Looking for input on rust... I had a look at a 72 1.7 and I want to know the cutoff point. How bad can the longs/hellhole/car in general be without needing urgent repairs? I just want it to be safe to drive. All of the work would be done by myself, but I would rather have a "fix it as you go" car. Pics would help a lot! Thanks

A cost/benefit analysis between time, money, effort, money, vs safety can only be worked out with input about “how safe” vs “oh my gosh that is an awfully lot of money there!!”.
Stories about actual on the road frame failure would be informative.

You wanted pictures so here's lots of pictures of an example of a 1970 1.7 that was sold to me as a parts car but I thought was fixable so rather than part it I sold it as a project. It was too much work for me to take on. The person who bought it got it running in my driveway, drove it home, and I saw him driving it around town for the next two years in basically the same condition. I wouldn't have driven this, but he did not seem to have any worries about doing it. Lots of pictures to wade through but you'll find good pictures of all the rusty areas mixed in there.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k7s778yv8jvcdtr/...Ddaj50DIQa?dl=0

Thanks! The floor surprised me

Do I need to cut the carpet to peel it back?

Where are you located?
Do you owns a decent mig welder?

Buy the best you can afford, learn to perfect your welding skills, enjoy the experience.

I'm in arizona. The car was purchased by its current owner out of Nevada. I have a decent arc welder and a cheap harbor freight flux core welder

What you really want is safe enough to have a minor accident in.

When the long’s are compromised by rust, the outboard seat belt anchorage is compromised.

When the tunnel / rear floor is rusted the inboard seat belt anchors are compromised.

If the longs are bad enough, the whole car is at risk of splitting.

What you want to be able to do is to be able to walk away from a minor mishap. Structure matters more than the simple ability to drive and stop.

If the car is of little value you can do a rough job that is structurally sound, learn some good welding skills, reinforce and replace what needs to be replaced and then drive it like you stole it.

You can make it safe, it's just a matter of how bad it is. If you are doing the work yourself, I'd say go for it.
Pics help alot.

Post pictures of the car you’re looking at. People won’t by shy in telling you if you should walk away or not.

When the passion dies.

For example: If your Dad purchased it brand new and you inherited it and you had memories does not make any difference what condition it is in, do it!

If it is just some rusty car you purchased with a dream and found yourself in over your head, move it on.

We always say to buy the very best 914 you can afford. We have today, (I counted the lot and our body shops) 41 914s and 914-6 models under reconstruction restoration, and ALL will cost more to do than the purchase price of a better car even in today's market

Yes, but how can I tell if this 914 is at that point?

Post pics of what you have - community will help you. Review the rustoration threads to get an idea of what is too far gone or beyond what you want to take on.

My build is in signature - it was not safe to drive as purchased.

Look at the door gaps to see if they are even. Take the top off and stand on the door sill and see if the body flexes. Jump up and down on it and check. Jack up the rear and see if the door gap changes. The top provides some stability so be sure to take it off. No test is infallible but if it fails this test then there is a good chance it is too rotted to drive safely.

Safety is relative.

I have composite bumpers and hoods, no side impact beams in my doors. So yes, my 914 could be a lot safer but i justify it by reminding myself that a motorcycle would be just as bad, if not far worse.

My close friend was killed last June in his 87 911 which I would consider to be far more safe than any 914. Doesn't really matter what you are driving though as anything less than a tank is going to loose to road raging a-hole in a 5000lb F-150 spinning head on into oncoming highway traffic.

I would set the bar at being sure whatever car you decide to put on the road isnt going to have a mechanical failure that would result in someone else getting hurt.

Rust is relative with these cars, some say they came from the factory with it. Really need pics. Hell hole, longs, inside cockpit back wall at base. Those are what you need to evaluate.