Rockers sponsored by "Bondo"

[Tom '74 911]

Hi,

Below are some photos of what I found after cutting off the outer rockers on a '69 912/911 yesterday. It looks like that instead of using replacement inner and outer rocker panels, flat sheet metal was half heartedly shaped and welded in. The final profile was created with bondo. Whoever did the previous repair should be chastised for not doing it more "correctly" (realizing there are varying levels of correctness) but also praised for their obvious skill with bondo!

I had a feeling it was going to be bad, but when my cutting wheel started spewing white dust (to be sure, A LOT of white dust!!) I didn't quite expect this!

This tub will end up being one of those, "I can't believe he though it was worth it" rust repair jobs. And it likely won't be worth it in the end... except for the experience and to say that I did it.

I am going to be needing A LOT of sheet metal on this one. I actually picked up another '69 912 roller/shell to use as a donor, but it is in such better shape, I hate to cut it up! The only place that has me concerned is the torsion tube. One bar is still stuck - I haven't been able to hammer it out yet from the other side. There are A LOT of rust flakes inside the tube and I worry that if I don't replace it, it might break at some point after the car is back on the road... not sure about that one yet.

Tom

[redridge]

scary!... ultimate noise dampeners though. Rock on...

[techweenie]

At some point, a larger chassis cut would be more economical and allow you to simply bypass all the rust. In cases like this, you can end up 'chasing' the rust into multiple panels.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

That looks like something I'd do! -no- not really. I'm not even that bad!

[jpnovak]

My old ST started life like that when I got it. Glad I cut out the rockers and welded in new panels.

I usually switch to a body saw when I see that much dust.

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by techweenie

At some point, a larger chassis cut would be more economical and allow you to simply bypass all the rust. In cases like this, you can end up 'chasing' the rust into multiple panels.

Oh, I am 100% positive that I will end up chasing the rust into multiple panels on this tub! I plan to investigate a bit more before I fully commit to repairing it. I am thinking of going in the narrow body lightweight R direction, although with no commitments to being a faithful reproduction which would leave me some flexibility along the way. There are a few things I am excited to try, and this shell is a good opportunity to experiment as it's a 912 - 911 conversion and not worth much as-is, so if I screw it up... big deal.

Tom

[Reiver]

Man I know the feeling as you 'peel back the layers' oh no and wtf common comments. OTOH what should we expect from 40+/- year old cars that had no rust proofing to speak of.

[rennch]

I've got a spare inner rocker replacement panel taking up space in my garage if you want it. I think it's driver's side.

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by emptyo

I've got a spare inner rocker replacement panel taking up space in my garage if you want it. I think it's driver's side.

Michael,
Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it! I will PM you.
Tom

[Jdub]

My '74 TR-6 had that, plus cardboard, in the sills. It was unreal to pick it apart. The body shop took pics and saved the tinworm'd sill and cardboard for their Wall of Horrors.

[Bob Kontak]

Dude was pretty wicked with the hammer too. Getting all that metal down in the right position so he could lay a precise 1/2 layer of mud on. Musta used layers.

Guys at the car parts store say the "correct" method is to fill a void with that expanding foam. Not the cheap-o latex stuff. The real hydro-carbon based foam. The stuff that wont come loose. Shave it down, then skim coat to your taste with bondo. Silly, but I may try it on a beater someday for the heck of it.

[Unobtanium-inc]

Bob, we've had cars come through here with foam in them. One of them was probably 20% foam. I guess it's not the worst way to go! At least there is structure behind your mud work that won't be shifting all over the place or lose its grip on the body. I knew a guy in the '90s who made some box rockers for his car out of (mostly) expanding foam. I never saw the finished product, but it was scary to see it in progress. - Matt

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Unobtanium-inc

I knew a guy in the '90s who made some box rockers for his car out of (mostly) expanding foam. I never saw the finished product, but it was scary to see it in progress. - Matt

Oh Man, so it has actually happened.

Kinda cool that for $6 you can apply your base structure.

[Mtbkracr]

The biggest issue here is that the guy didn't use any chicken wire to help reinforce the bondo. What an amature.

[jittsl]

In my early days back in Australia, and during the time I worked in construction, I once cam across a work "ute" (an El Camino type vehicle for the uninitiated) that had had a 2" thick concrete floor poured over cardboard complete with reinforcing wire. You could still see the cardboard through the (large enough for a good size dog to escape through) rust holes if observed from below and the reinforcing wire (which was not quite submerged in places) would catch on the carefully relayed carpets. Had a strange effect on the feet and pedals but probably really improved the handling as a result of the considerable lowering of the centre of gravity.

[clutch-monkey]

hell of a job ahead of you.. it qwill be worth it, not monetarily perhaps, but because they ain't making anymore and bringing one back from the dead is always worthy

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by jittsl

I once cam across a work "ute" (an El Camino type vehicle for the uninitiated) that had had a 2" thick concrete floor poured over cardboard complete with reinforcing wire.

That is fantastic! I guess you do what you know... the owner was probably a mason or concrete sub.!

Originally Posted by clutch-monkey

hell of a job ahead of you.. it qwill be worth it, not monetarily perhaps, but because they ain't making anymore and bringing one back from the dead is always worthy

I'm hoping I can stick with it and eventually get it done, if for nothing else, the satisfaction of tackling something like this. I'm excited about it, which is an obvious necessity! I wish I could ditch my real job for a few months to really get after it. I'm hoping to start blocking out a day a week in my schedule to keep it moving forward. It's so hard to NOT work at my real job when I have work, especially with how slow I was a few years ago during the recent slow down. Ahhh life!

I hope everyone has a great holiday and that Santa packs a few (RUST-FREE!!) early 911's in his sleigh!!!

[toddc]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Oh Man, so it has actually happened.

Kinda cool that for $6 you can apply your base structure.

I've been that guy in a past life...

We actually use quite a bit of 10# and 20# density expanding urethane foam in the sculpting and modeling phases. Also, when you compress the expansion, you can considerably increase the density and maintain sculptability.

fun stuff

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by toddc

I've been that guy in a past life...

We actually use quite a bit of 10# and 20# density expanding urethane foam in the sculpting and modeling phases. Also, when you compress the expansion, you can considerably increase the density and maintain sculptability.

fun stuff

I always had the idea to fill the Porsche cavities with expanding urethane foam. I have worked with that material and it works beautifully. And when done right it really fills out cavities completely. Plus it adheres to other materials like steel, galvanized or not, painted or not, just as well as urethane glues. And the expanding foam leaves no room for water to accumulate. Seems to me the perfect solution to waterproof the body cavities.

Has anybody ever done that?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by toddc

Also, when you compress the expansion, you can considerably increase the density and maintain sculptability.

Oh, this is friggin sweet!

Metro Detroit - just as many fenders flappin' in the breeze as in Akron (per capita).

This is going to shoot right past getting turned into a "stickie". It's gonna be the first Pelican White Paper.

White paper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Somebody needs to PM Wayne.