Question about putting car up on jack stands, et. al. Options

[Cevan]

That's my car in the avatar. It hasn't been run in 2-3 years, according to the PO. I'm hoping to get it running this weekend and confirm that the engine, tranny, brakes, electrical, etc work sufficiently. Assuming I can make the car go forwards and backwards and at least slow it down, I want to start repairing the rust.

I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me with:

1. Where is the best place to put 4 jack stands in order to do this work?

2. Should I put the doors back on the car in order to be able to see if the car is sagging once I start cutting? Is there some other/additional measures I should take? Some of the inner rock needs to be replaced. The inner logitudinal looks good on both sides.

3. There are two black plastic flaps connected to the rear end of the floor pan. I want to remove them in order to clean/check for rust. They appear to be attached with plastic bolts, but the heads are round with no slot. How do I remove them?

4. I have the interior removed. Do I need to remove the sound deadening tar paper in the floor pan? 95% of the floor pan looks sound.

5. From the inside, the area behind the seat pad is rust-free. Should I remove the firewall blanket inside the engine compartment? I realize some may have to be pulled away to get at the hellhole. I'm afraid I'll breakoff those metal strips that hold it on once I lift them up.

6. Some of the inner rocker is rusted through and some is solid. Should I cut out and replace the whole thing? Is it better to be able to check out the heater tubes and clean around in there?

I'll post some pictures tonight. I'm just not sure where to start. I'm afraid of cutting too much and messing up alignment of the body. Thanks.

[rmital]

answer #1 = Jack Stand Locations

[aircooledboy]

NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER put your 914 on jack stands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

It's like some freaky borg thing, and the car and the jack stands become one. You will never get the car back on the ground again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)




(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Sorry dood, couldn't resist. Had to get it out there before anybody else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[aircooledboy]

Here is the real deal.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

That's my car in the avatar. It hasn't been run in 2-3 years, according to the PO. I'm hoping to get it running this weekend and confirm that the engine, tranny, brakes, electrical, etc work sufficiently. Assuming I can make the car go forwards and backwards and at least slow it down, I want to start repairing the rust.

I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me with:

1. Where is the best place to put 4 jack stands in order to do this work?

depends on where you are doing the work. the chart is good although we use boards under the stands to distrubute the weight

2. Should I put the doors back on the car in order to be able to see if the car is sagging once I start cutting? Is there some other/additional measures I should take? Some of the inner rock needs to be replaced. The inner logitudinal looks good on both sides.

absolutely always attach the doors with glass and the top unless you weld supports between the doors after assuring yourself that the gaps are correct. the factory manual has a measuring chart

3. There are two black plastic flaps connected to the rear end of the floor pan. I want to remove them in order to clean/check for rust. They appear to be attached with plastic bolts, but the heads are round with no slot. How do I remove them?

easy self tapping 8mm headed bolts in from the top of the flange

4. I have the interior removed. Do I need to remove the sound deadening tar paper in the floor pan? 95% of the floor pan looks sound.

only remove what is not stuck

5. From the inside, the area behind the seat pad is rust-free. Should I remove the firewall blanket inside the engine compartment? I realize some may have to be pulled away to get at the hellhole. I'm afraid I'll breakoff those metal strips that hold it on once I lift them up.

always remove it when you are in that area. could catch it on fire and there may be rust holes under it

6. Some of the inner rocker is rusted through and some is solid. Should I cut out and replace the whole thing? Is it better to be able to check out the heater tubes and clean around in there?

one at a time and remember that the inner rocker goes under the front door post so would be complicated to remove as a whole. We often cut up rust repair panels and use only what we need. cleaning out and coating of the inner longitudinal is certainly a good idea. we use the por 15 rust paint

I'll post some pictures tonight. I'm just not sure where to start. I'm afraid of cutting too much and messing up alignment of the body. Thanks.

you are right cut just a bit at a time!!!!!

[Eric_Shea]

(fixed the above post)

Not sure what you mean?

What are jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

(fixed the above post)

Not sure what you mean?

What are jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

This guy is a funny man!

[ClayPerrine]

(fixed the above post)

Not sure what you mean?

What are jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Yea.. what the hell are jackstands??

OH.. you mean 914 Feet..... Ya gotta be careful with those... they grow out of the bottom of 914s when they are parked in one place too long. When you finally try to drive it, they have to be amputated so the wheels will touch the ground again.....


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[Cevan]

Here is the area behind the inner rocker on the right side. Is this what is called the inner wheelhouse? Restoration Design makes a piece for the right side.

[Cevan]

Here is the left side. I noted that (probably due to the location of the battery, neither Restoration Design or Auto-Atlanta make a piece for the left side. Make my own piece, right?

[rjames]

4. I have the interior removed. Do I need to remove the sound deadening tar paper in the floor pan? 95% of the floor pan looks sound.


only remove what is not stuck

Just my $.02, but I say remove it all. Even if it looks sound, you may (probably) have rust forming under there. At least that's how it was with my car- and most of mine looked great too. Plus you'll save some weight! (although it looks like your rust has already saved you some weight... )

Good luck, and keep the progress pics coming! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

The "wheelhouse" is the area of the car where the wheel lives. No, really!

The parts you're looking for are the "longitudinal"--the "clamshell reinforcement" may work as well; just make sure you cut away all the rust and then treat everything so the rust doesn't come back!!

Another good location for jack stands is under the pivot for the trailing arms. The pivot tube fits nicely into one of the jack stands pictured in the thread linked to earlier.

The Doc is quite right about using wood to spread out the load; I mentioned that when I originally posted the pic. The front suspension pickup points and the "donuts" are the exceptions to this rule.

I would very seriously consider fabricating some stout brackets to hold the door opening in shape while you weld. It's easy to overheat things just a little bit and cause the chassis to warp. And a little bit of warpage in that area will play hob with your door gaps. You can bolt them to the chassis at the door mounting points and the door latch mounting points. It's good to have brackets that both keep the opening from growing wider at the top, and also that keep it from narrowing in at the top.

I am not confident that the doors are stout enough to surve this purpose, though they will give you a quick read on if the warping has already occurred...

--DD

[Cevan]

With that being said, does anyone have any door reinenforcement brackets already made they'd like to sell?

[VaccaRabite]

I second Dave Darling on this.
Keep the doors off, but before cutting or welding brace the doors.

Read Ctp. Tripps restoration thread. He does everythting that you are going to need to do. He just does it 90% faster then all the rest of us. *edit* OOPS! I thought Tripps did the door braces, but I was wrong. Still read his thread. Its very inspriational. */edit*

Zach