How-to 914: Seat Frame Install

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As part of our series of videos for restoring a Porsche 914, we bring you how to install the seat frame.

As usual, Adam has the prep work done beforehand, by preparing the risers and bolting on hinges to the seat frame. The hinges have to be bolted on in order to position the risers on the new floor of the car.

The seat mount adjustment should be mounted in already, and Adam sets the risers in place ready for alignment.

The first riser is easy to install: place it over top of the seat support channel in the floor of the car. Take your seat frame and get it into the height adjustment bracket on the lowest setting and push it down at the back.

You want to align it with the riser’s centre right on the seat frame hinge. When you’re happy with the placement of the first side, take a square and align the frame with the crossmember. Begin securing your risers to the floor with self-tapping screws.

Double-check that your hinges are aligning with the centre of the risers, and start tacking your hinges to your risers.

Once attached, make sure the seat frame adjusts properly. If you’re happy with it, remove the seat frame and risers to make completing the welding easier.

Find out more about how to complete the seat frame installation on a Porsche 914!

How-To 914: Frame Stiffener Installation

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Last month, we showed you how to install the suspension console on a 1973 Porsche 914. Now, check out this video for installing a frame stiffener.

As always, the first step in any part of the Porsche restoration process is to prep the area you’re working on before doing any work on it. We prepped the area we were going to weld by grinding it down, as well as taking off the jack plate which usually rots. We then prime it with a weld-through primer.

To prep the jacking plate, prep some holes in it so it’s ready for attaching. We then attach it to the car with self-tapping screws. After screwing it into place, we weld it to the car.

When welding, you want to take your time around the perimeter so that there isn’t any concentrated heat on any one spot for too long. After the piece is welded in place, you can take out the screws and weld those holes.

Next, grind and smooth out the welds. When that’s all cleaned up, pre-fit the overlay, keeping in mind that the frame is meant to stiffen the frame and shouldn’t be laid over top of any rusty metal.

When welding a piece like this, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. If your car isn’t fully stripped and still has the glass on it, make sure no sparks are flying into the glass when you come to weld. The sparks embed and melt the glass. You should also remove the ground strap from your car whenever you’re welding, to avoid damaging any electronics.

Clamp the edges of the part to your car so nothing moves while you’re welding it and you can get a better weld. You should also put self-tapping screws into every other pre-drilled hole in the part. If there are any spots you can’t reach with your screw driver, use clamps.

Check out more tips for this kind of installation and see the finished product!

How to: Porsche 914 Suspension Console Installation

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At Restoration Design, we love to help fellow Porsche fans with their own restoration projects! In this video, we address the suspension console installation of a 1973 Porsche 914.

Up to this point, we’d done a lot of work on this restoration project:

• New floor from front to back
• New pedal cluster bracket
• New section of trunk

Before you embark on any restoration project, make sure you make a note of the new parts you have. When you take your Porsche apart, be careful not to throw out any parts that you might need to put it back together.

When we got to the suspension console, we made sure to get rid of all the spot welds and clean everything up. We also took the opportunity to put a rust-prevention product on the area that’s covered by the suspension console.

Make sure to clean up any areas that you’re going to be welding on. Then, cover these parts with a weld-through primer to prevent future rust.

We always pre-drill our holes, and we did this for the suspension console and coated it with weld-through primer.

Watch the video to see the rest of the suspension console installation.

Build Your Own DIY-Rotisserie: Porsche 914

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Embarking on your very own Porsche 914 restoration? Our DIY rotisserie makes it easy.

By cutting all the proper lengths of 1 1/4” square tubing with proper angles, you can build this rotisserie to perfectly fit your 914.

Make sure you are measuring properly, and laying out the tubing to ensure you have all the proper lengths and angles before you weld them together.

We also use caster wheels – a 4” caster wheel is sufficient for home shops.

Building your own rotisserie around your 914 allows you to roll the car over easily, with the help of another person, so you can reach the underside and other angles of your car.

This same rotisserie can also be adjusted to fit a 356 or 911, depending on your restoration project.

Check out the video for specific instructions to build your rotisserie!

Restoration Spotlight: Peter’s 1973 Porsche 914

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Mike, Peter and Alex DeJonge of Restoration Design are all Porsche collectors. Last month, we showed you Mike’s 356 Speedster – this month, check out Peter’s 1973 Porsche 914.

Peter originally bought the 914 from a seller in Kansas. He spent his first summer after college working on it, and it soon turned into an 8-year project.

With the help of his family, he was able to completely restore it and is now the proud owner of a Subaru-blue 914 – with some modifications:

  • Steel GT flares with rockers moulded in
  • Rear ducktail
  • Running gear and breaks from a 6-cylinder car
  • 916 rear bumper
  • 993 mirrors

Check out the video to find out what other modifications Peter made to his classic Porsche, and see the finished product.