How hard / nasty to replace front clip? Options

[Tdskip]

Hi folks, first time on this forum so be gentle if I ask especially dimwitted questions. Grin.

If I had the missing front section from another car that was straight, how nasty of a job is it to put that on and make this one whole again?

The rest of the car is really straight so it's worth some effort, just not sure where this fits in the spectrum of things you don't really want to have do to your 914...

Thanks!

[bbrock]

Well... my very first adventure in welding was replacing the clip on my first 914 after I hit a patch of black ice and wrapped the nose around a fire hydrant. I can't say I did a good job, but it drove straight and handled well for years after.

There is a funny (only because I'm still alive to tell it) story that goes with this. I was in college at the time and doing the repairs in my parent's garage on the weekends. After I got the clip welded in, I was in a hurry to drive it back to college 60 miles away. Just after getting on the Interstate, the left corner suddenly pitched to the ground and sparks were flying. I was sure my welds had failed until I saw one of my wheels go flinging down the highway in front of me. Dummy me had forgotten to tighten the lug bolts before driving off, and the left front had launched to freedom. I managed to pull to the shoulder, as did my now wife who was following, and thought she was witnessing my firey death. And a stranger's van also pulled over. The van had smacked into my girlfriend's Honda. I assumed he did so because he was dodging a rogue Empi. But no. He simply had changed lanes without looking, and had not noticed the pyrotechnic show I was performing. It was pure coincidence. The poor officer who had to fill out the report was really scratching his head. As for me, I retrieved the wheel, bolted it back on with some spare bolts, and went on my way.

So if you move forward with this project, my only advice is... tighten the lug bolts when you're done! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

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