bkrantz

And while welding in the neighborhood, I filled the holes left when a PO pop-riveted some metal sheets as a cheesy way to cure the floor rust.

bkrantz

With all this done, its time to move onto attaching the replacement floor panel. With the car upside down, this will be easier.

bkrantz

Floor panel is nearly fit. I expect to weld a few spots on the sides, and tack a few places along the butt joint, and then flip the car sideways again to get the interior and engine compartment flanges.

bkrantz

Before starting to weld in the floor section, I painted the sections that will be inaccessible later (inside the center tunnel and firewall).

bkrantz

While waiting for the paint to dry, I started work on the rust holes at the base of the A-pillars. This is the right side. Note the small hole above the rusty area from a previous collision and repair. (Remember, the car is currently upside-down.)



Section of sill ledge removed, and rust cut out.



And a cardboard template for the patch. Other side is about the same.

skl

That rust is something... where did that car live? Salt, humidity, etc?

bkrantz

The original purchaser (in 1975) lived near Atlanta. The two owners before me (a claimed term of about 10 years) are near Fort Worth.

The rust distribution so far, besides the hell hole and other areas near the battery, suggest water leaking in and sitting (passenger floor and rear trunk floor) or from dirt getting packed inside the rocker covers (base of A-pillars).

skl

And unfortunately behind the sound pad on the bulkhead- luckily my '71 didn't have that and I removed the one in the '73. While they may help some with sound deadening (kind of a lost cause on a 914 IMHO) they are a horrible moisture trap just like the crap the factory put inside the sail panels.

When I first got my '71 I had to drive it in the winter as it was my only car. I'd take the rockers off a couple times a winter and clean everything out... and yes, it still has its original jack points!

bkrantz

Back at 914 work today. First up is to finish the A-pillar patches. Here is the right side before and after welding. Needs grinding now.

bkrantz

And the left side. A bit more fun since the pillar base is curved for clearance of the fuel vapor lines. Welding here is only partially done.

bkrantz

And finally on the the floor panel. Partial weld done along the butt seam (with some metal work during welding to improve alignment) and about1/3 of the plug welds on the sides.

bkrantz

Time to flip the car rightside-up and start fitting the other floor components. Here's the cross member as it comes from Restoration Design: ends are cut for tabs but not bent out.



Measure for length, and the flange tabs bent out.



After some more fitting and adjustments of other flanges, here is the cross member in place. Starting to look like a proper floor.

bkrantz

More incremental work, rescuing the brackets for the seat tilt adjustment teeth. Here is the left side, still part of the rusty floor section.




After cutting out.




Detached and partly cleaned up.

skl

Boy, they must have used some left over Fiat salt water based paint on your car...

bkrantz

Neither of the Fiats I owned had this much rust! The bottom side of the floor looks great (except for a few spots rusted through). The inside rust probably came from water leaking in the windows or top seals, and then sitting there. A good lesson about keeping water out.