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

[FourBlades]

Flip Your 914 the CSOB Way

I got fed up with working on the ground under my 914 so I decided to do
something about it. I remembered a B&W photo showing a framework
used in the olden days to flip a car and decided to build my own. I drew
a careful scale drawing with extensive engineering analysis. Notice how
I indicated where the Center of Gravity of the flipped car would end up.
The computer enhanced drawing shows the car (to scale) in light blue.
The key joint is indicated in scribbled shading. I also did a detailed study
of the joint needed when frame members met in all three dimensions.

I decided the framework had to be 10 degrees from vertical so that it
would be stable in either position and not show any unhealthy tendency
to flip back unexpectedly. The key joint is between the flat and flipped
parts of the frame. I made it round to make it easier to roll the car from
one state to another. I briefly toyed with the idea of an octagonal frame
with the car inside, however, scrap 2x4s on hand were limited.

Here is how the key joint is made:



After making two of the key joint I got started putting it together. I leveled
the two ground frame members and then bolted them to the front and rear
suspension mounting points using equal length legs. I noticed my tub is
about 1/4 inch twisted along its length. After that, I added additional support
and frame members, bracing them with plywood triangles. This stage was
part planning, part organic growth, and part paranoia over the whole thing
collapsing.

For those wishing to build a similar structure, the dimensions are:

Length : whatever a 2x4 stud is (I think 93" because of the floor and top plates)
Width: about 53" and 3 of those really little marks
Height: 4 notches on those big ass sears jack stands on the rear, less on the front

Anyway, I got it all together and started jacking up the side.



Here is a detail shot of the framework. Not sure it is elegant or minimal but
it is surprisingly rigid and I did not run out of screws.



More frame details. Notice the 2x4 used to lever the frame higher and
higher. Levering one end off the ground did not cause the other to sag
noticebly. I don't know if that is a testament to the 914 rigidity or to my
framework. My 3 dimensional joint study pays off...

[FourBlades]

Flip Your 914 Part Deux

When the car was tipped about 40 degrees it started to get very light.
At this point I figured I would see what happened if I pushed it the rest
of the way by hand.



Tipping it the rest of the way was much like using a large dolly to move
a filing cabinet. It is easy to get it back to the balancing point but going
back to flat from there it gets really heavy.



Thanks to careful calculations and planning it all worked out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Looking forward to finishing the floor in a more vertical position.

John

[slow914]

dude, that is badass

[FourBlades]

No, it is cheap ass! I think this cost about $50. But I'm glad you liked it.

[Bartlett 914]

Looks pretty good. My car is on a rotisserie. It is a lot more versatile but your solution looks like it will be more than enough to change the pans. I can't imagine doing the pans on my back looking up. I am sure you will be able to do a good job on the pans and tunnel work.

[FourBlades]

Mark,

My motivation for doing it this way was to avoid spending $1000 on a rotisserie and use materials I mostly had already. I welded on the front part of the pans the old fashion way and it was hard to get good welds. I have fixed some problems in the steering rack area already that would have been a real pain with the car the normal way.

John

[Gint]

That's kickass! Thanks for posting that.

[TROJANMAN]

Flip Your 914 Part Deux

It's like a 914 Rocking Chair.............Cool (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[tracks914]

That's just insane!!! For the 914 world that is definitely the best/cheapest rotisserie I have ever seen. I love it.
BTW good work on the car.

[ericread]

Flip Your 914 Part Deux

It's like a 914 Rocking Chair.............Cool (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) A 914 rocking chair. Sounds like a good idea for some of us older owners.

[McMark]

Either way you were gonna be famous. This way you're famous for making a wooden 'rotisserie'. The other way, your picture gets passed around the internet for a week of the guy who purposefully flipped his car and crushed it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

I'm really glad it worked out, and that's a bad-ass rig! This thread has taught me that I need to think more in wood, and not confine myself to metal. I would have never thought of what you did.

CHEERS! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[tdgray]

Congrats... now there is thinking outside the box. WELL DONE!

[Eric_Shea]

Way to go... cool thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[FourBlades]

Wow, thanks everyone. I'm glad people liked the idea. I was a little worried the
whole thing would collapse and I would be digging a big hole to bury the
wreckage. 914, what 914? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I used to do a lot of wood working, like building accoustic guitars, so making
stuff from wood is like second nature to me. I really like welding and working
with metal now though, it is so much stronger and you can weld more metal back
on if you cut off too much. Can't do that with wood.

John

[Eric_Shea]

I really like welding and working
with metal now though, it is so much stronger and you can weld more metal back
on if you cut off too much. Can't do that with wood.

Make me a Resonator! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[FourBlades]

Eric,

I can make you a Dobro style guitar with a chrome 914 hubcap for the resonator
cone. It would probably be a disaster sonically, but it would look really
cool. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

John

[FourBlades]

Finished welding on the floor pans and primed them. Cleaned up a lot of little
holes and imperfections that were noticeable with the car on its side.



Spent some time cleaning the back of the engine bay and underside of the
rear trunk while I have the car this way.



Moved on to finishing the front of the passenger area. All the lower 2" of
this area was rusted to nothing. I made 11 separate patches to fix all
this, some a while back and some today. A few of the patches are inside
the gas tank area so you can't see them all here. The car looks like a jigsaw
puzzle in a lot of places now.



After grinding and priming this I will start rebuilding the tunnel. Thanks to
Jeff Hail's awesome post on this I think I have some idea what to do. I also
ordered some chromoly tubing from McMaster for this purpose.

This article is also very useful in figuring out what all those tubes are for:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...nter_tunnel.htm

I got front and rear trunk sections from PorscheAddic. He went way above
and beyond the call of duty cutting way around the trunks to make sure I had
enough metal. The pieces arrived in two coffin sized boxes with about 10
layers of cardboard added on. Great guy...thanks again.

John

[FourBlades]

Primed front of passenger compartment and floor pan:



Nice....

[McMark]

Lookin' GREAT!!!!

[swl]

Just freakin' awesome. I'm so impressed with guys like you, michelko, tracks914, freezing914 et al who have the patience and skill to bring rotted chassis back to life. Makes me feel inadequate too but I can live with that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)