Its the final countdown, progress thread Options

[type11969]

I've had this 71 for 3 years now and I've only driven it for 10 minutes before I bought it. I figure if I haven't made serious progress by the spring, she is getting stripped and scrapped. You'll see why. Its probably only a parts car, but I want to learn how to weld, and if I can get this thing back on the road, I think I will be well on my way. I'll start from the beginning:

The exterior, looks harmless enough:
(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/914.jpg)

The interior, looks pretty good (wait, what was that saying about wrapping a piece of poo in a pretty package):

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/914012.jpg)

Long looks okay at first glance:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/914009.jpg)

Wait, umm, is this factory installed golf ball sized hunks of epoxy and bondo:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/111404015.jpg)

Yum:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/111404010.jpg)

Delicious:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/111404012.jpg)

Craptacular:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/914-2018.jpg)

Brace yourself (also have another brace running to the drivers side door jamb, couldn't find that pic):

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/111404001.jpg)

Couldn't find any pics of the lovely riveting and brazing job a PO did with re-attaching the portion of the fender below the sail, but I hacked that focker off:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/121304002.jpg)

Mmm, clean:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/121304013.jpg)

Also found after removing the interior that the passenger side was once used as a pool, the entire lower inner corner of the long and bulkhead was gone. PO crappily arc welded a new floorpan in, but didn't fix any of the other damage:

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/Picture069.jpg)

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/Picture070.jpg)

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/Picture071.jpg)

(IMG:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/type11969/914/111404002.jpg)

Quick break, then pics of the repairs so far . . .

[dkos]

My intitial plan was to also fabricate the inner rocker panel myself and then reinforce the whole thing with that 1/8" Brad Mayeur piece, but it was too hard to fabricate an inner rocker panel that BM's part would attach to...so I ended up buying the reproduction part from Restoration Design. It hurt covering that nice new inner rocker panel, but I was already commited to BM's reinforcemnt kit.

If I had it to do over again I would probably go the route you are. get the repro inner rocker and reinforce the long with the Engman inner long kit.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

My intitial plan was to also fabricate the inner rocker panel myself and then reinforce the whole thing with that 1/8" Brad Mayeur piece, but it was too hard to fabricate an inner rocker panel that BM's part would attach to...so I ended up buying the reproduction part from Restoration Design. It hurt covering that nice new inner rocker panel, but I was already commited to BM's reinforcemnt kit.

If I had it to do over again I would probably go the route you are. get the repro inner rocker and reinforce the long with the Engman inner long kit.

We actually developed the rocker clamshell for perfect fit over the factory assembly. It was meant to reinforce a 914 too far gone to repair properly or to reinforce a racing car. Certainly not needed for a stock 914! This is the same part that restoration design now sells.

[dkos]

My intitial plan was to also fabricate the inner rocker panel myself and then reinforce the whole thing with that 1/8" Brad Mayeur piece, but it was too hard to fabricate an inner rocker panel that BM's part would attach to...so I ended up buying the reproduction part from Restoration Design. It hurt covering that nice new inner rocker panel, but I was already commited to BM's reinforcemnt kit.

If I had it to do over again I would probably go the route you are. get the repro inner rocker and reinforce the long with the Engman inner long kit.

We actually developed the rocker clamshell for perfect fit over the factory assembly. It was meant to reinforce a 914 too far gone to repair properly or to reinforce a racing car. Certainly not needed for a stock 914! This is the same part that restoration design now sells.

Dr.,

I didn't think I had enough of the "factory assembly" left to use your rocker clamshell. I was learning to weld and it seemed like a "fun" project to try to fabricate the pieces myself. There is certainly a sense of satisfaction you get from banging out pieces of metal in your garage and rebuilding a car with it.

Anyway....I don't want my stupidity to take away from Chris' excelent restoration thread. AWESOME JOB CHRIS!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) I will fade into the background again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)