I have a seperate thread on the resotration of my '73 but this is a couple questions on what order to go in....

I've been steadily reading through many of the restoration threads trying to learn what I can about how people before me have done major body restoration and I have a couple questions for anyone that can put in $0.02 +tax... There was a previous "restoration" done on this car if you can call it that... there appears to have been ZERO attention to future rust prevention.. all the added metal rusted from the inside out..

first of all .. I need to replace.... (right) inner long and rear long... inner rocker and upper/lower wheelhouse.. whole floor pan. (left ) inner rocker, maybe the inner long , wheel house and rear long patching ( i hope).. basically.. the parts between the front and rear firewall.. lol...

My questions are...

1: Should I start on the right (worst ) side of the left..
2: which order should I be cutting out/replacing parts.. ( inner long, rear long then rockers, then floor or ......... )
3: how best to support the car underneath while I have it half cut apart... ( i found some heavy turnbuckles for the door braces I'm going to make so they'll be first to be welded up)

I'm plannin on dropping the drivetrain over the christmas holidays and am gathering tools required... But i'm just trying to plan my work here...
Thankyou so much

Cheers
Mike

look up bringing out the dead, the guy did some amazing work and shows you how to do!!


I did it for you:: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=76791&hl=

I like the idea of the full platform or rotisserie but its just not in my future.. going to have to do this with lots of bottle jacks, jackstands, 2x4's, ramps, etc...

'diggin into hell', is a great thread

Is it possible to get a better body and transfer good parts to it ?? Cutting and welding isn't real bad fun , it do take some time though .Just remember to use as many braces as possible to keep chassis from distorting . Measure , measure , measure!!!! Good Luck ....

Jack / Jaxdream

Go to Home Depot, or your local lumber yard and buy a bunch of 4*4 posts along with some of the metal brackets used for porch posts.
Put together a table about 2 feet high and put wheels on it.
You need surdy platform to work on that allows you to move the car, and move around the exact place you are supporting the car while you replace certain areas.

Starting...
The longs, both inner and outer should be done first.
If you can do one side, then replace the floor on that side after you have replaced the long, you stand a better chance of keeping the car square while you work.

If you must remove the entire floor, and the floor supports, put in some temporary bracing to keep it square.

I would suggest you tackle one whole side structurally, and build bracing to hold everything in place while you replace the long...keep it square on the floor, keep the door the same dimensions.....all with bracing.

Do that first, and the car will stay in the same shape.

Keep measuring and if you go up into the top of this page under 914info....upper right.....there is a set of body dimensions you can print out.
Get those up on the wall next to your car and get a metric tape measure.
Keep checking as you work.

These cars will move beased upon the heat you create by welding, so dont try to weld the whole long in one pass.....take you time and be sensitive to the heat build up...take breaks.

Rich

Right now I have it up on 4 ramps with 2x6's under them to give it another 1.5" of height.. My plan was to remove the drivetrain and mount some either tall bottle jacks or jackstands with a piece of lumber accross the transmission mount area.. kinda where the platformt mounts are on the " digging into hell" thread... I have a double garage with only my tools and the 914 in it so I have lots of room to get around it... The only time I think I'll need more height is when i'm doing the floor, but I thinks that will be last.. I'm thinking I'll replace the right longs, rear frame and rockers , then left side work, then after all that.. cut out the floor.. Keeping the floor in as long as i can will most likely keep it square untill the rockers are solid enough to maintain square... doors will be braced ofcourse.. oh.. and I was thinking I might just keep the front wheels on the ramps untill i'm done welding. I have it setup so the car cannot accidently roll off the ramps.. Does this sound alright ??

stripping this car and starting with a new body is not an option I have to work with what I got... I got time... lots of time ( as I look out the window and see the snow )