How To 2002: Rear Shock Towers and Differential Support Install

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Interested in seeing more of our BMW 2002 restoration? In this video, Adam shows you how to install the rear shock towers and differential support on our 1972 model.

Our particular model was in rough shape. First, we took some measurements before we took out any parts. We’ll need these measurements when we put the new parts in.

If your car is beat up like ours, we recommend taking a look at the manufacturers’ specifications for their measurements as a guide. When you’re removing parts, make sure you have all of the necessary components. Not all of your new products will come with all of the parts, like rear seat mounts.

You might have to remove parts of the inner panels to take the towers out properly. If you have to do this, make sure you have the backup pieces you’ll need to replace any parts you cut out.

After you take out the towers, take advantage of having them out of the way to complete any necessary repair work around the wheels. We prepped all of the wheel wells and got them fitted for installation.

Before welding any part of your restoration project, be sure to do all of the necessary prep work including removing rust and prepping the area around your weld.

For more tips and tricks about this installation, check out our video!

How-to: Pedal Area Installation on a 912

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In this follow-up to our floor pan installation video, Adam shows you how to complete the process on a 1967 Porsche 912.

The model is fairly similar to a 911: the only difference is the engine size, so that makes the mounts a little different.

At Restoration Design, we make our gas pedal area pans oversized. There’s extra material in case you need it, but we recommend cutting the majority of the extra material off. The car we’re working on was pre-prepped from the previous floor pan installation.

Make sure you meausre your pedal area pan against your specific car to ensure a good fit. During this process, make sure to identify any other parts in the surrounding area that might need to be replaced. We had some rotted flanges and had to replace parts of the tunnel.

On the other hand, if you see any parts that aren’t looking too bad, feel free to leave them as the original. Parts with rust but little rot are fine to keep, to ensure your car is as authentic as it can be.

In addition to the pedal area, we replaced the bearing brackets as well. You can make yourself a jig so you have positioning to attach your bearing brackets.

Watch our video to see more of the process and get even more tips for installing a pedal area pan!

How-to 2002: Frame Rail Repair

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If you enjoyed our last post, installing a trunk floor on our 1973 BMW 2002, we’ve got a great follow-up for you. In this video, we take a look at the frame rail repair on the same model.

Frame rails are pretty particular. They play a role not only in suspension, but in holding the entire car up, so you’ve got to be careful and precise with any frame rail repairs you do. They should be secured properly and installed nice and straight.

To make sure of this, we added a piece of steal and welded it to the rotisserie with the original frame rail in place. This makes it so that the frame rail will go exactly where it was before.

When doing this kind of restoration project, you want to take a number of measurements. You want to get the measurements between your frame rails, from your frame rail to suspension and solid points on the car (like the jack posts), and make sure everything is straight.

Because we plan on replacing the inner quarters in the future, when we put the frame rails back in, we just used self-tapping screws to secure it to the inner weld.

Next, we used a strap along with the frame of the rotisserie to hold the frame rail in the right position while we removed a section of the floor.

When repairing the frame rail, like most restoration projects, it’s always a good idea to remove one portion of the car at a time. With the frame rail, we removed the driver’s side frame rail first and installed that one and made sure it was in position. After replacing that side of the floor as well, we could finish installing the frame rail to the new floor.

We took care of any rust areas, then moved onto the second part of the frame rail repair.

Check out the video for more in-depth info on a frame rail repair below!

How-to 2002: Trunk Floor Install

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At Restoration Design, we love cars. And while Porsches are our specialty, we also carry a number of parts for BMWs as well.

In this video, Adam shows you how to install the trunk floor on our 1972 BMW 2002 restoration project.

To start off, we did all of the preliminary work. We cut out the entire trunk panel which would be replaced, as well as the wheel wells. The channel connecting the two wheel wells is also a good idea to replace. The rear valence runs along the back of the trunk and down the sides, behind each tire, which we will also be replacing.

When installing the trunk floor, the first step is to put it in place and use C clamps to hold it in place. The trunk floor comes in a number of different parts, so make sure you have all of the parts you need before starting this part of the project.

To determine the height of the trunk floor, install the lock post. Once that’s in place, secure the trunk floor with self-tapping screws. Then you’ll want to install the valence.

The rear valence will go in place first. Not every car is the same, so you may have to cut the rear valence to make it the appropriate size for your specific car. The side valences can be tricky, so you may need to spot weld a couple of pieces of sheet metal to secure the side valences to.

Side valences come with necessary cutting and trimming, so you need to fit them and scribe them to the cut you have so you get a nice, neat, tight fit.

Before you put everything together, you need to prep the material and remove any paint from the edges you’ll need to weld.

When you’re satisfied with the placement of all the panels, put some weld-proof primer to prevent any rust from developing in the future.

To see the rest of the process and learn more about how to install the trunk floor on a BMW 2002, check out the video below.

How-to 914: Rear Trunk Floor Pan Install

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Ever wonder how to install a rear trunk floor pan in a 1973 Porsche 914? In this video, the guys at Restoration Design show you just how to do that.

As always, we recommend doing a lot of the prep work before starting on the installation itself. We’ve drilled out all of our welds, ground down the steel and prepped it with weld-through primer.

It’s also worth mentioning that we coated the inside of the transaxle support channel with POR-15 to help reduce any potential future rust.

We also recommend prepping the floor pan itself by punching holes for the rosette welds and do any necessary trimming to get it the size you need for you specific car.

Next, put the piece in place in the car so you can scribe your line and cut the existing piece to fit the replacement piece. Then, using self-tapping screws, put the piece in place and use your hammer to make any necessary adjustments for fit.

After this, you need to make sure your trunk support fits properly. Using the two holes on either end of the trunk support, make sure at least one of them lines up with the floor pan.

Once you have a nice fit, go ahead and weld in your trunk pan. When doing your rosette welds, make sure to leave enough space between the welds to keep the temperature of the steal down. Then, roll the car over and take care of your sway bar mounts.

You always want to make sure the measurement from centre to centre of the sway bar mounts matches manufacturers’ specifications. If your 914 didn’t come with sway bar mounts, as some of them don’t, make sure you’re installing them properly as they’re essential.

Get more details about this installation and see the finished product in the video below!

How-to 914: Rear Engine Compartment Shelf Installation

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Next up in our 1973 Porsche 914 restoration project is the rear engine compartment shelf installation. This is the follow-up to our suspension console installation video.

The part we used is customizable and none of the flanges are bent. This is to allow you to fit it perfectly to your specific Porsche. After years of being on the road, none of them will fit exactly the same so it’s important to be able to fit it snugly to your model.

Prep your part by bending the flanges and prep for all of the plug welds. It will probably take some time to bend the flanges to fit your car, as this part is very particular.

When installing the engine compartment shelf, make sure you use clamps and self-tapping screws to secure the piece in place. As always, we coated the new part with weld-through primer before installing it.

When you’re happy with the way the part is fitting and everything is secure and in place, you can start welding. Take the time to weld in the corners to get a better seal.

After inspecting your welding and making sure you haven’t missed anything, grind it and clean it up.

Watch the video below to see how we did it!

Porsche 911ST Update

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Did you check out our introduction to the Porsche 911ST project we were working on? Check out this follow-up video update.

Adam takes us through levelling the sled bench, panel installation and fittings for the doors and windows.

The most exciting update for this project is the new car bench. By adding some adjustable legs to the car bench, it allows us to make it level and help with using the zero plane on the car.

You may remember that the 911ST came to us with very little metal left on it. When replacing parts on a car, don’t take too much metal off at one time. In the meantime we’ve taken care of the front end and the door placement. Adam put all of the panels on the front of the car, but is still working on making the left side level.

We’re going to be redoing a lot of the bracing. Once we have door towers on, we can get to mounting the doors, then taking care of the rockers and other essential parts of the front end.

To level the bench, we used an old school machining level.

Adam uses a bunch of jacks and jigs to prop up the car and mark the zero for the car.

Find out how Adam found the zero plane for the car, and see the rest of the Porsche 911ST update!

 

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: Floor Pan Installation on a Porsche 912

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When we restored a 1967 Porsche 912 at Restoration Design, a lot of prep work went into the floor pan installation.

First, we replaced all of the flanges in the tunnel and front and back perimeter. This inspired us to put together a kit for purchase to make this part of the process a lot easier and less time-consuming for all of you.

Our professional steal beater, Wes, replaced the inner and outer rocker on both sides of the floor and took the time to replace the heater tube while we could still access it.

We also took the opportunity to replace the brake line which was rusted. You should always take the time to replace or repair any pieces in the tunnel during this stage of the process, while you still have access to them.

The floors we make come in three pieces: rear section, front section and gas pedal piece. In this video, we focused on the rear and front sections.

When you first put the floor pans in place, you’ll need to determine what adjustments you need to make to fit it into the flanges.

When both floor pans are in place, make some final adjustments for the scribe lines.

Check out the video for more tips and tricks for a floor pan installation!

How To 911/912: Install Your Front Gas Tank Support

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As a follow-up to our last blog, How to 911/912: Front Suspension Pan Restoration, we’ll be showing you how to install your front gas tank support.

Because our vintage Porsche’s lateral gas tank supports were rotten, first we installed new ones.

Next, we had to install the suspension reinforcements and the gas tank support.

After covering the lateral gas tank supports with weld through primer, we can install the gas tank support.

Depending on the year of vintage Porsche 911/912 you have, you’ll need to choose the corresponding front gas tank support to fit your model.

While some companies believe in “one size fits all” when it comes to front gas tank support, at Restoration Design we aim to get you the right part for your model year.

After you’ve screwed in the gas tank support, you can start welding it – starting at the top corner, moving to the opposing corner, to the diagonal corner and back and forth. This makes sure no one part heats up too much and prevents distorting the metal.

Check out the rest of our front gas tank support installation process by watching our video.

How To 911/912: Front Suspension Pan Restoration

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If you’re interested in restoring a vintage Porsche 911 or 912, this is a great starting point.

In this step-by-step video, we’ll show you how to restore your front suspension pan.

First off, you’ll have to remove all of the rusted metal. For our own restoration, this took about 8 hours.

Depending on where your Porsche is cut, you can trim our front suspension pan piece to fit your specifications. It’s also a good idea to spray it with weld-through primer.

Once you’ve done this, you can begin securing it with self-tapping screws to the body of your vintage Porsche.

If you think you’ve got it in the right place, you can test it out by lining it up with your suspension. From there you can adjust it to fit if you need to.

Check out our video for more details about this step in the restoration process!

 

Restoration Design’s Porsche 911ST: Introduction

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In 2013, we decided to restore a 1972 911ST – our first!

The project started off the same way most restoration projects do: we sanded the body down and realized there was more rust damage than we had anticipated.

The sanding also revealed that the 911 had been in a front-end collision, meaning we had to replace the entire inner fender.

This model of Porsche didn’t come with proper ending panels and didn’t have rock guard, so we would be doing the same with this restoration.

The ST we purchased was produced for racing. While American race cars were building bigger engines to win races, Porsche increased their horsepower and made their cars more nimble and a lot lighter – which proved to be successful.

These models also didn’t come with ashtrays, glove boxes, the heating and ductwork was removed and the gas tank fill was located under the hood.

Check out the video to see the ST before we restored it, and check out our other videos to see the restoration process!

Restoration Spotlight: Making of the Porsche 356A Hood

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Back in the fall of 2007, we noticed a substantial need for hoods for 356s. Getting a good quality hood was pricey and often difficult. So, we decided to start making them ourselves.

To start, we purchased one of these good quality hoods from the US. Painting it matte black and getting some of the minor imperfections out made it possible for us to use this as a template for scanning.

We got the scanning done by a third-party, who then sent us the scan. We imported the scan into our own computer system so we could design the dye. Designing each dye typically takes 100-200 hours – just for design time.

After the dye was designed, we had to design the different tool paths for 4-6 different tools.

From there, we had to machine the dye using steel and composite to withstand the pressure of the press.

After the dye is machined, it needs to be polished. Polishing the male and female parts of the dye for the 356 hood took about 16 weeks in total.

Check out the video to see the rest of the process and the finished product!

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: 1967 Porsche 911 “The Pink Pig”

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If you’ve ever seen us at a major Porsche meet in the US or Canada, you’ve probably seen our 911, the Pink Pig.

The Pink Pig is the nickname of our 1967 Porsche 911 which we originally bought in the US for $800. While we initially bought it to sell it for panels, we soon identified a better use for it.

We use the Pink Pig for showing people how and where different parts that we make fit onto a restoration.

We outline parts with red lines and mark the part number on the car.

But why the pink? The unique colour is to mimic the 917 Porsche race car. It’s thought that the race car was painted overnight by its mechanics, and it had red lines on it to distinguish meat cuts.

Check out the video to see the Pink Pig!

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