Our '66 has a fresh nose and...
Our '66 has a fresh nose and is straight as an arrow. Making sure the unibody is straight and properly welded together makes bolt-on sheetmetal installation that much easier.
Progress on our '66 hardtop is moving right along, thanks to the swift work of Classic Creations of Central Florida and the generous assistance so far from KS Reproduction, Goodmark Industries, Virginia Classic Mustang, and others. In previous articles, we tackled rear framerails and trunk floors, as well as the recent addition of torque boxes when our new floorpans were installed. We wanted to finish up the back of the car before moving on to the cowl repairs and the front sheetmetal, but a problem prevented us from doing just that.
The problem lies in the fact that Danny Gaydos of Classic Creations prefers to hang the doors when installing full quarters--which, in all actuality, is a good thing. We just didn't know to order the doors sooner. Since our original doors were well beyond repair, we decided to order up a pair of reproduction doors. The doors were on back order and, to keep things moving, we moved on to other metal repairs. We hope to finish up the rear quarters and get the sheetmetal completely assembled in time for the Silver Springs show, which by the time you read this, will have been almost two months ago.
We're going to save the cowl for a later article, even though we have the patch panels here now. Instead, we will go forth with the engine compartment area and replace the radiator core support and inner fender apron, where the battery tray bolts in. You will also see that we came upon a surprise in the framerail that had to be repaired as well. The core support and inner fender are both KS Reproduction items and are available at many Mustang parts retailers. The lines are crisp and the holes for the starter solenoid and rubber battery shield are already stamped in the inner fender panel.
1 To obtain the proper measurements,...
1 To obtain the proper measurements, Danny Gaydos of Classic Creations diagonally measured the engine compartment from one fixed point to another, and then repeated the measurement for the other side--effectively checking the front end to verify if it is out of specs.
2 After Gaydos recorded the...
2 After Gaydos recorded the measurements, he used a Sawzall to cut away the cancerous metal at the inner fender by the shock tower. Notice the coil spring cover has had the nearer-most bolts removed before cutting. Make sure you wear eye and ear protection while cutting.
3 After sectioning the bad...
3 After sectioning the bad metal at the center of the core support, Gaydos removed the second half of the rusted core support to complete the major cutting operations.
4 Using a wire wheel, Gaydos...
4 Using a wire wheel, Gaydos removed the old paint and sealer to expose the original spot welds for the inner fender apron and the core support. This step is necessary to accurately locate and drill out the spot welds.
5 Gaydos located the original...
5 Gaydos located the original spot welds and drilled through only the top layer of metal. The drilling operation is a skill that takes time to master. If you have little patience or "feel" for drilling, then we suggest a special spot weld cutting drill bit.
6 Once the spot welds are...
6 Once the spot welds are drilled out, the remaining pieces of core support can be separated from the inner fender. Here Gaydos grabbed the end of the strip of core support and pried it away.
7 The same steps in photos...
7 The same steps in photos 4, 5, and 6 are used to separate the remaining old metal from the right shock tower and the first crossmember.
Separating the old metal from...
Separating the old metal from the shock tower brace.
8 Using a body hammer and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
19 That third section of...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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!