1974 Carrera Coupe - RHD, UK car

[Bruce M]

I look at those photos & I see a good car. Yes, there is plenty of thin or holed areas but most importantly all the reference points are still there and it hasn't been totally botched up in the past. The usual tale of good bits and bad bits, which varies in every case.

The question as always, is whether to spend a lot on labour repairing the existing panels or spend the cash on new large panels and less on the labour.

Luckily with these cars you have that choice but either way it feels like wallet has just squeezed out a kidney stone

[Ferry Man]

I look at those photos & I see a good car.

That's the attitude! Upbeat. Glass half full.

Well done Bruce, I needed a guy like you to console me when they took the roof off.
Sadly being optimistic wasn't easy....

Rot was discovered under the roof in the rear corners:



And much the same story at the front.
The deeper you dig, the more you discover...

[Ferry Man]

I have assembled hundreds of pictures of the restoration and this one is probably the most telling.

It’s not my favourite photograph but it reveals so much about the problems of tackling a rusty 911.
To look at it you might not understand but what’s pictured here is a very important lesson.
The rusty horrors within the shell cost me more money than any other facet of the rebuild.

You’re looking at the cant rails. They are strengthening ribs that reinforce where the roof meets the sides of the car. Under the outer roof skin and above the inner roof is this third layer of metal that adds strength and rigidity to the shell. You’d normally never see this section of steel work, and frankly, there are probably a lot of restored cars out there that still have this corrosion in them. Not many people would go in this deep.

This is a portion of steel that was never visible, never exposed to the elements, never splashed with salted road water, never even rained on.
And yet it’s rusted through like a paper doily. Like lace. There’s very little solid metal remaining.

And that’s when you realise just how rusty these 40 year old cars can get.
And how difficult it can be to comprehensively eradicate the decay.

[Bootsy]

This is scary stuff!

[Ferry Man]

Early 911's were fast cars. And they rusted fast too.
Especially in the UK with our salted roads and unforgiving climate.
Don't ever under estimate how corroded a car can be. I've discovered corrosion on my car in places you'd never believe moisture could get.

Everyone will tell you the three most important things to check for on an early 911 are: rust, rust & rust.
I'd add a fourth point to that checklist: rust.

[Bootsy]

Paul, I guess being a sunroof car the roof rot is more severe than a non sunroof?

[Ferry Man]

Paul, I guess being a sunroof car the roof rot is more severe than a non sunroof?

Yes Tom, that was obviously a contributing factor, helping to explain the rot within the roof.

[Ferry Man]

Sell off the engine & other mechanicals to someone wanting to build an RS replica ...

I know you're only joking when you say that Andy but it did cross my mind. And not just me.


Once the full extent of the rust was laid bare Nick Moss tried to comfort me.
Actually that’s not true, what Nick did was to question me: “do you want to scrap it now”?
He said “you’ve got a valuable engine there, sell that and cut your losses”.

Fair enough, probably wise in the circumstances.

[johnM]

All this rust is bringing back memories.

It's all about keeping the faith, and signing the cheques.

Kind regards.

[ian cox]

Brings back horrible memories for me as well.
If my car had been a T or an E I would have scrapped it but it was a 2.2s so the end value was there? IMHO the same applies here.
My car was very rusty as well has being crashed and then welded up all bent.
Yours is just very rusty.
To offer some comfort I will post some pictures of how bad a botched life can lead to shortly.
Keep a thought for that lovely summers day as you accelerate hard in second and third

[haasad]

Crikey that is shocking, part of me is glad I didn't dip or blast my 74 shell and part isn't.....It will be brilliant when done though .

[ian cox]

This made the blood drain from my face after dipping.
This was before we started taking metal away.









This is how strengthen car for rallying in Ireland!



I really must get back to completing my 2.2s restoration thread.

[ian cox]

A few technical issues.
Again Irish factory strengthening for rallying.

[img][IMG]http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/iancox1966/1969%2022s%20restoration/08121228.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][IMG]http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/iancox1966/1969%2022s%20restoration/08121213.jpg[/img][/img]

[Lightweight_911]

[ian cox]

Hi Andy,
Thanks for doing this key step.
I am missing one critical step to allow the pictures to be shown in the thread rather than just the link.
What is it please?