repaired long condition?, worth stiffeners/jack replacement? Options

[914lover17]

feel solid, look a little worse in pictures - I'm trying to assess what I'm working with here and any potential ways forward since solid replacement chassis seem pretty rare.

Apparently this was important when I was researching - 2 people can be inside without targa top and doors still close easy and have the same gaps as with targa top on and no one inside.

Repair work was done in the 80's I believe.

Long stiffening kit possible? Worth/possible to replace jackpoints? Right know it's blocks of wood screwed to the solid metal to hold the rocker panel plugs.

[rjames]

Yup- looks like fiberglass from here, too.
Check it out with a magnet.

I know everyone is saying just drive it, but I'd want to be sure that the car was repaired well enough so that it wouldn't completely fold up in an accident. I'd be at it with the 3M wheel removing all of that paint to see what's under it, especially since that whole area (outside and in) is covered up anyway. You're not going to devalue the car by removing the paint- it's clear that it's been repaired and not done that well (aesthetically speaking). If you take the paint off and it's all solid, then just rattle can it back to get it close and call it good.

If it's not sound, better to know.

[Superhawk996]

If it's not sound, better to know.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Looks to me like the PO did put a layer of reinforcment metal over the seat belt anchor (and whole inner longitudinal lower 1/2) which is a good thing.

I assume that is welded in, but, I'm baffled by what all the goop (i.e. fiberglass & resin) is above it. It doesn't seem like the intent was to hide anything. Maybe it was just from someone having fiberglassed it prior to your prior owner adding the metal?

Either way - prudent to use wire wheel to get down to metal and ensure that the lower metal repair was welded to longitudinal and to the floor pan. I think I see weld bead under the goop? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Take a good look at the inner mount for the passenger side rear trailing arm. When you have the amount of rust this car had at one point in time, that suspension console is usually pretty weak. At best it will fail and leave you stranded when you least expect it.

Personally, I like to know what I'm dealing with. Then I can assess the risks that I wish to take. At worst - you're dealing with the crashworthines of a car before seat belt era. However, that is a bit of a shame because a 914 with good structural integrity actaully has a suprising amount of crash worthiness for a vehicle designed in the late 60's with early implementation of front and rear crush zones.

Based on what I think I see, I'd just drive it. Restoration of what you have is daunting prospect. In my case (see build thread in signature) I only had to replace a rotted passenger side long. In your case, it looks like both passenger side and driver side were corroded badly engough that someone did the work that you see to keep it on the road. If you decide to stick with 914's in the long run, you can sell this one for what it is, and then find a better specimen down the road if you wish.