust underneath that matters most. You won't know what you have without removing the rocker covers. It's 3 screws and 6 rivits, IIRC. I have bought a couple cars that looked just like yours. And once the rocker covers were removed there was rust. Minor. But there. I'm glad I caught it before it festered into a major problem.

Thanks, Steve. I'm going to stay the course for now and leave the rockers on. I do have a boroscope and will poke around with that a bit more to see what I can see. I understand the fear of what lurks behind those rockers but I'm an observing, trusting patient sort of guy and tend to go with my gut based upon my insepctions. Everything about this car tells me that its clean under those rockers. May try to get a video with the scope that I can share also. I'll let you know if I ever get solid evidence otherwise. Then you can be the first to issue me the "I told you so"!

It's actually what you'll see INSIDE the longs with your Boroscope (I had a brain-fart & said snake-cam) that is of greater concern anyway.

Repair or replace that battery tray, then use an Optinal or other AGM or a drycell (Summit Racing has them, I don't recall name) + an absorbing anti-acid pad on the repaired part.

The lower door jamb corner could go deeper, since they filled many voids in 914s with foam stuff that absorbs water then rust other spots from the inside out, so definitely get that one & any other similar "bubbles" & spots checked out by a body guy - or you probe it if you'll be doing your own work - to see the true extent of what lies below.

It's rarely limited to what you see on the surface - spreads beyond from the inside-out, & it keeps recurring, & it started very early on these & other early Porsches which were not hot-dipped nor rust-proofed/treated in ANY way.

Also remove your steering rack cover & look carefully at all spots around up in there, cuz both road crud/wet gets up in there - plus the window washer bottle & lines & the brake MC & reservoir are up above & can leak down into the cavities & slowly rust thru. I speak from experience! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I got mine 38 months old with rust spots already - which the OO-PO had had fixed before too while under warranty, then I had fixed it in my 76 repaint & again in the 80-83 rolling resto .... & it's festered & come back again while stored in my "dry SoCal" garage since 85!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Best to NOT assume nor trust your gut!

[914Next]

The pictures look promising. Fairly clean. But the rust on the exterior isn't your primary enemy. It's the rust underneath that matters most. You won't know what you have without removing the rocker covers. It's 3 screws and 6 rivits, IIRC. I have bought a couple cars that looked just like yours. And once the rocker covers were removed there was rust. Minor. But there. I'm glad I caught it before it festered into a major problem.

Thanks, Steve. I'm going to stay the course for now and leave the rockers on. I do have a boroscope and will poke around with that a bit more to see what I can see. I understand the fear of what lurks behind those rockers but I'm an observing, trusting patient sort of guy and tend to go with my gut based upon my insepctions. Everything about this car tells me that its clean under those rockers. May try to get a video with the scope that I can share also. I'll let you know if I ever get solid evidence otherwise. Then you can be the first to issue me the "I told you so"!

It's actually what you'll see INSIDE the longs with your Boroscope (I had a brain-fart & said snake-cam) that is of greater concern anyway.

Repair or replace that battery tray, then use an Optinal or other AGM or a drycell (Summit Racing has them, I don't recall name) + an absorbing anti-acid pad on the repaired part.

The lower door jamb corner could go deeper, since they filled many voids in 914s with foam stuff that absorbs water then rust other spots from the inside out, so definitely get that one & any other similar "bubbles" & spots checked out by a body guy - or you probe it if you'll be doing your own work - to see the true extent of what lies below.

It's rarely limited to what you see on the surface - spreads beyond from the inside-out, & it keeps recurring, & it started very early on these & other early Porsches which were not hot-dipped nor rust-proofed/treated in ANY way.

Also remove your steering rack cover & look carefully at all spots around up in there, cuz both road crud/wet gets up in there - plus the window washer bottle & lines & the brake MC & reservoir are up above & can leak down into the cavities & slowly rust thru. I speak from experience! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I got mine 38 months old with rust spots already - which the OO-PO had had fixed before too while under warranty, then I had fixed it in my 76 repaint & again in the 80-83 rolling resto .... & it's festered & come back again while stored in my "dry SoCal" garage since 85!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Best to NOT assume nor trust your gut!

Thanks. I'll check behind the steering rack cover also when I can get a few minutes. Will likely be next week since I'm booked the rest of the week.

Steve

[brant]

Pull the rockers
It's a part of the required maintenance

[Dave_Darling]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

At the very least, remove the screws on the bottom and swing them up and out a bit. You'll be distressed at the amount of dirt and crud that falls out. Then take a look at the rockers that had been covered by the covers. If you don't find holes, consider yourself fortunate.

--DD

[914Next]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

At the very least, remove the screws on the bottom and swing them up and out a bit. You'll be distressed at the amount of dirt and crud that falls out. Then take a look at the rockers that had been covered by the covers. If you don't find holes, consider yourself fortunate.

--DD

Thanks, I already did that. Did find quite a bit if fine gray dust but no rust scale. Also looked as best I could underneath and by pulling out the covers and using a flashlight. Looks like solid longs with red paint still covering them. As mentioned, I still plan to use a scope to video or take pics but looks pretty good.

[brant]

pull them anyways.
you can buy rivets

I tell everyone... never, ever, ever... buy a 914 without pulling the rockers
If I look at a car with original rivets it is concerning to me
pull them, its a maintenance item

[1972 914 2.0]

Even though you probably already have, make sure to take the back wheels off and get you head inside the wheel well and look with a flash light along the backside of the door all the way up to the top of the sail panel.
I found some there on my advertised "Rust Free" '72,,,, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Cheers

[GaroldShaffer]

pull them anyways.
you can buy rivets

I tell everyone... never, ever, ever... buy a 914 without pulling the rockers
If I look at a car with original rivets it is concerning to me
pull them, its a maintenance item

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) 10000000%

[stevegm]

pull them anyways.
you can buy rivets

I tell everyone... never, ever, ever... buy a 914 without pulling the rockers
If I look at a car with original rivets it is concerning to me
pull them, its a maintenance item

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) 10000000%

I see your (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
And I raise you 100000000%

I promised my wife a while back that I will never buy another 914 without removing the rocker covers. And she holds me to it.

[boxsterfan]

The rust spot in the door jam area (first pic) is indicative that there is plenty of rust underneath. Car looks like it was painted at some point. Probably a previous owner got rid of all the rust they could see on the outside and repainted. Problem is that these cars rust from the inside out.