I am starting a full restoration of a '71 914-4 (Build thread - http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...242895&hl=). 914World has been incredibly helpful. I thought it might be good to have a thread where those with experience doing full restorations could post about the major hurdles they encountered along the way. Knowing what to expect ahead of time could really help others avoid the big issues.

What advice can you share?
What problems slowed you down the most?
What challenges stumped you for a while?
What hurdles did you not see coming?


ADVICE:
1. Buy pre-formed chassis panels from Restoration Design; and brace your chassis very well if your having to do welding work.
2. Figure out what your going to do about the wiring harness before you take it out. And don't ever cut wiring.
3. Have Eric at PMB rebuld your calipers. Will save a lot of trouble.
4. Buy a complete rubber kit (914rubber). It will save money versus piecing it together.
5. Start collecting replacement parts early, since they arent' always available when you need them.
6. Get the engine and transmission (Dr. Evil Clinic) rebuilt well in advance of completion.
7. Label and photograph everything.
8. Label all bolts. Bolts seem to be a recurring issue that causes grief.
9. Locate a shop in advance and make it clear when you want the car back.
10. Find a plater in advance for all the nuts, bolts and cad plated stuff.
11. Know your limits. If you have a deadline don't try to teach yourself to do things in days and weeks that others have spend years learning. Ya, sometimes it works out but if your serious about a deadline what if it doesn't.
12. Be prepared to write big checks. Oh, and have at least 5k in the bank over and above your highest estimate incase things go sideways.
13. Take, and organize, hundreds of pictures as you disassemble. So you
remember where everything went and how.. especially the
heater vent cables and where wires go through the front cowl bulkhead.
14. Plan on spending lots of hours on Ebay searching for parts at good prices if
you can't find them here.
15. Draw diagrams of where electrical wires come off and which colors go where; Especially the tail lights and instruments.
16. Blast first. Strip the car, brace it, put it on the rotisserie, cut the rust out and then have the car soda blasted. That will help you find the spots you missed, make it easier to weld and prevent a major sticking point.

After doing it the hard way, I would always buy pre-formed panels of excellent quality from Restoration Design. Though I learned a lot from having to fab my own panels, I would have definitely been better off by buying new, high-quality stuff to begin with. It took me much longer to try to fab my own stuff, not to mention I probably didn't save anything because I spent more on grinding wheels and other cutting accessories.

I would also have braced the chassis better for welding. Very important. Chris @ Tangerine Racing sells great braces for this very thing.

I agree wholely with George here. Bracing is so important. Buy all the prefab you can, but be prepared for doing some fabricating yourself. Especially around the bottom of the windshield and top of the front fenders near the back of the hood line. Bottom of doors. And just front of the doors.

You can do it, be patient, make templates out of thinner malleable steel, cardboard, or whatever you have. Get some good cutting tools. I kept using a pneumatic scroll saw thing, and cutting wheels on a grinder. After my project was finished I got the chance to try electric shears. For some reason I discounted them initially because I thought they would distort the panels as they cut. I was wrong. You can stencil out a piece and cut through like butter and not worry about all the dust. If your budget and garage space allows get a plasma cutter.

Turn down the voltage on your welder. Most of the car is 18 guage and 16 guage. The 18 is thin stuff and it easily burns through. Practice on scrap and then go at it.

I did everything I could from the top and sides. But working on jack stands made welding under the car almost impossible. I left the last underneath welds to the end, and when the truck came to bring to the paint shop, I did a detour to a buddies shop where he had a lift and we did the final underneath welds there. Even with all that, Chris Foley found a coup!e of spots I missed because I could not get to them and he found a way to get it done. Its OK to call in help when you need it. Most people are really helpful and empathetic when you get most done that you can, and then get in over your head.

Basically all the quality panels come from Restoration Design unless you are lucky enough to find some NOS panels. It is OK to buy panels and cut pieces off for what you need . It might seem wasteful, but saving to fab is good and someone might need the piece you do not.

Also, I found one of those vibrating cutting tools was perfect on interior pan stripping of the tar and undercoat seam seal.. You can waste a lot of time using other methods, but that stuff is tough and that tool makes short order out of it.

Good luck and dive in. It is a great rewarding project and you will get good help here from ones who know.

John

Brakes to Eric, buy a complete rubber kit from Mark, 914Rubber. I thought I could use some of the old ones, and I've ended up buying piecemeal which was a mistake. And there is a lot of stuff to get powder coated to make it look nice.

Make a list of the parts you know you're going to replace and then buy them. Everything isn't immediately available. Send your engine out a year before the rest of the car is done. Plan to attend the next "DrEvil clinic" and get the tranny done

Beware of life getting in the way.........it happens

I checked out your 71 build thread. Replace the battery tray so you can blast the inside of the stand. Otherwise it looks good down there. Your going to have a devil of a time washing all that black crap off with solvent. Sanding will not work. It will just gum up.

Locate a shop in advance and make it clear when you want the car back. Find a plater in advance for all the nuts, bolts and cad plated stuff. Know your limits. If you have a deadline don't try to teach yourself to do things in days and weeks that others have spend years learning. Ya, sometimes it works out but if your serious about a deadline what if it doesn't. Be prepared to write big checks. Oh, and have at least 5k in the bank over and above your highest estimate incase things go sideways .

Label everything, especially the bolts. Nothing is more frustrating during reassembly that trying to find bolts.

If you think it is going to cost you $10,000 then you better plan for $20,000. Another thought, this has to be something you do with left over cash, play money. If you liquidate assets or use your credit card for stuff at some point you may come to resent the car and the build. It may take longer doing the pay as you go route but the car will never become the black hole that sucks up money.

Take hundreds of pictures as you disassemble. . so you
remember where everything went and how.. especially the
heater vent cables and where wires go through the front cowl bulkhead.
Plan on spending lots of hours on Ebay searching for parts at good prices if
you can't find them here. .
draw diagrams of where electrical wires come off and which colors go where. . tail lights
an instruments especially.

And disconnect the battery first.

Looking back on what is holding me up...
I agree with everyone else, but I would add blast first. Strip the car, brace it, put it on the rotisserie, cut the rust out and then have the car soda blasted. That will help you find the spots you missed, make it easier to weld and prevent a major sticking point.

Ya, I have a little bit of rust (very little) to fix. And I have considered soda blasting first, to make sure that I have identified it all before I fix what I know about.

Ya, I have taken so many pictures as I disassemble that I have had to organize them by location in the car. A folder for each area.

Buy parts from 914 world vendors instead of Ebay.

Much cheaper and less likely to be ripped off.

Buy stuff from people with 100s of posts.

I like Bruce Stone, he found everything I needed for reasonable prices.

Do all the work you can yourself. You can do more than you think.

Don't buy new tires until you really need them or they will be too old before your car is done.

Don't throw any parts away until you are holding the replacement in your hand.

Replace all your plastic fuel lines.

Read all the threads in the classic forum.

Read all the restoration threads.

Drink a lot of coffee.

John

Steve,
If you need a shop, John Forbes (Black Forest Racing) is very knowledgeable and is located in Denver, NC (not far from you) and has helped me a lot as I have gone through the restoration process.
Enjoy.
-Don

That's some excellent advice you have received so far.

I will add the following:

1. Buy expendable supplies (sanding discs, small cutoff wheels, disposable paint brushes) in bulk...it will save you a lot of money. I bought a lot of stuff from Keen Abrasives ebay store.

2. Clean each part as you remove it so it is ready to go for re-assembly.

3. Write down supplies or parts you need as soon as you realize it, otherwise you may forget.

4. Most importantly, take your time and tackle each project the right way the first time. If you find yourself getting frustrated, take some time off. Working pissed off will not yield good results.

Good luck & keep us posted!

My only advice: STAY ORGANIZED

The more prep work you do on making sure you document how something came apart, the easier it'll be to put everything back together. Qarl is my hero in this area.

Other than that, you're here and asking questions...which is 1/2 the battle. We're here to help!

That is very nice suggestions sir! A real good attitude that I will surely take note for myself also! God Bless!