This wasn't quite what I expected. I really thought I would find much more rust. The door gap was closed and it was sagging some. But it really isn't much more than dirt and a little surface rust which I think I can convert. The problem is I have to reverse engineer it I can scab plates behind the inner layerI think I'll add some cross bracing between the ridges on the inner layer. Looks like a couple months of work .

Dave

thats a piece of cake to fix 2 week end and your done,, you dont even need to repaint the car , it looks scary at first but you you commit to starting it , it goes fast ,, YOU CAN DO IT

I know I can do it. The issue is I tend to dink with stuff. Also, time off to ponder. Then, there are the lost (mislaid) tools. Gotta watch a little football, time for family and oh ya, I have to work some.

It'll get done in it's own time.

Dave

shall i call betsy and tell her you want an engman kit for christmas?

k

I work the same way Dave. For the same reasons.

Send it to Jake's place and have him discipline (motivate) you into getting it done in short order. You did it with your engine....

Some words of advice.

Jack the door gap slightly larger than you want and weld it back together with as little heat in the longs as possible (and check the door gap many times along the way).

You will reach a point where you won't easily be able to move the door gap and at that point you will want it to be right. (don't ask me how I know)

The BEST method would be to put the car on a jig, but most of us don't have access, so take careful measurements and get it as close as you can.

Good luck with it and don't get in a rush. You can do it.

It will be autocross season in 4 months! ESPN has football highlights at 11!
LOL
You will probably still beat me back to the road!

Engman's kit is already here.

The only dimension I'm not sure of is the distance between the inner suspension consoles. I think mine was a little narrow mainly but I'd like to confirm that. My guess is the car was bending up and rotating a bit so that the inner suspension ear was up and toward the midline. That could account for the loss of negative camber.

I plan on monitoring the door gap, trunk gap and distance between the suspension ears as I go. I just need a starting point.

Dave

Time for an update

Rust was neutralized with Metal Ready and Coated with Por 15. I added a little stiffening including a T shaped reinforement. The inner part of the long is welded. Click to view attachment

On a car we are working on, we filled the hole where the heater tube entered the long, and then plated (reinforced) from where (Engmans) inner long reinforcement ends, all the way up to the shock mount. You have noticed by now that the heater tube hole lines up right with the jack point and creates a very weak "hinge".

Probably the one design flaw in the 914 tub. The heater tube should have entered somewhere else.

You are right. I'm sure they must have considered it. I believe that they never thought these cars would last anyway so why bother.

The switch back to standard time has been great. I get a bunch of work done in the morning.

Dave

I've accomplished quite a bit. I added the outside layer of the inner long from a good piece off of another car

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This was plug welded and the edges were stitch welded.

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Here is the patch for the outer lower firewall with the heater tube welded in.

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The inside of the patch. This was cut from a lower outside firewall fromm AA. Nice piece!

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Here it is inserting it. I doubt the piece of firewall coulbe much bigger and rotate in. Interference would come from the long and the engine shelf.

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I had to rotate and fudger it in. BFH necessary!

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That piece tacted in.

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I left an opening to make sure that I got the heater tube home. Nice snug fit although there is no support in the long like the factory provided.

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I plugwelded backing for the patches. I'm just not good enough with butt welds so I needed the help.

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Here is the backing for the inner firewall.

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Plug welded in

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Closed up. Not pretty but stuck!

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Dave

that boy is a welding foo!


Keep it up Dr Dave!

Hi Dave,

How's then "sun burn" healing?

Have you described the benefits of a welding helmut?

You are doing very good work!


Greenie

You know your 914 is trying really hard to recycle itself Dave. And there you go foiling its plans!

Looks great Dave! I hadn't seen that technique before. Welding in a backing plate first. I like it.

Nice work!

I started off the morning tacking in the engine shelf

Click to view attachment

Finished it by stich welding the edges and butt welding in the cut across the shelf. Mark the reason I use that backing is it makes butt welds much easier and stronger I hope.

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Added back in the triangle support and doughnut.

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The hard part was grinding down the plug welds in the channel in the engine shelf.

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Finished putting all the parts back on. I reused the inner layer of the inner long and the inner firewall from my car. I used the outer layer of the inner long and the triangle from Jonesy's silver car. I used a new piece from George at AA for the outer firewall.

Next up is an Engman kit.

Dave

Yup, I like it! I'll be recommending it for beginners in the future and referencing this thread.

lookin' good dave. you going to bomb the engine bay when the welding is done? canyon rd auto body supply is a good biz for the L96 loaded in cans. if you should want to go with them let me know. order, prepay, and i'll pick it up for you. they usually have a one day turn around. skip that a.b.s store on center street. pick up some Oil Eater @ costco when you start the prep.

k

I started on the Engman kit from Mark. I used all sorts of pieces of wood to apply force so the kit would be in tight fit with car.

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More

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I even ran them as stringers across the car.

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Note how hard I had to work to get the door openning widened. All of that effort gained me 1/8 of an inch at the Targa bar. I suspect that long was bent. It gives me a real appreciation of how much resistance to deformation there is in a rectangle.

Dave

Finished Product.

Repairs with the addition of an Engman kit

Driver's side long

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Under the Engine Shelf

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Firewal with Engman Kitl

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Engman kit installed on the passenger side

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Driver's side

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Here's the results. I gained 1mm of doorgap at the top of the door

Before

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After

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Dave

Nice work Dave.
I drove the green car to the office today, is it snowing yet?
Time to get that thing back together!

Nice Work!!!! Wanna come and do mine?

very good dave. put er' back together and get ready for the new power plant.

k

Dave ROOLZ! Not only did he bring me my sooper kewl oilo, he let me drive his new honda fit!
Sweet lil ride!