How much is too much?

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

>Started striping the old paint yesterday.
>
>More irksome news -- A previous owner used bondo to "sculpt"
>a front fender, the "eyebrow," and the header panel. ****
>this sux.
>
>On the plus side, the driver's side rocker panel isn't in as
>bad of shape as I thought it might be. Judging from it's
>"naked" appearance, the subframe shouldn't be too bad (I
>hope). The door (same side) isn't all full of bondo. What
>a nice suprise!

Corrections are in order ...

The front eyebrow wasn't sculpted ... but all the surrounding metalwork was --

This unibody is begining to get irritating.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

I have posted some "as-is" images of my underneath as well as a sketch of what I am thinking about doing with my rockers.

It can be seen at http://www.greenmountainaccess.net/~...rd_rockers.htm

Would like to hear comments on approach and how others are coming along.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

>I have posted some "as-is" images of my underneath as well
>as a sketch of what I am thinking about doing with my
>rockers.
>
Looks a lot like the underside of mine.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

Khanson......I just looked at your pictures........... WOW !! I just had a bad flashback !!! Mine wasnt quite as bad.........but was pretty close. I checked out the sketch you made and everything on the right side is what I had to gut out and replace. My inner frame that runs under the door was fine..............that piece that has all the holes was just about gone........as well as the piece that holds the gas and brake line. Ill never forget though........the sinking feeling I got when I removed my front wheel wells. I did basicly the same thing though you are planning to do.........and it had held up quite well with no separating or buckling. My father (a pipefitter by trade) explained that it would actually make the frame stronger since I went the whole length of each side. Before you do any welding to seal the frame up.............fix a vacum cleaner up with any type of long hose and run it anywhere you can get it to remove dirt,rust, leaves...........and in the case of my car..........I had several mouse "nests". Anything like this can retain water and do future damage.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

58tdactly - thanks for the input.

I am working the "left" side as shown in my section detail as I think I can do what I need to do strucurally and keep my initial repairs to the bottom and not have to patch any painted sheet metal that can be seen from above, which would add a whole new dimension to this first sequence of repairs. I know that I have work to do on the "right" but plan to do a thorough teardown in a few years when I don't have anything to do (right). My outside rockers, at least on the driver's side from what poking around I have done, I believe look like the photo seen on PaBob's restoration site.

I haven't taken the back of the front wheelwell splash gaurd out yet, but maybe I had better move it up a bit on the list. I had planned to take them out especially on the drivers side to get to the power brake vacuum tank.

I have taken the flat closure piece that is underneath the car just in back of the wheelwell off that opens up to the front frame arms to where they meet the rocker section (one of my website pictures is of this). A few opportunities here but lately I think I will only do some surface patching/reinforcing, if anything, as I would prefer to check alignment before doing to much cutting and replacing (The guy I bought it from thought or was told that it had been smacked in the right front, but if it was it is not all that obvious).

I have taken out two mouse nests and have at least one more to get to - amazing who likes these squarebirds....

The vacuum cleaner thing is a great idea as there is a lot of loose scale in the bottom of these things. In addition to trying to paint as much as possible, I am planning on using the Eastwood wax undercoating when I get done and have not been happy aobut the thought of squirting this stuff on piles of scale.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

I had some heater hose left over and with some "miracle" duct tape........... attatched it to a vacum cleaner hose. It was great when it came to reaching way up inside to get as much as I could. Another good place to vacum is inside the door.......and where the door hinges are. You can even run it inside the heater plenum........and inside those "doors" that open to let in fresh air. Anywhere you can get at with a vacum.........get it. !! I found a total of 6 mice nests. Strangely enough........all the "nest" material came from up under the headliner.........go figure.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

> I had some heater hose left over and with some "miracle"
>duct tape........... attatched it to a vacum cleaner hose.
>It was great when it came to reaching way up inside to get
>as much as I could. Another good place to vacum is inside
>the door.......and where the door hinges are. You can even
>run it inside the heater plenum........and inside those
>"doors" that open to let in fresh air. Anywhere you can get
>at with a vacum.........get it. !! I found a total of 6 mice
>nests. Strangely enough........all the "nest" material came
>from up under the headliner.........go figure.

Great idea that heater hose! I've been vacuming everywhere I could reach and was wondering how I was gonna get into some of those tight spots.

[JohnG]

RE: How much is too much?

the car at this Ebay listing might be the kind of "donor" you
could consider, with further investingation into its condition.
It appears to have been partially rolled so the roof is trash
on one side. The underside might (I use the word "might" carefully)
be of value. There is also the issue of compatibility with
58s. There is probably a ton of money to be recouped by
selling off good parts from it. (the rear bumper looks quite
good in the photos). Who knows?? The car does not appear to
be selling at $2000...

url: [http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...PageName=WDVW]


John

58 Hardtop

[http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=8452]

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

>the car at this Ebay listing might be the kind of "donor"
>you
>could consider, with further investingation into its
>condition.
>It appears to have been partially rolled so the roof is
>trash
>on one side. The underside might (I use the word "might"
>carefully)
>be of value. There is also the issue of compatibility with
>58s. There is probably a ton of money to be recouped by
>selling off good parts from it. (the rear bumper looks quite
>good in the photos). Who knows?? The car does not appear to
>be selling at $2000...
>
>url:
>[http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...PageName=WDVW]
>
>
> John
>
> 58 Hardtop
>
>
>[http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=8452]
Thanks John! I'll go take a look.

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

>>[http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=8452]
>Thanks John! I'll go take a look.

By the way -- Your Thunderbird is absolutely stunning!

[Guest]

RE: How much is too much?

>the car at this Ebay listing might be the kind of "donor"
>you
>could consider, with further investingation into its
>condition.
>It appears to have been partially rolled so the roof is
>trash
>on one side. The underside might (I use the word "might"
>carefully)
>be of value. There is also the issue of compatibility with
>58s. There is probably a ton of money to be recouped by
>selling off good parts from it. (the rear bumper looks quite
>good in the photos). Who knows?? The car does not appear to
>be selling at $2000...
>
>url:
>[http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...PageName=WDVW]
>
>
> John
>
> 58 Hardtop
>
>
>[http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=8452]
BTW, I forwarded this "find" to the Registry -- You have credit for finding it.

[JohnG]

RE: How much is too much?

thank you for the compliment on my car as well as the credit
on registering that car. The photo of my car was from about
40',a good distance to minimize flaws! But it's coming along...

john
58 Hardtop