Hello ! everyone , first I must say sorry about my english gamma might make you feel don't understand , but I hope you guy can catch my meaning

I found a 73 2.0 914 in Hawaii , I checked the registration I am the third owner , currently it a blue color did a paint job before

I'm fall in love with 914 when the first year I move to Hawaii 17 years ago , at that time I don't even know it was a porsche , but the outlook is really really attached my mind and I told myself , in one day , I must own one hopefully for my first car ( I must say , I don't have driver licence untill now ) luckily , my friend's old friend (84 years old ) bought a Nissan 350Z and finally give away this 914 , but my friend don't like it and sell it to me , because this is my dream car , it really push me to get my license .

sound stupid because I never even try to move this car , but I am sure the engine is run good , because I saw this car was alway running around my working place

I did several time start the engine only , turn the key and press the button , it start smooth with no delay , sound stronge , I checked the engine had some oil leak , the oil look very new , I don't know where is it come from because it quit dirty , I trying to clean it and find .

Now , I found a major problem is the floor panel on passenger side is cracked , and driver side have two hole , this is the main reason I couldn't try it for practice driving , I checked some web site have a whole piece around 160 US , and I asked some VW owner , they said it is quit common but easy to replace , but no one can tell me around how much for labor cost , some peoples said I can just get a quarter inch sheet metal , cut the damage part and replace it , won't cost too much , but I can't do it by myself , and it is not a easy job for a guy who have zero exp. about body work .

So , my question is did someone live in Hawaii can give me more information ? I knew there is a shop fix Porsche specially 914 in Honolulu , Second , Should I change both side of panel or just passenger side ? ( I guess it is more easy and don't even need to took off everything , but it might not be a long standing )

I met a guy who offer 3500 for just replace the whole part , I felt like he was crazy , also he said bodyshop usually charge at least 5000 , I don't think so .

owned a 914 for my first car , it dream came true , however , I am not able to enjoy drive it yet , it is really make me down , please , if you can give me any kind of information that will be very nice , thank you very much .

Congrats on your first 914!

Post some pictures of the rust and we can get a better idea of what it would take to repair.

Depending on the extent of the rust if the whole floor pan needs to be replaced $3500 doesn't sound too far off. That's a big job. However, if there is extensive rust in the floor pan I would look at other areas too. Rust hides everywhere on these cars!

Good luck and once you get it up an running your gonna love driving it.

Chances are the rust in the floor pan is just the tip of the iceberg. Either find someone who knows these cars or take lots of pictures and post them to this site. Also, do a search on this site for - longitudinal repair, hell hole, suspension console, rustoration. It's rust that kills these cars and it can be very expensive to repair. Good luck and Mark

You say you know a shop in Honolulu that knows 914s, so check them on cost to replace the front floor pan, or if they know of a body shop that does know 914s if they only do the mechanical work (engine & transmission). Check with them also for the oil leaks, although a good VW mechanic should be able to run that down.

$3500 - $5000 to cut & weld in just a new replacement floor pan section for left and right front sounds too high to me, but it's Hawaii with fewer choices than on the mainland. So I suggest checking around more.

You probably looked at Restoration Design - which is also in the Member Vendors section on this website - for the replacement floor pan. They also sell full front half & rear half replacement floor pan sections (both left/driver & right/passenger sides). They also have many other sections here -
http://www.restoration-design.com/Merchant...tegory_Code=914

As others have said, 914s are notorious for rust in general, and there are several areas are more notorious for rusting. You should also check for more rust at:
> the floor pans both behind & in front of the seats for rust problems,
> as well as the front & rear trunk floors,
> everywhere under the car,
> at the battery tray and the area down below it ("hell hole") in the engine bay and the similar area on the left side,
> take off the heat pad on the engine bay firewall to the cockpit & look at that wall and the ledge below for rust,
> remove the 4 bolts/screws for the metal pan covering the steering rack at the front wheels and look for rust up in there,
> also pull the rubber seals carefully out of the channels on the doors and look on the door bottoms and in those channels (you can press them back in after),
> do the same with the rubber seals on the front and rear trunks to check those U channels for rust and stem on rear trunk seal,
> look at the front and rear door jambs of both doors and up into the round vent hole on the rear jambs (plastice cover comes out to look),
> top of the fender behind the door and under the vinyl at the sail above (feel for rust under the vinyl - no need to tear it off),
> around the windshield trim and seal, window seals at the doors and rear window,
> and at the the joint between the front fenders and cowl just in front of the doors (remove the rubber seal if you can to look into the crack, but wait to pull it out if the rubber seal is stiff until you get a replacement),
> and then unscrew the bottom screws of the rocker covers on the lower body sides to do a preliminary check up under there by pulling them out a bit and look in there with a flash light for rust - if you see some then you should probably cut the plastic rivets from the top of the rocker cover at the aluminum or black plastic door threshold plates and fully remove the rocker covers below to investigate that rust on the longitudinal beams - which are major structural members on 914s,
> and also check the insides of the longitudinals by pulling up the carpet at the sides below the doors.

A little rust on the surface that brushes off easily is not a problem, but if you see bubbles, holes or can poke it through with a screwdriver - then that is a big problem that will need fixing. Big areas like floor pans are easiest to use replacement panels, while small areas are best to cut in small sections of sheet metal (19 gauge I think -not 1/4 inch). You don't want to replace an entire floor with 1/4 inch sheet due to the added weight and it wont have the contours which give the unibody "frame" it's stiffness.

Once you've gone over the car completely, taken pictures of the problem areas, made a list of areas to fix - noting either small patches, full body sections or not sure - then you can go to a body shop for a cost estimate, or decide to take a community college or adult education body shop and welding classes to learn to do it yourself.

Most of the rubber seals and gaskets can be gotten either at 914Rubber (Mikey914 in Member Vendors section on here) or the other online parts sources such as GPR, Pelican, TCsGarage, Sierra Madre Collection, Automotion (Performance Products - Porsche section), Auto Atlanta - just Google for their websites for those without banner ads on here or in the Member Vendors section. Same for most anything else you may need, can be found either new or used around somewhere - just post in the Garage if you can't find something you need.
http://shop.914rubber.com/ - but you'll get better prices by ordering from Mark on here from the Vendors section, & he makes repro "Tee" seals for the front fender to cowl joint.

Once you get everything sorted out, you'll your 73 914-2.0!!!!

Good Luck!
Tom
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A 914 in Hawaii????

It is almost guaranteed to be a rust bucket.... sorry.
Is there anywhere in Hawaii that you cannot smell the salt in the air?

Mine lived its life in Phoenix AZ. and still has a problem in the hell-hole.

Stu

Post some pictures of the area, If you are lucky, it's just from a leaky rear window.



PS:

Thanks for all of the reply , I will take more pictures and show you guy how the wound is
Yes , it almost 7/10 of 914 on street is look very old but most of it is ready for repaint , I heard that is a Filipino guy who do restoration and sell , but he was moved .......
next to my friend's house , that is a apple green 914 , very nice and look band new , but I still don't have chance to make contact with the owner , well , just like a cherry girl in next door ......