Its the final countdown, progress thread Options

[dkos]

my only two comments here are:

1 What a hero to save this 914!
2 Why hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of patching when aftermarket panels are readily available, cheap would have saved hours and hours of hard labor, kept the car more factory original, made it stronger, more valuable, and made it last much much longer?

In my case...I chalk it up to lack of experience and stupidity!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[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)

[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.

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)

Again my hero for taking the vast time to save this car! WE would love to see the final piece in person.

[type11969]

I ended up cutting away all that rust and recreating the inside and bottom of the long. The piece I made wraps around the top inside of the long. Unfortunately I don't have a pick from the inside of the car.

Dave-

That looks really good, definitely puts my fab skills to shame! I can't believe your driver side long looked like that though, what kind of shape was the pass side in? Definitely looks plenty strong though, but the extra outer layers certainly can't hurt! Where are you in Philly? I'd like to check your car/progress out at some point. JerryP is in the area too, maybe we can all get together at some point. It seems we all have the same rusty 914 repairs.

-Chris

[dkos]

I ended up cutting away all that rust and recreating the inside and bottom of the long. The piece I made wraps around the top inside of the long. Unfortunately I don't have a pick from the inside of the car.

Dave-

That looks really good, definitely puts my fab skills to shame! I can't believe your driver side long looked like that though, what kind of shape was the pass side in? Definitely looks plenty strong though, but the extra outer layers certainly can't hurt! Where are you in Philly? I'd like to check your car/progress out at some point. JerryP is in the area too, maybe we can all get together at some point. It seems we all have the same rusty 914 repairs.

-Chris

Thanks for the kind word...pics look beter than the real thing. I'm working on the passenger side now...it's in similar shape.

I was clueless when I bought this car. The PO had fiberglass rocker covers on the car hiding all the rust. I didn't know enough to look under them.

I live in Flourtown, just west of Mt. Airy...outside of Philly a few miles.

[type11969]

Fortunately my driver's side seems sound right now . . . Have you braced your car at all? My biggest worry is that when I am all done, the car will be all warped out of shape. Hopefully the bracing I have fabbed will mitigate that.

[dkos]

some pics

[dkos]

more:

[dkos]

Fortunately my driver's side seems sound right now . . . Have you braced your car at all? My biggest worry is that when I am all done, the car will be all warped out of shape. Hopefully the bracing I have fabbed will mitigate that.

yep!

[type11969]

Car is a parts car, I reviewed your website, and to buy the panels needed I would be way over the purchase price of the car. Simply not worth it in my book. Plus I only would have needed sections of parts you have available. You aren't talking about complicated parts here either, fabbing isn't that difficult, moreover, I find it enjoyable and a good stress reliever.

From the outside, the repairs I have made will be pretty damn close to factory original. And I know my repairs are as strong as original since they are modeled after what was there originally. Question for you, are your repair panels thickened in areas where Porsche had mulitple layers (like in the long and many other places in the "frame")? Or are they simply the mulitple layer thickness throughout? From the pics it seems like they are only single layer, so either they are too thin (compared to original) or too heavy (again, using original as the benchmark).

More valueable? Again, if it looks stock from the outside . . .

Last much longer? Ummm, you have somehow sourced a grade of steel better than mine? I don't remember posting the material specs of what I was using anywhere . . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

my only two comments here are:

1 What a hero to save this 914!
2 Why hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of patching when aftermarket panels are readily available, cheap would have saved hours and hours of hard labor, kept the car more factory original, made it stronger, more valuable, and made it last much much longer?

[type11969]

Nice work Dave, looks similar!

[JerryP]

This thread is great and these pictures are very helpful. I'm, shamelessly, cheating off of all the hard work you guys are doing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

Bonus real man points to you for doing this in January in Philly. I know it was 19 degrees in my garage last night.

[type11969]

Ha, well I'm lucky in that my garage is the first floor of a row house, I steal a bit of warmth from the second floor of my place, the furnace in the garage, and the two houses on either side. I also wear long johns, flannel pants, jeans, 3 shirts and a fleece jacket. Feel kinda like Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man.

Also just bought a small portable propane heater off amazon, had them on sale. Its more for painting though, gotta get the area warm if I want the paint to stick!

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Car is a parts car, I reviewed your website, and to buy the panels needed I would be way over the purchase price of the car. Simply not worth it in my book. Plus I only would have needed sections of parts you have available. You aren't talking about complicated parts here either, fabbing isn't that difficult, moreover, I find it enjoyable and a good stress reliever.

From the outside, the repairs I have made will be pretty damn close to factory original. And I know my repairs are as strong as original since they are modeled after what was there originally. Question for you, are your repair panels thickened in areas where Porsche had mulitple layers (like in the long and many other places in the "frame")? Or are they simply the mulitple layer thickness throughout? From the pics it seems like they are only single layer, so either they are too thin (compared to original) or too heavy (again, using original as the benchmark).

More valueable? Again, if it looks stock from the outside . . .

Last much longer? Ummm, you have somehow sourced a grade of steel better than mine? I don't remember posting the material specs of what I was using anywhere . . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

my only two comments here are:

1 What a hero to save this 914!
2 Why hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of patching when aftermarket panels are readily available, cheap would have saved hours and hours of hard labor, kept the car more factory original, made it stronger, more valuable, and made it last much much longer?

]
I did not want to upset you at all. That was not my intent and again I am happy that you are saving a 914. (by the way that was NOT a parts car)
The aftermarket panels that several manufacturers make are actually thicker than the original steel and where Porsche reinforced them they have been reinforeced as well or make of double thickness to aid in the manufacture. Rest assured that the guys who make these panels are well familier with the 914 and would not cheat by making an inferiour panel!!!!! that alone would be real STUPID when it takes so little to get it right. We often use their panels here and cut them just using what we want, as it saves loads of time for the effort to fabricate (and believe me we know!!!!)
bottom line here Chris? If your time is free go for it of course and the time spent on one's 914 does lower the blood pressure, sort of like petting your dog, but the car is much better off in the long run being repaired as close to how the factory manufactured it, it actually takes less time and less money if your labor is not free, and when you finally die at 115 and someone is selling your 914, the buyer will not say, "Wow, I sure wish this 914 had been repaired properly as I would have paid 20,000 more for it!" and then your great great grandson laments that his legacy from you has been compromised.!!! Fix it right fix it once, but by all means fix a 914!

[dkos]

resale value??? I plan on being burried in mine!

[rmital]

......... I plan on being burried in mine!

me too...if one more package shows up at my front door with a 914 part in it, my wife might hurry that process....

[dkos]

This thread is great and these pictures are very helpful. I'm, shamelessly, cheating off of all the hard work you guys are doing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

Bonus real man points to you for doing this in January in Philly. I know it was 19 degrees in my garage last night.

Too f'in cold in my detached garage! I haven't touched my car in a few weeks! It's got to be 40+ for me.

[type11969]

Car is a parts car, I reviewed your website, and to buy the panels needed I would be way over the purchase price of the car. Simply not worth it in my book. Plus I only would have needed sections of parts you have available. You aren't talking about complicated parts here either, fabbing isn't that difficult, moreover, I find it enjoyable and a good stress reliever.

From the outside, the repairs I have made will be pretty damn close to factory original. And I know my repairs are as strong as original since they are modeled after what was there originally. Question for you, are your repair panels thickened in areas where Porsche had mulitple layers (like in the long and many other places in the "frame")? Or are they simply the mulitple layer thickness throughout? From the pics it seems like they are only single layer, so either they are too thin (compared to original) or too heavy (again, using original as the benchmark).

More valueable? Again, if it looks stock from the outside . . .

Last much longer? Ummm, you have somehow sourced a grade of steel better than mine? I don't remember posting the material specs of what I was using anywhere . . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

my only two comments here are:

1 What a hero to save this 914!
2 Why hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of patching when aftermarket panels are readily available, cheap would have saved hours and hours of hard labor, kept the car more factory original, made it stronger, more valuable, and made it last much much longer?

]
I did not want to upset you at all. That was not my intent and again I am happy that you are saving a 914. (by the way that was NOT a parts car)
The aftermarket panels that several manufacturers make are actually thicker than the original steel and where Porsche reinforced them they have been reinforeced as well or make of double thickness to aid in the manufacture. Rest assured that the guys who make these panels are well familier with the 914 and would not cheat by making an inferiour panel!!!!! that alone would be real STUPID when it takes so little to get it right. We often use their panels here and cut them just using what we want, as it saves loads of time for the effort to fabricate (and believe me we know!!!!)
bottom line here Chris? If your time is free go for it of course and the time spent on one's 914 does lower the blood pressure, sort of like petting your dog, but the car is much better off in the long run being repaired as close to how the factory manufactured it, it actually takes less time and less money if your labor is not free, and when you finally die at 115 and someone is selling your 914, the buyer will not say, "Wow, I sure wish this 914 had been repaired properly as I would have paid 20,000 more for it!" and then your great great grandson laments that his legacy from you has been compromised.!!! Fix it right fix it once, but by all means fix a 914!

Okay, my bottom line is I don't think I need to use the repair panels you sell to repair my car properly. I can see why you may think otherwise . . .

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Car is a parts car, I reviewed your website, and to buy the panels needed I would be way over the purchase price of the car. Simply not worth it in my book. Plus I only would have needed sections of parts you have available. You aren't talking about complicated parts here either, fabbing isn't that difficult, moreover, I find it enjoyable and a good stress reliever.

From the outside, the repairs I have made will be pretty damn close to factory original. And I know my repairs are as strong as original since they are modeled after what was there originally. Question for you, are your repair panels thickened in areas where Porsche had mulitple layers (like in the long and many other places in the "frame")? Or are they simply the mulitple layer thickness throughout? From the pics it seems like they are only single layer, so either they are too thin (compared to original) or too heavy (again, using original as the benchmark).

More valueable? Again, if it looks stock from the outside . . .

Last much longer? Ummm, you have somehow sourced a grade of steel better than mine? I don't remember posting the material specs of what I was using anywhere . . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

my only two comments here are:

1 What a hero to save this 914!
2 Why hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of patching when aftermarket panels are readily available, cheap would have saved hours and hours of hard labor, kept the car more factory original, made it stronger, more valuable, and made it last much much longer?

]
I did not want to upset you at all. That was not my intent and again I am happy that you are saving a 914. (by the way that was NOT a parts car)
The aftermarket panels that several manufacturers make are actually thicker than the original steel and where Porsche reinforced them they have been reinforeced as well or make of double thickness to aid in the manufacture. Rest assured that the guys who make these panels are well familier with the 914 and would not cheat by making an inferiour panel!!!!! that alone would be real STUPID when it takes so little to get it right. We often use their panels here and cut them just using what we want, as it saves loads of time for the effort to fabricate (and believe me we know!!!!)
bottom line here Chris? If your time is free go for it of course and the time spent on one's 914 does lower the blood pressure, sort of like petting your dog, but the car is much better off in the long run being repaired as close to how the factory manufactured it, it actually takes less time and less money if your labor is not free, and when you finally die at 115 and someone is selling your 914, the buyer will not say, "Wow, I sure wish this 914 had been repaired properly as I would have paid 20,000 more for it!" and then your great great grandson laments that his legacy from you has been compromised.!!! Fix it right fix it once, but by all means fix a 914!

Okay, my bottom line is I don't think I need to use the repair panels you sell to repair my car properly. I can see why you may think otherwise . . .

]
And Chris I completely defer to the man who has put that much time into his 914 and congratulate you.