Dan~60bird48065 Rust Issues

[YellowRose]

New user, Dan, up in Michigan, said "he has found some frame rust on my 60 bird and need your input to see if the unibody can be saved or have i got a really nice parts car. The rust has damaged the two frame members leading to the front kay members i will attach some photos. Please advise if you can."

Several of you have had this problem recently I know. Please look at the pix that Dan sent and give him your opinion whether or not you think this Tbird can be repaired. Here are the pix. If you need more, let us know and Dan can see if he can get some additional pix.

[Joe Johnston]

I will be the first to state "I hate rust" and have repaired many rusted out areas when living in OH. My 56 Thunderbird had nothing left at all from the transmission hump out to and under each door other than the frame, but that frame is what allowed that car to be saved.

I think more needs to be known:

-what is the rest of the underside like? floor, trunk, rocker areas? Other structural areas? Spring and suspension mounting areas? Somewhere you will need something solid to weld new metal and reinforcement to.

-what is the present condition of the interior, glass, engine, transmission, chrome and SS trim, brakes etc. Does all of this need restored, or would these make excellent parts to sell?

-How much can you do yourself? can you weld? do you have a shop area you can use for a year or two?

-Do you have the time to devote to this project?

-Money talks - what is your budget? Try to add up the restoration expenses to the best of your ability, then double it!!! Restoration always leads to cost over-runs and quality paint and body work is very expensive. Compare that amount to what you can buy a restored car for now and think about subtracting what you can part this car out for.

-Anything can be fixed but is it really going to be economically feasible if you can't do it yourself? It's one thing to tackle a project to learn and enjoy, but too big a project will only lead to frustration and a stagnated hulk sitting in the garage. Additionally a lot can be said for the instant gratification of driving and enjoying a restored car that you just bought. I've done that too and your personal goals for this car need to play into your decision as well.

It can be fixed, but at what cost? That is the question which needs to be answered.

Good luck either way you go.
J

[jopizz]

I agree with everything Joe says. It's rare for a car to have one rusted out area and the rest to be rust free. Rust in that area is usually an indication of much larger problems. The amount of work involved is probably outside the scope of most hobbyists. If you have the knowledge, ability and tools to do such repairs then you are well above the average mechanic and it's probably worth tackling. However if you need to pay someone to do the work then it will far exceed the value of the car. That's a decision you will have to make. Since we have no information on how long you've owned the car, how much you paid for it or whether it has some sentimental value it's hard to make a black and white recommendation. If I was looking at the car and it was for sale I would probably determine that it was a parts car.

John

[simplyconnected]

Restoring classic cars is a money pit that you will never see again. Is it worth it? To some, at twice the price it is certainly worth it. To others who are in this for investment reasons, NO!

Now we come to a fork in the road; are you an enthusiast or a restorer? I have a cousin with ten classic cars. He has knowledge, tools, ability and equipment but NO fabrication skills. He's sunk.

He recently restored an old U-Haul trailer, and rewired it. Then he called me... "Dave, come over. I put LED tail lights in and the wires are getting hot." Long story short, when removing a tail light, the socket components are loose and spring loaded. One of his wires was folded over and he crammed the bulb on top of it, shorting out the wire to ground. When I saw it I shook my head. There was nothing wrong with the bulb or socket. He simply gorilla-ed the bulb in. In fifteen seconds it was all good but he was clearly overwhelmed.

You have a front sub-frame that is constructed in two 'clam shells' then they inserted bolt hole reinforcements on the inside then welded the two halves together. This is to prevent your steering box bolts from crushing the frame when you torque them tight. Can it be duplicated? Sure. 12-ga. steel isn't that expensive, the bolt reinforcements can be made of 3/8" pipe nipples welded in place and the parts are easy to weld because the metal is thick.

The big question is, would you enjoy restoring this car? Even if you get someone to help would you do it? If not either sell the car or the parts to someone eager for this project. - Dave

[toddgilroy]

I had some rust in the same area, on both sides of the car, but not as bad. I had a shop that does a lot of frame and unibody repairs assess the issue and make the repairs. They put the car on a lift and had four guys checking everything out. It was worth the cost to me for the peace of mind when I get it back on the road.

[60bird48065]

still in the fight

thanks folks for all the great info i really want to restore the car, but will keep you informed of the out come i have found another body so the journey goes on

[YellowRose]

Dan~60bird48065 Rust Issues

Dan sent me more information and answered a lot of your questions. He also sent me more pix for you to review. Here is what he had to say.

"thank you for the post it appears i have joined the right web site.

i have attached pictures of the car and i hope it describes the condition well. my mechanical abilities i think are pretty good i have experience with most areas of restoration, my tools are that of a general mechanic, i have some specialty tools, i have a small welder but have access to larger ones if needed, based on this repair i will have to access the welder from work.

general condition of the car is fair, i got it running took if for a ride down my street. car has new brake cylinders, master cylinder, fuel pump, gas lines and some brake lines.

rear springs need replacing, power steering works well, lights work, power windows work, dash guages work intermittently, turn signals, cig lighter, also work.

my intention is to restore the car, and make a safe and dependable car for the family to enjoy some car shows, cruises and general bonding with my sons. frankly they need to get away from the video games and get dirty.

i spent 2k on the car the way it sets. i was really, motivated but i got a big surprise when i found the rust in the frame.

i have located a new body i will also send photos of that.

i have fell in love with this year of bird based on the research, and the engineering that went into the car. again i appreciate your input and all the members wisdom to get this bird back on the road.

regards, Dan Muns"

I gather the body he has located is just that, something that he can pull panels and support beams off of, if they are not rusted out. Here are the pix he sent me.

[60bird48065]

round two

purchased a body today, basically its the whole car less the motor trans, and interior, i have attached some pictures now i just have to arrange shipping, any members out there have any recommendations for reliable shippers.

Here are the pix that Dan sent me to post for him. There are a few more I will also upload. Some of these, as you can see, are quite small, but that is what I got.

[YellowRose]

Dan~60bird48065 Rust Issues

Dan, I deleted your duplicate post. I am not seeing your pix and I have looked at this Forum using two different browsers. You can send those pix to me and I can post them for you. Or you can create a Photobucket account and post them there, as 800x600pixel pix and then post the link to them here.

If you look at the Technical Resource Library, at the very bottom of it you will find a good number of Auto Transport Companies listed that many others on here have used over the years. Normally, they are used to transport bought or sold Tbirds and other classic cars back and forth across the country. But they probably would also transport a car shell also..

[YellowRose]

Dan~60bird48065 Rust Issues

Here are the remaining pix.