Porsche 914..to be properly fixed!
Hi all,
After some years of dreaming about it, I bought myself a porsche 914.. Light, low, fun on curvy roads, love it.. So the car: originally from the US (sadly I know nothing about its history there), it is a 1974 1,8l 914 originally phoenix red. It was sometimes repainted, before 1991 when it was imported to the UK. It ran there until 2009, where it found its way back to Germany. And since october with me! It looked like a good driver, which was my goal, as I want to enjoy it on the road during the restoration of my karmann ghia my plan was: -drive drive drive drive (made 1000miles the first month with it :)) -in the future: paint it original color back, improve the handling (it still has no sway bars, shocks are quite old, frame stiffener will be ordered,..), some interior modification,.. goal is to keep it usable on the street, while lightening it where possible and putting some more power (I am in love with the sound of a 6 but might keep it a big 4 for weight and legal reasons..). Some pictures from the start: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2110162.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2110157.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2110159.jpg I made some changes, mostly removing all sound deadening material, changing old bushes, mounting a short shifter,.. A pleasure on the roads! The short shifter: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2182920.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2182919.jpg And well.. The previous owner used is for less than 1000 miles in 10 years, only on sunny warm days..and as I did differently and drove it a lot and hard, some old "hack fixes" came on the surface.. :mad: I don't want it to become dangerous or too bad to be fixed.. So decision has been made, a few months break from the ghia and I fix it correctly to have a safe and reliable car. Start has been made yesterday: First checking.. Under the long.. Well fiberglass was well hidden: :mad: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2204930.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2204928.jpg And on the inside under the belt fixation was also nicely fiberglassed :( https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2204927.jpg So.. The 914 is in my shop :cool: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208227.jpg And I made some more disassembly, and checked the B-pillar behind the sail panel where I expected a lot of work.. Passenger side is quite a good surprise, except this hole that could be foreseen: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208226.jpg And is real: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208224.jpg The rest is good :) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208225.jpg Driver side had developped some.. Let's say waves.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208223.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208222.jpg And here there are a bit more damages.. :( https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208221.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208220.jpg Well, I know the condition now, and nothing that really scares me :) Then I built the necessary door braces, made to be able to keep the doors, in order to always be able to check the gaps :) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208219.jpg And mounted: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208233.jpg I made them in order to be able to keep the doors to always be able to check the gaps: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208232.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208231.jpg And I check further the inner firewall.. Holes on driver's side, bad repair on passenger's side.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208230.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208229.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2208228.jpg Well, all in all I know more about the work to come, it has been a good first evening :) Cheers Antoine |
Nice ride
Nice ride with not to much rust.
Congratulations I will be following with interest |
The Porsche 914 is in good hands. I will enjoy watching your progress.
Bill. |
Sad to see what looks a good car on top has been bodged so poorly underneath. I'm pleased you are up for the challenge.
|
Thanks a lot for the Support! I am motivated and this car will turn great!
So, already a lot happened to the 914 this week! I started upfront by pulling out the frunk seal to check the condition under it.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210877.jpg And I found holes after holes. I cut each of them and replaced with metal, I won't bore you with every single picture but here are a couple of examples, like here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210871.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210870.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210869.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210868.jpg Or here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210874.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210880.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210879.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210878.jpg Or here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210872.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210884.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210883.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210882.jpg One last example: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210901.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210900.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210899.jpg Afterward I put some primer and some paint for complete protection: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210898.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210897.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210896.jpg As I was already working on the front, I removed the side markers and the antenna (no radio on a lightweight project !) : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210895.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210894.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210893.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2210892.jpg And started the first part for my B-Pillar: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211064.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211061.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211063.jpg The next update comes as soon as I have some time to post it! Cheers Antoine |
So, some more work happened!
I put the rear up in the air: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211060.jpg And removed the engine : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211058.jpg And the started to investigate.. Found some rust here at the bottom of the firewall : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211052.jpg And what looked like a "sh**ty fix" for the clutch cable tube: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211054.jpg Is worse than that..the tube just moves freely like that!! https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211053.jpg And the big question.. The hell hole.. Well, when I bought it, I couldn't disassemble much so I checked with my hand - no holes - and tried with a screwdriver-everything robust.. So I thought to be safe.. Then I checked after engine removal: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211074.jpg And after a better check with my screwdriver.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211073.jpg Here is what I found: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211072.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211071.jpg A real disaster: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211070.jpg But I am not a guy that let something like that discorage himself. So I need to remove my battery tray to check further and make my plan.. But before that, and before probably destroying the old one by disassembling.. I built the replacement one: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211069.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211068.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211084.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211083.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211082.jpg Check with the battery and the fixation sandblasted: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211081.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211080.jpg And the bottom part: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211079.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211078.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211077.jpg Ready to go after the hell hole repair: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211076.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2211075.jpg Stay tuned! Antoine |
Go Antoine!
Really nice work on the battery-panel. Cheers Charlie |
Thanks a lot Charlie !
So, I did some more work on this toy and an update is long overdue! As I already did start the work on the front, I decided to make sūre nothing is hidden there under the paint.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213135.jpg Well of course some (bondo-) surprises were there... Here a big dent, that I took care of using dolly/hammer: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213133.jpg And here.. There was a lot of bondo and under it a "fix", by the way of a plate under the rust hole.. Here to see: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213134.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213131.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213132.jpg So I of course couldn't let it, so cut this bad work: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213130.jpg And TIG welded a real patch: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213129.jpg And put it in primer: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213128.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213127.jpg Same on the other side : Big dent here was hidden under bondo: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213147.jpg So dolly/hammer: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213146.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213145.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213157.jpg And in the back there was also a surprise: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2217000.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216999.jpg Yes, again a plate welded quite behind the panel.. And on the bottom not welded : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216998.jpg So.. Patch prepared : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216997.jpg And welded: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216995.jpg Now we are flat: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216994.jpg Stay tuned, work is ongoing here! Antoine |
So, that was the next logical step..primer on the passenger side fender (and all around the windshield after taking it also to bare metal) :
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219386.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219389.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219387.jpg And I took care of a few holes on the driver's side firewall: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213144.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213143.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213142.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213141.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213140.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213139.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213138.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213137.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2213136.jpg For the bottom part, I will wait to have the body on the cart/body frame as not only the bottom of the firewall but also the floor is affected. More on that later :wink: Before starting the body frame /hell hole fix, I wanted to check how the quarter is (part of me knowing I might have to cut it to repair right the right long).. Here the result, quite impressive.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216993.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216992.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216991.jpg https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2216990.jpg So now I know it.. I will build from scratch that quarter panel and cut it, repair the long, weld my new panel. Just for fun I made a small test panel to try the shape of the wheel opening: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219392.jpg But I hadn't a large enough sheet metal piece to start on the quarter panel so I starte on my body frame.. Fresh metal came: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219385.jpg Welded the long part: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2219388.jpg Rest will follow with all the fixations I planned (bumpers, engine, gearbox, front axle, back axle,..) to keep the body square du ring welding. Stay tuned ! Antoine |
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