Chassis jam - engine bay

Cutting into the chassis to remove rusty bits - careful now

If you are wondering what happened with the rusty driver's side cowl sides and toekick panel rust I was knocking out, looks like the parts I need to fix that are backordered. We'll have that stuff in a week or two. Not like there's a dearth of stuff to do on this beast, so this week the TL;DR is I started removing front suspension and worked on completing some things we need to repair in the engine compartment. I found out that our front bumper struts were rusted clear through and need replaced. I fabricated some patches and began fitting a new inner fender on the passenger side. Oh, and as usual, I made a shitload of sparks with the angle grinder and cutting wheel for dramatic garage action

Springs, shocks, and bumper mounts

Springs actually look pretty good

I decided since lots of the front suspension is slated to be sent to the scrapper, no time like the present to get started ripping out things. It may not seem like it, but we're actually pretty close to painting the engine compartment, frame, and front inner fenderwells. Getting rid of the last of the cruft will help get us there. I removed the shock tower covers and spring covers, then the old, dead, shocks.  Springs came out (with some sweat invested) next. The unexpected removal came when I discovered penetrating rust on the bumper mounts. A quick shove answered my question- the thing just crumbled. Luckily they are pretty cheap, so new ones are on the way.

Battery tray rust hole repair

The passenger side engine compartment where the battery tray is located got some love this week. Batteries powering this car's electrical system over 50 years corroded the sheet metal all around its home, including the radiator core support, the passenger frame box, and the inner fender. One of the previous owners had fashioned a so-so fix by riveting in some 22 gauge sheeting coated in thick black goo, which I noticed while cleaning out the bay. I removed it in favor of arresting and eliminating rust as well as welding in permanent repair panels

Traced locating marks around

Before I cut...

Although I have this nice new replacement inner fender from CJ Pony Parts, I noticed the "ears" spot welded to the backside (also rusted at where the metal sandwiches together) are not included. These pieces are mounting points for the headlight bezels, so I imagine they'd be missed if I tossed them! I carefully air-chiseled them off and set aside for re-use. I'll have to weld them back on once I weld in the new inner fender.
  

Removing the rust hole- inner fender

This path makes sense, honest

The joke is- to remove a hole first you need to make a bigger hole, which I did. I didn't need to remove the whole inner fender panel, just the damaged part. So I'll be using about half of the replacement panel, just cutting nice and casual-like while templating everything out carefully. The location of the fender mounts are critical, the correct mounting of the headlight bezel ears is important. The rest can slide around a mm here and there.

Fab time: radiator support rotten spot

Ah crap

I cut the inner fender, then elected to chisel off the spot-welded tab carefully with an air chisel. The patch where the inner attached to the radiator support panel unfortunately tore. It tore because rust damage at the attachment point created a perfectly perforated line. This tore really nicely when I hit it with the air chisel. Plan B: It didn't make sense to buy anything here, since the damaged thing had a pretty simple shape. I decided I could easily fab up a patch. I

Damage, cut out. Template, lookin good!

stopped, carefully traced the profile onto some cardboard, then cut out the damage. I made a patch replacement from some scrap 18 gauge steel and popped it in there. Easy

New steel patch. Fits like a glove!

peasy.

Next week?

Next week Hopefully I'll have my cowl patch. I'll be getting back to repairing the driver's floor and the lower firewall over there so that this hot rod does not have anything in common with Fred Flintsone's ride!

More Pics

cowl rust- new panel on the way!

shocks and springs out

bumper mount- wasted

look at all the rust that fell out when I hit it with the impact!

The frame has surface rust, but it'll live. I may add a gusset.

That Itch

OK, let's take everything off

The floor repairs are looking good, but as thorough an inspection as I thought I gave to the surrounding panels, I noticed some problem spots I hadn't previously expected to be a big deal. Upon further inspection however I realized that these places had also received not-so-great riveted, mudded tin panel repairs, which at best mask the problem without really having addressed it. The damage was in two locations: around the wheel housings where they intersect the floor in the trunk, and on both toekick panels around where the driver and shotgun passenger's floor panel reach upwards to the firewall (and consequently, where salt spray from the front wheels would be hitting the body- makes sense in Illinois). I realized that there was no way I couldn't do this right without planning more rehab. Patching (or ignoring) really wouldn't cut it. Even if it's stuff I can't easily see, it'd bug me. It would be an itch I couldn't scratch. I'd know it was there. And really, doing a great job includes doing complete detail work in invisible places.

Removing everything

Garage cat scanning terrain for mice with laser beams

To access the toekick panels and cowl sides for needed repair, I removed the instrumentation, the fenders, bumper, valence, steering column, steering clutch/brake pedal assembly, and the steering box. This was the last equipment left bolted in, really. I guess bragging rights will have to include "complete nut-and-bolt resto".

Unsafe at any speed?

Although the column (above) is out, this javelin remains

Ralph Nader was going after the design of the Chevy Corvair about the same time as this car was being assembled in Dearborn, MI. I own other classics with underdeveloped or nonexistent safety gear (my son was super confused when he first climbed in my '59 Chevy and discovered "no seatbelts")- I should have known I'd find something, and now was the time. When I removed the steering column I discovered that the steering shaft and steering box are pretty much one whole piece. Modern cars separate the two with a guibo or rag joint so that, amongst other reasons, the thing won't skewer the driver through the chest should he get in a crash. The one in this car would make shishkebab out of me. The guys on the Mustang forums lovingly refer to it as "the thoracic impaler". I will be installing a safer steering box. I'm sure there is another person out there who is looking to restore their '65 Mustang back to OEM spec, and I have a steering box assembly for them. Hopefully they trailer it everywhere or park it in a museum or make a planter out of it or something.

Why replace when you can upgrade?

Detroit Speed minitub kit, unboxed

When I saw the rust-through around the rear wheel houses, it was discouraging. I began estimating the time and materials it'd take to properly repair yet another thing. I returned to the car to inspect them and noticed that these things were probably bad when the quarter panels were replaced, telling me the damage had time to degrade. But as I looked at all the different sheet metal, I realized this was an opportunity. For a modest premium over what stock wheel houses cost, I could instead modify the wheel opening to fit a wider tire (245s are about the limit on the stock Mustang, as opposed to 335s with a mini-tub kit). Pretty cool. I ordered the Detroit Speed kit that includes the wheel tubs and the frame boxes needed for the narrowed rear. Great upgrade, it'll add safety due to increased traction, and it'll look pretty badass.

Next week, we scratch the itch and cut out the last of the bad parts

More Pics

Sittin on the dock of the bay?

wiring labeled, gauges removed

steering box and pedals, removed

removing the wheel

dashpad coming out

AM radio! Retro.

Spike, my chickenshit cat

That tail says "I smell a maus!"

There's more car on my wall than on my car!

Removed the nose.

Gotz a fender!

fenderless

cowl driver side have some old repairs screwed on

shotgun side looks ok

It Ain't Fun Until You're Covered from Head to Toe

You have dirt on your face, just there- did you know? -Hermione Grainger

Test fit: driver's side floor pan and seat pedestal set in place

Last week I didn't get much garage time in but I managed to accomplish a rough test fit on the driver-side replacement floor pan sheet metal. Although not a huge step, I realized it was a milestone of sorts- this is the first thing I've put back on the chassis. Up until now you've seen me and the kid tearing down this, cutting out that. When I realized I was building, I cracked a little smile. I've turned the corner.

Parking brake cable and exhaust hanger brackets avoided

The fit looks good topside but I noticed some things going on underneath that required some care and attention before I started cutting. There was still fuel and brake lines that needed removal. There also were some fittings, threaded , gussets, and unibody frame boxes that should not be cut into or cut off. I traced around the new floorpiece with a Sharpie, then modified the cut line after locating the underbody components and transcribing up top.

Oooh, looky! Brown gas! Not sure what to do with this.

While thinking it through I remembered I needed to drain the tank of fuel- yes it still had gas. How old? Really freaking old. This car was in a barn for at least a dozen years. As luck would have it, the drain bolt was of course seized in its bung. No problem. Since I knew I wasn't going to chance it, I already sourced a new tank. After loosening the gas cap, a quick whack with a hammer and a steel punch got things going.

Made a clean spot - guess I'll do the rest

After cutting out the old floor I went to work cleaning up my edges, chiseling old tabs off and grinding old spot welds. I had put off this point, but I knew I needed to clean all the dirt, grime, and undercoating off the underside in order to do everything from welding to painting. There really is no great way to do this without a rotisserie or a media blaster, so I just got in there with my goggles and grinder and commenced to blasting off 50 years worth.

Another poor rust repair that needs to be redone

Bad news: While cleaning off the undercoating in the driver's side front wheel well, I found another riveted-tin rust repair on the foot panel connecting the floor to the firewall. This means the metal behind the dashboard needs to be repaired before I weld in the floor panel. The reason for this is the seam needs to face rearward, with the raised lip in the car. If I installed the floor panel, then the foot panel, the seam would face forward with the raised lip in the engine bay, which would capture lots of moisture, and rust prematurely. So I'll pause here since I now need to remove the steering column and probably the entire dash. For those keeping score, besides the front suspension (which is all getting replaced anyway), this is the only thing we hadn't taken out. So officially, this rebuild is now a 100% every-nut-and-bolt job. Sure, why not?

Afterward in the house my family commented on the aftermath. Apparently I looked interesting enough to be banned from the kitchen and living room, then got sent straight to the hallway bathroom for decon. I must admit, I've been dirty before, but I've never before taken a bath where afterwards I needed to then clean the bathtub and the soap. I didn't even know you could make soap dirty.

More Photos

Lovely

Test fit, floor and seat pedestal

Bright lights footswitch is on very shaky ground

Test fit, from the bottom

 

Chiseling off the old floor welds

Possible problem point - rust in between sandwiched subframe and sheetmetal pieces