TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1974 914

Wed Nov 10, 2021 5:34 am

Yes, it is great to get him a feeling how it works :wink:

So, next on my list was the engine tray on the right..as your might remember it was not nice, so I removed it:

But it was even worse than I thought:

Almost not enough to use as a template!

So I started to make a new one..and I had some difficulties getting the shape with so few left..I made a couple trial and in the end made it in two parts, easier to adjust and tig welded together in the end.
Here both parts getting adjusted:

And welded:

I still need to make the holes for the grommets and build the retaining part for the engine seal but if fits as it should:

Stay tuned,
Antoine

Thu Nov 11, 2021 3:42 am

That is an impressive amount of metalwork, nice quality work, too! you must be in the shop 4-6hrs a day everyday. That B pillar area has so many compound curves and facets, great job recreating those!

I had read about the battery tray area on 914's, never heard it referred to as 'The Hell Hole', but I see why the area earned that nickname. Ordering repair panels for that area was a smart move, even though I have no doubt you could have hammered them out of sheet stock yourself.

Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:41 am

TomSimon wrote: That is an impressive amount of metalwork, nice quality work, too! you must be in the shop 4-6hrs a day everyday. That B pillar area has so many compound curves and facets, great job recreating those!

I had read about the battery tray area on 914's, never heard it referred to as 'The Hell Hole', but I see why the area earned that nickname. Ordering repair panels for that area was a smart move, even though I have no doubt you could have hammered them out of sheet stock yourself.

Thanks a lot for the compliments!
I wish I could be that much in the shop, sadly with a full time job and a young family, I have one evening a week (which I use fully 5-6hours) and I did manage to use a couple holidays for it where I would work 10-11h without breaks..well, since beginning of august I am 148h in this project 👍👍

Bests

Antoine

Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:08 am

So, I got a big box:

With my stainless steel fuel lines:

And the vinyl for the sail panel:

And then it was time to start on the hellhole. First making some space in the corner of the cabin..so a part ofthe firewall has to go:

It had its issue and bad repair:

So it was time to remove as far as needed to repair it properly:

What I discovered behind it wasn't nice either:

And the floor "repair" was not butt welded, which showed when I cut here the remain of the firewall and water came through capillarity even if the car did not see any water/rain since end of july :shock: :

So more work on this area..
The next update with some firewall repair is coming, stay tuned !

Antoine

Fri Nov 19, 2021 2:13 am

So, as I said, before going further, I repaired properly the firewall part I did cut.
It had a "repair" with metal over rust...

So I made a patch :

And adjusting:

Ready to weld:

Tack welded and check:

Welded and check:

And grinded/planished:

Cheers

Antoine

Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:08 am

So, next update ! I removed the triangle at the back of the floor and it was damaged/poorly welded but still not really rusted so I decided to save it.
Before:

During:

After welding and beadblasting:

Then it was time to make some space to work on the long. Rust damages were there:

And when removing you see the old "repair" with metal over rust:

So let's make some space:

And start to make the repair pieces:

Test checking in position :

And soon all of this will be welded together:

Stay tuned, I planned some solid hours on it next week !

Antoine

Mon Dec 06, 2021 1:53 am

So, I finished welding the seat belt mounting point and adjusting my home made part of the long:

Then time to start on the back part. Plenty of rust:

Inner suspension console has some rust, see here the holes:

Some bad repairs with metal over rust, and looks like the long's rust gets up to it :

So decision was made to remove it to repair correctly..and I opened again a can of rust..

So it's now removed:

But it is really rusted through on several places and poorly repaired on others..

I think I will order a new one instead of fixing it..will be cleaner, efficienter and easier!
Just for fun made some assembly :

Then it was time to remove the rusted long. My plan is to remove the rusted part of the inner long, weld the new one in (including engine mount and inner suspension console), and then remove the outer long with part of the wheel tray, and replace it. Even if everything is braced, I feel safer to make it one after the other to keep some sort of stability and measure points. Please tell me if anything speaks against it, I am still new in the 914world!

So here we are:

Time to remove the engine mount:

Rust behind it:

And out:

The long was really at the end of its life:

And now the parts ready for blasting:

And blasted:

The engine mount showed some issues :

So let's fix it:

Ready to weld:

One picture with a hint of the color, good for the motivation !

Now this topic is up to date!

Stay tuned,

Antoine

Fri Dec 10, 2021 2:42 am

Next update!

I welded the repair part on the engine mount, now it's ready to be put back on

Then I started the adjustment on the inner long. First I put a lot of thoughts on were to make the connection and here was the best place I think, so let's cut:

And adjust:

I made a lot of trial mounting, checking with all the elements,..Like here:

and now I am ready to weld it. I will weld it everywhere but to the wheel-well/outer long, to gain back some stability, then change the wheel well/outer long with the replacement part I already bought and I think it will be ok.
I ordered a new inner suspension console, but made the adjustment with the (rusted through) original one for the time being. One last check with the new one will take place before welding. I was happy to see everything going right back in with my jig and measurement being ok :D
I am searching for a replacement outer suspension console, hope to find one or I will have to repair mine, which might be hard..

Last pictures, preparation for future welding done with welding primer where it will be welded in the future and rust protection paint everywhere else :

Bests

Antoine

Thu Dec 16, 2021 2:16 am

Again a couple hours of work on the 914 this week!
First I received a small order:

This suspension console looks a bit better :

Then it was time for one last adjustment, check..and to get the welder out!
Couple of welding points:

One last check:

And everything is welded:

I did not grind so much to make sure no material thickness is removed. I will be planishing the weld and metal finishing it a bit more when the outer wheel-well/long reinforcement will be out. And then that will go on:

But before that I will weld back the engine mount next week, and also the inner suspension console. For that one I need your help/advice!
The new replacement part has a long bottom part that goes further than the lip between outer and inner long. That is the length:

And the lip is approximatively where my finger is:

Should I remove the lip there and the suspension console goes further on the outside connecting with the outer suspension console or it has to be cut to join the outer console suspension exactly where the lip is ? That is a really important information to me, please tell me if my question is not clear!

Thanks

Antoine

Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:10 pm

I don't have the answer for your question, but I have to say you are doing some outstanding work! 8)

Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:34 pm

Can you compare the replacement part with the other side to see how close it is to the original part?

Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:02 am

Thanks a lot for the nice words ! I got the information, it only goes to the lip and there are jonction parts between inner and outer console.
Cheers

Antoine

Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:35 am

Small update :
We have a welded in engine mount:

And I got a "new" outer suspension console..well just need to disassemble it :

Stay tuned, I hope to make some serious hours in the shop in January !

Antoine

Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:44 am

Awesome work, Antoine!

Fri Jan 07, 2022 7:35 am

Thanks a lot Ben!

I managed to work some hours on it this week!

I disassemble my new to me outer suspension console and cleaned/blasted it :

The inside showed only some surface rust :

Except these small holes:

That I welded shut :

I then treated the inside with some rust protection :

And some paint.. won't move anymore !!

Then after 1000 measurements, checking, positioning,....I welded the inner suspension console ! (And the small bracket for the brake line):

And treated the inside of the long with rust protection product and some paint..here again it will probably last longer than me!!

Then it's time to start on the outside :

First I treated the outside part with some rust protection primer (I even diluted some to make it fluid enough to go between the layers..):

And then some rust protection paint (also made it fluid to flow everywhere possible as a first layer, then thick over it)

And time to start adjusting:

Lot of adjustment left but the motivation picture:

Stay tuned
Antoine

Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:06 pm

Fantastic work
Enjoyed reading through this

Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:41 am

Thanks a lot !!!

So, long overdue update!
More adjustments, measurements..and welding here:

And fully welded:

Now adjusting the suspension console :

And all welded including the connecting parts between the consoles:

All measurements are ok and the arm felt right in place:

I can tell you that this view was a real relief !!

But still lots to do, like here with this poor repair:

And behind it some metal put under the rust..

So big cleaning :

Adjusting the bottom part:

And welded:

And the top part:

And welded:

Next update will follow very soon !

Antoine

Fri Feb 04, 2022 5:35 am

So...next update!

Before taking care of the bottom of the passenger rear quarter, I thought I will see what I can do with the top part with the holes and dents:

I first planished it roughly with hammer and dollies:

And welded the holes shut. Some smoothing left but already way better:

Then I decided to continue on the firewall..first taking care of this old terrible repair:

I decided to replace this part:

Making a template:

And the patch :

Cut out the wrong repair:

Adjusting:

Welding:

Et voilà:

And in between, I had noticed that the floor was also repaired with metal over rust, what I can't stand so I also fixed that:
How it was:

Starting the shape:

Verifying the fit:

Whole shape:

Test-fitting:

Cutting and adjusting:

And welded:

I did not over-grind it..the weld is under the front part of the firewall and robustness is more important!

Stay tuned, I have more to share!

Antoine

Fri Feb 11, 2022 6:12 am

So… next update!

Now the goal was to close the firewall, so…let’s start!

Making the part:

You see it coming?

Still some work:

Getting there:

And the top part:

Welded together:

And welded to the car:

Then I made the small part left on top of it:

Welded:

And some rust protection, paint,…

And the passenger side-firewall is done:

Then the jack point:

Here adjusting:

Rust protection:

And complete:

Under it the donut triangle is also back there:

I still have more to share, stay tuned!

Antoine

Tue Feb 15, 2022 7:56 am

Some more news..

I created this small hammering form:

Guessing why?

Yes, to build myself the engine sealing surrounds:

And my first try is quite positive:

So I will build the long part!

I also mounted my front sway bar, first making a tool to position precisely the hole:

Thema making the holes:

Modifying inside:

And mounting the sway bar mounts :

Welded back the inside frame:

And everything done:

Stay tuned, work on the driver's side is coming!

Antoine