TheSamba.com :: View topic - 914 - How bad? Repair cost? Firewall, rear Pan, Pass side...

Mon May 05, 2025 10:33 am

I'm looking at a 75 914
Searching for someone to do a PPI now.

I have concerns about the structural integrity - or if I need to worry that much - about the area where the pan meets the rear firewall, and out to the corners where the jacking points are.

Heres the history and more detail, along with a link to a google drive folder with photos.

Seller bought it from a widow
Went to look at different 914, but she had this one as well.
Didn’t look it over much.
Test drove it, liked it, and bought it.
That was 2018

Doesn’t know how many previous owners before him.

Garage Kept since - not sure about before.
Knew about at least 1 respray.
He has the FI, but it has a single carb on it now.

The seller says the transaxle, bushings, and shift rod all gone through by Gbox in Colorado. Says shifts like a dream.

We did a video call and he crawled around showing me around the car.
Said I had him looking at it more closely than he did when he bought it.
Found evidence of Bondo under the rear Pan and firewall, plus where the cables and hoses come out of the rear firewall. (see photos)

I went to look at it this weekend.
He had a lift for brakes, just enough to crawl under it.
I further looked at the area where the firewall meets the pan across to the jack mounts.
Appeard to be bondo'd across that area.
Pinky sized rust through found lower right, (passengerside) jack point/ pan, under the Hell Hole area.

Tried to take lots of pictures.

Noticed sheet metal screws coming up from the pan behind the seats where the bondo is - assuming a PO somewhere down the line screwed in some metal and bondod over it.
Likely to prevent exhaust gas, water etc - but no idea the extent of the rust, or how it was treated prior to Screws and bondo -

Another spot in the pass side rear fender looked like it had ‘newer’ sound deadening/ undercoat just under where a bolt and nut are coming through to the inner fender wheel well. Bolt and nut likely have something to do with the battery tray? But I’m unfamiliar.

All else I could see looked to be in good order.

Again, the concen is the “hips” - that rear area where the inner and outer firewall meets the pan, and any further issues at the Pass side Jack point that lead up into the hell hole.

Any ideas as to what it might cost to have a welder weld in a new lower rear firewall section? and tidy up the 6 inches or so of pan that appear to be bondo'd over.

Folder for pictures:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_p8TvE29THSpMToQ7fNP5LrVhvdHYM_s?usp=sharing

Appreciate any insight as to cost for repairs, what to expect etc, and if it can be done without cutting off the fenders to access the 'hell hole' area.

I understand that there is probably no way to really tell until it gets cut open.

I'm not looking to restore - just concerned about safety and the structural soundness of that area.

any tips or tricks to know, please let me know.

Thanks for taking the time to think about this for me.

Tue May 06, 2025 6:17 am

Folder for pictures:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_p8TvE29THSpMToQ7fNP5LrVhvdHYM_s?usp=sharing

Tue Jul 08, 2025 8:35 pm

Any bondo on the floor pan or rear bulkhead is a sign from the Universe that you should move on to another 914. However, if you like to weld a lot and have a frame fixture, then buying such a 914 might be worth the risk. Remember that you only see 10% of an iceberg, the other 90% is hidden.

Sat Jul 19, 2025 3:39 pm

Come on man, post the pictures in the samba gallery, dont make us wade thru google drive, and go through multible pages, and the spinning wheel of wait to see what you got, I gave up after the drive showed a written copy of your samba post with no frickin photo.
Id like to help, I know these 914s well and their body rust issues, please dont make it so difficult to see your photo, the samba gallery is so easy to use.

Sat Jul 19, 2025 3:47 pm

914s are notorious for rot, it will cost many times more than it will ever be worth.

Run away and cut your losses.

Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:22 am

J-Gaz. wrote: I'm looking at a 75 914
Searching for someone to do a PPI now.

I have concerns about the structural integrity - or if I need to worry that much - about the area where the pan meets the rear firewall, and out to the corners where the jacking points are.

Heres the history and more detail, along with a link to a google drive folder with photos.

Seller bought it from a widow
Went to look at different 914, but she had this one as well.
Didn’t look it over much.
Test drove it, liked it, and bought it.
That was 2018

Doesn’t know how many previous owners before him.

Garage Kept since - not sure about before.
Knew about at least 1 respray.
He has the FI, but it has a single carb on it now.

The seller says the transaxle, bushings, and shift rod all gone through by Gbox in Colorado. Says shifts like a dream.

We did a video call and he crawled around showing me around the car.
Said I had him looking at it more closely than he did when he bought it.
Found evidence of Bondo under the rear Pan and firewall, plus where the cables and hoses come out of the rear firewall. (see photos)

I went to look at it this weekend.
He had a lift for brakes, just enough to crawl under it.
I further looked at the area where the firewall meets the pan across to the jack mounts.
Appeard to be bondo'd across that area.
Pinky sized rust through found lower right, (passengerside) jack point/ pan, under the Hell Hole area.

Tried to take lots of pictures.

Noticed sheet metal screws coming up from the pan behind the seats where the bondo is - assuming a PO somewhere down the line screwed in some metal and bondod over it.
Likely to prevent exhaust gas, water etc - but no idea the extent of the rust, or how it was treated prior to Screws and bondo -

Another spot in the pass side rear fender looked like it had ‘newer’ sound deadening/ undercoat just under where a bolt and nut are coming through to the inner fender wheel well. Bolt and nut likely have something to do with the battery tray? But I’m unfamiliar.

All else I could see looked to be in good order.

Again, the concen is the “hips” - that rear area where the inner and outer firewall meets the pan, and any further issues at the Pass side Jack point that lead up into the hell hole.

Any ideas as to what it might cost to have a welder weld in a new lower rear firewall section? and tidy up the 6 inches or so of pan that appear to be bondo'd over.

Folder for pictures:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_p8TvE29THSpMToQ7fNP5LrVhvdHYM_s?usp=sharing

Appreciate any insight as to cost for repairs, what to expect etc, and if it can be done without cutting off the fenders to access the 'hell hole' area.

I understand that there is probably no way to really tell until it gets cut open.

I'm not looking to restore - just concerned about safety and the structural soundness of that area.

any tips or tricks to know, please let me know.

Thanks for taking the time to think about this for me.
There is a already a topic with very good insight, imo. You also can go for "hell hole" 914.
It´s not allways a question of business only, but rather more a question of fun or challenge. But if the longs are rotten, you really need a frame bench!!!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758341&highlight=