A-mazing!

You make it look easy, sure helps if you have done it before and have the equipment and the guts

I almost forgot, the time. All of this takes plenty of time, but it can be satisfying.

It's hard work for sure. If you have the proper tools and a attack plan it's kinda easy.
I have a list of things to get done but little by little knocking them out.

Got the outer right suspension mount prepped and ready to install.
That alone took a few hours to get ready for install.

Incredible work, and wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing these!

The cleverness of the 914 unibody never ceases to amaze me in pics like these. It may not have been perfect, or able to fend off the tin worm, but its design was certainly quite advanced for its time.

Not much progress but did cut away some rusted out sections which will need to be replaced. Got the spot welding tongs in but looks like I still need another set to install the fenders.

Wow, Luke. Simply amazing. I knew you had mad skills but am utterly blown away by your level of commitment in putting together all the right tools for the job. Just outstanding. Like everyone here, I can't wait to see the finished result!!! This car is going to be killer!

I take it you are simply mothballing the original engine for posterity? Simply great that you're taking so much care to make that chassis better than new and then also have the guts to do the reversible performance upgrades to make the car your own.

Kudos!

PS - how did your brother's car turn out? Is it detailed somewhere here? You went in deep on that one, but this is entirely beyond next level.

R E S P E C T !!!!

Someday I'll get your old six done and we'll have a reunion. Still trying to gather parts.

-John

Cutting out the old rusty stuff is often more difficult than putting new stuff in, at least much more messy. Spot welding tongs, are they simply 1/2 or 5/8" copper rods with tips? can you fabricate new tongs to fit a specific task?

Hi John,

Lots of work being done on both cars. My brothers 914 is about 90% done with the welding. Then it would need to go out for body and paint work. He has most if not all of the parts to get it back together.

Link to his : http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=212849&hl=

I'd love to finish my 6 this year and get some seat time in. See how things go here. I keep finding rust issues that need to be addressed so that slows me down. Tracking down good sheet metal to use and get in takes time.


The spot welding togs are solid 5/8'' copper rods with replaceable tips. I need some close quarter togs to install the front fender and a few other small sections. I figured the one set I purchased was gonna work but it won't. I did get two 5/8 '' straight rods in case I had to make some specific tongs. I'll have to see what if anything I can do with them. Maybe use them as an extension to clear longer runs?

Removed the right front fender. Time to get the spot weld cutter out to finish it up.
The door post is also coming off.

Anyone with a NOS R/F fender stashed away that they want to part with?

May take a very nice used one as well.

Got the door post off. Started cleaning up the mounting areas for the door post and fender. Also a quick test fit of the NOS right door post. Still got to figure out a patch panel for the lower section of the inner wheel housing/lower door post.

I have never seen that NOS panel installed before.

Luke must have a line on these NOS parts, and a good line at that

btw, looks great Luke

I've never seen that joint so exposed......where the fender, the door post,
the cowl and the windshield frame all come together.
I always wondered how the fender might be attached in that 5"-6" vertical
seam below the black plastic 'push-in' filler piece.
Luke, was the fender welded below the black filler ?
Man you get 1st prize in the DIY category.
WOW ! great work.

Hi Rory,

Thanks for the kind words. A work in progress it is. Little by little I'm chipping away at the list of things to do.
The fender to cowl was welded in the area I have circled in the pic. Looks to be lead welded/filled to me. It's way too soft to be anything else. Then there was a few spot welds that attach the fender to the door post at the very top and along down the door post.

The Bermuda Triangle of the 914

I've got an(other…) appointment with the one on the passenger side of my 914.

Luke in my reply I said vertical when I should have said horizontal.
I'm curious about the area to the right of your circle.
It does not appear to have been welded or ground clean.
Is the fender attached along there ? or 'sealed' (in that special Karmann way) ?
How would they have welded it ?

That jig, let alone the metal work, is straight up amazing! Thanks for sharing such a cool thread with all the pictures.

No welds at all in that area. There was just seam sealer (area in yellow) and that was it.

I spent a few hours on Sat. cleaning up the inner wheel housing. Got the remainder of the fender sections spot drilled and cleaned up. Now I need to fix the cowl to wheel housing area. I may need to order the cowl repair section from RD. Then I need to figure out the lower wheel housing section so I can start putting things back together.

I received the R/F NOS fender in today ( thanks Jeff ). I got it blasted and test fitted on the chassis. Fits well and also stuck the flare on to see how she's gonna look.
Hopefully the rest of the sheet metal will arrive by Friday so I can get it welded in next week.

Exciting to see clean metal and a flare clamped on.

Fantastic work Luke. Love the jigs set up.
Amazing to see a NOS piece for this area.
Thanks for documenting your progress.

Oh My.. You didn't mention , GT flairs...Shouldn't those be NOS Porsche too ??? LMK

Fender has some pitting but adding flares takes care of that.
Sent you a pm about flares.

Blasted the right NOS long today. Prepping all the metal that's to get welded back on.
Hopefully by the end of next week the right side will be back together.

Things are looking great over there Luke

Luke has a killer supply of NOS stuff

Thanks Glenn,

Working away here when I can. I have a few section blasted and ready for install.
I want to paint the areas where I will not be able to reach once attached to the chassis.

I have Eastwood internal frame coating cans, and also picked up a few cans of the epoxy paint too. Anyone have an idea which would be best to use? I'd like to save the internal coating cans for those areas I can't reach. Think the epoxy will be ok to help with future rust? Thinking of using the epoxy for the inside of the long and behind the door post.

Any thoughts on this?

I have the chassis scheduled to be blasted at the end of April then right into epoxy a few days later. I have a huge list of things to knock out before the blast date.

The sections from a Cali 914 parts car have arrived. Thanks Vince..

Started to remove any metal I do not need and prep for install.
Got the right inner wheel housing section almost done. I just need to blast it before install.
Next up is the pass foot section and under the fuel tank.

Today we will be working on my brothers 914. Spot welding the rest of the new RD rear panel in along with a new rear trunk pan.

Started cutting and fitting the replacement inner fender section. Also got the right long coated with Eastwood internal frame coating. Man does that stuff make a mess.
I'll see if I can get the new section of metal tacked in on Wed.

Now, if we can get RD to manufacture this section, our life would become instantly easier.
Keep up the work, lookin good

btw: I have been using a Sherwin Williams industrial primer "Kem Bond" we have used it for years on steel

Looking good Luke
'Going deep' is an understatement
Great to see your very thorough work.

Thanks guys.. It's time consuming getting everything to line up just right.
Putting the panels on, test fit then remove. Got the right patch panel ready but didn't have the time to weld it in. I did work on the front trunk floor damage. Pretty much done but need to confirm it's correct. Anyone got a pic of the section I have circled. Early cars if that matters?

Luke I can get pics of the trunk floor
Day or two

Wow, just a little metal touch up...LOL

DAMN!!

Hi Rory, If you could also snap a few from the underside front as well.
I'd greatly appreciate it..

Thanks..

Luke,
Here are some pix of my NOS floor pan

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

I used POR 15 inside all and out side all..... it has something to do with where we live.
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for posting the pics. Is the section circled flat then has a recess for the spare tire ?
I may have to fine tune the pan a little more.

Got the right inner fender patch in. Installed the nos right long and test fitted the inner rocker. I need to make some final tweeks to the long prior to welding it in.

Simply amazing work.

Lookin good Luke, how is the new spot welder working?

Works great. I have a few plug welds to do as well. I'm gonna try and use the spot welder wherever I can to make it look factory. I got a set of 12" CLOSE QUARTER WELDING TONGS but still having a clearance issue at the front fender channels.
I may have to modify one of the welding tips.

Double carboard with filler...Fingers Crossed

Double carboard with filler...Fingers Crossed

Patch panel is all welded in and also started the pass side floor pan install.
Ran out of gas for my mig welder so I'll get the tank swapped out tmrw.

How I hate grinding but turned out pretty nice.

Hi Jeff,



Lets hope it gets here undamaged. Last two items didn't fair so well in shipping.