Olympic Blue / Silver metallic 1972 US Import 1.7L

[LMR]

For now, floor pans will be cleaned. We have debated long and hard whether to replace the whole floor, but they are mostly solid. And as you can see, I am not plating over holes, but cutting out the rot and repairing properly

[LMR]

So, I have prevaricated long enough. Tonight I have started addressing the rust on the underneath of the car. To expand on the point I made in my previous post, and hopefully to give hope to others who feel worried about surface rust, I took a before and after pic of part of the floor pan. The after pic isn't the final preparation, just the first pass.



After



I will make more progress tomorrow, subject to avoiding vibration white finger.... I did pick up some parts from OPC and from the powder coaters today, so hope to have a break during the day and assemble a sub component or two.

[LMR]

So most of my time today has been doing bodywork. But I did take a few mins to play with the pedal box. When I took it out, it looked like it had been at the bottom on the sea.



There are plenty of articles on the internet explaining how to strip and rebuild these, so I won't repeat it here. I can confirm that taking the roll pin out of the clutch arm was ridiculously difficult.

Once stripped, I had most of the parts powder coated. I have heard various debates over the years about the merits of painted finish versus powder coating. I used to complete in sprints and hillclimbs and therefore was stripping and rebuilding cars on a regular basis. Powder coating is very hard wearing. It is also remarkably good value. If you look at the time it takes to strip and paint a component versus the low coat of powder coating, for me it makes sense.

The one issue with powder coating is you will invariably have to clean up threads and holes prior to reassembly. Anyway, I have cracked on and got it about half done. I would have finished by I had forgotten to buy a couple of half nuts. I was pleasantly pleased that Porsche still stock key items such as return springs, meaning I could reject this pile of components;

[

So far it looks like this



Okay, not the greatest photo, but definitely an improvement on where I started.

[Darren C]

All this looks distinctly familiar

Keep up the great work Phil, it'll all be worth it in the end.

[LMR]

Busy week at work, but turning up at the workshop last night I had the joyous sight of Mark finishing off tidying up some welding



He had also fitted a new pedal box support



Given the welding is now done (subject to not revealing anything new.....) I am concentrating on preparing the underside. I did say in an earlier past I wouldn't go mad with photos of stripping the underneath, but I have learned a few things this week which I though were worth sharing. I has started stripping using angle grinders with various wire brushes. Today I changed the approach and used a die grinder with a mix of 3M products, clean and strip wheel and brittle brush.

Front corner, before


after first pass



What looks like a quite rusty panel comes up like brand new very quickly. The photo doesn't really do it justice. The surface finish using the 3M products is much better, and easier to achieve than using the angle grinder. It is also less labour intensive. I also started on the floor above the gearbox

before



after



I am using the following, which look innocuous but are hugely effective. The photos show before and after use





The whole of the underneath will be bare metalled. I am still debating what to do in the wheel arches. There are some rust stops to sort so makes sense to get them to bare metal. But there is also some nice features of paint runs which would have happened at the factory. I am tempted to do the whole bare metal thing as I am more interesting in avoiding future problems that I would be in getting concours points. Anyone suggest anything different?

[LMR]

Another Saturday, another session with the clean and strip wheel. I am also working on some sub assemblies and parts are arriving. No photos today as I left my camera at home.

I am contemplating removing the head guard above the exhaust so that I can get that back to bare metal. I have a vague recollection I have read an article on this, and the owner bolted back in rather than weld it. Any pointers would be welcome.

[Mr Pharmacist]

I think they are fixed with screws anyway aren't they? Mine certainly is - maybe it depends what year it is - mines an early one.

[LMR]

Stuart

Mine is welded. I will try and grab a photo or two today

[LMR]

Okay, so some photos to explain my question.

I feel that removing the heat shield above where the exhaust will go will allow me to do a more thorough job of surface preparation



So, the above has six fixing points, 3 at the front, three at the back. The rear welds are identifiable as the spot welds are fairly obvious (but note my finger is pointing to them to remind me )



The front brackets have a small amount of weld on the leading edge



Untacking the welds won't be much of an issue. Welding them back in won't to too hard either, but if I could bolt this back in, then I reckon that I would get a much better finish. Any thoughts?

[Mr Pharmacist]

Looking at PET no fixings are mentioned so maybe mine has been modified on the past. Where's Kevin when you need him?!

It's been a while since I looked at that but of my car but iirc there are J clips on the 6 supports and self tappers through the boot into the J clips.

[LMR]

So the self tappers go through from the boot floor?

[914 KEV]

Looking at PET no fixings are mentioned so maybe mine has been modified on the past. Where's Kevin when you need him?!

Under a 914 usually!

The exhaust heat guard was originally welded into place to the underside of the rear boot area.
Often removed, when rear boot panel is replaced / repaired.

[LMR]

Kev

Thank you! So, would you delete this and run without it?

[jackstowers]

Removed and replaced I assume Kev means

[Green Ernie]

Hi Phil, my 75 had it welded on.[[URL=http://s1383.photobucket.com/user ... .jpg[/img]/url]


Matt