Frame Help Any Ideas

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FunForFree33

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
15
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0
Location
West Hurley, NY
My Car
1972 Mustang
1995 Honda Civic
Ok so the drivers side frame on my 72 coupe is severly rotted what should I do any ideas? Im not a good welder and wouldnt know where to begin anyway. Anyone know what I could do that wont break the bank?

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Funforfree,

I experienced the same problem with my 72. My recommendation would be to find a solid donor car. Coupe, Fastback or convertible does not matter as they all have the same front clip from the firewall forward. They recently starting reproducing the front rails, but they are more expensive than sometimes buying a whole parts car. I recently noticed a front clip for sale on eBay. i will see if I can find the posting. I ended up replacing the entire front clip on my car as well as the rear rails. You will need to find a reputable body shop with a frame jig to do the replacement. I have a guy in Atlanta that did my work. You need a jig to put the car on to obtain measurements prior to cutting it apart so they can properly install the new pieces. Don't want to be driving down the road at an angle. Either way, it is a pretty extensive repair, but worth the investment if you are wanting to keep the car. I will attach a photo of mine in process.

1972 mustang after media2.JPG

1972 mustang after media1.JPG

 
Ok so the drivers side frame on my 72 coupe is severly rotted what should I do any ideas? Im not a good welder and wouldnt know where to begin anyway. Anyone know what I could do that wont break the bank?
I hate to say this but $800.00 wasn't such a good deal looking at those pictures..Welcome to the world of north east mustang hell. There's no cheap fix unless you do the work yourself & even then your looking thousands..You made a mistake Thats the reality period...My advice..part it out (maybe you will break even after you factor in your labor) & find something better to start with..That car is nothing special or anything worth putting the money into. If the rail & floor looks like that it's a sure bet the cowl area is just as bad..Take it from someone who knows.. check my website & you will see whats required to repair that car www.saturdaymorninggarage.com



Funforfree,

I experienced the same problem with my 72. My recommendation would be to find a solid donor car. Coupe, Fastback or convertible does not matter as they all have the same front clip from the firewall forward. They recently starting reproducing the front rails, but they are more expensive than sometimes buying a whole parts car. I recently noticed a front clip for sale on eBay. i will see if I can find the posting. I ended up replacing the entire front clip on my car as well as the rear rails. You will need to find a reputable body shop with a frame jig to do the replacement. I have a guy in Atlanta that did my work. You need a jig to put the car on to obtain measurements prior to cutting it apart so they can properly install the new pieces. Don't want to be driving down the road at an angle. Either way, it is a pretty extensive repair, but worth the investment if you are wanting to keep the car. I will attach a photo of mine in process.
B..he's looking for a cheap fix..Tell him how much you have into it including the shop that did the work & you should put a dollar amount on your labor that was required before you sent the car off (to be accurate)..Thats no cheap fix you did :cool:

 
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AS MUCH AS I KNOW IT HURTS, THE GUYS ARE TELLING YOU RIGHT. IF THAT PART OF IT IS THAT BAD THE REST HAS TO BE THE SAME OR CLOSE. THESE THINGS ARE GREAT CARS BUT PRONE TO RUST. CHECK IT OUT ALL OVER. THEN DECIDE. IF YOU CHOOSE TO FIX, YOU GOTTA LEARN TO WELD OR FIND SOMEONE TO HELP, AND GET READY FOR ALOT OF PREP LIKE THE JIG BEFORE YOU START, AND BE PREPAIRED TO SPEND MONEY. LOTS.

YOU CAN BUY INDIVIDUALE PARTS BUT THE COMPLETE FRT CLIP WOULD BE BEST, THEN WHAT ABOUT THE REST.

BOTTOM LINE I WOULD LOOK FOR ANOTHER CAR AS PREVIOUSLY SAID.

 
Ok so the drivers side frame on my 72 coupe is severly rotted what should I do any ideas? Im not a good welder and wouldnt know where to begin anyway. Anyone know what I could do that wont break the bank?
I hate to say this but $800.00 wasn't such a good deal looking at those pictures..Welcome to the world of north east mustang hell. There's no cheap fix unless you do the work yourself & even then your looking thousands..You made a mistake Thats the reality period...My advice..part it out (maybe you will break even after you factor in your labor) & find something better to start with..That car is nothing special or anything worth putting the money into. If the rail & floor looks like that it's a sure bet the cowl area is just as bad..Take it from someone who knows.. check my website & you will see whats required to repair that car www.saturdaymorninggarage.com



Funforfree,

I experienced the same problem with my 72. My recommendation would be to find a solid donor car. Coupe, Fastback or convertible does not matter as they all have the same front clip from the firewall forward. They recently starting reproducing the front rails, but they are more expensive than sometimes buying a whole parts car. I recently noticed a front clip for sale on eBay. i will see if I can find the posting. I ended up replacing the entire front clip on my car as well as the rear rails. You will need to find a reputable body shop with a frame jig to do the replacement. I have a guy in Atlanta that did my work. You need a jig to put the car on to obtain measurements prior to cutting it apart so they can properly install the new pieces. Don't want to be driving down the road at an angle. Either way, it is a pretty extensive repair, but worth the investment if you are wanting to keep the car. I will attach a photo of mine in process.
B..he's looking for a cheap fix..Tell him how much you have into it including the shop that did the work & you should put a dollar amount on your labor that was required before you sent the car off (to be accurate)..Thats no cheap fix you did :cool:

I would agree that it is not a cheap fix and involves a professional, but at the same time I had many people tell me my car was to far gone to restore when I bought it in the 80's. Needless to say I did not listen to them and to this day I am glad I made that decision. Each person needs to make their own personal decision on the amount they want to invest in restoring or saving their car. We all know the stories of projects that either chewed through the owners wallet quicker than one could imagine. We also know of the projects where a significant amount of money has been spent only to reach a dead end and come to a screaching halt. Q I would agree that your years of experience and knowledge in body work does make you more informed than me and I would place credit in your advice. At the same time, my car holds a special place in my life being the first car I ever owned, started dating my wife in and something my father and I worked on together to bring it to driveable condition when I was in High School. Lord permitting, I will never sell this car and look at it as a significant piece of my life that I would like to save and pass down to my son when it is the right time. Not all cars hold that place in peoples lives. So my choice is to save it and bring it back to its former glory as time and savings permit.

Just to provide some frame of reference to fonforfree, I replaced the front clip, floor pans, trunk floor, inner and outer wheelhouses, qtr. panels and rear rails for $5,000. This includes the purchase price of all of the parts. My situation may not be a good investment decision, but this car will never be sold and has more sentimental and family value than any other material possession I have.
 
I would agree that it is not a cheap fix and involves a professional, but at the same time I had many people tell me my car was to far gone to restore when I bought it in the 80's. Needless to say I did not listen to them and to this day I am glad I made that decision. Each person needs to make their own personal decision on the amount they want to invest in restoring or saving their car. We all know the stories of projects that either chewed through the owners wallet quicker than one could imagine. We also know of the projects where a significant amount of money has been spent only to reach a dead end and come to a screaching halt. Q I would agree that your years of experience and knowledge in body work does make you more informed than me and I would place credit in your advice. At the same time, my car holds a special place in my life being the first car I ever owned, started dating my wife in and something my father and I worked on together to bring it to driveable condition when I was in High School. Lord permitting, I will never sell this car and look at it as a significant piece of my life that I would like to save and pass down to my son when it is the right time. Not all cars hold that place in peoples lives. So my choice is to save it and bring it back to its former glory as time and savings permit.

Just to provide some frame of reference to fonforfree, I replaced the front clip, floor pans, trunk floor, inner and outer wheelhouses, qtr. panels and rear rails for $5,000. This includes the purchase price of all of the parts. My situation may not be a good investment decision, but this car will never be sold and has more sentimental and family value than any other material possession I have.
Very well said B..I'm in the same boat as you with mine..Anything can be fixed & brought back all it takes $$$$ You got an amazing deal for the work you had done although you didn't receive a finished (not paint & body work) product..You still have to do all the finish work (weld grinding,primer,seam sealing) to the structual repairs which is where the real time & $$$$ are. So you can add about $3500.00 + materials for that work your going to do yourself & you didn't include your labor prior to sending the car out...so lets round it out, your looking at least $10,000.00 for that type of job to deliver a finished product.

 
Wow, what a sad reality of northern life. Good advice. No doubt but that you can regain your investment by parting the car out only if you do not plan to buy another. If you want to stay with this year Mustang, find a better starting point and keep this one for valuable parts.

 
I would agree that it is not a cheap fix and involves a professional, but at the same time I had many people tell me my car was to far gone to restore when I bought it in the 80's. Needless to say I did not listen to them and to this day I am glad I made that decision. Each person needs to make their own personal decision on the amount they want to invest in restoring or saving their car. We all know the stories of projects that either chewed through the owners wallet quicker than one could imagine. We also know of the projects where a significant amount of money has been spent only to reach a dead end and come to a screaching halt. Q I would agree that your years of experience and knowledge in body work does make you more informed than me and I would place credit in your advice. At the same time, my car holds a special place in my life being the first car I ever owned, started dating my wife in and something my father and I worked on together to bring it to driveable condition when I was in High School. Lord permitting, I will never sell this car and look at it as a significant piece of my life that I would like to save and pass down to my son when it is the right time. Not all cars hold that place in peoples lives. So my choice is to save it and bring it back to its former glory as time and savings permit.

Just to provide some frame of reference to fonforfree, I replaced the front clip, floor pans, trunk floor, inner and outer wheelhouses, qtr. panels and rear rails for $5,000. This includes the purchase price of all of the parts. My situation may not be a good investment decision, but this car will never be sold and has more sentimental and family value than any other material possession I have.
Very well said B..I'm in the same boat as you with mine..Anything can be fixed & brought back all it takes $$$$ You got an amazing deal for the work you had done although you didn't receive a finished (not paint & body work) product..You still have to do all the finish work (weld grinding,primer,seam sealing) to the structual repairs which is where the real time & $$$$ are. So you can add about $3500.00 + materials for that work your going to do yourself & you didn't include your labor prior to sending the car out...so lets round it out, your looking at least $10,000.00 for that type of job to deliver a finished product.
Q, agreed this will definitly be an investment of my time and $$$ appropriate savings. Working on the cars is my therapy. Sure we may cuss and feel dejected at times, but we always come back to it knowing we will figure it out and enjoy the end result. My time working on the car is better than sitting on the couch not doing anything positive.

 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think it would be really sad to see this car not get repaired. The body is really nice and so is the interior. I dont know yet what to do. It would be really cool to see this car back in its former glory.

 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think it would be really sad to see this car not get repaired. The body is really nice and so is the interior. I dont know yet what to do. It would be really cool to see this car back in its former glory.
I think that is a perfect attitude!!!! It is fixable and probably should be, just keep in mind it will not be a cheep fix. But worth it in the end!!! Good luck and ask us lots of questions to help you do it!!!!

 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think it would be really sad to see this car not get repaired. The body is really nice and so is the interior. I dont know yet what to do. It would be really cool to see this car back in its former glory.
I think that is a perfect attitude!!!! It is fixable and probably should be, just keep in mind it will not be a cheep fix. But worth it in the end!!! Good luck and ask us lots of questions to help you do it!!!!
Doc..I'am going to butt heads with you on this one & disagree..This is the type of project that unless he's willing to spend thousands of dollars to do it & see it through you run from ..It's also the type of project you see all over the internet these days of project cars for sale where it was taken apart some work done then abandened for lack of funds or loss of interest because the person took on more than they bargined for.. Belive me when I say that car has rust in the cowl..hinge pillars..rear rails..etc..There's more than meets the eye there...& that car is unsafe to drive in it's present form..As I said anything can be fixed..How deep are your pockets ? On the other hand where there's a will, there's a way..but the way still costs $$$$ no way around it

 
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I like the go-get-it attitude, but I have to agree with Scott on this one. He doesn't want to break the bank, and this will definately demand a LOT of money and time. It would probably be a good parts car, but even sentimental value has its price, unfortunately.

 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think it would be really sad to see this car not get repaired. The body is really nice and so is the interior. I dont know yet what to do. It would be really cool to see this car back in its former glory.
I think that is a perfect attitude!!!! It is fixable and probably should be, just keep in mind it will not be a cheep fix. But worth it in the end!!! Good luck and ask us lots of questions to help you do it!!!!
Doc..I'am going to butt heads with you on this one & disagree..This is the type of project that unless he's willing to spend thousands of dollars to do it & see it through you run from ..It's also the type of project you see all over the internet these days of project cars for sale where it was taken apart some work done then abandened for lack of funds or loss of interest because the person took on more than they bargined for.. Belive me when I say that car has rust in the cowl..hinge pillars..rear rails..etc..There's more than meets the eye there...& that car is unsafe to drive in it's present form..As I said anything can be fixed..How deep are your pockets ? On the other hand where there's a will, there's a way..but the way still costs $$$$ no way around it
No head butting taken, I do agree with you Scott as it will cost a lot of $$ if were to be fixed. Now you are also right that if he does want to keep it alive he needs to be committed to the work involved and the $$ amount it will take to do it. I only said that to show him both sides of it so he can make a good choice. You are giving very good information on how much work there would be to do it. with that said, I do also think it should be parted out for a better body. I think I put that right.....:huh:

 
I went through this on my 72, however my car had less damage.

realistically when you farm this work out, your looking at 5000-8000$ worth of repairs.

your going to need a front clip to start, but remember with our cars approaching 40 years old, even the donor clip will need repairs.

for my front end repair i believe it was around 7000$ when all was said and done and i needed extra work.

now i also did engine work and cowl work which bumped my total to replace everything to the A pillars to around 12,000$

this is some of the work done to my car

http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y377/72hcode/towers%20and%20rails/

this covers the cowl part of the repair

http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y377/72hcode/cowl/

and finally i went further and striped back the firewall and torque boxes and repainted then added all new parts

http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y377/72hcode/suspension/

with damage like mine or yours it has to be a full gut its the only way to deal with it short of just getting a new car or chassis and starting over.

the span of work covered in those photos is about 9 months.

it was another month before the car was running and driving.

it took 1 year to work the major bugs out of it.

another year to work the minor bugs out of it.

 
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