http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1474227358.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1474227415.jpg

I decided to do it the right way for once and done

Yes that is the way to do it^^^^^^. Nice job faverymi.

Welcome !

Great advice from everyone.

Sounds like you've got a car with a well sorted drivetrain with some relatively minor needs. It's definitely not a "throwaway911" :)

If I were you, I wouldn't be tearing down the car further unless you plan on addressing the issue now.
Besides fixing the suspension pan as you already planned, I believe the rest can wait.

Please post what it costs you to fix the front suspension pan. That's exactly how I'd do it. Common problem and not a throwaway at all

Shipwright's disease

Sailor owns boat.
Boat has burned out light in galley.
Sailor decides to change bulb.
Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to change socket.
Sailor notices wiring frayed while trying to change socket.
Sailor decides to change wiring.
Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while changing the wire.
Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing.
Sailor notices ...

this goes on and on and on and on and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a major renovation of his boat because of a burned out lightbulb.

I'm in no case against proper restoration, but I am against getting sucked in emotionally, and watching the money fly away while people fleece you. And we all have seen it, some of us have been there. Unless you have been messing with cars all your life, this can be like jumping in the deep end of the pool.

Slow and steady wins the race. And realize that there are people out there that want to milk your dream.

Nice work.

I've read every single reply. Thank you all!

Based on some of your opinions, I think I'm going to do some preventative rust treatment on the areas of concern and do the same to any other rusty areas I find in the future if the metal is not compromised. I'm definitely going to order the panels necessary for the suspension pan rust - going with Restoration Design.

My car is not going to be a "garage queen." I plan on at least putting 7,500 miles on it per year and participate in one or two HPDE events per year. I think it's a waste for these cars to sit in a garage to rot unless it is truly a collector P car. My plan is to turn the car into a high quality, "OEM+," driver. I'll probably do a quality glass out, down to metal, quality repaint in the future when the current paint gets tired.

My original post was mainly based on the fear of rust. I've never dealt with a car that has rust before and after searching on Pelican for rust posts, a lot of the fixes scared me. I feel a little bit better now knowing that the rusty areas of my car are not that big of a concern - based some of the opinions here. I know the rust on my car would have deterred a buyer looking for the "perfect" 911 SC but then again I think I paid a fair market price for my car given the maintenance it has had. I came across a completely rust free SC before I got mine but the seller wanted no less than $40K for the car - Carrera price territory.

My car now lives in dry climate, I won't drive it in the rain because I have a DD, and I wash my car with waterless wash anyway due to water use restrictions. I think after "stopping" the current rust spots, rust won't spread and I'll be able to enjoy the car for years before considering a mini-restoration.

I'll update this post with any other rust I find as I slowly comb through the car. Thanks! :)

Here's a pic for those who asked. I haven't taken any other pics of the car other than the rust sports lol.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1474248668.jpg

Make sure you have a pro look at the suspension pan rust before you track the car. I'd probably check it now. That damage is usually worse than it looks from the outside, which is why it goes un-noticed for so long.

JR

Throw that car my way!!

The other positive in fixing just the pan is that you'll get to enjoy and Bond with the car, which will make the rest of the repairs more tolerable. Buying a car and instantly turning it into a major project is an unfortunate way to start out with a car.

The pan will be replaced ASAP before I do anything further with the car. It's the first on my list!

Do not go on the track until you repair the front pan.

The Italians invented rust. The Germans perfected it.

Richard Newton
Track Days 101

Personally, I would enjoy and repair in steps.

The point I made originally was that the car is not going to suddenly dissolve. He's only had it a couple of months so he might as well drive it around and enjoy it for sometime before throwing more money at it. And more importantly keep the new toy on the road to enjoy for a while.

Definitely address the underside rust. Most of the other areas you could do spot repairs on your own (they look minor). Nice car you have there and glad to hear you're going to put miles on it!

Update and question:

Found a little bit of rust on the passenger side inner rocker area - looking from inside the fender area. Rust is surface rust.

I can see inside of the rocker from the passenger side all the way to the front of the car but the driver side is blocked. See attached pictures. Is this how the car was built from the factory?

http://i.imgur.com/PaEpBTU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8Guzie8.jpg

On a side note, car just turned 88,888 after a short weekend road trip:

http://i.imgur.com/6KiURwz.jpg

BTW, why does my car have an "EX" light instead of the common "OXS" light? A search on the board revealed that the "EX" light is for the Japanese market 911 cars or an indicator that your ex-wife is near by. My car was sold brand new in CA.

It's NOT normal that you can see through the rocker to the front. In the lower B-pillar is a reinforcement construction between rocker and B-pillar, a major part of the body construction. It will be gone and needs to be replced. The drivers side will not be any better, even if it feels solid. The rust is a result of a poor construction, catching sand and dirt (and salt during winter...). Add some water and you have what you see.

Again, a time consuming job, but replacement parts are available. Many examples of this repair can be found here on the board.

Otto

Below a picture of what should be there behind the rocker and rear fender (driver side). Sorry for the poor quality, but I hope it will give you an idea of why you should not be able to look through the rocker.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1475230463.jpg

Otto