Projects 59 Custom 300 rust bucket... A journey back to the road

Thank you Rui! That's a big help. I'll PM you with my email. Thanks again!

 

Get all the carpet & seat out, lets see what the whole floor looks like. I'm not going to guess what is good and what is not. Where to start will depend on what is left. Generally, the rockers and body structure is where you begin. The floor pans just connect the body structure together.

Thought I'd show you a few pictures of the floors & rockers on my blue & white Plymouth coupe before I started. The last picture is the drives side toe board, from inside the car. Gene

 

Wow, that looked rough Gene. It's amazing how that kind of rot can be turned around... I hope to be able to do the same. I would've and should've had it all ripped out by now but had a few things get in the way this weekend... I plan to strip the carpet the rest of the way out this evening. Some better overall pics will follow. I definitely appreciate the guidance!

 

Getting back to your roof question, this thread will give you a real good idea of what is involved in making a long lasting roof/gutter repair. In this case it is a 55 Chevy wagon but the Ford will be very similar ...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/55-chevy-wagon-roof-repair.337728/

 

That is an excellent thread... I was planning to have to replace the roof skin altogether... This gives me a little hope... Provided I can gain access to the fabrication tools needed... Thank you for the link!

 

Any progress on this thing?

 

Wow how time has flown by... And oh how I wish I was further along. Unfortunately, a little over a month ago I had an accident while helping move some heavy equipment. I tore myself up on my right side enough to keep me from doing much that aren't basic movements. Nothing visible from the outside, all internal. Also messed up the nerve and tendon in my right wrist... Anyhow, I have managed to pull the carpet back after removing the front bench seat... Not too much to look at. Although I've seen enough bad glass work to make me heavily reconsider using it in a repair.
It's not pretty... But I think it's salvagable... I love this car... And I now have access to a MIG... So nothing but materials, time, and my body stand in the way... That and of course the good advice here on the boards. Thanks for checking up... Believe me I've been miserable not being able to keep rolling on this like I was... Hoping only another week or so will finish the healing and I should be back at it

 

Hope you have a quick recovery and some good luck for a change!

 

Thanks steinauge... You and I both! Right now when I cough it still feels like my kidney is ripping out. thanks for the good vibes.

 

Jeebus, get better! I'm watching this thread so I hope your enthusiasm doesn't die for it. Hahah. I've always been more of a 4 door kinda guy although now I own four 2 doors.

 

I appreciate it Moondog13! No dying enthusiasm here... Just itchin to get back at it. i hope this thread starts satisfying everyone again soon. Thanks again for watching and hangin in there with me. I know there is good stuff on the horizon! Tell me a little more about those two doors when you have some time!

 

To be honest I think as a first major project you could risk a stalled project with such a lot of bad areas, floors sills rockers A and B pillars roof trunk etc. you love this car but does it have to be this exact car , I am sure someone here on the HAMB could help you locate the same model but with a pile less issues. Any way just throwing ideas out there.
You say you don't want to redo work so bondo over rust is out. Your metal work does not need to be fancy just solid with a skim of bondo over the clean solid metal.

 

Good point Kiwi... It has crossed my mind to look for another car. But at the same time I would appreciate the car all the more if I put the work into it. I will admit I've been torn. And being honest with myself, I do know I'm no expert in determining structural integrity... A big deal I know...That said, it'd be a shame to see the ole girl rust in peace... Thanks for the input

 

I always like to look on the bright side of things and give things a go. As much as I would like to encourage you to give it a go what you have here is a parts car. What you don't want to keep sell and the money who will have saved by not doing the expensive rust repairs, which would only be a temporary fix you should be able to buy a far better body. A good 59 body shouldn't be that hard to find you will be chasing the rust in that old girl for ever it ain't going to go away.

 

Thanks for the input Smiffy. As hard as it is to hear and accept, I have noticed a common theme in most of the advice I have been getting... Does anyone have any advice on the best places to buy and sell parts? I know the HAMB classifieds are a given... I believe I'm going to start searching for a new (rust free) body... My this is hard to do... But reality should never be ignored. Any leads would be appreciated.

 

I am known to not be too bright -but-If that was my car I would get it running and driving and start cutting out pieces of rusty metal and welding in non rusty metal and in general doing the best I could.You cant hurt it and you will be surprised at what you can patch up.JMO.

 

Thanks again steinauge... One of my problems is that I overthink things sometimes... Lots and lots of afterthought.... To be honest what you described is actually what I started out to do in the first place... Just so many possibilities. I want it to be safe. I'm not looking to make a trophy winner... Just want to turn a few heads at the stop light... Something a daily driver would be. My NEXT endeavor (once I'm able to do it financially) will be a much higher caliber project. I want my feet wet... Just not because of holes in the floor. I hate just seeing her sit there.

 

Dang it! I'm going to patch the beast and go rollin! There will be time and money for the next project at the right time... Until then, I've got a fever to break and a thirst to quench! No more changing my mind...

 

There ya' go! Just think of it as a simple box. Most of the structural work (rockers and floors) will be relatively straightforward. Once you get to the curvy stuff, you'll have developed your skills sufficiently to go for it. Get some crude but effective shaping tools (like an old welding tank to form soft curves) to help you out. You've got this!

 

Hate me for being realistic, but you cannot restore that car. It is way too far gone.

Just take the roof project for a start; if you find a way to afford and haul a roof home.... You cut the old skin off and see that the attaching sheetmetal pieces are also rotted away... now what?

The floor is not just a piece of sheetmetal that can be removed and a repro one put in, because all the attaching pieces will be rotted too.

Some guys here have 40 or more years doing resto work, and it would not be an easy or cheap task if they tried to fix this for their own car.

If you are broke right now, try to clean and repair any pieces that could be used on an incomplete rustfree body that you can afford later.

If you don't trust what several have said, then just pick one bad area and go to town. Take the driver floor for example. Remove the fiber kick panel too, as well as cutting out the skin. You will be faced with the task of figuring how to fix the rotted front door post, and fix the inner and outer rocker that the post gets welded to.

 

"Safe"-good tires,brakes,steering engine running well.F&J is likely correct.Doesnt mean you cant address safety and then patch as you go.I have done it many times and as long as the frame is solid you arent likely to make it worse and usually you can make it somewhat better.You get to drive it too.Kind of a rolling technical school

 

Thanks Peanut... I Needed that. F&J, it is by no means that I don't trust what anyone said. I greatly value the input. More than you know. The world needs dreamers AND realists... I tend to be bipolar sometimes. That said, I have to remember what the goal for this car was from the beginning. I'm cutting my teeth here... There is so much room for learning on this car but it won't be at the risk of creating a catastrophe should I fail... My vision for this car is to get it rolling and be a Segway into a better project. I think I'm finally to the point where I've gotta stick with my decision and go for it, lest it continue to rot in indecision. After all, if I do move on to a better rust free frame, wouldn't the parts worth saving likely still be worth saving if taken care of? Just a different take... Don't hate me ... And thanks again. While I may not go a certain direction, I DO LISTEN to all point of view.

 

Thank you as well steinauge! Somehow missed your post while posting my reply. I feel the same way.

 

If you take a look to make sure your frame is Ok, and if the body support braces seem solid....your best move at this point with lack of major skills and money? I would use filler to make it look better.

If you start cutting out metal instead, I feel pretty sure that you will get overwhelmed very quickly, and can't get it back to where it was before.

By using fillers, you are not doing things that can't be reversed later. And it will look a lot better.

I have a 45 year old daily driver that is getting pretty bad on lower structure. I've had it for 9 years and hate to stop driving it, but even with a big shop and welders, etc, I cannot economically fix it the "right way". I hope to find a desert donor car and use mine for the mechanicals. In the mean time, I patch only what looks real bad.

 

Sounds like a viable option... What of the floor though? It is obvious it will need fixing... I think I could pull off a floor pan job and maybe rockers without too much anguish... I think you're right on the money though approachwise...I'll meet you in the middle and say minor skills, great attitude, appetite for punishment, and a trickling budget... Shall we begin? Thanks again!

 

Do it. Attack one situation at a time. you'll know if youre capable after the first area of attack. If it happens to turn out to be a parts car what are you out, a little metal and time?

Bracing is your friend.

 

Right on Unshined 2! I hear ya on the bracing and will keep it in mind. Sounds like class is in!

 

Dont know if your saw it, but there is a supplier for "59 Ford outer rockers and quarter patches on Epay. I got mine there, actually found full rear quarter replacements there. And they have floors if your wanna spend the cashola for them

 

Yes I've seen a few on there... Seem reasonable. I found all of the floor pans from Dennis Carpenter...79 a piece... I'll be doing some shopping before long. Thanks for the tips!

 

The roof and the bottom of the front door jamb are pretty bad and this amount of rot only gets worse as you dig deeper. But you know what is ahead and not afraid to get dirty. With my car, I was lucky to find one as solid as it is. I never intended to take the car so far apart which easily added 6 months to my efforts. But a great day when the tide turns and it goes back together.