Of the many cool things that we can do to our hot rods, sheetmetal replacement is definitely not on the list, or at least it may reside at the very bottom. Other than the satisfaction of knowing that your car is solid, it doesn't really make your car go any faster or sound any cooler, and looking better is relative to what your car looked like before you welded in the new metal--oftentimes you've screwed up a decent paintjob just to install a front fender or quarter-panel patch. With most of these cars having reached 40-plus years of age, the vast majority of them will need some sheetmetal repair, unless you buy a car that has already had the work done or one that is possibly a survivor from the southwestern United States.
Our Colt of Personality '66 Mustang fastback project seemed to be a pretty solid car when purchased, and for the most part, it was compared to others that were considered at the time. As we've begun to peel back the layers of parts on our quest to improve the performance of our Pony, we've come across more and more previous repairs. While repairs aren't necessarily a bad thing, the quality, or lack thereof, with which they were executed has been less than desirable. As the owner of the Mustang plans to keep Colt of Personality for the foreseeable future, we decided it was best to forge ahead with professional repairs in these areas to provide the perfect foundation.
Luckily, we've found ourselves in the capable hands of Gillis Performance Restorations, and while the staff does have a knack for finding all of the uglies that you simply don't want to see in your car, they do a superb job at repairing these foibles. As you'll see in the accompanying photographs, an extensive amount of work went into the front end of the car before we started installing our new Total Cost Involved independent front suspension. In an upcoming issue, we'll cover some of the body mods made to the rear of the car, which were thankfully not as extensive.
If you live anywhere other than the Southwest and you're planning on restoring and/or modifying your ride, take a look at these images and their locations in particular for problem areas that you just might have to drop some money to repair prior to modifications. For that matter, it should at least help you make a more educated inspection of a possible future purchase.
1 After extracting the 289...
1 After extracting the 289 at Modified Mustangs & Fords' tech shop, we hauled the rolling chassis to Gillis Performance Restorations in Port Richey, Florida, where Rusty (left) and Brian (right) started the disassembly process to allow better access for the suspension installation. Something about opening the Mustang's lid at this point seems a lot like opening the proverbial can of worms in retrospect.
2 The first suspect area...
2 The first suspect area is one that is common to most vintage Mustangs, and that is the battery area. Here you can see that there were no less than three very poor and brazed repairs.
3 Directly below the battery,...
3 Directly below the battery, and likely a result of the damage to the apron above it, was this patch on the framerail. It was brazed in with several tack welds, but it was easily pried open with a screwdriver. Inside the framerail, there was a nice pile of former framerail, which had since turned into a small pile of rust.
4 The cowl panels are suspect...
4 The cowl panels are suspect in Mustangs, as well as most vintage cars. Ours wasn't in the worst shape, but poor fiberglass repairs made the present rusty state of the cowl panel much more apparent.
5 Brian Gillis loves to poke...
5 Brian Gillis loves to poke at his projects with a screwdriver or punch, and the Ford tool, i.e., a hammer. Here he is testing the integrity of the cowl-panel-to-firewall seam, which was showing signs of rot.
6 After removing the paint...
6 After removing the paint from the cowl panel, we decided to call up National Parts Depot for a replacement of both lower and upper pieces, as well as the side panels. NPD has everything you need to save your Mustang from the flesh-eating ailment. Here, Brian drills out the numerous spot welds to allow him to pry the two-part cowl apart.
7 With the top panel of the...
7 With the top panel of the cowl removed, you can see the rot around the air ducts. Oftentimes there are just large gaping holes in the lower panel, so ours didn't look half bad, relatively speaking.
8 With the lower panel off,...
8 With the lower panel off, you can see just how jagged the edge of the panel is where it meets the firewall. This area is right out in the open for all to see, so considering that and the rot around the ducts, it made sense to replace the panel.
9 Here, you can see the slippery...
9 Here, you can see the slippery slope that is uncovering 40-plus years of exposure to the elements. Brian has since removed the cowl side panels, rear fender aprons, and the front fender aprons--it would eventually get worse.
10 Since project Colt of...
10 Since project Colt of Personality is going to be using a number of modern components in the build, we had Brian weld up the majority of holes in the firewall.
11 The new, lower cowl panel...
11 The new, lower cowl panel is next, and is spot-welded in just like the factory did it. The sight of fresh metal on the car is an encouraging sight that instills confidence.