Found this lurking beneath my battery tray!

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sciabola13

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Location
North Carolina
My Car
1971 Mach 1
Found a nice hack patch from a PO under my battery tray! Looks like a chunk of galvanized sheet metal cut and caulked/glues/screwed.

Obviously that is coming out. Need some advice on repair strategy!?!?

Cut out bad section and replace or just replace that inner front fender apron as a whole?

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Doh!

I could swear someone on the forum did a review on some brand of repop brace and sheetmetal they were pleased with. Personally I would think it may be easier / cleaner to do the whole panel from the shock tower forward. Just a bunch of spot welds to deal with...

 
Nah...I see lots of Bondo in your near future.

 
Nah...I see lots of Bondo in your near future.

Great idea! On my way to buy the gallon jug now, I hear the hardening additive is optional!

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Doh!

I could swear someone on the forum did a review on some brand of repop brace and sheetmetal they were pleased with. Personally I would think it may be easier / cleaner to do the whole panel from the shock tower forward. Just a bunch of spot welds to deal with...

I agree, that is my strategy I think. And the welds will be contained on the fender side, will look cleaner and better overall.

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What the heck is that bar/brace in your picture for? I've never seen that piece...what else am I missing on my car?

Now to your problem...I just replaced a small section under the battery support bracket on my car. By looking at your picture replace it from the shock tower forward. The frame rail looks pretty rusty too.

 
What's wrong, can't you use a caulk gun?  lol
I mean that's good.. you want that there

 
I would replace the front apron. You will also need the reinforcement under the battery that has nuts to hold the battery tray. They were selling them on ebay and they were great. I found the link for another member last week and sent . The new repo panel will not have the holes for the fender nuts. Drill and file and 30 min. done. Drilling the spot welds is more time consuming than anything. Be sure and wash that whole area with baking soda to kill the acid. I would fix frame while in there.

Carpenter sells an excellent battery tray looks just like and original.

 
I would replace the front apron. You will also need the reinforcement under the battery that has nuts to hold the battery tray. They were selling them on ebay and they were great. I found the link for another member last week and sent . The new repo panel will not have the holes for the fender nuts. Drill and file and 30 min. done. Drilling the spot welds is more time consuming than anything. Be sure and wash that whole area with baking soda to kill the acid. I would fix frame while in there.

Carpenter sells an excellent battery tray looks just like and original.

Thanks! I am in Durham NC by the way. If you are ever through here hit me up. Work has kept me busy and I haven’t been through the mountains lately.

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Pulled the fender and was mostly pleasantly surprised by what I found underneath. Front inner apron as expected. Everything else not too bad.

The rust hole in the rear apron section near hood hinges has me a little worried. Not sure best strategy at all to repair that.

Advice appreciated!

Jeff

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I would replace the front apron. You will also need the reinforcement under the battery that has nuts to hold the battery tray. They were selling them on ebay and they were great. I found the link for another member last week and sent  . The new repo panel will not have the holes for the fender nuts. Drill and file and 30 min. done. Drilling the spot welds is more time consuming than anything. Be sure and wash that whole area with baking soda to kill the acid. I would fix frame while in there.

Carpenter sells an excellent battery tray looks just like and original.

Thanks! I am in Durham NC by the way. If you are ever through here hit me up. Work has kept me busy and I haven’t been through the mountains lately.

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If you make it to the mountains give me a shout we can go visit some of the car guys here. Been putting off going to verify a couple of the 427 mustangs that are near here. One in Franklin and the other in Asheville. There was one in Spartanburg also when i went to car show at BMW plant it was there. One of Bud Moore old employees had it probably got at Ford from prototype shop like he did the Torino King Cobras that are now worth a million. Same guy has the King Cobra that has the 427 mustang. I know Marti says non on his list but prototypes were not on his records. It could have been a DSO special order also and Marti did not get those records. I think the Bud Moore paid $1,200 or $1,500 for the King Cobra cars. He had been to Ford to get some Mustangs to build for Trans Am racing and came out of the prototype area and saw them and ask what was up. Ford was going to crush but sold them to him. I am sure others at Ford got cars out also. Maybe someone has that mid engine Boss 429 stuck in a barn somewhere.
 
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Pulled the fender and was mostly pleasantly surprised by what I found underneath. Front inner apron as expected. Everything else not too bad.

The rust hole in the rear apron section near hood hinges has me a little worried. Not sure best strategy at all to repair that.  

Advice appreciated!

Jeff

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The rust in those areas is pretty typical. For the rust over the shock tower you can fab up small pieces to cut out the bad and weld small patches in. Also check the sealer around the firewall and torque box. Usually loose and gets rusty under it. Need to clean POR coat and re seal it.

Are you missing the front plastic splash guard on the fender you took off? Also look at the VIN#that is stamped about even with the shock tower and verify it matches the dash and door.

Couple pics of how mine looked with fender off. This car was from California so not so rusty. Yes the factory sprayed that much color inside the inner fenders on this car.

If you are missing the splash guard I have spares will sell you one.













 
There is a plastic splash shield at back near door but not one at front

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