Hi guys,

I know we have a bunch of local 914 guys in the So Cal area and you've all been great help with information.

Now I would like to ask all of you if any of you would be willing to come down to my house in Huntington Beach and help me with welding in new floorboards into my car?
I don't have a welder, so I hope someone would be able to bring one. I'm planning on ordering the floor parts this week. Maybe we can do it for Saturday, 8/21.

We can turn it into "Ed's 914 BBQ" with good food, good drinks, camaraderie and good 914 knowledge.

I hope we can do this to help keep my 914 alive.

Thanks Guys!!!
ED
Click to view attachment

Don't shoot me, but I wonder if you could turn it into a welding clinic. I don't know how to weld but there are others like me that would love to watch. You could even charge a small admission fee to help pay for the welder, welding supplies, barbeque etc. But this all depends on how much room you have to host such an event.

Steve

Steve, not a bad idea! I wouldn't charge for food or drinks but maybe take donations for all the welding supplies. I know that I would love to learn some basic welding so I imagine that others would as well. My garage is a clean 2 car garage and I live on a cul-de-sac. Maybe everyone can bring their 914's and we can all check them out, compare, and just learn about these great little cars!!

Thanks for the tip Steve!
ED

Ed,

I might be able to help. I have access to a Lincoln mig...110 flux core set up. Also have access to a gas set up.

Be nice to have a 20 amp 110 volt circuit. I have only one helmet and some extra lenses. So would be fun to bring my car and share my knowledge of welding....never put in a floor pan in a teener but I have welded tons of sheet metal and fitted many parts.

One thing...I think my girlfriend has Angel box seats for the 21st but...I'll check with her today... so I'll keep you posted...

Sounds like fun.

Rob

Ed - Have you made a real thorough check of the passenger long, firewall and rear suspension mount? It pays to know the whole scope of the project before you start welding metal. Floor pans might turn out to be a lesser issue than other areas.

My car was like yours and had some intentional hidden “repairs” to cover up major problems. Even an experienced eye can miss this stuff when its buried under bondo, fiberglass, undercoating and paint.

mark

Sounds great Rob......Thanks !

I think it would be fun and informative.
ED

Do not forget to brace the doors when you do this. otherwise you may warp your car! you won't notice it until you go to close the doors after the work is done.

Zach

CRAPS! I got a poker tourney on the 21st

Hey Rob,

Thanks for volunteering to help on this project!!! I really appreciate it!! I don't know what I would do without the support of all the 914 owners out there!!! I just picked up the floorboards from another owner that didn't end up using them on his project. A real great guy!! The floorboards look great. I'll post some pics in a bit. According to Robert, the guy I bought the floorboards from, the get counted from underneath. I need to figure out how to get the car up in the air.

Thanks Again!!!

I'm in, can take pictures and provide moral support This 914 is so nice it's deserves a giant effort.

I'm excited!!!! I was able to pick up the floorboards yesterday. They are from Restoration Design #24 and #25. I've got them at the ready. I guess they go in from underneath.

Does anybody have any tips or is there a tread on how to cut the old ones out???

If someone can let me know that would be great. I want to have the car ready for welding for 8/21.

Let the nightmare begin.

If your floors need replacing, there's a good chance that there will be more "discoveries" found. The cleanest way to remove them is with a spot weld drill which requires stripping off the undercoating first, finding each and every spot weld and carefully drilling each one. There are hundreds of spot welds to remove a complete floor.

The other method is to air chisel them off which, if you've never used an air chisel, is a BAD idea. You will create more work.

Welding is the easy part. It's the preparation beforehand that takes all of the time. Get the old pan removed, drill the new pan where you want it spot welded through, get the 2 surfaces you want welded together all nice and shiny and have everything in place and ready to be welded.

Remember, you get what you pay for. IMHO, a BBQ and some beers is not payment enough for someone to weld upside down under you car for 2 hours.

Drill out the spot-welds ...


However, as others have said, from the pictures it looks like the rust has gone into the longs. That's the backbone of your 914.

You need to remove all the current patches that hide the rust in the longs first and do a full assessment of the damage!

And before you remove anything, you will need to brace your car so it doesn't bend and twist.
The factory measurements can be found here:
http://www.914world.com/specs/bodydims.php
http://www.914world.com/specs/underdims.php

This is no easy task. At the very least you need to remove the doors and add door braces. Make adjustable braces so you can get the car to line up with the factory specs before you remove any metal.

Andy

This will be interesting. That floor will never be the same or the nice clean concrete approach. Do you have the tools? The welder and a good extension cord is the easiest tool to come by for this job. Spot weld cutter, or air compressor with a carbide burr, cutoff wheel or sawzall, grinder, wirewheel, wirebrush, chisels, good hammer, bumping tools, safety goggles or face shield, the famous jack stands and about a 5 day weekend probably without the beer till after 9pm. Your garage looks like a good place to have fun though. The more the merrier but three or four people are about all that could crowd around and that is dangerous with a ginder or wire wheel going.

Are you still up for this Ed? There are a few posts about the adjustable bracing in the doors. This is a unibody car and once the parts are out it will move unless it is braced.

I can get the welder. I have some clamps but as said before the welding is the easy part. I assumed this stuff was already done! Anyway the game is the 24th not the 21st so I am good to go. I can't leave the welder at your house for 5 weeks though.

I suggest you take your time and learn. Lot's of good folks here to help but this isn't a one weekend job for sure. I assumed you had a roller...then I saw the picture you posted..... nice garage floor!

Also I would show you how to do the plug or spot welds.....I'll do a few...well more than a few. You have to do some.

Rob

OK guys.......

Now that I've calm down a bit. We are going to cancel the event at my place on 8/21

I need to think these steps out correctly. I'll be at Joe Sharp's BBQ on the 7th.

So for now it's a "NO GO".

Thanks to all that volunteered their time and service to help me. I really do appreciate it and It's good to know that the 914 community is so close and willing to help.

I am sincerely grateful.

Thanks

ED

That's good you pulled back to do a little more research. It's a pretty big undertaking.

I'd stear clear of any flux core welders. They don't make wire smaller than .30 and flux burns much hotter than gas shielded welders do.

Rent a welder when you're ready if you must.

Having the welder and the setup is key when putting in the new stuff.



Keep this thread going and post lots and lots of pictures when you start. We love pictures!

I'd be glad to lend a hand but I'm booked until after the RRC on the Sept 10th weekend. I have a 110 Lincoln MIG co2/argon shielding but lots of work before the sparks fly for sure. I have clamps/Mags/sawzall/grinder/extra mask/ air chisel/hammers and jackstands of course.

I cant belive we dont have a jackstand smillie

I'll be looking for your new proposed start date!!

Ok...good Ed.

Plenty of help available. If anybody knows about rustoration work it'd be Andy.'

Let us know when you are ready. I have plenty of friends in the HB area as well.