FYI FORD MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum / If I replace X body panels, what Y and Z panels should be replaced to?

**Posted by JeffK** 5/10/2021 9:35 AM

My 65 convertible is a florida rust bucket. A few years ago I replaced the hood, floor pans and considered replacing the trunk lid. Now I'm repainting so I'll strip the car down replace 90% of my rust.

Off hand I need

Radiator support (bent from a crash I think)
Driver side headlight bucket (its actually shattered, into 3 big peices)
Battery and drivers inner apron (same issue).
Passenger side (a rust spot directly below the rear door on the frame, no idea if I need a panel or patch it atm)
All around the trunk, so two upper corners (rust through from trunk edge to corner extensions and taillight panel, the worst of the rust on the entire car)
Taillight panel.

I think the corrosion that I can see on farside of the gas tank trunk floor area is limited to around the bolt holes, mild pin holes, the rest of the trunk floor is solid. Quarterpanels seem good except for the very bottoms, where bondo prevents me from knowing exactly whats going on. I can see under the drivers rear passenger window, some fiberglass repair, but I think thats a patch job, don't know how much steel I need there.

What I'm trying to figure out, what else should I get just in case? I'm taking the car to a rust repair shop ($75/hr). Hoping that once they take the car in 3 months, that its a 2 day job and I get her back, so I don't want to waste their time because I'm missing repalcement panels.

Thanks

Jeff

**Posted by TimC** 5/10/2021 3:32 PM

Jeff,
Based on your description, it does NOT sound like a rust bucket. You haven't even mentioned your cowl...

Are you going to do any of the work yourself? How much prep work will be done before the respray? Will the existing paint be stripped? If so, strip now, and epoxy prime until it's painted. You will know every weak area if stripped. If not stripping existing paint, cut a small corner off a rockauto refrigerator magnet, and go over suspect areas with the magnet. It will reveal all the areas with filler, when the small magnet doesn't stick. Plan patch/replace based on how large the areas are where the magnet doesn't stick.

If you are getting work done on the drivers front apron (between core support and shock tower) I would recommend having that one patched, so as to NOT disturb the VIN location. Leave the VIN attached to the shock tower, and patch around it. I had a 2 year dance with our state police, when a shop cut the whole apron off my 66.

When you say "inner apron" , I believe you are not referring to the apron with the hood hinges. If you need to replace the rear aprons where the hinges are located, you are probably patching the firewall and parts of the cowl, too.

When you mention "upper corners" around the trunk, are you talking about the corners "up" by the back window, or the corners "up" above the tail lights?

Lots of our cars have had "proper" patches done at the bottom of the quarters behind the rear wheels. My 65 had one done in the 80's, and it still looks great.

Whatever the damage, buy the best replacement panels you can afford, and/or whatever your rust repair shop recommends. Take the car back to the repair shop, and ask what parts they recommend. You can always over buy, and return what's unused, depending on the vendor's return policy.

The inability to post pics is really aggravating....

Last edited by TimC (5/10/2021 3:35 PM)

**Posted by JeffK** 5/10/2021 4:00 PM

The cowl leaks, but I'm not going to do it. Figure if I run in the rain I'll have that clear plastic thing over the grill, and take that off when I'm in the sun.

I did the floors (rusted out flintstone style), the hood was a 64.5, but the trim pulled up with chunks of hood due to extreme rust. Pretty sure it was a rust bucket due to that alone.

I will strip the car down to metal.

Drivers front apron is already missing the VIN. I had to pull the passenger fender off to prove the vin, they would not accept the vin tag on the door, which also matches. Oh... where do you go to get the VIN restamped?

My firewall seems fine, its the very front of the body of the car that needs attention. (both inner aprons and radiator support). Is it better to buy the radiator support with or without the bottom brace?

I am replacing the upper corners by the taillight panel (not near the backwindow), my question is... do those pieces go under the quarter extensions, because the rust extends to there as well.

**Posted by josh-kebob** 5/10/2021 5:23 PM

I like the radiator support with the lower brace. Also, look for one that is listed as coated with weld thru primer vs black e-coated paint. These tend to be made of a heavier guage metal than the e-coated ones.

**Posted by TimC** 5/11/2021 8:30 AM

JeffK wrote:
Oh... where do you go to get the VIN restamped?

In Illinois, you go to jail... In IL, VIN issues are handled by the State Police. Once they are confident that the VIN belongs on that car, they print up an official sticker and slap it on the car. Since you still have the hidden VIN on the other apron, there shouldn't be a major issue.

You will want to remove those quarter extensions to replace those lower corner trunk drip rail pieces.

**Posted by JeffK** 5/11/2021 12:28 PM

My shopping list is smaller than I thought. Cheaper too. I've seen panels advertising weldthru, I'll focus on that.

My official list
Drivers Headlight Bucket (repop)
Radiator Support with Brace
Battery Apron (front half)
Drivers Inner Fender Apron (front half)
Upper Corner Drivers Trunk Corner (near taillight)
Upper Corner Passengers Trunk Corner (near taillight)
And I have my replacement used 1965 doors with no rust holes, one with a dent that needs to be pulled but not on the body line)

I'm in California, but I can't find a result with my google search for someone that can stamp the vin for me. Guess it doesn't matter, its just a C code convertible.