Back again with a 'mini' update since there's nothing that's really 'changed' save my own level of paranoia

I've inspected the two Suspension consoles in the back, the passenger's side looks OK, but I spotted this on the driver's side which may or may not be a cause for concern (yes, at this point I'm in full OCD mode, clinically diagnosed, should not at this point come as any surprise to anyone else based on previous entries of this ongoing saga)

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I mean the wrong color of suspension console, but not quite the "bwahahah, I am here to make you cry!" color

I'm not at the 'attack warning red duck and cover!' phase here, but I do think I need to find a way to wire brush the hell out of and Por-15 the area.

As I've started stripping undercoating off the area directly around the upper and lower pans in prep for drilling out the spot welds, on the passenger's side I've noticed the following oxidation that appears to be on the outer longitudinals between the floor pans and the reinforcement panels welded in by 914 Ltd (I'll be calling Brad to confirm the panels as best I can so I can tell what is a strengthening panel welded in because of the increased HP/Torque in the 3.2 motor and what is original longitudinal material)

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Near the back of the passenger's upper floor pan just past the pan material

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Near the lower floor pan, passenger's side

I'm a bit more concerned about these than I am the suspension console, wondering if I need to order outer rockers. I've not gotten to the driver's side yet because like an idiot, I wasted most of the marine battery power on the tar removal, and used the majority of the battery/cordless drill juice prepping the passenger's side. hence mini update status

As to interior 'tar' removal, if you have power in your garage, the heat gun is the way to go! In my case the 5000 watt A/C Inverter and battery combo meant I could once and for all remove the urethane coating from the lower floor pans area with ease. If you do not have the magic juice, dry ice works I suppose.

Back again with brief update as I slog along to what will be the next 'cool' bit (which is going to be when I'm at the point that the car is on its side safely and all the nasty rust is being removed/thunderbolts and lightning, very, very, frightening, etc) today however is where I show off that I have limited space in addition to no reliable power, and have also begun the disassembly.

I'll be dropping the motor/transaxle next, then removing the stupidly full fuel tank (I expect some may leak ) and the first of several miracles will have to happen at some point here in the next few weeks (the conjuring of a rotisserie.) I have a ventless heating system, so there will be no stopping for the winter.

yes I know about now the 'git gud n00b!' refrain of 'learn to weld!' is on reader's lips, I'd like to, but given I sell the gold standard in course materials for it and have a bird's eye view of the curriculum towards professional welderdom, I won't get there in a weekend, weak sauce, I know..So it's back to what I -can- do which is dismantle things, I'm plenty good at that!

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So in pulling the retrofitted pre-74 bumpers, I noticed surface rust both in the bolt channels and minor surface oxidation in the rear trunk pan. I'm not seeing 'paying owner of Restoration Design's child's university tuition' money tied up there yet, I think a nice wire brush and rust etching primer with paint cleanup should suffice.

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Yes, I did finally pull the tires, top gear top tip is, of course, to do so when they're still on the ground, but who ever said I went about things the easy way? One can also see there's a great deal of space now taken up by the doors...good god they are not light!

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Why, yes, that is a canister of kroil. And no, the fiberglass side skirting there isn't being held on at this point by one stubborn screw at all, nope, not at all.

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Nothing to see here, just half the car as gently placed down as I can manage it. I give myself half a day before I scratch the ever loving crap out of any of the painted surfaces.

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I did locate some surface oxidation in the front trunk as well. Again, no need to cut and conjure new metal into place, but this is a case where I'll use the phrase 'it's a good thing you brought her in when you did, otherwise'... in a non-ironic sort of 'here's where your wallet bleeds at the mechanic' moment. The full fuel tank however, that will be....'fun'....

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I haven't decided how I'm going to get the foam upper inner firewall cover out yet, but it's about the only semblance of interior left short of the dash and all its glory. I'll also need to pull the ECU and relays associated meaning at last I have to break out the ziplock bags and sharpie so I can pretend to appear competent in labeling everything carefully for when I get the car put back together which of course is going to happen.

As an aside, Dad's 3rd 911, a 73 Targa in Lapis blue apparently lived mostly in coffee cans for at least a year. He used to regale me with how he carried the engine block down to the basement on his back. I'm not saying he didn't do it as I can lift a VW type 4 long block no problem, but I was really hoping to avoid the whole coffee can thing. lets just hope the car's the only thing in my life oxidizing away. Smiles!

I should also add I was rather annoyed to discover the original specialist who backdated the bumpers seems to have forgotten to install one of those very necessary carriage bolts on the passenger's side. I guess the thought was 3 out of 4, who was ever going to notice?

You're a brave man attacking this job in that space. My only advice would be...spend a little time putting up some shelves! No way can you store all that stuff on the ground. The only way to add square footage is to go up.

Good luck.

Hi Mark!

I'd love to have shelving and lighting hung from the ceiling, but I suffer from 'Millenialitis' which means I spend too much on Starbucks and therefore rent my apartment/garage (joke on the Starbucks, not on the rental part.) Life would be a lot easier if I could install an exhaust system for something like a small Honda whisper quiet gas generator, but we work with what we have.

...On the plus side I may decide at some point just to store a lot of the heavier stuff in my apartment. My neighbors are no stranger to me carrying full interior sets up three flights of stairs and working on them in my common room area. Nothing quite like posting hot pics of refinishing the driver's seat out of an Alfa Romeo 164 to make friends think you've lost it

What's really going to be fun is when I have to position the rotisserie which is likely to involve backing the frame and rotisserie out into busy complex traffic. 'oh no, just a hobby, go back to your collecting a scary number of fire arms Mr. Neighbor!'

Okay, I'm going to stop whining about my cramped shop space. You win!

Shelves don't have to be permanent. For a couple hundred bucks, you could pick up a lot of heavy duty shelves at the HD that screw into the studs and easily removed when your project is done. You could sell them on Craigslist and recoup some coffee money

Also, I don't think we know if you need any longitudinal repairs, but keep in mind that's better done with the car level and supported by the suspension mount points BEFORE it goes on the rotisserie. For mine, I built a simple square tube roller frame that bolted to the suspension points and then when I was finished with the long repairs, cut it up and repurposed the metal for the rotisserie.

Now for the welding. Actually, I think you CAN learn the skills you need in a weekend. Will you be a great welder after a weekend? Of course not. But all you need to master are plug welds and butt welds. Plenty of Youtube videos, build threads here on the World, and experience from the brain trust to guide you along. If I could do it, you can too!

Not sure how you will pull this off without electricity. Good luck!

So far it only looks like the inner rockers are rotting as the metal surrounding the pans is oxidized in some locations. It Given all the metal on the inner rocker areas visible inside the cabin appear perfect I'm guessing this is the kind of area where one can 'clean things up' a little? Otherwise I guess I'll be drilling out the pans sooner than I anticipated? Again, nothing tonight, there's plenty of time for me.

As for electricity, it may end up being the relay race with my 5000 watt A/C inverter and marine battery setup that I bought them to avoid with my compressor?

Update from beyond the snowwwwww. Money does tend to slow down projects despite the best intentions, but so, too, does a basic lack of skill sets, in this case, welding. Here's where the project stands;

-Sheet metal is in storage having been obtained from Restoration Design. Upper and lower floor pans, new jack points, rear trunk, the extra gubbins required on the interior (seat mounts) and both sides of the inner firewall. This last was a case of 'if I ever have to explain the repairs, people are likely to be happier that I didn't just stitch anything.) I also ordered the sails since the base of both have spots bubbling up.
-I still don't have a rotisserie though if anyone cached the roadglue build, I'd be externally grateful as I'd like to go that route for the sake of cost.
-I've been taking night classes in MIG welding. calling it a 'Class' really is a stretch as it's three hours a night of zero instruction and zero oversight, but I know how to not blow myself up, and have learned to work well with thin carbon steel on upwards. From lap welds to plug welds, I do use as much of the time as I can.

Technical hurdles I still have to get over before I'm 'ready.'
1.) Build rotisserie, then more worryingly, get car to height where I can mount it to said unit. I have a small garage, there will be re-arranging, but harbor freight engine stands and stock steel is my 'scheme' for awesome.
2.) Obtain MIG welding unit I can power off my inverter. I know there are specialized off road kits that run directly off a battery, but also small hobbyist units that run off 110 volts. I'll be pursuing the latter as a cost savings measure.

I'm not giving up, and I'm not leaving the car in pieces. I still have to drop the motor and gas tank, too, but that's mechanical work, something I'm not afraid/inexperienced in. As the first anniversary of my father's passing comes up, I'm reminded why I got into this mess in the first place, and I'm looking forward to when the two major hurdles are crossed and I'm staring at a prepped surface. Who knows, I may even lay a bead in the shape of a smiley face (I can do this!)

Hang in there and take your time to do it right. I’m sure a lot of folks will be willing to help give advice.

Thanks for the update. I was just wondering about your progress today. Probably a good call on buying the sail panels. If they are bubbling at the base, there's a good chance they are much worse on the inside.

I'm no pro with welding, but I think a 110 volt welding unit is a great way to go. That's what I have and it is just the ticket for this sort of welding.

To raise my car up to the rotisserie, I bought a bunch of cinder blocks to make platforms to raise jack stands as I went while clenching my butt real tight. I can't say that I recommend it, but it worked and was cheap.

Glad to hear you are still on course. I look forward to the progress reports.