and removed the lower portion of the cowl as well. Anyone else done this yet? After I got to the lower cowl, hit it with the grinder with wirebrush, holes just started opening up. Even what appeared solid wasn't. No wonder the damn thing leaked. Pics will follow. fun fun fun... wire welder here we come...
How much work was it to take the cowl off? How did you do it? I think mine is leaking there. Its wet by the pedals when it rains and the drivers floor board is rusted out. I need to find a helper to help me look for the leak but its sitting in the garage for now. Thanks
It isn't fun. I'm not a body man, so I can't give you experienced information. To give you my perpective, I've done engines, put an AOD in my car, fabricated stuff so the AOD works, longtube headers, brakes, minor body work, windshields, etc... If I were charging someone to do this, it would cost more than the car is worth. If doing this yourself, its very rewarding. Get a spot weld drill bit, drill out the welds, need a chisel of some sort, preferably an air chisel, to pop off whatever may be left over... The fenders, hood and windsheild must be removed before you even get started. There will be many holes torn that have to be patched, regardless of what method you use to get the cowl off. I am hoping to be finished this year, admittedly it isn't full time on the car, but my job leaves me tons of free time during the week. I don't see this being done before the end of the summer. If I really get going, I may get the cowl itself back on the car within a month or so. I expect at least 40 hours solid work. I've probably got 15 in it so far, and that is assuming all goes well with no hitches. My floorpans will be replaced also. Then comes the rest of the car...
ug..ga..ly... looks like you bit the bullet and jumped right in.. i went under and did it from the bottom. the big diff. is you can stand and do it. if doing again, i will go from the top...frank...:bananaman
how did you get pics of my car? lol mine looks just like that. Where the bottom of the cowl is welded to the unibody is showing rust, not serious, but its started, so its laying on the floor by the car. I patched the cowl last year with fiberglass and undercoating spray, it actually held. The rust had tiny pinholes, didn't really leak, but got moist, I didn't patch them because it looked solid from the bottom, couldn't see them. The windshield frame was gone tho, about 2 foot long section was being held on by the windshield seal.
i didn't know i had a problem till i was washing off some curd from when i removed the fenders, i saw the water on the floor and when i pulled the cable to see if the vent was open it fell out this is how my 69.5 has sat for going on 2 years, lately i have had the itch to get back to it, but the garage is too cold at the moment.. heres the other side
If mine looks that bad I am just going to have my buddies dad fab me a new one. He works with sheet metal all the time doing duct work for just about everything. Then I will hit up my buddies bro to weld it in for me he is gooooooood with a wirefeed. :bananaman :bananaman :bananaman let the good times roll!!!
I have 2 complete rust free cowls that I cut out of other cars. The top and bottoms sections are not separated. They are kinda big and bulky and might be hard to ship but email me if interested. I can bring them to the roundup or ford carlisle. I figure their worth $100 ea plus shipping. Mavaholic@aol.com
wish i could afford it. i have a pile of metal in my back yard that used to be a 72 dart that a friend parted out. im thinking of making my new cowl out of whats left of the roof of the dart.. i hate to use the mopar metal though..
