1/2 front suspension vs full suspension pan

[bugstrider]

Doing some fact finding on the upcoming front suspension pan repair to our 68 912. Finding several suppliers offering a 1/2 pan and battery support as well as a "full" pan replacement part. Since this is a major structural part of the car, do you gain a better/stronger repair if the whole pan is replaced rather than going the 1/2 pan route? Also looking for info on the "correct" thickness of steel on the pan, IE: 16ga or 18ga and are there any "pit-falls" on selecting a quality part to watch for?

A few shots of our problem area.......

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An inside shot of the trunk area.

[mpetry]

I did a front pan on a 912 and I used the restoration design replacement part and tank support and was very happy with the result.

It's really up to you and your inspection of the condition of the vehicle's front pan, don't you think ? If the rust extends further back, definitely do the entire pan.

Replacing the pan involves more than just welding in sheet metal. I recommend that you do a "soft install" of the front A-arms when you are locating the front pan prior to welding it in. Doing this will make sure that the front A arm mounts are properly located.

[bugstrider]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply. I agree that if the rust infiltrates further back toward the rear of the tank, replacement is a no-brainer. So far my rust issue is located to the front part only, however with that being said I truly will not know until I remove the coating and wire wheel the metal. I know that a majority of posts deal with just the partial pan and not being a professional welder, I was unsure of structural integrity of the mid line cut on the pan and a re-weld vs a solid sheet of metal with a complete pan.

Another humorous issue is the multitude of different responses I have received from the main suppliers of the part available. Many have absolutely no idea what gage steel the part is and tell me nothing more that what I can read myself of their web-sites.

So my quest continues on information as well as looking for the best quality item for the price while making the best repair right the first time. So thank you again for taking time to post a response to my question.


Drive safe,
Trevor