GT Build; flares add flare |
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GT Build; flares add flare |
Bates |
Jan 8 2018, 07:39 AM
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#1
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Bates Group: Members Posts: 68 Joined: 27-December 13 From: Madison, Virginia Member No.: 16,800 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
After several years of planning and a few 'false starts', I am back working on my 914.
My name is Bates McLain, I live in Madison, Va, and I have always been a car guy/motorhead or what ever you want to call someone who gets pleasure from making old cars beautiful again. I purchased an ex race car because I figured it was easier to civilize a racer into a street car than fix a pile of rusted seams and 50 year old parts, either way I knew the car needed to come apart pretty much totally to have the finished car suit my plan. I owned two 914s previously. First was a 73 1.7 I bought used from the local Porsche/Audi dealer in 1978. I loved the car, incredible fuel mileage, nimble and never a problem with the Alaska Blue Metalic beauty. I was working as a mechanic at a 'foriegn' car repair shop at the time, where i serviced lots of 914s and other cool cars. I sold that car to a customer about 1980. I missed the car afterwards, somehow the Toyota SR5 pickup didnt actually live up to my expectations or Car and Driver's description, "If BMW made a pickup, this is what it would handle like". I bought my second 914 in 1983, a 1974 2.0, Delphi Green, appearance group, gasburner wheels....and again, like new. I only owned this one about 6 months before my plans changed due to purchasing business that would allow me to double my income and work 4 days a week! So another beauty got away, and was back driving a pickup, but I didnt forget how great those little cars were. In 2013 I found a 73 racecar, with fiberglass flares, already had 5 lug suspension, it was a roller, but it had near zero rust. A near blank canvas to build myself a GT. Here is one of the first pictures I took of the car after I flat towed it home; A friend had just purchased a 'Dustless Blasting' system, and his first auto paint removal was my new car. I wanted to see the bare metal of the underside and the known rust trouble spots. We found some rust, but very little. She would need some repairs and alterations, but now I could now see what was under all the darned black paint the P.O. had sprayed on the interior and both trunks and engine compartment. Why do people think race cars need to look like a dark cave inside? No bother all the black cave paint was GONE!! |
Bates |
Jan 8 2018, 10:05 AM
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#2
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Bates Group: Members Posts: 68 Joined: 27-December 13 From: Madison, Virginia Member No.: 16,800 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
That is sand from the sand blasting and a grand amount of fiberglass used to fill the poorly trimmed fiberglass flare installation by the previous owner.
Dustless Blasting uses ground glass,aka beer bottles. The ramp to my shop had the smell of a 'kegger' for a week after the blasting. It was like a beach as the glass hits the metal the glass particles explode and turn into what looks like sand and smells like stale beer. More on that topic later..... there was sand in every cavity of the chassis and inside of every crack and bolt hole. |
mepstein |
Jan 8 2018, 11:42 AM
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#3
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,254 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
That is sand from the sand blasting and a grand amount of fiberglass used to fill the poorly trimmed fiberglass flare installation by the previous owner. Dustless Blasting uses ground glass,aka beer bottles. The ramp to my shop had the smell of a 'kegger' for a week after the blasting. It was like a beach as the glass hits the metal the glass particles explode and turn into what looks like sand and smells like stale beer. More on that topic later..... there was sand in every cavity of the chassis and inside of every crack and bolt hole. Yes, Unfortunately that system isn't all its cracked up to be. It seems as though the way it blasts wet media into cavities, it might actually add to the rust issue. |
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