I wish I could take the credit for all the metalwork but thta is being done by a magician friend of mine. called Mark


Anyway nice rusted outer console

some more

That's some nice metal work right there!

Andy

Cool, it's lke raising the dead. Your friend does nice work.

Lotta work to do here, but it sure looks like you took it to the right place!!!

This is exactly the kind of 914 that makes me say: do whatever you want with it. I'd be tempted to convert it to RHD if I lived where you did. Now is the time. I'm not one for modern yellows on old cars myself (maybe try Summer Yellow, a very good mid-year 911 shade), but I am all about five lugs. I'd be tempted by black GT bumpers, flares, lids, and tie-downs if I was in it this far, too. Black top and vinyl sails. 15x7s and 15x9s in RSR finishes with Michelin TB tires and other period details would make your car a standout, too. A take on the GT interior would also help defray the costs of RHD conversion. Well, that and an older RHD 911 or 912, especially a 1978-on SC or Carrera 3.2.

As for aesthetics, the more "factory" or "period correct" you go, the more marketable/valuable the car will be in the long run. Even if you don't care about that (as I don't), I think this route usually helps create more "timeless" modded cars than many other approaches. Pick a factory theme and stick with it. That said, there's a lot of people who do their own thing and end up loving the end product for a lifetime. And I dig that, too. There is room for all of us.

In the end, it's your car. Hopefully, enough of us will offer enough ideas to help you pick and choose your way through to a great final product. The only piece of hard and fast advice I'd give you is this: Think hard about that and then write it down in pen and do NOT deviate from that plan. That's how things get expensive(er).

Oh, and:

Cheers!

pete

Some more pictures to keep ypou shaking your collective heads.

Looks like you have it just perfect for a Sheridan wide body

http://www.ultimate914.com

Wow that's a lot of work. Nice to see someone who likes these cars enouh to keep even the toughest resto alive Keep up the good work.

The left outer console was pretty much toast so Chris Foley made me this part and its intended replacement

Well the magician doing the bodywork my mate Marek had other plans so here is a big update with some out of sequence pictures. Best wishes to all in 2009.


thanks for everybodys help off this forum


Roman

and some more, I am sure most of you in the US would have made this into a parts car...

Roman

and some more...

Amazing! Keep'em Driving!

Dude.

Right, turned the car round and got cracking on the othetr side again.

OMF'nG

Amazing Roman! It's beginning to look like a teener again!

Tell me about it, soon will have to cross your palm with silver for some rear arms for the five lugs... he is doing a great job!!!

Didn't look so bad when I started

Some more pictures to keep you wondering why I am doing this...

and a few more

Ok gents, work has started ont he other side here are some pics for your delight.


Now he magic starts on this side.


Roman

Right I have been informed by magician welder Marek that all the metal he fabs is 1.5mm not 1mm. In the pictures below the long is not as bad as the other side but he has made the inner skeleton with the same number of ribs so it looks stock.

Even though this is going to be inside where you cannot see it, I am telling you the man is a genius.

I hope I can put it together to do justice to his work. I hope you guys find it interesting to see what we do in the Uk when faced with a parts car!!

Roman

and a few more

Ok some more, the finish for this side is now in sight, The internal ribs were all made by hand to match the original as much as possible . He still has to remake the outer suspension mount. Floors next


Roman

Right Marek made a lot of progress. Closed up the long and therefore hiding his amazing ribbed skeleton forever. Then remase the outer suspension mount, truly brilliant. Next to finish the door piller and move ontot the floors. He really is an amazing guy.

another picture of that amazing outer mount

Ok time to start on the floor, some pictures may be distressing.

Did your Grandpaw give this car to your Dad who in turn gave it to you? Or was your first child concieved and born in it? I mean DAMN son!!! talk about a car that I would have tossed due to the amount of work in it....Whew!

BTW It looks fricken sweet! Great work...I am impressed, and next to the 1/2 pans I had to put in mine...well......

Boy I'll say one thing, this is great entertainment and a great view into the insides of the 914.

I've done work really cheap in the past for a friend but that takes the cake. A friend had a 42 ford miitary jeep given to him by a veterans lodge and I spent 371 hours on it at 10.00 a hour, I guess I donated the last 91 hours as he never paid me, but thats what friends are for right? I told him if he gave it to me I still wouldn't want it before we started on it. I really think you could have gotten a good car shipped to you for less than that repair cost. I truly don't see how that tub will be within 1/2 inch of square when you are finished. It's not even on a frame to keep it from twisting and it's obvious it's being just lifted up and down on the two outside wheels. To go with that the front lower control arm's mounts are pretty flimsy. Right now you have three thin supports connecting the front 1/2 to the rear 1/2 and the longs. It might go down the road with less friction as it may only be supported on three wheels.
I guess at this point you are too far into it to stop now. How thick do you think the metal is that you can't see both sides of that won't get replaced?
Maybe it'l make the history books on metal fabbing.

Before I put it up on its side I measured what I could and it all seemed to agree. Admittedly the standing up on two wheel shas me concerned but it was either that or throw it away. I have gone too far now. What is being replace is 1.5mm thick. I realise it is easy to see fault but in the Uk we do not have access to the amount of tubs that you guys do. Most of the production went to the US so that explains that. I bought this car in the US while I was living there and got very attached to it. Besides it will be another one saved and I do not plan on disposing of it ever. It's easy to say stop.

Good God, i cant bare to watch this anymore, I will check back when you get to page 500.

Such an undertaking is overwhelming me, My original 73 that i bought off the show room floor and held onto for over 30 years before i cut it up was in far better shape, and i had sentimental attachment to that car too. If you get this car done i will fly over the pond to raise an ale to you and your triumph.

Veltror you are THE man.......

Best of luck.....

Every time I look at your pics I am totally amazed!!! I wish you all the best, and hope everything comes out square. For the amount of work being performed to save a teener, you deserve as much.

Eric Read

Don't worry, the pain of paying for it will fade, but the satisfaction will be there
every single time you get into it, or your friends admire it.

I think Charlie had a good point about trying to preserve the proper measurements. Maybe some kind of square tube framework bolted to
the suspension mounting points that has and maintains the proper dimensions.
Triangulated with plates or tubes would be good.

If the car is off at this point, get Marek to make a some cuts and pull it
back into square, then sleave and weld them up. This would probably work best
with the car flat to the ground, so you can level the framework up before bolting
it on, and you can use a level plain as a reference.

Mind you, I am no expert, but I think it would be worth some effort now to avoid
a costly trip to the Cellette bench later. Your man seems to be good enough to
do this no problem.

John

Maybe putting the doors back on to see what the gaps are and how they fit the sides would show how much twist it has. Oops I forgot it has no sides. It's beyond me.

I think you Rock, to bring back the car you love knowing you will never get that money back. But warm in the knowledge that you own the bragging rights and the pink slip Daddy.

The doors have been on a number of times but gaps are hard to fathom if there are no wings on the car. I just got back a rear wing which had been soda blasted so when that goes on we can see the gaps etc.

I am sure he knows what he is doing he recently rebuilt a Beetle Cabrio which really was dead and that came up all square.

The car reminds e of so many good memories that could not bring myself to break it.

Is there anything ehich is not rotten on this? At least the Konis came up nice after soda blasting

Well now I know why pressing on the brakes hard felt odd. The master cyslinder mount was a bit weak so Marek made up a new one. He says this caused himt he most headaches

Some pictures for your delight.

Roman

We put US single hole faucets on UK sinks way back in 1970 when I was in the there. The plumbers would insist they would never work, but they worked just fine.

As to your project: I am always amazed at the quality workmanship you find in the UK. I managed to knock the front end of my S4 Elan several times and each time it was fixed to perfection.

WoW, your project is such an undertaking, but in the end it'll be worth it. After all there is nothing like driving down to the pub on Sunday morning when the sun is out and the hood is off. Magic.

I could be rude and say we have taps not faucets....

I look forward to driving it again...

We brought US kitchen faucets with us to replace the UK taps.

Funny how many things change on that final approach into Heathrow.

Even this is rotten

R

Blimey, does it ever end !!! One thing I wish I had done on mine is to have the car blasted, I wonder if you had done that whether you would have had 2nd thoughts?

Looking at your original photos of the car who would have guessed ... amazing fabrication though.

You are hereby nominated for 914 Sainthood.

Kyle

Just to let you know that I have not given up !!! Just bodywork has taken a bit of a slowdown so I am working on cleaning up some of the other parts, but even these are rotten !!! Is there anything which is not ? Not sure where I can find some nice replacements not much on ebay...

I have rust free front driver side suspension mounts, the three hole one and the
one hole one that you pictured. You can have them for what I paid for them:
nothing.

John

Thanks John, but the suspension mounts have been rebuilt I was refferring to the interior trim being rotten also....

Just an observation;

I live in California and like reading two British publications that are brought over here. One is "Mini" and the other is "Classic Ford" (Cortina's and such)

I've always been envious as to what engines you British guys are allowed to install legally and all the creativity that goes into it. All the way to motorcycle engines in the rear of Mini's.

What's funny about reading about British "builds" however is the exceptance of replacing major body sections. (Damn, you can buy a complete, new, metal body shell for a 60's Mini) Rust in England is something excepted and dealt with.


I'm impressed with your project!

Wes

Dude, everytime I see your thread I am amazed. My Regards and Respect to Marek.

Was that thing some kind of experimental deep sea 914? I mean how does a car rust THAT much?!

After seeing this thread I am encouraged to go forward with my rustoration.

If you can do THAT..... mybe I can fix mine.

My hat is off to you sir.

What is going on with the rustoration?

How are you coming along?

John