I am considering installing this kit while I am reparing some long rust.

I have searched multiple threads on this but still have a few questions

I assume that the sill supports come off— do people cut them down and reinstall?

Does the kit leave enough room behind the outer rocker for Oil or AC lines?

Also, I know the kit is heavy, does anyone know the exact weight?

Thank you

-Andrew

Call Brad's shop @

Brad Mayeur, 914 Ltd.
Maintenance, repair, restoration, new & used parts for your 914.

PH:(309) 694-1797 • FAX: (309) 698-2203

I'm sure he'll be happy to help you.

Personally, i wouldn't use Brad's kit for fixing rust, i'd rather use the RD repro pieces.

I have a kit that I won't be using. I did prep the car to install it but decided to go a different way. I sent you a PM.

I wish I could see a picture of it in pieces and profile as I have considered it as I am building a gt clone and my car is so far from original it wouldn't matter.

I don't have any pictures of the pieces, but here is Brad's kit installed on my 70. I didn't have rust issues I did it to make it stiffer for autocrossing and track day stuff.

Oh, you can also go to Brad's webpage. Yes, he has a website.

Click here ----->Brad's long kit

Well, OK! Here you go. Note these pics don't show the jack tubes or support plates, which are included in the kit.
Also, I've drilled an extra set of plug weld holes in the one side. Others have said that's a recommended "upgrade".
Hope this helps.

more, including the best I could do of a profile. Essentially, (going from the top down) it simply follows the angle of the door sill, drops straight down the long, cuts in then down.

last ones

Notice it ties into the rear suspension points. The doors close like a vault when you get those installed. $340 shipped is so reasonable. Look how thick that metal is.

Yes the sill supports come off but Brad's kit is folded on top that adds strength and also supports the sill.

There should be room for your lines. I still have the lines going to the charcoal filter in the front. The area where it gets tight is on the angled back piece where the upper fold creates a wedge with the inside of the rear quarter.

If you haven't seen this thread, it shows that area and other good ideas for the install (sills included).

Good luck with your repair

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...l=brad&st=0

In prep to fit to my car, I sliced a channel in the support below the A-pillar and opened a window in it, too. I added a hole in the stiffener that would then be plug welded to the rib on the long that's under the support. Then the window would be closed up. You can sort of see it in this pic.

Others simply cut the stiffener, lopping of that stepped part at the front.

Hmm I like it.. I may buy one though I am inclined to make a set as this is right in my wheel house.. Anyone care to give a few dimensions and angles?? If not no big deal.. I don't have any intentions of marketing anything like this ..

I am considering installing this kit while I am repairing some long rust—not in lieu of repairing the rust.

Additionally, the damage is jack post and just behind. The RD pieces are longs in front of the jack post (part #301) or jack post to inner wheel house (#331).
My damage does not go up high enough to warrant cutting the quarter panel and installing #331, nor does it extend more than an inch into the inner rocker panel #301.

I intend to fabricate 18 gauge pieces to repair the severely rusted spot, sandblast the surface rust off the inside the long near the spot. Then I will follow up using Ospho and/or Eastwood frame coat the inside of the long.

I am considering installing Brad's kit while I am down there to stiffen the chassis, as in the future I plan to install a six.

How does this kit strengthening the outer longs compare with the inner long kits? I can see the math behind it but is the difference enough to justify the work involved when real world results are tested?

Not to get into a pissing match, but I've heard 100% that the Engman inner long kit is better because it ties into the structure better. The outer long is more shell than structure.

I have had this kit on my six since I got the body work done.

It increases the stiffness of the car tremendously. I can put a jack anywhere under the side and it will lift both wheels together. Doors close great, and it got rid of the cowl shake on rough roads.

Downsides... adding it and the GT stiffening kit added almost 100lbs to the car. And I had to notch the kit below the oil tank to clear the oil line.


I would highly recommend it.

When I restored my '73 I unfortunately found more rust in the hell hole region than I thought.
Stalltek (who did a fantastic job on the car- they usually do 356's so they're familiar with rust) put Brad's kit on it.
The car is ROCK solid!! Technically not "original" but if you need repair there, I would definitelly do it.
Sorry I don't have any pictures handy taken during installation.

That's what I'm looking for - with a jack under any lift point, the car would lift at least 2 wheels. And that's with no floor in it and the doors opened perfectly. Good longs so no need for outer reinforcement. I think the inner structures are the way to go for me. Along with a modified roll bar setup to box it and add some side protection.

Is this a street car or track? Roll bar / cage in a street car "can" be dangerous in a accident if you are not wearing a helmet and have a good harness. Your head is 2-3 inches closer to where you could hit the bar compared to not having a cage and hitting the factory targa bar. Just something to think about. I know plenty of people with cages in their street 914.

I've seen the posts about that and it would be a concern, but I've also seen modified bars that are below the headrests and are great for connecting your harnesses. They still help box the frame and offer side protection but they're probably better for your head... I think Tygaboy has one under construction that's a pretty interesting design.

Could be. I THINK the Brad Mayeur kit was designed quite a while ago and one application was stiffening cars that had some structural rust. Back then these cars were not very collectable, especially the ones that had been exposed to salt. Either one is going to provide quite a bit of additional strength. I think one guy that goes to Garold's had both kits. Silver car maybe? It was rust free originally. Those doors closed like a 944's.

I just heard from Brad and the weight of the kit is 32lbs,
Not the 50lbs-60lbs that I have seen estimated in some forums.
While 32lbs is not inconsequential, I don't see it as terrible for a non-racer, especially since it is so low.

hmm, I could stand to lose 15 or 20lbs personally...If I go this route maybe it will help motivate me...

...on the other hand, maybe fiberglass trunk lids would be an easier way to offset the gain.

I had Brad's kit installed on my conversion car, though it was rust free. Also mounted a removable roll cage, but thought better of it and removed it. Available if anyone needs one.

It does seem to make a noticeable improvement in the stiffness of the car, and the additional weight is down low and in the center, so it's weight's addition is minimal.

I think I may make my version of this and try it out .. I think it's well worth the experiment though I will probably wait unt the car is semi close to being back together.

I had the old Engman kit installed, and it was REALLY nicely made.

However, I feel like the car rides a bit funny now—more fidgety/bouncy at low speed—though I can't tell if that's a matter of the Bilstein dampers or the Engman kit changing the way various forces feed through the chassis because both were added at about the same time.

I also wonder a bit how stiffening that section only might affect various other loadings and welds, especially at the rear/center of the chassis and rear suspension pickup points, and have begun to wonder about adding the Patrick Motorsports toe kit and maybe even the rear trailing arm inner pickup point support bars.

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

Brad's kit does tie the longitudinal into the rear trailing arm attachment point and goes forward to the front door pillar. The Engman Kit didn't attach that far back, however I think the combination of both would be best short of installing a rollcage that ties everything together.

I've put them on three different cars, and while they add a little weight, they do make the car a lot stiffer.

One of the first things I did with my squeaky clean rust free car was to add this kit. Everything is more solid. Everything. People are amazed that a 45 yr old car can feel so much better than a more current convertible car. I happily put up with the slight weight increase for the more rigid chassis. Its all down low anyway. Can't say that I ever even noticed it.

I believe Brad intended these as super duty rust repair panels, but as an update to add strength to the car, they can serve a dual purpose.

Good upgrade. Do it.

My guess is you would want to install these with the car on the ground?

Nope instal them with the car jacked up. I like the center section resting on my lift the front and the back hanging. And the pillars spread to the proper location or slightly over. The welds can contract the car a bit. When I did mine I used a 10 ton portapower to put the proper set to the chassis. Measure a couple hundred times , weld a small bit, cool it off, weld in a different area, measure, etc... Kit is very stout and I love it on my 914. Makes a huge difference in the car.

When mine was done, I went to Brads shop. This was many yrs ago. As I recall, we supported the center section of the car, possibly on some old, stout, and straight 6x6 posts. Things were jacked and re-jacked, leveled, measured, and we started welding. We hit the plugs, and stitch welded the long edges, never staying in one place to long and cooling the welds off. The new panels were primed with weld thru primer, and after we were done, there was some sort of "wax-oil" sealant they sprayed/misted all over the area we had been working. Brad swears by that stuff, whatever it was. I worked with his guy Michael, and we had a pretty good time making sparks. The welding was more fun than grinding the welds down. Michael was not willing to share the welder much... It was a fun project that made a real difference, in an already solid car. Can't imagine how much difference there would be in a car that had been compromised.