Intro from Montana: '73 2.0L rustoration thread Options

[KELTY360]

Hey Brent, would you like me to bring you a driver's front 1/4 piece with headlight bucket and fender back to halfway thru the wheel well? This is a pay it forward part that I got years ago and need to pass on to someone else. It's not pristine but I think there's some usable segments.

Hey Marc, You are turning out to be the savior of this project! Yeah, if that bucket section is intact, that will be just the ticket. I wish I'd found this before the car was on the rotisserie though. It's going to be interesting to say the least. Looking forward to your visit!

This is what I have. Yours if you want it....including the ride. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[KELTY360]

Back side

[bbrock]

Hi Marc,

Great offer, but my problem is on the passenger side, I should have caught that last night but was apparently too tired... or maybe still in shock over finding that little surprise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yikes.gif). Your piece would have opened some options for repair if it was from the other side. I'm going to pick your brain on this one while your here. It's a bit of a head scratcher. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[KELTY360]

Hi Marc,

Great offer, but my problem is on the passenger side, I should have caught that last night but was apparently too tired... or maybe still in shock over finding that little surprise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yikes.gif). Your piece would have opened some options for repair if it was from the other side. I'm going to pick your brain on this one while your here. It's a bit of a head scratcher. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

No problem. I'll try to find someone else who needs it. See you Wednesday.

[mb911]

I have a good passenger side. Yours for cost of shipping..

[bbrock]

I have a good passenger side. Yours for cost of shipping..

Thanks Ben, that's very generous. I think I need to get back in with the blaster and clean the area up nice before deciding how to tackle it. The issue is access. It is the little bulge in the outer wall of the headlight bucket/inner fender that is tucked up under the funnel for the headlight and is where the bumper bracket welds on from the outside. It's really hard to see or I would have found it and addressed it before putting the car on the rotisserie. The rust is clearly cosmetic at this point since that bracket is what a corner of the car has been hanging from for months and nothing has bent, torn, or cracked. It would be easy to bend up a patch from sheet but I don't know if I can get the welder in there to tack it in place from the inside. If I can, this will turn out to be minor, if I can't, going from the outside seems the only other option and that is a can of worms. That will require either pulling the car off the rotisserie, or rigging an alternative support that will let me pull the bumper bracket out. I'm looking at the bolt for the fog light mount as an option. Looks pretty beefy.

The fender piece could open 3 options:

1. A new trunk "ear" that would let me cut out the one I just repaired that might open some access from the inside.
2. Provide a replacement bumper bracket in case the old one can't be removed in reusable condition.
3. Provide a preformed donor patch.

Truth be told, I could probably clean this spot out, treat it with rust converter, protect it with paint, and forget about it. Somehow I don't see that happening... we'll see what I think after blasting.

Anyone have some welder nanobots they could loan me? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[mb911]

My car with the Minilites is 914 043 1095
The other car is 914 043 1208
Thirteen apart.
My chassis 131279
The other car is chassis 131270
Eight chassis apart
My engine is 6404638
The other car has engine 6404639 !!!!!!!! Bingo !
Consecutive engine numbers !!
There's more.
My friend EJ got his 6 # 1208 a few months ago and needed someone to
reassemble it. The car had sat as a stalled restoration since 1991
The engine had been rebuilt but was never started
I'm the lucky guy who did the honors.
Unbelievably, the engine had been rebuilt by Fred Apgar, who I worked for in 1978 !
Here they are in my driveway today.

Probably twin sister of Jim’s 914-6!!!

Let me know was gonna start to get rid of the metal for cost of shipping this week that I don't need any more..

[bbrock]

Let me know was gonna start to get rid of the metal for cost of shipping this week that I don't need any more..

Finally got that area blasted tonight. I won't be needing that part but thanks for the offer. I think I can patch this in place. Not worth shipping and tearing up a fender chunk for. It ain't gonna be fun though. I thought that little hump where the hood release attaches was a giant B, this might be worse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pinch.gif)

[Dion]

Brent I like your tactic of tying the copper backing in place.
I’ll need to remember that in my future endeavors. Brilliant.
Glad you’ve found a game plan for the headlite bucket area.
I was having a hard time visualizing the spot but after rotating the
pic I understand now. Yeah that’s a tricky spot for sure.
I know you’ll remedy it!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[bbrock]

Thanks Dion. I'll admit my copper "hillbilly helper" worked better than I thought.

I wouldn't say I have a game plan yet, just a better idea of worst case scenario. Hoping I can get a patch in there without tearing shit apart. Worst case, I rig up a temporary support to hold the car in the rotisserie, tear out the bumper bracket and patch the wall from the fender side, then replace with new/donor bracket. I hope I don't have to go there. Worst part is none of this will impact the structurally integrity of the chassis or the appearance, but I don't think I could go this far and leave the car like a tobacco chewer with a hole in his lip.

[bbrock]

Special Delivery
Wednesday was a fun day. Marc (Kelty360) arrived early afternoon hauling some special cargo for my project. We quickly discovered we have a lot more interests in common than just our obsession with Porsche's red-headed step child. I have serious Westy envy and since Marc parked his camp on wheels at our house for the night, it allowed us to talk all afternoon and into the night.

Stowed away in the Westy were a pair of doors from Rich at 914Werke, and a complete set of tinted side glass. The doors need some work to fill holes from aftermarket side mirrors and screw holes from door mounted speakers (luckily they did not cut the structure), and a small repair on one of the seal channels. My original doors would take about 2 weeks to repair with uncertain results, these reduce that work to 2 days. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) But look at these beauties. They have me rethinking paint and maybe I'll just match these doors. That way, whenever anyone asks the question about what color I'm going to paint it, I could just reply, "All of them." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)



The other goodies tucked away in Marc's Westy was a full set of tinted side glass, also from 914Werke. I didn't really need these, but my original clear glass has some deep scratches that would have needed replacing eventually and I've always wanted tinted glass. I need to clean these up but they mostly look great. I am concerned about a portion of the passenger window because there appears to be grinding slag embedded int he glass. On my quick inspection, I was able to pop some of it out with a thumbnail so hopefull the rest will do the same and I can polish it out. I've never polished glass before, anyone have suggestions?



This is just another example of how great and supportive this 914 community is. Marc generously offered to haul any parts from Seattle I might need. I immediately thought of Chris's suggestion to see if someone passing through might be willing to haul doors. I posted a WTB and withint 15 minutes, Rich had stepped up with what I needed. If I'd listened to Rich, Marc would have been hauling a full windshield in that Westy too! But I didn't want to push my luck. And I could have really pushed it by having him haul a rear trunk lid from Rhodyguy who generously offered to send one along after catching wind that Marc was headed this way. It's just an amazing community and I thank all of you for supporting this crazy project. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smiley_notworthy.gif)

More Channel
Then yesterday I slipped out to the garage for a couple hours. I set the cancer under the bumper bracket aside for now and wanted to tackle something that was an easy win to boost my psyche. I have one last bit of channel to repair at the upper left corner of the frunk, and there is a hole in the fender behind the antenna mount that needs patched.



I started with the channel. It was a pretty small area with some deep pitting, a 10mm hole, and a small nipple of channel wall next to the hole that was eroded away. I decided to try just zapping everything back into shape with the MIG. That actually worked well. It isn't quite finished but close, and that's as far as I've gotten.

[bbrock]

Tackled this nasty spot today.



First, cut out the rotten parts, but save what's left of the rocker cover bracket to fab a new one.



Then replace the rusted weld flange inside the support.



Fabricate a patch.



Weld it in.



Clean it up and give it a coat of weld-thru primer.



Now fabricate a new rocker cover bracket to patch in. That piece was a PITA, but I finally got a good dry fit.



I need to cut the holes for the fuel vapor lines before welding it in, but I was getting tired and was afraid I'd F it up. So, I quit for the day and will start fresh tomorrow.

And here's a lazuli bunting that was at the feeder the other day.

[KELTY360]

Since this thread features critters in the wild, here’s Brent with his malamute eying the Westy delivery van. Those doors hardly took up any space! Had a great time checking out Brent’s massive projects and discussing all things under the sun.

[KELTY360]

I’m currently posting laying in bed in my campsite at the foot of Devils Tower in Wyoming. Life is good.

[Dion]

Top notch work Brent! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)
Thanks for posting the pics Marc, enjoy Devils Tower.

[euro911]

Since this thread features critters in the wild, here’s Brent with his malamute eying the Westy delivery van. Those doors hardly took up any space! Had a great time checking out Brent’s massive projects and discussing all things under the sun.

I spy with my little eye: a fuel tank filler location behind the sliding door. Synchro?

[bbrock]

I spy with my little eye: a fuel tank filler location behind the sliding door. Synchro?

I can even answer that one. Yes! That Westy is a sweet ride.

I finished up yesterday's project this morning. Just to make sure everything is in the right place, I put in the plumbing and clamped up the rocker cover before tacking the bracket in. It was a PITA, but everything seems to work. A shout out to BPic for quickly posting a pic for me yesterday so I could fill in the blanks on my rusty bracket. I think I got it right.



The rest was easy enough.



Nice to have that chore out of the way. Now I can load up my spool of Easy Grind wire and patch some body panels. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[euro911]

I thought about buying a Synchro, but opted for a standard Westy because I already have two Toyota 4x4s. My friend, Randy, called me Friday - 'Eileen's new 2.1L is done and she's ready to come home. I'll be picking her up when I get back from AZ end of June (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[bbrock]

Nice! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) I had a '74 bus that we really enjoyed and have great memories of, but I got tired blowing up engines. I always wanted a Westy. Marc has a Subie/6 in his. Maybe he'll say more when he's off the road.

Marc, if you need a place to park on the way home, you know where to find me.

[KELTY360]

Nice! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) I had a '74 bus that we really enjoyed and have great memories of, but I got tired blowing up engines. I always wanted a Westy. Marc has a Subie/6 in his. Maybe he'll say more when he's off the road.

Marc, if you need a place to park on the way home, you know where to find me.

Nice Westy Mark. Two or four wheel drive they’re like nothing else on the road. With all the windows, I call mine a rolling sun porch.

Now, enough Westy love. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Get back to work on your 914, Brent. BTW I may take you up on that driveway space. Still haven’t figured out my next stop.