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.

[914Next]

Wow, I just read this thread with great interest. It was very engaging, the mystery, the wager, ... I couldn't wait to see how it ended. And then it just ended. What happened? What did it look like? Who won the bet? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Anyway, I've not done it before but if I pull my rockers am I going to have access to the heater duct?

Yes, there was quite a discussion here. In the end, as I did more cleaning of the car and got input from others who know the cars very well, they all told me not to bother with pulling the rocker covers. I'm fortunate that this car is just super clean Hard to understand until you actually see it. I did take a camera scope to the inside of the longs and while they are dusty/dirty you can see pretty clearly that they are not rusted. I'm a fiend for originality so did not want to remove the original rivets unless there was good reason to.

Sooo....we didn't get to complete the wagers.

Rust is a good reason and you do have it under those rocker covers.
The rivets are available from several guys here, just ask around.
It's not a bet, you do have rust, you can see it in those pictures.

As stated before...you guys are a tough crowd. Understand and respect your opinion even if it is based upon an error in judgment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

Seriously, of course these cars all have some level of rust. I'm sure there is some surface rust under there...there is bound to be on a 48 year old car...especially a 914. What I'm saying is I am 95% confident that there is no rust of concern under the rockers and therefore have not interest in removing the original rivets. Are you 95% confident that there is? If so, you bring me back to that damn wager.

I'm happy to remove a rocker if someone wants to take a good natured wager but you need put some skin in the game. Say $750 wagered for producing pics of the long....hell, maybe even a video as I take it off. You pick the one long to be revealed. We take pics and let the good folks of the World decide who wins the wager. (Wish I could make it to Octeenerfest...we could do the reveal there). Sounds fun right? Any takers? Winner of the wager agrees to donate the $ to a good cause decided once again by a vote of the World members. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

[Ferg]

So how will you address the rust without removal of the rockers? Its obviously exposed to air and hummidity. I know i would want to tackle it now vs later.

[914Next]

How's your channels under the front hood (take out or pull back the rubber)?

How about under the bumpers?

The pics you have posted look good although I am not sure how you are going to repair the rust spot in the door frame area you posted. I guess there is always bondo but that makes you a DAPO if you ever sell the car.

Some more pics of your car would be cool though. Always love to look at other people's cars and the things that have been done (or not done) to them.

Thanks, Boxsterfan. There are a lot of pics in my thread that I started a while back. As stated in that thread happy to share more pics of specific areas if interested. I love looking at others cars also.

The rust spot in the door has already been repaired. It looked much worse in the pics but was really a very superficial bubble that came from underneath the paint...looked like the paint cracked at the seam and water got underneath. Sanded down to bare metal, primed and touched up. I have a pic of the repair somewhere but would need to find it.

[914Next]

So how will you address the rust without removal of the rockers? Its obviously exposed to air and hummidity. I know i would want to tackle it now vs later.

I have several survivor cars Ferg and there is surface rust to some degree on all of them...actually the best of them is the 914. Once you start repainting, repairing...well of course they aren't survivors any more. My approach with all of them is to get them detailed. I use cleaners and water in that process. After that my cars rarely see water...I don't even wash them except maybe once every couple of years. Just use a spray detailer to keep them in the condition they need to be. My experience is that if you take good care of them and keep them in good storage, surface rust is not a problem.

I do drive them too...not thousands of miles per year but I put around 1,000 miles per year on each of them.

[r_towle]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

[914Next]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

Sounds like you might have $750 to wager? All kidding aside, I'll take that risk. I plan to keep this one and pass on to my kids.

[r_towle]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

Sounds like you might have $750 to wager? All kidding aside, I'll take that risk. I plan to keep this one and pass on to my kids.

I think you may be too scared to look.

[914Next]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

Sounds like you might have $750 to wager? All kidding aside, I'll take that risk. I plan to keep this one and pass on to my kids.

I think you may be too scared to look.

Just noticed that you are member #124...that's very impressive seeing that I'm in the 17,000's. Not afraid to look...just making my own call based upon how I see it...and have considered all the good comments here. I'm sure you'd make your own call in the end also. Thanks.

[zambezi]

Why not just undo the bottom screws and flex the covers out enough to stick a digital camera in there with the flash and see what the picture shows. shouldn't take to much room from underneath to prove everyone wrong.

[boxsterfan]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

Sounds like you might have $750 to wager? All kidding aside, I'll take that risk. I plan to keep this one and pass on to my kids.

I think you may be too scared to look.

Just noticed that you are member #124...that's very impressive seeing that I'm in the 17,000's. Not afraid to look...just making my own call based upon how I see it...and have considered all the good comments here. I'm sure you'd make your own call in the end also. Thanks.

Where is the link (other thread) to all of your pics?

Also, were you able to take pics with your boroscope? In some ways, I'd like to get an idea of what my car *might* looks like on the longs. I know there is surface rust in there because I have a somewhat minor hellhole problem and I can see minor surface rust on the longs. Here's my thread: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=227937&hl=

Notice the very minor surface rust around the jack plate. There's rust behind there.

[914Next]

Good luck, enjoy your car.
The next owner will be doomed to fix it.

Sounds like you might have $750 to wager? All kidding aside, I'll take that risk. I plan to keep this one and pass on to my kids.

I think you may be too scared to look.

Just noticed that you are member #124...that's very impressive seeing that I'm in the 17,000's. Not afraid to look...just making my own call based upon how I see it...and have considered all the good comments here. I'm sure you'd make your own call in the end also. Thanks.

Where is the link (other thread) to all of your pics?

Also, were you able to take pics with your boroscope? In some ways, I'd like to get an idea of what my car *might* looks like on the longs. I know there is surface rust in there because I have a somewhat minor hellhole problem and I can see minor surface rust on the longs. Here's my thread: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=227937&hl=

Notice the very minor surface rust around the jack plate. There's rust behind there.

Here is the link for my thread in the originality forum. Again, not a lot of pics yet on the areas we're talking about here but you can get an idea of the overall condition of the car.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...256832&st=0


I don't have pics with the boroscope but I can certainly try to take some. Car is in storage right now and I'm traveling for the next couple of weeks but will see if I can do that soon.

I remember seeing your thread. Is that original paint under the longs or was it repainted at some point. Very clean.

[914Next]

Why not just undo the bottom screws and flex the covers out enough to stick a digital camera in there with the flash and see what the picture shows. shouldn't take to much room from underneath to prove everyone wrong.

Yeah I may try to do that. I did unbolt the bottom screws to try to clean behind them. The bolts came out fairly easily and I got quite a bit of dust that fell out. No rust scale with the dirt/dust although I did find a bit of rat or mouse poisoning pellets that had been carried behind there and deposited.

[brettrarnold]

(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

Hey everyone I took off my rocker panels for the first time and noticed pretty bad rust with holes in the frame. Now that i know something needs to be done, I have a few questions.

Do I cut it completely out any rust and weld in support or should I try to salvage it clean and patch?

Also since I am in the process of engine removal, should I get that out before doing frame repair or maybe I might not be able to lift the car up off the engine given the poor frame quality.

-Brett

[Jeffs9146]

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

Do not try and patch that!

[brettrarnold]

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

Do not try and patch that!

Ya I was assuming that would be the answer. I guess I should have prefaced my post with I know very little about auto repair in general and this is my first project car so learning curve is HUGE.

Anyway onto the rust. Cut it out and what size do you think I would need to weld back in its place? I suppose it maybe a case by case question and may not be able to be answered without seeing it, but any help would be appreciated.

For the engine, should I try to remove that first?

[boxsterfan]

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

Do not try and patch that!

Ya I was assuming that would be the answer. I guess I should have prefaced my post with I know very little about auto repair in general and this is my first project car so learning curve is HUGE.

Anyway onto the rust. Cut it out and what size do you think I would need to weld back in its place? I suppose it maybe a case by case question and may not be able to be answered without seeing it, but any help would be appreciated.

For the engine, should I try to remove that first?

Engine out. Then start poking around with a screwdriver as you will find more week spots.

Then go to http://www.restoration-design.com/store/category/914 and start getting some replacememnt metal.

[brettrarnold]

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

Do not try and patch that!

Ya I was assuming that would be the answer. I guess I should have prefaced my post with I know very little about auto repair in general and this is my first project car so learning curve is HUGE.

Anyway onto the rust. Cut it out and what size do you think I would need to weld back in its place? I suppose it maybe a case by case question and may not be able to be answered without seeing it, but any help would be appreciated.

For the engine, should I try to remove that first?

Engine out. Then start poking around with a screwdriver as you will find more week spots.

Then go to http://www.restoration-design.com/store/category/914 and start getting some replacememnt metal.

Thanks and will update when engine is out!

[Dave_Darling]

Brace the door openings, because it's way too easy to warp the chassis when you're welding on a bunch of metal in an important spot like that.

--DD

[76-914]

Anyway, I've not done it before but if I pull my rockers am I going to have access to the heater duct?

Looks like from pictures in this thread, http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=227937&hl= I have my answer, and that seems to be "no" there is not access to the heater duct. How would I access the heater duct if I suspect that it is broken in between the two ends?

Go to page 14, beginning at post number 232. This was quite easy. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...1776&st=220

[cary]

Anyway onto the rust. Cut it out and what size do you think I would need to weld back in its place? I suppose it maybe a case by case question and may not be able to be answered without seeing it, but any help would be appreciated.

You have to cut it back until you get to GOOD solid steel. You need to really do your due diligence here. The sheet metal here is 3 layers think in the place your looking at and these cars, for the most part rust from the in side out.
If you don't already have one, you need to get what Scotty affectionately calls the lie detector. A grinder with a braided wire cop brush.



Like Dave said, no cutting until the doors are braced. I'd do both sides for good measure.

When it comes to replacing the steel you have two choices. Make your own, or buy the complete piece from RD and cut out what you need. If you make your own the problem your going to run into here is making the turns and corners. When you stretch it it gets thinner in spots. My .02c for this morning.