Starting a 1973 restoration, Restoring a left for dead $500 914... Options

[SirAndy]

nice progress! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)


did 'ya add the VIN to our database?
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=membervins

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[FourBlades]

Cut rust out of front of passenger long. Notice there are three layers of metal in this area. A flat piece that is the continuation of the passenger inner footwell that curves around the front wheel then goes straight back down the long for 7 inches or so. The wrongly named inner long covers this, followed by a box like section that continues the door jam down to the bottom of the long.



Could not find the curved inner footwell section anywhere so I hammer formed one on a hardwood mold. I cheated and welded the strip for the bottom pinch weld instead of trying to get the sheet metal to flow in all the directions needed. By carefully tracing the curve of the inner fender well before making my mold it actually fits pretty well. Also made a section to continue the inner most layer of metal down to the bottom of the long.



Weld this up and keep chugging. My goal is to be driving this sucker by my birthday in August. I'm probably dreaming...

[FourBlades]

Innermost sheet metal welded in.



Sleeving the inner long patch. You can see the innermost patch has been ground and primed. The hammer formed footwell patch has been welded in, ground (somewhat) and primed. I hate grinding...I love welding.



Section of a Restoration Design inner long panel comes next.



Ready for the hole puncher and some rosette welding.

[FourBlades]

Welded and cleaned. Nothing better than shiny new welds. You can see the rosette welds for the sleeving I did on the rear section of the inner long patch.



Last of the three layers is the box at the bottom of the door jam. I hammer formed this, welded, ground, and primed it. Didn't take any intermediate pictures for some reason.



The work in these last three posts took about all my spare time for the last three weeks. Still some odds and ends to do on this side but I am starting to feel I am getting there. Other side is not nearly as bad at the back, just as bad at the front.

John

[FourBlades]

VIN number added to 914 World database. I'll add the other numbers next time I work on the car.

[FourBlades]

Note that I use weldable primer on anything that will get direct welds later on. I use etching primer on stuff that will be painted and not welded on. The weldable primer I am using is mostly zinc and I don't think it is any good under regular primer or paint.

It takes some planning to make sure everything is protected the right way (I hope) before it gets sealed up. I am trying to follow the practices used by some of the rust repair gods on this board.

Now its time for a (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

[Bartlett 914]

Looks pretty good. Keep up the nice work and keep us posted with pictures. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[rjames]

Looking great!

And I couldn't agree more:
grinding = sucks, welding = fun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[tracks914]

Thanks Doug, I will most likely be asking for advice. "Digging into hell" is one of my favorite threads along with "Bringing out the dead". I have learned so much from this board.

Where is Timmins? I spent a lot of time in Ontario and have relatives in Ottawa. Canada is a great country for a lot of reasons but just too cold for too long.

John

John
It looks like its coming good.

Timmins is about 500 miles NE of Ottawa and 500 miles N of Toronto.

My DD is asleep until May but that gives me the winter to work on my project car.
Here are some pictures to give you inspiration. One less than a year ago during the body reconstruction and one current about 3 weeks ago.
As soon as I can figure out how to put a 130 picture PP Presentation on my blog you can see the entire restoration up to today.

[jonferns]

Wow Doug, that was some serious rust. Lookin' good!

[FourBlades]

Man Doug, looks like the heater tube was the only thing keeping that car together... It is looking good now.

I have been grinding using 7 inch 36 grit sanding disks for rough work. The first few minutes of a new disk they really remove metal. I use a 5 inch 36 grit for more careful stuff. Is there any faster/easier way to do it?

It took me a while to figure out the importance of cutting oil when drilling spot welds. Bits sure last a lot longer using the oil.

Soon I will have to rebuild my tunnel. All the tubes that go through it are rusted solid. I have the back half of a tunnel from another board member.

Does anyone know what the tubes in the tunnel are made of and what diameter they are? Where would you get replacements?

John

[jd74914]

McMaster Carr should have the right size tubing (since they have everyone one could ever want). www.mcmaster.com (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You might want to ask Jeff Hail. In his thread he replaces the tubes inside his longs.

[FourBlades]

Fixing the driver side footwell and long. It is missing the front of the inner fender
and most of the end of the long.



Made a hammer form to make a replacement for the curved part at the bottom
of the inner fender. I used the same form on the passenger side by routing a
curve into both sides of the form. The form is made from scrap hardwood that
was cut to match the shape of the curve of the fender. I screwed the metal piece
to the form in three places to hold it while hammering it into shape. I welded a
strip to the bottom to form the pinch weld with the bottom of the floor and with the
end of the long. It got a little toasted during the welding, but it kept the new
piece in the right shape until the welding cooled.



Hammer formed part welded to the inner fender.

Hammer form held up to the part it was used to make. The new metal piece
was hammered around the bottom lip of the form. The passenger side was
fixed using a piece hammered around the top of the form.

[FourBlades]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) Peeling the rust bucket onion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

The end of the driver long does not look too bad on the outside. Just some rust holes and surface rust???



Cutting off the outer most layer reveals load of rust.



Cutting off the next layer reveals yet more rust, mostly at the bottom of the long.



Clean all the rust, use metal prep and prime all the layers and innards. Also welded on the hammer formed fender patch.

[FourBlades]

Rebuilding the first layer of the onion.

Made a patch for the innermost layer.



Welded the patch.



Grind down and prime the innermost layer.

[FourBlades]

Rebuilding the second layer of the onion.

Made a patch using the end of a restoration design inner long. I used the top
of the end to make a sleeve to make welding the patch on easier. Here you
can see the sleeve which has been rosette welded in place in the top of the hole.
Because the sleeve was made from the top of the patch, it fits perfectly and
takes little time to make.



Here is the patch itself. I punched holes for rosette welding, which is way
faster and neater than drilling. A $20 hand operated metal hole puncher
is a cheap way to save some time.



Welded, ground, and primed. I hate to grind too much and weaken the whole
repair just to get a perfectly flat surface. Maybe some all-metal filler to smooth
it out???-



Not perfect, but better than the rusty, gaping hole.



Still one layer left to go, the box section at the bottom of the door post, which will have to wait for later...

[FourBlades]

Now I have this pristine pedal and brake master cylinder area to look forward to fixing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)



But first, some pictures from Roebling Road driver's education last weekend.

There were several very fast race prepped 914s howling around the track.



The yellow car was fastest everywhere except the main straight, and appeared
to me to be pulling away from the two Carrera GTs that were out. I never saw
any car pass this car all weekend including the 997 turbos, 997 GT3s, 997 RSs.

This 914 was definitely the loudest car there. The owners told me they had
$100,000 into it and were selling it for somewhere around $40,000 after winning
two SARRC championships with it. Too bad I blew all my funds on pork rinds,
beer and 914 parts already... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[FourBlades]

Afew more gratuitous Roebling pictures...





Now it is back to work...

John

[FourBlades]

Welded on a patch to the lower part of the passenger side firewall.



Replaced the passenger suspension console. I found it to be a pain to get
the old one off. There was some kind of reinforcing plate welded between the
inner and outer rear suspension consoles, is this normal?

I also welded on the pristine motor mount sent to me by McMark.

Last, I welded on a new engine tray. I should have taken more
intermediate pictures. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



Now my engine bay is starting to look somewhat decent on this side.

[FourBlades]

Now it is time to fix the "Heck Hole" which is like the Hell Hole only on
the driver's side. It is not as bad as the Hell Hole, thus the name.

Today I have a work crew to help me out:



Heck Hole after lots of grinding, cleaning and some metal ready.




Made a template for a large 16 gauge patch.



Next I will weld the patch on and fix the firewall.