Hi Guys, new to the forum but been scanning and learning for a while. I have '76 Comet I'm trying to start restoring but it has some major salt wounds underneath. I'm particularly concerned with where the front of the rear leaf spring mounts to the uni-body at the rear frame rail. I have perforations in my rail AND in the floor where the spring mount and the frame rail connect to the floor. Has anyone on the board repaired this kind of damage? I might opt for the new subframe back half if I absolutely have to but I'd like to keep the original set-up if I can. Not even sure I'd have something solid enough to weld a subframe crossmember to though. Anyone have any suggestions?
If you have the means to weld, anything can be repaired. You just need to find a good doner car to cut the pieces out of.
not that big of a deal to replace/repair that stuff. just make sure your sitting on the suspension if you do decide to cut parts out, or youll skiv the car, and like mavaholic said, youll need to find a donor, which you should be able to find right here in the parts wanted section. (or make some rails, which aint hard either.) were not familiar with your fabbing skills, so its hard to direct you properly. best of luck in any case.
Thanks for the insights, I think I'm a decent welder and fabricator but a lot out of practice. I'm not sure what you mean by "sitting on the suspension", do you mean not to have it on stands and elevated? I currently have a wire feed welder capable of doing body panels and I have experience in an earlier lifetime doing professional body work. I'm just a little concerned with getting a donor peice in there right an not messing up the geometry too much. I want to run a 4 speed with a 9 inch when it's re-done so I want to be sure it's capable of handling the stress and isn't sitting cock-eyed. I guess the trick is to find someone willing to cut a rail and some floor pan out of a crusher bound car. You'd have to drop the rear and the springs first so it'd be a bit of a job. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled.
i meant supported by the suspension. and youll see cars on here from time to time for that reason/purpose.
im cutting up a 71 comet,,front chassis and trunk floor..not sure if the front of the rear spring pockets are the same...
I'd assume the rails would be the same. I know the early ones had the smaller gas tank and different center of the trunk pan but I'd think the leaf pocket / rails would be the same since the qtrs etc were the same. As long as we're talking 2 door models. I need the whole rail front to back - basically the length of the leaf spring from front mount and surrounding area to taillight panel. Mine are there but there's rot holes in both ends and sections with holes in between. The rear shackle is actually puched through the mounting bushing and into the top of the rail / pan. The front is still somewhat there but the pan around it is going and the thicker metal at the spring mount is showing lot's of flaking away.
