1973 2.0L Rustoration, Restoration turned OT garage build Options

[Superhawk996]

I purchased my first 914 back in 1987 (1973 1.7L) and had that car for nearly a decade and I personally put over 100,000 miles on it before it ultimately fell victim to a negligent driver that drove into the back end of it at about 40 mph while the vehicle was stopped at a red light. That rear end crash totaled the vehicle but what is amazing is how well it crumpled (early crush zones!) due to the kink in the frame where the halfshafts are. Everyone walked away unharmed.

I replaced it with a 1991 Miata. Great car in its own right but I've always missed my 914.

Purchased this "replacement" in May 2018 as a known poster child for a complete right side longitudinal rustoration.

This vehicle had been put into storage inside a pole barn around 2004 as far as I can tell.

Vehicle initially purchased in non-running condition:
Engine couldn't be started.
Transmission shift linkage was disconnected
Half shafts and CV's were in pieces, and the wheel stubs were not installed therefore the vehicle couldn't even be rolled without risking having the rear wheel separate from within the bearing.
Fiberglass laid into the floorpan . . . that can't be a good sign.

Vehicle looks great . . . until I got under it.

I spent the better part of the summer putting the items above back together and trying to confirm that it would:
1) Run under its own power
2) Drive though the neighborhood and shift though all gears.



Looks pretty nice eh?

Here is what is lurking underneath once the rockers came off.



and when I started cutting back the rust. Oh my . . . .

[Superhawk996]

Also did some more removal of the rear frame & inner wheelhouse.



I can see that drilling spot welds is really going to be a re-occurring theme.

I can't believe how many spot welds are on the outer suspension console for the trailing arm. This is in addition to some factory MIG welds.



Pretty much the same story for the engine mount but with even more factory MIG along the outer perimeter.

Honestly, it took the better part of the day just to get these two pieces of sheetmetal freed up for recycling. Sure wish that new metal was available.



Just about the time I was thinking I was doing OK for the day, I got a little surprise. Turns out that during the demo of the frame, the saw blade had banged the rear fender from the inside -- totally buggering the paint.

This was a bit of a let down. Since the paint on the car is in very nice shape I've been trying to avoid cutting out a piece of the rear fender to allow easy access to the frame / console area like so may others have done.

I thought I had been careful. Nope. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)



I think I'll still try not to cut out this section of rear quarter. At this point it is still easier to do a small paint repair than to deal with cutting into the quarter and having to deal with the fiberglass flares. Welding on the sheetmetal with the fiberglass is going to be a big problem that will likely force me to remove a portion of the flare, weld, and then have to reinstall the flare. Not a fun prospect.

Worst case . . . . paint will be hard to match. I had hoped to contain the re-spray to the door jambs and the engine compartment.

At some point, assuming I'm happy with all this structural work, I had planned to strip all paint in the future (maybe next winter) and return the car to original blue.

I had long ago resolved to never again have a red sports car. Can't tell you how many thousands of dollars I've paid to the highway robbers over the last 40 years or so. I've never changed the speed I drive but I can say with a straight face that white Miata never attracted 1/2 the attention my red 914 did!