So I'm on the final stretch with my comet and now all that is left is some rust repair and body and paint. It has the typical passenger side floor board and cowl rust. The cowl rust is pretty localized to the donut section which is now detached, the area around it is still pretty solid (I jabbed around with a screwdriver). My real question is do you think I can use the method where you go in from the side fender area like this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKHn7fFPZoc or do you think I should do it the right way and remove the windshield and drill out the spot welds? I have a decent amount of welding and fabrication experience but this will be my first time doing this type of thing on a car so any tips or pointers would be greatly appreciated! I attached a picture of the cowl from inside the car. Thanks!
IMO,... you can't really get as good of a repair from the side as you can by removing the entire cowl. The plus side to removing the entire cowl top is once the repairs are made, you can then use POR15 or any other rust encapsulator to ensure many more years of leak/drip free service prior to reassembly.
Agree with BKelley - that is the way I repaired mine by removing the entire cowl top - fixed both rings but also found pin holes elsewhere that I would not have found if I left the top on
Ok it sounds like the consensus is to do it the right way. Did you guys use mustang cowl repair pieces and just make it work? Were there any issues with fitment?
I bought the 2 Mustang cowl vents from CJ Pony Parts but only used what I needed out of them - still needed to re-work them a bit then coated the entire cowl with Rust Bullet
Had to jump in here gang .. I've dealt with SIX leaking cowls over the years and successfully stopped the leaking without removing the entire cowl .. When making a repair to any cowl here we remove the vent slats entirely and are able to access the entire underside of the cowl area .( Plenty of Room ) We After removing all the trash and washing the dust out .. we air dry the area ..Clear the drain areas,both sides, Install metal patches where required in the tray if the opening merits it , Then apply some OSPHO to the entire area top,bottom, ends , sides and let dry for 48 hours. The entire area is treated with Resin and fiberglass matting , another coat of Resin on top of that to ensure a good seal .. after curing the entire area is painted with POR 15 just for good measure . After the sealing of the ' Interior ' of the cowl , we fashion two metal panels to fill in the openings made initially .. Weld them into place , prep and primer, then when the car is painted the visible cowl area is smooth with no slats.I personally like the smooth appearance. By removing the slats , pine needles , dirt , misc. trash and water cannot enter this are . There is plenty of air flow without the slats . All our cars have Vintage ACs and they work just great. My Comet has been on the road 12 years now since we made repairs on it as I've described herein and NO LEAKS .. We've driven through some horrendous Rain Storms during the HOT ROD Power Tours we've been on and we never experienced any leakage. The other cars which we have performed this procedure on have no leaks either. We completed my Daughters 72 Maverick in 2005 . There are photos on my website if anyone wants to view this procedure www.cameoclub.com Not saying there is a Right or Wrong Way to stop the cowl leakage .. only there is more than 'one' way. Just my take on this gang . Cometized (Chip)
If you're serious about keeping the car, do it the right way. It's a big job, but it's the only way to FIX it. Like @BKelley said, you can at least then protect the weld and the rest of the cowl that isn't rusted. Here is the link to MY personal experience with cowl repair/replacement. I was lucky enough to get a rust-free donor cowl for mine. http://mmb.maverick.to/threads/paul-massons-71-grabber.92251/ Good Luck, and keep us posted on your progress!!
Hi Paul: I've viewed your many posts showing the extensive work you've performed in order to ' FIX ' your leaking cowl. Nice Thorough Job ! Kudos to your expertise . I've FIXED six leaking cowls over the years and NONE of them are leaking . As I said previously and still maintain, there is more than ONE WAY to address this problem. Cometized (Chip)
I've got a cowl to repair as well. Has anyone done it with the motor and dash in place. I understand it would be much easier with them out of the way.
Yes, as Chip stated above, it is very possible and he has done it. You can find additional details from his website: www.cameoclub.com Once there, click "Restomod" on the left side, in the window that opens, click "Got a leaky cowl vent"
Good alternatives but mine is too far gone. Top cowl has to come off... curious to see if anyone has taken top cowl off with dash and engine still in. If I take the engine out the snowball is just going to get bigger and I'll stroke it. Will see how confident I am after I repair the floor pans. This is driver side cowl view
If you are going to go that route and start drilling the spot welds you will need to take out the engine.
I was lucky not to have any rust through in my cowl. but I did like the "cowl delete" that Chip did to his cars... so while I had the vents out I used https://www.rustbullet.com/ and fiberglass mat to seal the cowl area from future rust.
Hi Frank: Just got a look at your very smooth ' cowl delete work ' .. Well Done !! Looks Factory.. When someone asks Me about the absence of the 'slats ' on my car , I tell them that I have a " Canadian Comet " and they all come like that along with the double taillights, door lights and mustang back-up lights in the valance .. Always gets a reaction . ( I tell them the truth afterwards.. ) Usually gets a laugh. Cometized (Chip)
