Rust repair before paint, The quest for solid metal in the driver side Long - 73 narrow body/4 rebuild thread Options

[Montreal914]

Edit: I might as well make this my rebuild thread...

Original post; I got side tracked on my Microsquirt build as I have decided, after 11 years of ownership, to finally get my car painted to get her ready for her upcoming 50th birthday. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Knowing these endeavors can take a lot more time than initially planned, I hope to make it in time... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Originally bahia red 73 1.7. The goal is a narrow body 2056 Microsquirt, VW Tornado red, 5 lugs conversion with 16" Fuchs.
Front: 914-4 A arms with rubber bushings, 911 3" pin struts, Bilstein inserts, Alfa Brembo, vented rotor, stock torsion bar, 19mm sway bar, turbo tie rods, and 19mm master cylinder.
Rear: Drilled hubs, 914 PMB stock calipers edit: 914-6 calipers replica, 914-6 solid rear rotors, 140lbs springs, stock sway bar, rubber bushings.

But before I get the pleasure of installing all of these beautiful fresh goodies, I need to tackle the not so fun stuff... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

I have already started fixing some of the rust issues and will share that progress in the near future but right now, I wanted to post some of the issues i have on the passenger side front fender. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I have searched and read many of the builds here but I would like some inputs from the people who have gone through this mess.

I am trying to understand the construction of the rear part of the fender, more precisely the area joining the front cowling.

Below is a sketch of how I think it is made but i would like someone to confirm...



Having removed the seam sealer in the upper rear area, I have discovered "this" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) which is not really unusual, but clearly a pain to fix. I am not sure though what I am looking at. If my sketch is correct, I guess the inner rusted layer is from the fender rear bulkhead that actually becomes an inner layer on the rear upper point of the fender by the door and cowling junction.





I might be able to cut this from the underside preventing me from cutting the outer surface of the fender. But I would like to better understand what is happening at the junction to the body.
How many layers are there from the fender, one or two?
Is the metal peeling off at the joint to the body the metal from the bulkhead/inner layer, or is it the outer fender layer?

As a reference, this if the situation of the channel, surface rust, but how bad? Is there a way to better know without destroying? Maybe poke with a screwdriver? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)



Comments appreciated (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Montreal914]

Battery tray! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

Some like to weld it in place, others screw it so they can paint the inside of the support. I chose to install it with screws, which was the long route... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

First, for battery I am using an Odyssey PC925 which is a lot smaller that the stock battery tray. Also, as a requirement from the POC rules, the battery is supposed to be held in place by a cross bar on top. So all this led to this bit of re-engineering of the tray and its support. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

First let's look at the support. I extended the folds, drilled holes and welded M8 nuts (3) on the backside for the tray to attach to.






Next the tray was also modified. For the top cross bar, I intend to use 2 M8 treaded rods that will be attached to each side of the tray. The first one will use the nut on the middle of the angle seen in the picture below. The second rod will use the nut where the stock "Z" shaped bracket normally bolts on. Also on the angle, we can see two M8 nuts for through the inner fender anchoring bolts.




Here the tray rests on its support with the holes lining up to the nuts on the support underneath. As mentioned, the Odyssey battery is smaller and will actually fit between the heads of the front and back screw, and between the threaded rods that will be on each side.




Finally these are the M8 screws through the inner fender