The lower outer firewall is a New Old Stock panel for an early car.

16 guage

Where did you find the part? Was it pricey?

Jeff-

Your level of craftsmanship is incredible! Every time i see this thread, I'm just amazed.

Konrad

A bit of a hiatus after two back to back surgeries. Nothing major just time away for healing.


I have never been a fan of articulated headlamps. Loss of form when raised and aerodynamically handicapped. Added weight etc, etc, etc. I have been on the hunt for three years for a viable compact alternative to the original.

Hella offers a solution but not econonical at $1400 a pair including ballast. F that!

I have seen flush mounted lamps that frankly look and are cheap substitutes for a functional alternative to the original.

CRITERIA:
1) A more powerful lighting solution.
2) Improved illumination with less power draw on high beam than the original sealed beams
3) Cost effective and easy to fabricate/modify.
4) Able to fit into the original lamp bucket without cutting original material away (in case I ever want to revert back to the pop ups)
5) Somewhat plug and play.

Enter Bi-Xenon lamps: ake Daimlers "Xenarc" projector headlamp
A compact and short Bi-Xenon projector assembly

Both the 2010 SL55 and E class use the same Xenon projector assembly. The lamp assemblies are completly different as the SL55 has adaptive (pan, tilt) servos BUT the actual projector inside the lamp is the same identical unit. A friend at a Benz shop has damaged assemblies all day long BUT the projector is always OK.

I take a few junk damaged headlamp assemblies home and start destroying them for the guts. The high end cars have about 180 individual pieces that make up ONE headlamp assembly. I am only after the projector with the shutter actuator. Bi-Xenon lamps do not have a low and high beam. The lamp is always on. What differentiates high and low beams is a shutter or brow that blocks off a partial amount of light like a camera lens shutter or iris.

These are light weight, short and compact. I only need to fabricate a housing like the 944 flush headlamps and lens. Make sure it is servicable and sealed.

If Lamborghini could get away with using 92 Nissan 300ZX headlamps on the Diablo I can do this easily. (bet you never knew that)

any updates?

Nope... busy elsewhere.

Awesome work Jeff! I have learned a lot from this thread.

A little time to play last night. Been busy everywhere else.

The rear portion of the tunnel is done and welded. Spent a lot of time fitting the floor to the tunnel flanges and lower rear firewall. Lots of trimming here and there, leveling and self tapping screws for positioning. Then take it all apart again for the last time before I weld everything up.

1)Still need to weld in the mid bracing for both the clutch and throttle cable tubes rom the underside. Need to pickup some copper rod to shove inside the tubes so I dont blow holes.

2) Contemplating moving the shifter tower back a couple of inches.

3) Need to media blast the inside of the tunnel to remove the last of any scale.

I think youre on the right track.Fu**in A!

Lookin good, I'm excited to see your lighting solution.

I had to see it to believe, wow!

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

My neck and left shoulder are killing me. Can't keep a good fabricator down.


The tunnel braces for the throttle and clutch tubes are fab'd and installed. Sorry no pics.. Ooops.

Fab'd some other parts. I hate buying stuff that can be made and love making stuff that can't be bought. Access to a 50 ton press is helpful.

Name those parts?

I LOVE the near "donut holes" shelf
(Don't know what to call 'em)

Better than original

Is that a real pool ball? If so, bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad idea - please do not use that. I did the same thing on a 1981 full size blazer - built the thing in shop class in high school around 1984. I can still see some of the scars from the 20+ stitches in my hand when it shattered 3 months later while driving. Find a fake/wood ball - dont use a glass/ceramic.

Ugh. I remember having to call my parents from a pay phone to come get me in a parking lot and take me to the ER. Had a hand full of glass, a shifter covered in shards and blood all over the carpet and seats.

Actually the 8 Ball came with the car. I think it passed the test of time. Its a real shift knob not off a table.

Guess that part? Hint: Qtr panel.

I guess no takers on: "Guess that part".

The prior owner had the left quarter panel replaced at one time. I assume this was done probably when the car was fairly new judging by the grey filler and some brazing. Space age microspheres (Dynalite used red hardner and the filler ends up pink) so I know its old old work.

Well the bodyman used an air chisel here and a Sawzall there. He cut right through the vent duct and never bothered to repair his fine error.

That weld you see at the lower rt corner of the photo is where I removed some brass at the pinch weld. I didn't like the way it looked.

My conundrum was how to repair or replace it with the quarter panel still on the car? No room for tools up there.

So grind out the gash flat and fabricate a piece. Used a drum sander on an extension to get in there. Sand blast it bare.

The piece is then bonded with structural adhesive. First because I can't get a welder in there. Second I can't grind the welds down because its too confined. Third because the structural adhesive make sense for a repair of this type and it comes out clean.

Lets play "Guess that part" again.

Hint !

No winners today.

Spare me the the mass PM's please.

These were a test run only for now.

I will let you know when they are ready.

I already emailed you the other day, haha. I was hoping you were the jeff he was refering too. Always great work.

Sometimes life goes so fast.

You know the movie quote "Italian trash"

Nice Ferrari.

Aside from the Ferrari....which is sweet, how are you coming along with the 914. I just got back to this thread and my own car as well. Fantastic work and truly helpful is an understatement. Thanks so much for leading us through this.

Quick Q? Do you have more details on your shifter set up. I likely need to go back in the thread and see if i missed it.

Once again, thanks so much for what has to be one of the most informative threads in a very long time. Grant

I'm still here just have not done any work on the 14 lately. Lot of stuff going on in life right now so the car is on the back burner. My shoulder is out and has been since May which really sucks.

No worries and take care of your shoulder. I busted mine up playing hockey and that rotator cuff can be a real pain when it does not work like it should.

Like the others, I have really learned alot through your work....sometimes as much abouty what I should tackle and what I should have a "Pro" do for me. Talk soon and hope you are back at it. Grant

Time to get busy again!

Yeah I know you miss me Eric. Actually I have been very busy; past year my shoulder/ rotator has been a mess. Doctors orders… absolutely no panel beating! In May I had a flood in my house which forced me to move out while remediation and repairs were made. All I have left to do is finish the custom hardwood baseboards at this point. Not a square inch of this house was spared and left untouched... except the garage. August my Mom passed away after an eight year endurance race of her life with cancer. On October 31 of all the days on the calendar I was diagnosed with Lyme. No Kings English my friend just busy with the things that happen in life. I’ve never given up on anything, not in my nature. Just had to modify the organization chart by priority. Thanks for the bump.

Sorry to hear buddy. Get well!

get well and start showing us all up again!!

I look forward to seeing more.


KT

Sweet

First time I've seen your thread,spent the better part of 6 hours reading your posts.


We all look up to you for the great work you are doing and sharing with us



Just wish I had seen this thread years earlier or... Before I started my own journey

I was in California, el segundo specifically on the last Friday of the month to visit the driving museum and discovered that hot rod magazines workshop was right next door and having an end of summer bash that evening...

Went back and saw this among the other really cool cars.


Just a thought for lights and a question, are they really legal in California. Hella Catz lights

Click to view attachment

Hella Catz legal to the letter of the VC as a headlamp? No. Still have to have operational lows and highs to be on the right side of the grey area. I dont suppose there are actual 914 pop up lamps under those Catz somewhere?

I volunteer as your substitute shoulder.

Wow!!! I just read through this whole thread. Thanks so much for documenting your repairs in such detail. I'll have to re-read sections several more times, but what a terrific resource. I hope you are back to 100% soon and looking forward to seeing your finished product.

I guess I should get something done...

24mm Carrera rotors on Carrera hubs, stubs and axels. Oh wait I did that a long time ago.

I think I will add a 911 parking brake while I'm in there since I have all these parts just laying around in boxes. Might as well also throw on the appropriate 4 piston calipers.

I have seen a lot of conversions and thought I would have to use SC rotors. Nothing of the sort. I had to trim the stainless posts on the calipers 2mm each. and the inboard brake puck backer to clear the adaptor by a hair. Other than that direct bolt on, no extra washers or extra shims. Perfect.

I believe the carpets should always match the drapes.

Can't do the rear without the proper Fung Shui on the front end.

Long way to go and a short time to get there...

Little change in the formula. The replacement ass is going to make J-Lo look like a stick figure.

Night for now

Great thread! Six years to write it, 4 hrs to read it ...

Joda is back and working on his craft, time to get back in the game again.

Jeff, Thank you for all of your excellent work, photo's, descriptions, advice, instructions!!!

I would have never tried to go after my 914-6 project if it was not for this thread, it has given me the courage to repair the Floor Pan and some rust in my long. And a bunch of other crap.

You have given so many of us the motivation to go after our challenges by taking on a bigger challenge and teaching all of us during your journey.


Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Vysoc

I hate when I get through amazing threads and the car isnt done when I finally get to the end. however, this is a thread that is more of a reference for when someone decides to tackle rust repair on ANY car. truly a work of art. Id love to watch you work, Im not too far away.

Still here and I have never given up. I don't know how to give up! Just side tracked with other things.

To be continued...

Any closer to some closure?

Back to work....

Rear parking brake conversion finished. Disassemble everything and parts
moved to the powdercoater bin. Afterthought... I already powdercoated the arms once before. Oh well.

That's pretty sweet but is it a pia?