With that much rust present on the chassis, I knew I'd have to replace some sheetmetal-so, I bought a welder. I
didn't know how to weld then, but I'd always wanted to learn how. I picked up one of those little 110v DC stick welders
(my brother refers to it as the battery charger on steriods) and practiced on scrap metal until I could lay down a bead
that wasn't too scary, then went to work on the car. (If I had to do it over again, I'd step up for a nice home MIG
welder-easier to use and better welds.) I quickly found out how hard it is to weld upside down while laying on a cold
concrete floor-all the time trying to get the patch panel to stay where you put it (use screws, I learned)and not blow holes
in the thin factory sheetmetal. (Oh, and here's another tip-make SURE the welder is turned OFF before you grab the rod
to change it-ouch.) The patch panels I used I made myself from 20 gauge galvanized sheetmetal that I cut and formed,
then tacked in place. I used a 4 1/2" angle grinder to dress down the welds, then applied a coat of POR-15 paint to
prevent rust. I stopped counting patch panels at 75-next project I'll go ahead and spend the money on aftermarket pre-made panels (where available).
After repairing the body shell, I turned my attention to all the parts I'd removed from it and started dismantling the
major subassemblies, like removing the stubshafts and bearings from the rear control arms (here's another tip- loosen the
axle shaft nut while the car's still on the ground-I ended up soaking, heating, swearing, and using the impact wrench on
mine-all the while standing on the control arm to hold it still.) The front suspension, pedal box, shift linkage, steering
column, control cables all came apart with a little persuasion (the roll pin for the clutch pedal shaft gave me the most
trouble-I ended up taking the whole assembly to a machine shop and had them press it out.) Most of the parts themselves
were in pretty good shape-just rusty and dirty-but all the seals, bearings, and bushings were shot. I started making lists
of parts to order and sent off for all of the major Porsche parts catalogs-and most of the minor ones.
