Mustang Monthly

1965-1968 Ford Mustang Core Support Replacement

19 That third section of metal we mentioned earlier is actually a plate with two nuts swaged in place for the bumper mounting brackets. Since most of this plate was lying inside the framerail as rusted particles, Gaydos held the mounting nut to the outer rail with this bolt-and-locknut affair to weld the nut to the rail.	20 Here Gaydos worked his magic with the MIG welder by welding the bumper bracket mounting nut to the inside of the framerail. After the welding was completed, Gaydos cut and formed a patch to repair the inside edge and bottom sections of the framerail.	21 The completed repair looks like factory work. The seams are ground smooth, and the sway bar bracket has been reattached. Also, you will notice that Gaydos drilled a new alignment hole through the sway bar mounting bracket (arrow). Beautiful work takes time and knowledge, and this is beautiful work.
22 Now, we can continue with the remainder of our front-end sheetmetal repairs. Gaydos checked the fit of the inner fender apron again, and clamped it in place using a multitude of locking pliers.	23 Next, the core support was lowered into place and checked one final time. Gaydos used locking pliers here as well.	24 Using the original measurements taken in the beginning before any metal was cut off, Gaydos checked the alignment of all-new panels, and adjusted them as needed to get the new measurements to match. When everything was the way he liked it, more locking pliers were added to secure the parts and prevent any error by parts shifting.
25 Using his trusty MIG welder, Gaydos went about his business welding all the new front-end panels to our '66 hardtop. The buzz and crackle of the welder filled the air for about 20 minutes, and then the work was finally completed.	26 New holes will have to be drilled for the spring cover mounting bolts, but that is a minor job compared to what we just witnessed.	27 Our core support and inner fender apron are now secured and ready for us to begin stripping the engine compartment of all the old paint, rust, and grease 30-plus years of road use can do to an old Mustang. Next up are new quarter-panels and the hanging of our reproduction door shells--we hope!

See The Entire Build!

Project '66 - Restoring a 1966 Ford Mustang

We take a glimpse inside the how, what, why, and where of restoring a vintage Mustang

Prev | 1 | 2 | 3

Discuss in Our Forums

Bookmark & Share This Article:

FREE, no-hassle price quotes on the new Mustang you’ve been looking for.

Related Photos

	1965 Ford Mustang GT350R Shelby & 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Pony Tales Exclusive Ford Mustang Stories, featuring a 1965 Ford Mustang GT350R Shelby, 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, and much More!... more
	Atlantic Blue 1998 Ford Mustang Saleen Cobra - Only You... Exclusive Atlantic Blue 1998 Ford Mustang Saleen Cobra, featuring a 4.6L DOHC Cobra V-8 engine, BFGoodrich Comp T/As, and More!... more
	Electric Red '93 Sedan - Sanitary Sedan We couldn't pass it up and, quite frankly, if we had, we might have been bludgeoned within an inch of our lives by nightfall. Three years in a row, the Electric Red '93 sedan of Tony and Jossie... more
	Shorty Headers, Strut Brace And More - Late-Model Corral Getting Ahead (er)I have an '89 GT and I just bought new equal-length shorty headers. Do you have any tips about removing and installing them, particularly the right side? Should I remove the... more
	'73 Mach 1 Centerforce Clutch Setup - How-To Hard clutch pedal. You groan every time you see a traffic light and your left leg looks like you've been working out with Ahnald and the boys at World Gym. You're constantly wondering why the clutch... more
	1969 Shelby GT350 - Shelby Fever "Ownership is not necessary . . . "... more
	1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Drive Time Despite all the clichs about Southern California-sipping designer water, yakking on a cell phone in traffic, consuming chips and guacamole over margaritas, and signing on the freeway using a single... more
	Supercharged 2003 Ford Mustang Roush 380R - R Is For Rip-Roaring Roush's New 380R Ups The Ante For Supercharged Mustang Performance... more
	1970 Ford Mustang Grabber Fastback Boss 302 - Grabber Blue Persuasion John Wilgus' Trick Is Convincing People His '70 Grabber Fastback Is Not A Boss... more
	1994 Ford Mustang GT & 1990 Ford Mustang GT - Late-Model Corral GT Late Models!... more

Car Research Guide

- Ford Mustang

- Used Ford Mustang

- Ford Mustang GT Convertible

- Ford Mustang GT Coupe

1965-1968 Ford Mustang Core Support Replacement

Related Photos

Related Articles

Car Research Guide