Father/Daughter Build, 1973 1.7L One Family Car Options

[930cabman]

Welcome aboard, what a great project for you two. Keep us updated with your progress as you move along

[jaredmcginness]

Nice start! I'm not far away either, I was born in Fairfax - always good to see local cars.

[Root_Werks]

Looks like a solid 914 to start with, nice find! Very neat you got your daughter involved. Most younger folks are not interested tinkering on cars.

[Betty]

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You certainly are in the right place for all things 914!

Holler if you need parts/advice/vent/grumble/brag!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)


P.S. - pictures of the race car or it didn't happen! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[stownsen914]

Awesome project! My first car was a '74 914 that my dad and I rebuilt. Can't replace that experience ... you'll get lots of help/advice here.

[FRUNKenstein]

Welcome, and definitely save those ATS Classic wheels!

[Arno914]

Great Project! Good to see that you will bring this 914 back to life together!
My daughters love the 914, too and helped as much as they could to bring it back on the road after some 15 years of dry storage.

Cheers from another proud dad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

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[wonkipop]

have you got twins mate?

[Arno914]

No, not Twins. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
22 and 25 now.

Sort of grew up with dad´s Porsche passion. Remember beeing pulled over because we didn´t deinflate the turtle on the drive home after going for a swim. Gladly the German Polizei had humour... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

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[wonkipop]

ahh

thats great. the turtle. (and nice to know german cops can laugh!

your girls sure look alike. incredible. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Arno914]

Thank you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(We have visited Australia in 2017. Stayed in Melbourne and enjoyed the Great Ocean Road - in a rental car, off course). Beautiful Country! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Hollybrook]

We are finally getting back to this project and planning how to approach the metal repairs. I think we have decided to go with a rotisserie rather than build a jig for repairing or replacing the longitudinals. It seems to me that access will be a lot better going this way, even though we will need to stabilize the chassis by temporarily tying together the inside of the passenger compartment.

The car was resting on pressure treated lumber at the jack points and this has caused extra corrosion. I have attached some photos of where we are starting from. I don't have any photos of under the battery tray, but it certainly looks better than the photos I am including. We will see how much work needs to be done there after we get the engine out.

Any comments or ideas are most welcome!

This is where the jack point would be on the passenger side. There was a 6x6 pressure treated post under the jack pad near this.



The jack pad is rusted out as well.



The longitudinal is rusting out from the inside.



W

[Hollybrook]

The driver's side looks better.



W

[Superhawk996]

Been there - done that.

Think three times about doing longitudinal replacment on a rotisserie.

You will need more than just door bracing to keep the vehicle intact on a rotisserie when the long is removed.

Of course it all depends on the design of the rotisserie and where the weight loads are, how stiff the rotisserie is, etc. A conventional rotissierie that is just supporting the vehicle from the bumper mounting points is going to cause you a lot of grief even with substantial bracing. The amount of movement and shrinkage when welding is usually underestimated.

Best practice for structural repair is to build on a Celette bench. Since most of us can't afford that, a build jig is 2nd choice and even there, fixturing is important. Last choice is a rotisserie. Not saying it can't be done, just give it extra consideration if you go the rotisserie route.

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My hat goes off to you for working to save one that is has that much long damage. I hate seeing these cars scrapped. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Hollybrook]

My thought was a typical rotisserie and door bars like Tangerine Racing's with two on each door opening. These would be tied together with cross bars and triangulation in two planes. Do you think that is inadequate compared to a jig or table?

W

[Superhawk996]

I'm sure there are viable ways to do it on a rotisserie (especially the hoop cage rotisserie designs) but I think it will be very easy to underestimate the amount of structural bracing that will need to be done to the chassis to maintain integrity.

I used a triangulated door brace along when I was doing the major longitudinal work on a build cart. Stuff still moves around with these braces.



Later on, I also used a diagonal brace inside the chassis running diagonal from driver side cowl to passenger side rear door / top of long to control "matchboxing" fore & aft when I welded in the new floorpan. You can see on the diagonal brace, it had to be doubled up with another tube to have enough stiffness to control movement.



I'm sure this isn't the only way to do it.

Given the sizing of my braces, I certainly wouldn't have wanted the weight of the chassis cantilevered on a bumper mounted rotisserie. You will be amazed at how much stuff still moves around with these braces.

My build cart, jig followed that used by Jeff Hail - Bringing out the dead.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=76791

The weight from the front of the car is transfered down into the build cart via the OEM front suspension crossmember. The rear via the transmission mounts stanchions. Since both of these mounting locations are approximately 1/2 the distance between bumper and the passenger compartment the weight is sort of balanced and doesn't put much bending load on the longitudinal or the lack there of when one of them is missing. The door braces then were used for tweaking and preloading the chassis when welding.

Another great thread is Digging into Hell:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=16748

And of course most recently from @Bbrock
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=307290

If you're not familiar with those threads, spend time on them. Each has unique ways of doing things but overall they serve as the DIY guide that has worked out sucessfully.

[mate914]

The door bars are a must. X pattern at dash to door frame and firewall. X pattern at windshield to rear window top roof. Take care to have car level while bracing and rotisserie. The pressure treated wood did very little to the rust, how ever it did stop it from sagging worst.
I forgot to say that putting a jack under the very rear of the car on metal only and jacking the car up until doors are even is also very important.

Matt (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif)

[Hollybrook]

Thanks for the links. I had already read the whole hell hole thread but the other two will make some good reading.

Luckily for us, the doors seem to be aligned correctly and close nicely.

[SirAndy]

You can never have enough bracing, even on a Celette bench ...
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[Puebloswatcop]

I would definitly skip putting on a rotisserie until the longs have been replaced. Without a solid frame putting on a rotisserie is teetering on suicide for the car. Even on a rolling frame it is important to brace, brace and brace some more. Also measure, measure and measure more. If you need the measurements they can be found in several places, or if you want I can send you what Porsche has in the manuals.