Hi All, I am new to the world of car restoration and 914's. While cruising c's list I found a deal I couldn't refuse, and the rest is history. She runs, but she's rough. I trailered her home, drove her throught the neighborhood a few times then put her in the garage and have spent a few weekends chipping away at the cosmetic flaws. There's a lot of rust. But not in the places that I keep reading about (hell hole, floor pans, etc.) Currently, I'm torn. Do I put band-aids on the boo-boos and spend 7 months out of this year driving it like I stole it? Or start the grueling project of disassembly, rust repair and re-assembly? In the case of the latter, I won't get to enjoy her for a couple years...

IMHO, restore it piece by piece. No more work than can be done in 2 days at a time. That way you can drive it like you stole it while you're bringing it back. Once everything is mechanically up to date, tear it down and do body paint all at once. Keeps the little buggers off the jack stands.

Oh, and

ahh the age old question, to restore or drive. i say compromise: buy another so you can do both!

Get it in drivable condition and drive it for a year while you are learning more about these cars and what you can do to them, then make a decision as to what you want to do. You may enjoy it so much you will put off your restoration/mods for a couple of years!
Good luck with your car and show us pics.
Tom

You can't have just one! Would love to see some pics.

It just so happens, I'll be in the garage tonight. Will try to snap some pics then. Cheese!

and

With the Mayan calendar ending soon, I’d say put off the resto and drive it. If the world doesn’t end then you can worry about the cosmetics.

and

We need pictures.

Drive it like you stole it for awhile. Get to know the car well and deal with the mechanical issues as you go. There is a lot of freedom having a 'cosmetically challenged' 914.

Beware jackstands. They are insidious creatures that appear to hold the car up, but what they really do is hold you back...from driving, which is where the love blossoms.

i think that is the smartest approach. that way you only have to buy things once. instead of restoring it from day one and buying all new parts, then find out you want to upgrade to better parts and buying them again. plus youll probly drive it more if its not a gleaming museum piece...

Drive it for as long as you can. When you start restoring a 914 it's like seeing your girl friend naked for the first time and you get side tracked and it never ends.

It's an addiction
There is no cure


Make it safe for the road (replace all fuel & brake lines), & drive it like you stole it. It'll be off the road for a few of those "snowy months" you folks on that side of the country get, so work on it then.

Just my .02

Ran to the garage just long enough to snap some off real quick.

Front fender and light housing were a little smashed up when I bought it.
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Sail panels were bubbled up, when the vinyl was removed, it was our old friend rust. Haven't decided if I'm going to re-cover them or go body color.
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Inside looks cleaner than it is right now...Been sanding.
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Engine bay is dusty too. Sorry!
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So what do you think? Is there hope? .... Will I get run out of town if i keep the Empi's on it?

Oh hells yeah!




Depends on your cam, but probably.

There's guys on this board that know everything about every frustration you're about to face. You're in good company. As long as it's road worthy, drive the snot out of it!

Get rid of that single carb for a set of 40mm duals. The difference will be night and day...

You mean to tell me I can have even more fun with this thing?

Yep... Way...

You will never get that Pinto carb to work great on a 914...

Yes, the difference with dual carbs will be night and day, but don't do it yet. IDF carbs will gum/clog easily with dust from the body work you are doing.

If the care is not folding, I agree you should drive it and do weekend or winter projects instead of a full resto. Get us pics of the "problem" areas. We will be able to estimate what work the car needs. But as long as it is safe to drive, drive it.

Okay, I'm holding my breath. Here are the ugly parts...

The door sills have been "reinforced" with a layer of fiberglass. I have a feeling when I chip this off it's gong to be the saddest day of my 914 love affair.
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There is also some fiberglass up the door frame above and inside the latch, but the actual latch is attached to solid metal.
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The front bumper WAS chrome, but has been painted black and was damaged in the front end impact that screwed up the front fender that I've been working to fix.
In addition to that, where the front bumper cap should attach, it's a thick, bubbly, rusty mess that was just painted over.
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And last but not least, WHAT THE HAIL IS THIS? I've only ever seen body color trim under the door. This one appears to be aluminum or stainless. Something tells me when this comes off, I'll be on here offering a parts car.
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All joking aside, I've taken the targa top off, taped a string between the windshield and rollbar, and jumped up and down on the door sills and there is no movement in the string. So I'm back to hoping this is still a cosmetic fix.

Please, I am open to all input! Thanks so much.

I agree with what what others have told you. Make sure it is safe to drive...then just start driving. This was my original plan, but the hell hole area was just too bad. My car will be finished as a rolling restoration.

On that last picture, you want to know what is under that rocker.
Also, probe the fire wall on the pass side under the battery for rust. Push hard. If the metal is sound you will not hurt it probing. I usually tap with a hammer.

Open the both doors and get to large people to sit in the car. Will the doors still close? This is known as the big butt test. If the doors don't close you have to fix rust and the car is questionable to drive safely.

take the rockers off and check.
but my experience over 25 years tell me that you can't afford to fix the rust on that car over whay you can buy one for

I sold an Abosolutely rust free car for 6K with good paint (running)

the parts/tools/labor/paint are going to run you much more than 6k before you even start to mess with the engine or suspension.

drive it and enjoy
but it may not be worth putting 20k into it,.

These pics scare me... On these little cars, only 5-10% of the rust is visable. You may be opening a can of worms...

In California, "rust free" bodies are still fairly cheap. I would not bother fixing that one. I would sell it on the East coast as a easy fixer...

I revise my original recommendation after seeing that door jamb. You should check that car out really well before driving it...looks pretty dicey.

I checked it out last night. It's shot. Sorry to tell you gentlemen, but the local junkyard will give me $300 for her... she's headed to the crusher....I just want to cry.

That is the unfortunate part about these cars. There is no way that some of them can be saved. I my case, I was just crazy enough to try it, and there is no guarantee that it will be "right" when I'm done with it. My damage was far worse than yours. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=161596

However, attempting all this work is not for the faint of heart. I don't blame you if you decide to crush it. But do yourself a favor and part it out! You'll make a lot of money back, and you'll be keeping other cars on the road in the process. Think of it like being an organ donor. Don't worry, you'll find another one soon, stay positive!

before you crush it at least pull some of parts off it. you could probably get a couple hundred for the interior alone. I would say you could easily sell 1500 off that car in parts and then crush it for about the same amount. For instance, if the chrome bumpers are nice I would give you at least 250 for them.

-Ross

Seriously, strip it for parts. List them for sale. Take the rusted hulk to the crusher when anything of value is gone. Folks here want body panels, etc for thier restorations. Fenders, inside the front trunk, etc.

You can probably turn a profit on this car in parts and use the funding to help buy a rust free one - now that you know where to look.

Give us pics of the rusted areas.

Some of us live within easy driving distance of Dundalk, too...

I did not even see that you were local.
have a car stripping party. We can have it down to nothing in the better part of a day, then sell off anything of value. Stripping one of these cars is an education invaluable if you ever want to build another.

Zach

Sorry to hear its too far gone.

I agree with the guys, if you want to make a profit.

Steering wheel
seats
instrument cluster
switches, relays, relay board, fuse panel
someone right now is looking for interior bolsters
wheels
suspension
sway bars
etc.etc.
The list goes on forever, you can make good money if you are up for some work.


p.s.
I am right around the corner from you, Fells Point


Joseph

Okay. Let me take a step back here. Since I put my decision down in black and white, I've had a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach all day. It's like I'm losing a friend.

I didn't realize there were a few of you within driving distance of me. What if... And I'm just putting this out there, What if I put it up on the scissor lift and left it on the lot outside the garage so that one or all of you could drive by one sunny day and give me a second opinion?

The thought of crushing it or chopping it up into little pieces makes me sick. Really, actually, phisically sick. See what one sleepless night of rust-nitemares will do to you? It makes you make rash decisions.

I already admitted this was all new to me, and I had no idea what I was doing. So, I probably need guidance. I'm going to hit the swiss cheese longs with a scotch-brite wheel and take some pics. I'll pick a warm weekend day and put it outside. I will be eternally grateful to anyone willing to make the journey and offer their experienced opinion.

Does this make more sense than the crusher or sawzall at this point????????

That sounds fine. There are actually several of us in the neighborhood. If you have a lift you are way ahead of the game. I would be happy to swing over one day after work for the second opinion. Chip off all the FG. If the rust is not bad then it's sensible to fix it. Especially if the engine runs.

Well I guess I am a glass half full kind of guy. I wouldn't call it a parts car until you really check it out. I like your suggestion to have some of the local guys come check it with you.

I have two 914s, one that I drive the snot out of and another I picked up last year as a project car. Check my thread (CLICK HERE) to see how it started. It looks somewhat simular to what you have shown so far. Besides what I paid for it I am in it so far for $1500 in parts and labor as I am not a welder (well not a good one anyway) so yes, I paid for rust repair work.

Show us your pics once you check it more.

PaintedMan: I checked out your link. Woah! You're right, your damage "topside" was worse than mine. I think my underside may be worse than yours. BUT...You have inspired me.

I really didn't think about making repairs with anything other than pre-fab parts. Which ups the cost of the rebuild considerably. But your method makes sense to me. Luckily my extended family is in the "auto recycling" business. Me and my trusty reicipro-saw have access to a multiitude of body and frame metal for the asking.

I'm sorry to say, any number of american cars may end up being part of my Porsche.

Remember when I said she was shot???? Well, here are some pics of the ugliest driverside long I've seen. A sincere thanks to those that sugggested I look into it a little further. The words "death trap" come to mind.

From a distance, it looks bad. But just keep reading, it gets so much worse.
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In Allentown, PA this is how they fix longs. Just fill them with spray foam. (I'm pretty sure this car came from Allentown based on a box of parts found in the trunk with a name and address on it.) This is just a quarter of the spray foam I dug out.
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I trimmed off the bottom of the long to show how rusted out this thing really was.
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Yep. That's my hand. I'm female, but my love of cars runs deep. And I'm doing all the work myself, except for the welding, hubby will help on that.

Call me a fool, but I'm going to rebuild her. I'm naming her Austin, as in "Steve Austin" the six-million dollar man. That might be how much I end up having tied up in her by the time this is all finished.

Porsche purists, do not read the following: Since this amount of rust is something I didn't bargain for, I have a solution to get back on the road. This car doesn't have a lot of life left. So, after some extensive rust abatement, I'm going to use some chasis tubing left over in the garage and make a sort of exoskeleton for the underside. There's a 50/50 chance I'll get away with that.

I know there are rust free specimens out there. But this one is mine. If I can bring "Austin" back from the brink, then I've made a significant accomplishment in my book. If I can't...there will be a parts listing posted somewhere in the future.

I'll post my progress, unless the general consensus of the replies to this entry suggest that's something no one here would have interest in. Then I'll keep it to myself.

Let me know what you think.
Thanks, Dawn

Our stories are similar. I bought my car from a small town outside of Wilkes-Barre. For reasons I can not explain, I got attached to it. Many times I thought about bailing out and looking for a rust free tub.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=123957&hl=

If you are that attached to the car, I would take the time (and money) to repair it right. If you can swing it, buy the replacement body panels when available...it will save you a ton of time. There will probably be plenty of other parts that you need to fabricate.

Whatever you decide - good luck!

You East Coast people are crazy I would be very surprised if someone in California would even consider a resto like that

I commend you for your comitment. But still crazy!

Good luck and thanks for saving another 914!

We make do with what we have over here.
Go Dawn! Kick ass, take names!

Dawn,
I want to introduce you to my wife, Betty. She is a 914 addict, and has been one for 26 years (And she is the one who got me hooked!!!). The 74 1.8L she has is the first 914 I ever drove, and has 300,00 + miles on it. It is her daily driver, complete with functional Air conditioning. She gets out in the garage and does a lot of her own work, but most of the time she lets me do the work, as I am faster at it.

And as for "Austin", don't give up. Betty's car burned to the point where the windshield fell in, and we were able to restore it. I would suggest you go to the local community college and take a welding course, then get the needed sheet metal from restoration design or equivalent. You will end up with a nice car, and you can tell the boxster and 911 drivers "You bought yours, I built mine" with pride.

If you need encouragement, we can help. If you were closer to us, we would help that way too.

And welcome to the madness that owning a 914 brings!

Learning to weld at the CC is the "right" thing to do...

But if you happen to have a mig welder on hand, get some scrap metal in 18 to 20 ga and just start practicing. If someone is there for pointers, you can make functional (if ugly) welds within an hour. By the end of your restoration, you will be able to make functional, but less ugly, welds. I speak from personal experience on this.

I have a feeling you have enough people around you that learning to weld would not be difficult for you. At all.

Zach

I don't like to think of myself as the West Coast definition of crazy. I think of it more like having a sense of adventure that knows no bounds. The Mid Atlantic area is the rock salt capital of the world. And we are no strangers to rust. Quite honestly, I am more intimidated by the thought of replacing the rubber weatherstripping than I am about the thought of repairing the "frame".

ClayPerrine: I am inspired and relieved by the story of your wife, Betty, and the restoration of the 914 that burned. The fact that she feels at home in the garage, like me, isn't a trait found in many women. She and I are truly a rare find. It feels good to know I am not alone. I am going to check out the local CC to see what they offer. Thanks for the encouragement!

Zach: I've often thought of attempting the MIG. It looks less intimidating than the arc welder. And luckily, we have of scrap in 18 and 20 gauge left over from fabricating panels on my husband's dirt track car. I'll see if I can talk him into letting me try it. Under close supervision, of course.

Well I for one am jealous of you! I bought mine sight unseen and now that
I saw I wept, but, not for long. At least you got a chance to drive her. Mine won't be there for quite a while. I will be flatbedding her home end of week and will work up my driving plan. I noticed your fender rust. Looks just like mine! However I compare it to buying that 200 Mill Lottery ticket. I have the hopes and dreams, that is all the fun. Once it is complete, I will have to find my yuks elsewhere. My outer longitudinals, well, lets just say I was pulling them off with my fingers around the jack points.

My basic plan is this, pull off the loose stuff. Evaluate for rigidity, get the die grinder out and start grinding and see where I end up. I have done full restorations and I think the previous posts make sense in just doing what you need to make it safe and drive. It is easier to spread the costs around, and you will learn more as time goes by and change your opinions on how you want to do things. Keep the faith! I am addicted already and the ink is barely dry on my check. Looking for a used Miller, Hobart, or Lincoln. Can't wait to start on the longitudinals. The fender is another matter. Looks like we will have to barter for used replacements!