1965-1968 Ford Mustang Core Support Replacement

8 Using a body hammer and body dolly, Gaydos straightened all the areas that he will be drilling and welding to. Having a straight panel to weld to promotes a stronger weld and will give you less hassle down the road during reassembly.

9 Next, Gaydos ran a grinding disc over the freshly separated areas to promote adhesion for the weld-thru primer and to clean off any surface rust before welding.

10 Using either a drill bit or a handheld sheetmetal punch--depending upon access--Gaydos made holes in the edge of the original left fender apron in preparation for MIG welding.

11 To promote a strong weld and prevent any future rust between the two panels after they are welded together, Gaydos preferred to use a weld-thru primer such as 3M Weld-Thru Coating on the surfaces about to be welded.

12 The new panels from KS Reproduction will be punched with holes as well. These include the top corners of the core support (shown here), the bottom edge of the core support, and the leading edge of the new inner fender apron where it will weld to the new core support.

15 The rear hole is larger and features a more squared-off edge, thus Gaydos hand-finishes the opening with a small file after performing the same drill bit/carbide cutter operations as the first hole.

14 Gaydos continued on the opening with a carbide cutting tip to enlarge the hole and give it the proper shape.

15 The rear hole is larger and features a more squared-off edge, thus Gaydos hand-finishes the opening with a small file after performing the same drill bit/carbide cutter operations as the first hole.

16 Before we could begin installing our new sheetmetal, we found a bad section of front framerail (from battery acids) at the right front that needed to be repaired first. Gaydos proved us wrong in thinking we would need to replace the framerail. As with most metal repairs, Gaydos had to drill through the factory spot welds to separate the three layers of steel found here.

17 The spot welds for the sway bar mounting bracket had to be separated from the framerail to allow room for replacing the rusted section of the framerail.

18 The Sawzall came out once again to cut out the major rust-damaged areas. Gaydos had to cut away only the inside edge and the bottom of the framerail, while the top and the outside edge remained.