If you want to know how it works, tear it appart

Chuck Moreland · 03-27-2005, 02:05 PM

I recently obtained this:

It is from an 83 coupe. Though I'm sure it would be cool upholstered and in the center of the living room, I think my wife would have a different perspective.

A portion of this will serve as a development-fixture for some future suspension components. But I sure don't need the whole thing.

Cutting the car apart is an interesting exercise. You get to see how it was built from the inside out.

If anyone has questions, wants something weighed, or wants to see some closeups of anything, speak up. Also if I've cutaway something you want, contact me.

Here is a picture of the door box section:

Cut away the quarters. The flares are not complete, probably not saleable so I may just use them to experiment - try my hand at creating some hand hammered flares.

The floor and rear shelf was taken out in one peice. It will provide a nice replacement, extending the life of some rust victim. I think it is already spoken for.

I will be weighing this and submitting that info into the offering plate of the church-of-light. It isn't that heavy.

These jams will probably find a nice home as rust repair panels:

Miscellaneous removed:

Here is the paydirt:

I'll be trimming this a bit further, but it should serve my purposes well. It should be a lot handier developing products on the bench than it is under a real car.

randywebb · 03-27-2005, 02:36 PM

"It isn't that heavy."

- That is part of the body that PAG made of thin steel to save wt. in the RS and some others I think. It's never been clear to me how much wt. they saved that way....

BTW, folks who have cut apart the front door frames report that as time wnet on more steel appeared in those areas...

Kraftwerk · 03-27-2005, 04:49 PM

Someone likes his sawz-all!

Chuck Moreland · 03-27-2005, 05:09 PM

Yes, Noah it's pretty gruesome. But the car it came from was accident damaged. Sniff.

And its demise will help others continue on - with donor parts and new products.

Randy, I still haven't popped it on the scale but it probably weighs 35-40 lbs. Note it has a section of the floor and rear window channel still attached. Definitely a bit heavier than I originally thought.

pwd72s · 03-27-2005, 05:18 PM

Now I'm waiting for news of the product this brings about...

724doorE · 03-27-2005, 05:54 PM

If any of that stuff dosen't get got, let us know out here!!!!

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

thats 1st shot would make for a good rikshaw (sp?).

Chuck Moreland · 03-27-2005, 07:54 PM

One interesting thing is that some of the cavities are filled with a foam, sound deadener / vibration dampener. Other peices are not welded, but secured (glued) with caulk-line substance, or a sticky foam. Again for vibration dampening.

There is also paint on the back side of all the metal, inside the cavities.

Consider what happens to all this stuff if you have the tub dipped. All gone.

Another interesting thing is this carcass has been sitting out in the rain for weeks. Yet the cut edges of the metal are not showing even surface rust.

I realize the surface is galvanized, but I expect cut metal to show at least flash rust. None.

JSDSKI · 03-27-2005, 09:27 PM

Allen Hall at www.alfaparts.net is looking for 911 sheetmetal to reproduce in his shop. Maybe some of those pieces, especially the rear seat and rear tray area, could be put to good use as forms before moving onto new cars. rlane had a thread awhile back showing the lower fender panel replacement Hall makes. I ordered the fender parts last week and he seems willing to try any piece someone sends his way.

Thanks for the post. Nothing like seeing the bones beneath the skin.

911pcars · 03-27-2005, 10:07 PM

Chuck,
FWIW, here's how that piece looked at the factory in '71.

Sherwood

randywebb · 03-27-2005, 10:19 PM

Interesting - I wonder when they started putting the foam sound deadener inside the panel cavities.

It seems like the later tubs must be somewhat heavier than the early tubs...

buster73 · buster73's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by randywebb
[B]Interesting - I wonder when they started putting the foam sound deadener inside the panel cavities.

Sound deadening and foam sounds lke mid to late 70's to me. Before nobody cared too much about noise. Not a great idea even with galvanized panels, but can be a nice surprise when you start welding. Remember always have a fire extinguisher ready.

steve185 · 03-28-2005, 03:05 PM

I wish my rear frame sections were in as good as shape as the ones you have. I am in the process of putting in frame longitudinal repair panels on both sides. How much do you want for the door jambs?

Shaun @ Tru6 · 03-28-2005, 03:21 PM

Chuck, you are nothing short of amazing!! I'll probably need whatever you are building for my 73!

BTW, I need one of these (circled in red). Let me know how much.

Chuck Moreland · 03-28-2005, 03:38 PM

Shaun, I'm guessing (hoping) you are joking. I'm not even sure what that piece is. Looks like a hunk of weatherstrip. I do know it went out in this AM's trash collection.

Zeke · 03-28-2005, 03:43 PM

I have a cross section of the door sill and longitudinals from the Targa I cut up. I missed out big time by throwing the torsion tube away. I lot of people want to know more about the center of the thing. Now you can answer all those questions.

We should get together and compare the door sills. Mine was a '71. And it rusted on the cuts overnight.

doozer · doozer's Garage

My standard answer when someone catches me cutting something up or knocking down a wall in the house by suprise ( long story) " The Beastie Boys made me do it!!"

Chuck Moreland · 03-28-2005, 03:47 PM

Milt, if you are coming to Monterey, bring it.

The torsion tube is interesting. The center spline section is common and open hole. No stops.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 03-28-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Moreland
Shaun, I'm guessing (hoping) you are joking. I'm not even sure what that piece is. Looks like a hunk of weatherstrip. I do know it went out in this AM's trash collection.

Chuck, yes, I was kidding. I've got tons of those things already.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 03-28-2005, 04:12 PM

Fascinating pictures. Somebody posted earlier something about, "So how much weight could they possibly have saved there?" In airplanes and racecars both, the the weight saving don't come from somebody saying, "Jeez, we could cut that off and save 20 pounds..." It's an ounce here and an ounce there, and eventually they add up to a quarter ton. Aluminum lugnuts, lightening holes, thin washers rather than thick, less paint rather than more...if it were easy, everybody woudl be doing it.

Stephan