914 ramblings

[johnvan8]

Hi all,
I have some questions about a 1970 914 (year is probably irrelevant).
1. Pedal cluster needs new bushings (pedals squeak and stick). How much time (approx) would it take a mechanic to do the bushings rebuild? Also should I go with metal or plastic bushings?
2. My car needs a new paint job. Now this is a fun driver for me. I have no intention of entering any show or spend gobs of money into a $2k-3k car (at best). I just want it to look decent so people who pass me by on the road don't actually stop and hand me change I hear that 1-day Paint and Body actually does a fairly decent job for the money. Has anyone had experience with them? If yes, any tips? And which "price level" is the best balance of quality in relation to price?
Thanks

[echocanyons]

If you plan on having a "affordable" paint shop such as MAACO or Earl Sheib or possibly the one you mentioned, I would do as much of the prepping myself as possible. Take into consideration that the people who are going to paint your car don't care for your car nealrly as much as you do and would not be nearly as meticulous about taping and covering parts that shouldnt be painted(and it really sucks to have to clean overspray off chrome). Not to mention the fact that they are probably spraying multiple cars a day have to be fast, which end up cutting corners.
I had a personal experience with MAACO. The "paint match specialists" who did not match the paint,
they also lost my "eyebrow"(the part just below the headlight).
After all was finished with the paint job and replacement of the parts I was satisfied for what I had paid for it ($1000.00)
Since you are not having rust repair done I will only say:
DO NOT LET A SHOP THAT HAS NOT HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THESE CARS DO ANY REPAIRS THAT ARE NOT SIMPLE.

I would not expect any low end(single coat without uv protectant or clearcoat)paint job to last more than 5 years.
If you are planning to keep this car for any extended amount of time this might also be something to think about.

As for the pedal cluster.

Weltmeister sells bronze bushing replacements

Im sure you know that bronze is much stronger and more durable than plastic thats what I used (I definitely dont want to change them again).
I would give yourself at least a couple of hours to change them after you get the pedal box out of the car, in case of any binding.
When my master cylinder leaked it ate through my accelerator pedal but my bushings were already bronze.

Kelly
74 914
57 356 A

[Jim T]

You'd be surprised at how quickly the cost can add up at the MAACO/One Day type places.

If you just say "Spray the car", it will be cheap. But, it will look bad, too, esp. if you have dings, ripples, etc. Shiny paint makes those things look even worse! They also won't take ANYTHING off the car, it will all be masked. Basically, what you get is a quick machine sand, masking job, and spray.

If you start having them do any body work, it starts to add up quickly.

However, on a 914, it is easy to basically strip the entire car down for painting! Half a day, and you have all of the bumpers, trim, etc. off.

That will go a long way to getting a better job.

You can also fill in dings, etc. yourself with body compounds and a long sanding block. Tons of books on how to do that. And your local auto paint store is an invaluable source of info. The 914 is easy because its a small car with a lot of flat surfaces.

If you take everything off, straighten it out youself, and then send it to MAACO for a spray, you can get really good results for a very low price. Because they do a decent job of actually laying the paint on the car, and their paints, while of course not Glasurit paint, is not all that bad.

[John Rogers]

Well, since it looks like you live in Irvive, I'd recommend that you bring the car to the shop I have used for 15 years in Tia Juana. They do great work for about 1/4 the cost of CA autobody shops. The paint job on my race car cost $400 for american two stage paint and $600 for labor which included recover dash, new door panels, new carpet on one side and taking out bad stone dimples. If you buy the paint here it is better than the Mexican Dupont but about double the cost, but it lasts much longer before fading. So far I have had six cars done by them and have never had a problem. They like to have the car for a week so they can take their time so I have always left the car on a weekend and picked it up the next weekend. If interested, my evening number is 619-691-8640 and give me a call. Good luck.

[prattrc]

I have to say my experience with MAACO was not that bad. I think their quality and professionalism vary from place to place. I got a few dings and scratches filled and sanded and the outside surfaces repainted for around $700. The paint doesn't exactly match the door jams, but it's close. There are a few oversprays (one the left front tire of all places). It's my driver too, so despite the imperfections I can sleep at night. Anyway, that's my two cents.


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Ray
73 914 2.0L