BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Eisberg rustoration, Need some input... Options

[mbseto]

Funny, I am as nervous starting this thread as I was to start cutting into my car.

I resolved to start a rustoration thread when I made my first cuts, so here it is. I'm hoping the community will pipe in periodically with any, "Don't do that!", "Do it this other way!", "Do this first!", or "Don't forget this!" comments that are appropriate. Any and all guidance will be appreciated.

So here's the car as I got it, not quite a year ago:


Started out doing a little engine work to get it running, then drove it around a little bit before starting to take it apart. Took the engine out, put it up on a dolly, took out much of the interior and suspension, and this is how it sits now:






After cleaning out the inside and seeing the rust, it was hard to believe we were driving it at all. These are the first cuts, just straightening out the edges of the rust holes really.


More pics coming soon, I'll be documenting the extent of the damage and forming a battle plan.

[TargaToy]

Love your dolly setup. Keep the progress reports coming. I'll look forward to following your repairs.

Amazing how much bad crud can lurk below an otherwise really pretty paint job, eh?

[rick 918-S]

Good bracing. If you end up needing to weld higher than you can reach on the longitudinal I would suggest cutting the door jamb like this. I often see guys cut off the lower quarter panel. I personally don't care to do it that way and don't think it is necessary.

[mgp4591]

Thanks for posting your pics- now I don't feel that bad about my rust situation! How's your center tunnel- is it rusted up the sides an inch or two? That's the only piece I could find that RD doesn't sell as their inventory is excellent ... has anyone seen those for sale on any vendor site?

[Zimms]

Love your dolly setup.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Nice work

[thieuster]

Nice! Don't be tempted to start working on the engine too soon. A restored engine sitting idle in the corner of the workshop for a long period will start deteriorating.

BTW, I love the wheels on your car. What are these?

Menno

[rgalla9146]

Nice! Don't be tempted to start working on the engine too soon. A restored engine sitting idle in the corner of the workshop for a long period will start deteriorating.

BTW, I love the wheels on your car. What are these?

Menno

VW Super Beetle .... '78-'79 ?

[Claus Graf]

Nice dolly. Good Luck with the 914!

I would support the front and rear end by adding more beams to the dolly (and maybe a couple of casters).

I would work on one side at a time while leaving the door installed (on the side you're not working).

Regards

Claus

[blackmoon]

nice work, good luck with the restoration, it's all about the journey

[jmitro]

love that color.

good luck with your rustoration; I'm just a few hours of work behind you. Removing the engine this week, then start cutting out the rusty parts

[sfrenck]

Shouldn't the door braces form an "X" or a "Z"?

Not saying that the car is going to move since it's bolted to that beefy support frame, but I don't see how a "four-bar brace" keeps the jambs fixed relative to each other (think sagging fence gate without the diagonal brace).

[914werke]

How's your center tunnel- is it rusted up the sides an inch or two? That's the only piece I could find that RD doesn't sell as their inventory is excellent ... has anyone seen those for sale on any vendor site?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) I do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[mbseto]

Thanks all for the kind words.

...I would suggest cutting the door jamb like this. I often see guys cut off the lower quarter panel. I personally don't care to do it that way and don't think it is necessary.

Rick;
I was hoping to get away with something like that. But the suspension pylon needs to be removed, and so far as I've seen in searching this site, I'll have to cut the quarter panel. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this because I would really rather not. But look at this:

When I poked at this, the hole just kept getting bigger and bigger. Rust and sunflower hulls were pouring out of it. Got a whole bag full.


While the outer pylon seems solid, the metal of the long around it is cheese. Cut the long open and this is looking aft and up, inside the long from just aft of the jack point (it looks backwards because it's looking in a mirror). You can see the entrance to the wee beastie's nest.


I'm betting his little skeleton might still be inside the pylon.

Just for good measure, here's a top down view of my properly hellish hell hole:

[mbseto]

BTW, I love the wheels on your car. What are these?

VW Super Beetle .... '78-'79 ?

Lemmerz Baja Champion, and yes- Super Beetle, but I think only available in '72-'73? They've really grown on me, but they are narrow. Car's going to be a drifter whether I want to or not.

[mbseto]

Shouldn't the door braces form an "X" or a "Z"?

Not saying that the car is going to move since it's bolted to that beefy support frame, but I don't see how a "four-bar brace" keeps the jambs fixed relative to each other (think sagging fence gate without the diagonal brace).

I intended the dolly and the braces to all work together- they will all remain attached so far as possible. Both braces on each side are adjustable to set door gaps.

The plan is to measure frequently and if anything sags during the cutting, I will add bracing before welding.

[JoeDees]

I'll be learning in the near future whether you can replace the inner suspension console without cutting the fender (out with the old and the inner long this coming weekend), but in my prep for the job I have assessed that cutting the outer wheelhouse any higher than the outer suspension console would require cutting the fender. I thanked God when I realized that mine was somehow only rusted on the inner side and down low in the curve.

[mbseto]

Guess I better update you guys... Some PO welded in some random patches, have to dig them out and find out where the original metal starts. This is the underside of the hell hole:


And from above... Looks like grandma's quilt:


Pulled it all out. This is the PO's "hell hole repair kit"

[mbseto]

I'm planning on buying a bunch of sheet metal from RD. But to help stay within budget, I made a bending brake- this will be the source of my new inner longs. I've got a pile of 18g, but I have a piece of 12g to test the limits of this thing. If it can handle it, I may just make the inner longs from 12g. No additional stiffening kit required!



Using test strips to get set up:


Breakfast of champions:

[JoeDees]

So far in my rustoration I'm not finding a need to cut out the fender. Some stuff may require contortionism, but it seems possible.

[mbseto]

I'm going to try to weld everything from the inside. I'll go as long as I can without cutting the fender. If I get to a point where I have to, I'll take the whole quarter panel off intact.