Where to start Options

[leebenedi]

Hello. I have been lurking here for a few year reading posts concerning restorations, but I do not have a clear idea of where to start. My car in on the bare frame, still painted. My intention was to get it done by a professional, but the quotes gives were astronomical. It was cheaper for me to buy a fully restored one than doing this one.
I now have to do the work myself with someone that knows how to weld well.

So my question is, where do I start? Longs first, floor, front or what.

The car is resting on a small frame my dad built so that I could move it in my small garage and I will have to invest in a rotisserie eventually. I do not have a frame machine.

Thanks for the help.

[rick 918-S]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif) show us what you have. Lots of members here have gone through the same thing. If you are going to do the work yourself you will need.to have some cutting and grinding equipment. Brace the door openings so the car does not sag or warp when welding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

[mepstein]

Yes, buying a nice running car can cost a fraction of what a restoration costs. BTDT.
Metalwork can be 10-40K+
A pro paint job is $15-25K.
Engine and trans $15+
Etc.

DIY is much less expensive but you have to decide if spending hundreds of hours, Your garage space and possibly multiple years is really what you are looking for.

[Shivers]

Tools will be first. A wire feed welder that will take welding gas, can't wait for someone to come along and weld it for you, get one used that the owner will demonstrate for you that it works. It's not that hard to lay down a weld that will hold, it is that hard to lay down a weld that holds and looks good. That is why you need a mini grinder with flapper & cut off wheels. And just FYI sheet metal is not cheap, but that old washer & dryer sitting out in the street, the ones being given away are usually clad in sheet metal. Save a few cardboard boxes for making templates. And post some pics here, some people here may have just done that repair you're looking at, last week.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[DennisV]

Yes, buying a nice running car can cost a fraction of what a restoration costs. BTDT.
Metalwork can be 10-40K+
A pro paint job is $15-25K.
Engine and trans $15+
Etc.

DIY is much less expensive but you have to decide if spending hundreds of hours, Your garage space and possibly multiple years is really what you are looking for.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Pro paint must be less expensive on the east coast. The quotes I've gotten on the West coast were double that, though these were Porsche-centric shops.

You'd better love the process, and not just the desired result. Not intended to scare you off, but now's the time for a reality check on time and money required.

While intended for 356 owners, this book by Ron Roland has a lot of practical restoration advice and much of the approach would be applicable to any Porsche car.

[mlindner]

Start with a little better car, minimum welding. Strip and tag parts. Buy parts over time for suspension , engine mods and at some point it starts going together. Thats when the real fun starts. Thats what I did, only thing purchased was the paint job at 10k seven years ago at a high end hot rod shop. Best, Mark

[mepstein]

Best case scenario - 3x the time and 2x the cost of your highest estimates. Then you are in the ballpark. Restorations are always a labor of love, not rationality.

[VaccaRabite]

Here is the deal that no one talks about. In the long run, restoring a car like a 914 does not make financial sense, unless you are keeping and holding for a LONG time.

You do it for the love of the game. To make the car your own.

Or to be able to spread the cost of the car out over a long period of time. But, then you have to restore the car AGAIN - like my 914 that I did 20 years ago and now needs paint refreshed and a bunch of other stuff done to it.

But you almost always save money buying a running driving car that costs more now then restoring a car.

Please post detailed pics and we can get you on your way.

Zach

[JamesM]

My intention was to get it done by a professional, but the quotes gives were astronomical. It was cheaper for me to buy a fully restored one than doing this one.
I now have to do the work myself with someone that knows how to weld well.

Yes

This is pretty much always the case.

Buying one already restored is probably going to be cheaper than doing it yourself as well. At least if you plan on doing it properly.

Everyone underestimates what these things actually take to build properly and this contributes to the awful return when selling a restored 914. Its great for buyers though.