Front Suspension Pan Replacement - Page 2

MK153 · 01-22-2019, 11:34 AM

I just ran by Klaus, the owner of the shop I referenced above and showed him the same pics. He said he would put it on a celette but that his is in use (building a RSR from scratch!). He gave me another name for someone in STL that he thinks have one so I left that person a voicemail.

I do tend to agree though - if you just cut out the rot and cut matching pieces from the replacement pan and they key in and the torsion bar mounts line up - is that "close enough"? I'm not understanding what the repercussions would be if the new pan happens to end up 2MM out of optimal position - would the car be unable to be aligned or something?

lvporschepilot · 01-22-2019, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK153

I just ran by Klaus, the owner of the shop I referenced above and showed him the same pics. He said he would put it on a celette but that his is in use (building a RSR from scratch!). He gave me another name for someone in STL that he thinks have one so I left that person a voicemail.

I do tend to agree though - if you just cut out the rot and cut matching pieces from the replacement pan and they key in and the torsion bar mounts line up - is that "close enough"? I'm not understanding what the repercussions would be if the new pan happens to end up 2MM out of optimal position - would the car be unable to be aligned or something?

I guarantee the reality is most places and people do it as above minus a celette bench and they run a drive just fine. Not the end of the world, it's your car. Potential buyers don't have the car bolted up to a celette as part of a PPI as long as it drives and the loud pedal works well.

MK153 · 01-23-2019, 09:50 PM

Well none of the body shops or car restoration places have responded to my inquiries yet..... disappointing I guess they don't want the business.

I spent as much time as I could bear tonight in my unheated garage - my grinding face shield kept fogging up from my breath

I need to drain the fuel and take out the fuel tank before doing too much more grinding but it's just so cold I didn't want to start that tonight. Especially as the only heat I have is a propane tank top heater. Safety first right?

I spent most of my time trying to get a clear look at the battery tray - I took some wire wheels and a flap disc to it - it is definitely toast.

Next I got on the creeper and took a flap disc to the hole opening underneath - I really wish Quickjacks went higher as there was basically no clearance for me and the grinder. If I do take this job on (which I really don't think I want to do) I may have to get a scissor lift.

Here is the car right a little after I took possession from my father in law (I took my now wife to prom in this car 17 years ago!). At this point all I had done is started gutting the interior as the carpets were soaked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0P0LJ7wNFA

And this is a quite sloppy video I shot tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD6CkmBzVA

What is the piece called that I am looking at in 1:55 in the video (that goes into the wheel well)?

MK153 · 10:03 PM

Here are some pics:

Anyone that wants to come help is free to as many laps around the Nurburgring as they want in my 962............... on my simulator

JSZ · 01-24-2019, 06:24 AM

A large share of time when I changed my front support was removing the existing under coating. I found three methods worked best for me.
1. Fein type vibrating tool with a scrapper blade or even a wood blade. This worked very well except tight spaces.

2. Heat gun and a putty knife, which you want to ventilate when your doing this because of the fumes.

3. Norton fiber wheel, 3M and others make them. Usually I use to strip in areas after the above methods have been utilized.

All the areas where there are spot weld for the panel assemblies will have to have the undercoating removed to prepare for the pan replacement. I usually strip it back 3" or 4" past where my cut or seam ends.

If you need more info let me know.
Jeff

786 · 01-24-2019, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK153

What should I expect to pay for this repair? Looks like the parts are under $400 - am I crazy to hope for $1Kish in labor?

In Dallas this costs $2,500 to fix, parts included. Good luck.

MK153 · 01-24-2019, 02:23 PM

At what shop? Two body shops called me back today after sending some pics. One said it was "extensive and at least $5,000" and another said that he'd probably patch the panel - we didn't talk $ yet but I get the feeling it would be much less.

786 · 01-24-2019, 02:52 PM

Check your PM.

MK153 · 02-15-2019, 09:19 PM

Well I've found a shop to do the suspension pan locally - they are estimating $1.5-2K with me supplying the parts and doing most of the teardown which sucks - but is in my "I don't want to buy a welder and learn to DIY this" range. They do not have a Celette bench but have done several of these and came well recommended. The parts arrived SUPER quickly from Restoration Design and look to be of very high quality. I bring the car and parts to him in a week or two.

So I've been working on that teardown and have gotten pretty far - as I also plan to do a color-change paint job before driving it again (and an interior after that) I've been taking about everything I can save the engine off/out.

Photos of progress: https://www.icloud.com/photos/#08jgvE6g2jgcLdm56RoMeTDkw

I'll have to sell the 996 pictured there to afford this project - but in the end I'm looking forward to the results. I just ordered some camel tan quilted leather Recaro Specialists (first real money spent!) that will take 3 months to get here from Taiwan. I'm debating between Night Blue Metallic and Lapis Blue as front runners. Or the BMW color Tanzanite Blue.

Few questions:

There was water entry where water pooled under the rear seat mat for a long time, lots of the metal is pitted even after a fair amount of time with a wire wheel. Same for the lip where the windshield and rear window sit. It isn't rust but more like dark almost black shiny pits. What should I do? Paint it? With what?
I can't figure out how to get the antenna mast off - what's the trick?
Can I remove the front A/C condenser? Anything special I should do other than just unscrewing the hose connections first?
Same question for the front fender oil cooler - it looks ROUGH - maybe I should just leave well enough alone?
What kind of degreaser would you all recommend to remove the terostat ribbon dum-dum stuff?
Similarly what about the nasty glue behind the fiberglass matting insulation?

MK153 · 02-19-2019, 08:15 PM

I've answered a few of the questions there myself but these still stand:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK153

Few questions:

There was water entry where water pooled under the rear seat mat for a long time, lots of the metal is pitted even after a fair amount of time with a wire wheel. Same for the lip where the windshield and rear window sit. It isn't rust but more like dark almost black shiny pits. What should I do? Paint it? With what?
I can't figure out how to get the antenna mast off - what's the trick?

On the rust/dark spots I'm thinking get it as clean as possible without actually grinding it out - and then doing a self-etch primer - sound good? I bought some Rust-o-leum "Rust Encapsulator" and reading the label it specifically says to not use on galvanized metal.

Here is before scraping it right after taking out window frame:

And here it is after taking a wire wheel and some sandpaper to it:

Gcleath1 · 05-09-2020, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 786

In Dallas this costs $2,500 to fix, parts included. Good luck.

I live in Dallas and need my suspension pan repaired. Who did you have do yours?

Greg

eastbay · 05-09-2020, 09:31 AM

Restoration Design makes great parts.

You are going to need the "Gas tank lateral support, left 1974-89" piece and the "Inner Fender, Front Left, Repair Panel (1974-89)" for that lower rot outside the pan on the left side under the battery.

You are lucky they just started making the inner front fender, I had to fab that part and talked to Restoration Design at Rennspeed a few years ago about making the piece.

I would pull that dash, if water was in the channel, it was probably under the dash....