I finally got a chance go home for a few days, one of which I spent digging into the hell hole. At first I didn't think it was very bad. After removing the swisscheesed battery tray and checking for weak areas, this is what I've got. Time for a little and a lota

What do you guys think?

You have your & cut out for you....good luck

lucky!

anyone who fixes somethoing like that deserves respect and admiration for saving a 914 from teh crusher

It is not all that bad to fix. All the parts are out there these days to weld in. I got lucky on mine, the hole was not bad off. I still learned to weld while fixing it. A few more years and it would have looked like yours.

Careful, don't keep looking to closely at your teener. You will keep finding more things that need de-rusting. Soon you find yourself needing to buy another spool of melding wire. And then another. One day, you wake up and your car is in 1 million pieces. When you finally go to start putting it back together, you will find _another_ rusty spot.

And then you will curse.

Zach

Thanks for the good words. I think it looks worse than it is... I think. The majority of the damage seems to be isolated to the upper right side on top of the longitudinal and the lower right side near the jack spigot. From what I can tell the bottom and inner sides are solid.

-Rob

I haven't been able to make any progress as of yet. I've been deployed to the middle east for the fall and winter.

Right now I'm contemplating wether I should drop the engine to make this repair or not. Has anyone made a repair like this with the engine in place?

-Rob

Much easier to weld if the car is on a rotisserie, and that means having the drive train out. Also much more room to work in the engine compartment.

just drop the engine. it's done pretty quick and it'll give you *much* better access to everything.
plus, from the looks of it, you'll need to replace your pass. side engine shelf as well.

and while you're in there, check the pass. side suspension ear. they often rust at the same time as the battery acid runs down right into the ear as well ...

check out michelko's thread about fixing this section:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=16748

Andy

You have two options:

1) do it as original and replace metal

2)modify, replace metal with nonstock and add a crap load of pipe and role cage.

I'd rather get a good stripped tub and go from there.

Well, a lot has happened. I was going to get rid of it. I even considered sending it to the crusher. Sow it sits in my garage in Spanaway WA. The first time it's been in a garage in YEARS! I've been looking over different threads trying to find out how I should suport the 914 on jacks when I'm welding the longs, as well as different methods to brace the A and B pillars. I saw that someone used a method that alows the doors to stay on and I really like that. What works the best?

Well, now the drivetrain is comming out. Shouldn't bee much harder than a VW beetle.

-Rob

Are you between deployments, or are you home and safe now?

I'd remove the doors, and brace them. That just gives you more wiggle room while you work. Nothing sucks more then not being able to get the right angle when cutting or welding.

Glad you decided to save it!

Zach

I got back in early November and fortunatly I don't have to deploy again for at least a year. I still need to track down a welder. I decided to get the ball rolling and I cut out the door sill to get a better look at the long. Now I need to get that engine out.

-Rob

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

I wish mine was that good/bad....

Have you decided that the door gap was still ok? That is where to start. Then before you cut any more metal you should brace the door acroos the gap and diagonally both ways to the other side or you will more than likely end up with a crooked car. Probably only you will know though as I'm sure there are a lot of repaired crooked 914's going around that are doing ok, they just turn one way better than the other way and probably panick stop a little funny. Also if you remove the bottom of the fender it will be easy to work on the outside top of the long and do a better job in that area. What you see on the outside is where it actually got cleaned off from time to time, the inside once acid and moisture got in there it just sat and ate away. The susp. console is probably pretty bad on the inside.

Oddly the door gaps are really good and shut perfectly when I jacked one side to check for flex. I just cut out the door sill to get a better look at the damage. I'm going to install braces, then the drive train will come out next. Unfortunatly that will have to wait until I get back from airdrop school at Altus OK in March. From my inspection so far the suspension console seems to be cancer free but I have little doubt there is at least surface rust on the inside.

actually not bad at all compared to what we fix every day here at Automobile Atlanta "save the 914" headquarters

There is HOPE with Technical Know-how! And George has got a good bit of it! You will find a great bit of support on this site alone. Good luck on the project ahead- very worthwhile-

Wonder how you are doing? Your project looks a bit like mine. Heres a photo of what I did in a few hours yesterday. I am opposed to the big garage blocking repair right now. I put some scraps into place on the out side of the long/console area.

I might go out and trace the incision line on the fender....sure, car needs paint. But heck it needs to be driven, and catch repairs where it can. Now I know why rear wheel seems to be askew: kisses inner fender under cornering stress.

parts look like 750$- my battery tray and pedestal are new,I didn't know who supplied to AA. but I could use the inner long patch pc under the hot air duct. Didnt see that offered by restoration metal people-And then some.

It is nearly like same repair different car, since suspension console is involved. but less on firewall upper section.
Wish they were galvanized back then. AND those BATTERIEs at least HAD Proper Drain TuBES! for sure!!

EricClick to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment

I've made a little progress. The engine drop was a piece of cake . Now that I have it braced the real cutting begins. I'm trying to stay motivated because I only get a couple days a month to work on things. Plus having limited tools makes things interesting. Does anyone know of any good sources for scrap sheet metal in the Tacoma area?

-Rob

Click to view attachment

Metal Supermarket on 100th in Lakewood. They don't sell scrap metal, but they sell sheet metal and will cut it to your needed size. They are a walk-in outift, so you don't have to be on a "list".

Kevin