Replacing the Rust! - Quarter Panels/Roof Panel/Cowl Assembly/Tail Panel (Part 1)

 We had originally only wanted to replace the passenger side quarter panel as it had been hit on that side at some point in its lifetime. There was a large amount of body filler on the panel and rust as well. But then after looking at the other side, there was rust issues as well so we decided just to do both. The tail panel and trunk brace at the rear also had some issues so we were going to replace them at the same time as the quarters. As if that wasn't enough already, the roof skin needed to be replaced because of rust issues in the upper windshield area. Since the windshield leaked, the cowl assembly was also rusted right through, so we needed to replace it as well!

 We started by cutting off the quarter and dry fitting the new trunk drop off panel and outer wheelhouse. The wheel house and quarter panel on the original metal had been cut and bent upwards as a DIY rim roll to fit bigger tires. Just another reason to replace them with new metal.

 Roof skin and quarter ripped off and most of the welded areas ground smooth.

Before going any further, we cleaned up the surface rust a bit and coated the interior metal with POR15 rust proofing.

 Off comes the tail panel and rear trunk brace. I would like to note that if it weren't for the staggered rear shock plates that we put in, then we would have put some other type of temporary cross bracing in the trunk area to keep the frame rails from flexing inwards or outwards.

 As you can see on the drivers side, someone had cut the inner quarter lips about every two inches and folded them up and out of the way to make room for bigger tires. This is sloppy and must be fixed.

 Workin' hard. Drivers side quarter panel coming off. Removing all of the factory resistant spot welds can be a long and painful process. Stay hydrated!

 As you can see here. A very common rust issue with these old mustangs is in the trunk drop off area. It is especially annoying because it isn't just one panel that would need to be replaced. Rust in this area would mean you would have to replace the trunk drop off, the outer wheel tub, and the quarter panel as well if you opt not to do just a patch panel. If you look closely at the quarter panel in this picture, someone had put a plate of metal down there it looks like to somewhat cover the rust holes...

 Some fresh and non rusty metal! The new trunk drop off patch fit well, was clamped in and then but welded so that the seam was after the drop off as to be not visible when looking in the trunk once the repair is all said and done.

 The butt joint was then welded solid, taking time not to overheat the metal while welding.

 Then, after spraying some weld thru primer on the lip where the outer wheel tub was going to go, we started welding it on.

 I don't know what I'm doing here but probably being picky about something.

Wheel tub fully welded on and it fit very well.

 After some excessive clamping for fun, we lined up the new trunk cross brace. Using the left trunk drop off as a guide, and the underside of the brace which sat in place with the frame rails as a guide as well, we welded it in place.

 After ripping the old cowl assembly off which was completely rotten, we completely cleaned up the firewall and coated it in POR15.

 Since the cowl assembly was off, it was easy to coat hard to reach places like the insides of the cowl vents.

 Scuffed and coated the bottom of the new cowl panel assembly as well.

 

 Since the whole drivers side pillar was completed rotted out where the windshield sat, we managed to pickup a pair of pillars off of ebay to repair this area. Somehow, aftermarket companies don't make these pillars for the car which surprises me because they seem to make just about everything else!

 

A little bit of trimming and test fitting to get it just right.

 

Fits well! All of the rust areas taken care of.

 A quick coat of POR15 inside and outside before welding.

 

Let's do it.

 "Welding"

 Perfect dimes. Lol

Ground down a bit before we put the cowl assembly on. Will take care of the rest when the door comes off later.

Stay tuned for more!

Lola - Tear Down

 Since our garage was a little bit full while we were doing a tranny swap in my Dad's 428 mach, my buddy Kody and his dad Mike let us store the car at their house for a bit. While it was there, Kody and I got everything prepared for the engine pull and starting pulling a few things apart to see what we were really working with. We first scrapped the hood because it was fiberglass, along with the bumpers.

 To prepare for pulling the 302, we took off the export brace, monte carlo bar, headers, radiator, and some other stuff like the fan and battery just to get them out of the way.

 A real first look at the drivers side floor pan and it seems solid, a little bit dirty and covered in factory seam sealer but solid. You can see this car was originally a manual transmission and someone had just pushed the clutch pedal to the floor and put in an automatic transmission instead. 

A nice surprise after pulling up a bit of the carpet for the first time. Factory paint in awesome condition, hope the rest of the floor is like this.

 A nice aftermarket radio.. and no heater controls.. Further inspection revealed there was no heater box either.

 After removing what was left of the headliner and trim pieces this rust was revealed. Although it may look a little rough most of it is just surface rust.

 A common thing to do with these cars was to cut holes in the package tray to add speakers in the back of the car since they only came with factory front speakers in the dash. This will need to be fixed.

After ripping the rest of the carpet up, we were pretty happy with what the floor looked like. Only problem was a couple of small holes where it looks like somebody cut with a torch for some exhaust hangers.

 

Back home with the mustang so its time for the real tear down!

 

 The engine came out in a matter of minutes with all of the prep that we did back at Kody's house.

 Looks like Dad is taking the dash apart. Having fun?

 Most of the interior sheet metal looks like it is in fairly good shape.

Looks like we're missing some stuff behind the dash...uh oh.

 Engine is pulled!

 

After pulling the front windshield, we really weren't happy with what we had found. At some point in this cars life somebody had done a terrible job at replacing the front windshield and used a type of sealant that held in moisture, result in major rust issues all around the edge of the windshield. Because of this, the cowel panel, A-pillars, and roof panel will all need work or need to be completely replaced.

The rear window lip is in a lot better shape than the front.

 This is also another reason why we are going to need to replace the cowl panel assembly. The rust hole in the left of the picture is a result of leaves and debris inside the cowl holding moisture eventually rusting through the panel.

 The rest of the panel and firewall may also look rusty but most of it is just surface rust and will easily be removed with a wire wheel or fine grinding disc.

 The floor is looking even better after a bit more clean up! No rust issues here.

The driver and passenger side floor pans are solid after cleaning the seam sealer off of them. Only a few small pin holes to fix later.

 Quarter extensions off

 Grille and front valence off

 Seats disassembled and ready for rebuild

 Dad inspecting my work after the fenders and extensions were off

After taking the fenders off we found out that somehow the drivers side coil spring cover was missing and the passenger side spring was broken. What were they doing with this car?!

The plan for the steps of this restoration is to have all of the interior parts and exterior trim/mounting parts all restored before we start body work so that once the car is painted it will all come together in a matter of days! That being said..I think the seats are up next.