oh my god help

[robdimond]

Another weekend, another few hours of welding and grinding...

On the last photo you can see some plug welds where I couldn't get the grinder in. Any tips on what tool to use?

I also found why the central locking doesn't work on my drivers door... the mechanism that connects the actuator to the lock is completely missing... not the usual broken plastic rod but completely missing the rod and various other bits!

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Look very good.

Power file should get in there.

 

[vitesse]

Mounted grinding stones used in an electric drill followed by a flapwheel in the drill would also help.
Tungsten carbide burrs are also good but you need a highspeed variable speed horizontal die grinder with them-& they are expensive

 

[Frenchy]

Dremmel []

 

[robdimond]

Finished grinding! The winning method by a significant margin was the Dremel. I couldn't get enough speed with the drill and the mounted stones.

Also got started on patching up the front wing

I'm cutting out the rust bit by bit so I don't lose the points of reference.

 

[robdimond]

My patchwork front wing... is this the most ambitious 944 wing repair ever?

Huge patch made in three pieces... of course it will be fully welded!

 

[vitesse]

Nothing wrong with that-you're doing an excellent job-now if you happened to have a 3D Mild Steel additive engineering printer in your garage []

 

[Diver944]

Wouldn't it be better to 3D print a wing bottom in plastic resin so it would never rust again [8D]

Loving your work Rob - keep it up!

 

[MartinRS2K]

Could you not find a decent secondhand wing to replace the rotten one rather than rebuilding the one you have like a patchwork quilt?

 

[Eldavo]

Martin, I don't think such a thing as a decent secondhand wing exists anymore unless it's already been restored.

At the end of the day when it's all welded up, ground back and skimmed it'll look absolutely perfect. Like any surgery, the process is messy but the end result it what you're judging

 

[robdimond]

Martin, I don't think such a thing as a decent secondhand wing exists anymore unless it's already been restored.

Absolutely... all the secondhand wings I've seen need some sort of repair, I've seen ones offered for sale on ebay that look worse than mine.

I am a perfectionist... it's going to be entirely butt welded and dressed flat so should be completely seamless inside and out. Will just want a light skim of filler on the outside.

 

[Greg James]

I think it's amazing and good on you. Wish I had them skills

 

[vitesse]

Is he giving it gas ,then, to ease the pain?[]

 

[colin944]

Good work Rob. Keep going and you'll be done in no time.

 

[MartinRS2K]

ORIGINAL: Eldavo

Martin, I don't think such a thing as a decent secondhand wing exists anymore unless it's already been restored.

Are new wings still available from OPC and if so at what cost?

I see that Design 911 have them but not cheap

http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/prod885/Wing-Front-for-Porsche-944-S2-and-Turbo/

 

[T3rra]

New wings are £770 + vat or there about. Iv had 3 on mine one replace via insurance £2200

 

[robdimond]

'about 800 quid with discount' is what I'd heard before... hence the welding attempt!
Makes the sill panels seem like a bargain!

Thanks all for the comments. I'm using the other side as a template, the plan is to exactly recreate the factory shape, down to the tabs that hold the trim on and the flange (will be trimmed as you can see it's too deep at the moment). The three segments give me some wiggle room to get the shape perfect and line up all the swage lines... at least that is the theory!

 

[MartinRS2K]

MK2 Escort new old stock wings go for £600-1000 each so the price of a 944 wing is good value for new stock, but appreciate that £1500 on wings when the car may only be valued at £4-6k is a high proportion of the cars value.

But I also argue that fitting new panels will increase the cars value especially if they are genuine Porsche items. []

 

[Diver944]

It is sad that Porsche are finally raising some prices through the roof [] In the past 8 years I have bought all four wings for my two 944's. They started off at around £320+ vat and the last one I bought was March 2012 at £450+ vat. To now hear that they are approaching £800 just means that more 944's will get scrapped sooner rather than later [&o]

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: MartinRS2K

MK2 Escort new old stock wings go for £600-1000 each so the price of a 944 wing is good value for new stock, but appreciate that £1500 on wings when the car may only be valued at £4-6k is a high proportion of the cars value.

But I also argue that fitting new panels will increase the cars value especially if they are genuine Porsche items. []

No! Thats terribly flawed logic Martin. Ive been involved with these cars for longer than many and I remember when a new 951 wing cost £230 plus VAT and an original pattern wing cost £245 plus VAT.

Porsche are now charging well over three times the price for the same part less than twenty years later. That doesnt represent value and overpriced Ford Escort parts dont have any bearing on it. If that somehow suggests that its a good price then good for you, but for everyone else Porsche are taking the piss.