I'm looking at a 914 today and I need to know where to look for the rust on a 914 .. The knowen areas like the Battary box (hell hole) and rockers .. But is there any special places .. pictures would also help .. Thanks guys

Floor pads, inside rear trunk near tail lights. If it has vinyl sails, look for bubbling under the vinyl.

Check exhaust and heat exchangers to see if it is rusted out.

I am sure others can add other places.

Don't just look at the rocker panels. You need to remove them or somehow look under them. The longitudinal channels under the rockers are the "back bone" of the chassis. Any rust there MUST be taken care of.

I've said it until people are sick of hearing it
but its still good advice to never buy a car without removing the rocker covers...


I say this after learning the hard way
and I think a few thousand others have learned the hard way too

yep, bought my first one with out doing this and it will be an extensive repair when it gets done. only good thing here is i didnt pay too much for it at the time, and the values voer 6 years hvae gone up enough to be worth putting $5-$10k into it. would be better to just buy a welder and do what many here have done- if engine shelf and hell hole, door jams, sail panels, rear jack points are solid, great!!

Floor board under pedals....cowl under windshield

Are rocker panels difficult to remove? Should the seller do it?

I'm thinking when I start looking more seriously, I'll have to recruit someone locally that is a little more familiar to help me.

East to remove them "sort of." There's a series of rivets along the top side, and three screws on the bottom. Getting the lower screws out can be difficult, since they tend to freeze into place. Some liquid wrench, vice grips, and cursing can help.

Problem is will the owner let you do this? ok it theres no rivets and just screws.

Everywhere. Seriously, EVERYWHERE. I learned the hard way. Scour every inch of metal you can see. Pull up carpets, remove rocker panels, look deep into every angle of the wheel wells, door jambs, longitudinals, engine compartment, rear trunk, front trunk, under the headlights, inside the doors, sail panels, floorpan, center tunnel, firewall, behind bumpers, rain gutters on front and rear trunks, engine mounts, trans mounts, suspension consoles, suspension mounting points, fenders...you get the picture. It ALL rusts. Spend as much time as the seller will let you scouring the car. And bring a bright flashlight.

... and a magnet! front wings near the A-pillar...

Menno

Invest in an ice pick. Lower firewall at the floor. If you find a bad spot the pick doesn't leave a big hole like a screwdriver would. How are you going to know what is going on under any undercoating and the tar panels on the floors?

as already stated previously, plenty of places to look. Basically anywhere water or moisture can stand for long periods of time. click the link below for a few pics to see.

Rust...Where to look.

some pics of where my 1975 has rust.

http://www.pbase.com/jimchie/1975_porsche_914

If you can't find rust, you are probably not looking at 914!

This is super-helpful - I'm in the first day of a teardown/fixup and it's nice to have a more simple guide to help know what to look for. Naturally, if you search for "rust on a 914" you'll get an ocean of results - too much to understand for a new owner.

On mine, the floorboards are rusted out significantly, but having removed the rocker the outboard sides of the panels look pretty good. Both trunks are good on mine (this is a car with basketball size holes in both footwells) - so next task it to figure out how much of the undertray needs to be replaced.

I guess I'll never sell my car then,no way I'm letting someone hack at it with a pick or drill out rivets!!
Mike

If anyone touched my car with an ice pick, that would be a bad scene.

I would however remove the covers because this is a 914 and people need to see the truth.
If I am spending real money on a 914......which I would not....I buy them cheap and fix them...
I would insist on the rockers being removed by the owner before I get out of my chair to go look.
If they won't do that, find another car...

"Hacking with a pick"? Wtf. PROBING. Not like stabbing as hard as I can. In most cases even well camouflaged shit repairs are exposed with gentle pressure. No rust? No real scars are left behind and it causes no real damage. I don't have X-ray vision. If I can't look for rust in a noninvasive manner, the seller has something to hide and I don't want the car.

NONINVASIVE would be the key word here!!!

let me know how LOOKING at tar floor boards and undercoating works out for you. WHEN you find the issues that may lurking after a car is bought, where is as is, an indent the size of the tip of a ball point pen will pale when the jack stands come out and the cash starts flowing to RD.

In response to your title question, you will find the Rust in Oregon. But he travels frequently...