Unibody Structure Intact?

[Checky314]

Hello Everyone,

I have been a member for years, read a lot of good info on this site. And now, I would like to ask a question about subframe to unibody structure.

I cannot tell if it structurally failing or not. The subframe has not fallen or broken, I drove it home (about 50 miles) when I bought it last year and did not hear or feel anything like the rack locking up or the subframe shifting violently. What I am hoping someone can help me with is what this area is supposed to look like. I cannot find any exploded diagrams on www.fordparts.com of this structure, and I want to know if I should start adding material to strengthen this. There is good metal farther back, and I plan on spraying POR-15 on the frame when everything is repaired. I can add more material if needed and spray that too. The floor pan is bad, I knew that but that does not worry me, I can get that fixed. That part near the subframe makes me a little concerned, and I cannot tell if that c-channel is for floor pan support, or re-enforcement for the subframe to unibody stiffness.

View attachment 1831

View attachment 1832

View attachment 1834

I know the pics are small, but I am hoping someone can tell me. The red circle looks like some more material was there, and I want to add material before I close the the floor. Upon closer inspection tonight it looked like there was a lot of material left and it's just floor material that is missing. Does anyone have any pics of a not too rusty floor pan fix?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

 

[pjtoledo]

I fear that further inspection of the rest of the undercarriage will be about the same as that. The lower section of the firewall where it connects to the floor and rockers is the starting point of the unibodies strength. Thats where the front frame, firewall, door pillars, floor, side frame/rockers all connect. Check out where the front door posts hit the floor and rocker panels.
remove the plastic wheel well liners, that exposes the frame section between the strut towers, firewall, and down to the rockers.

look at the tops of the rear strut towers. look at the section between the rear strut towers and the rockers.

for a break-down of body parts try a site that sells crash repair sheet metal.


Sorry..

 

[rubydist]

I would roll that one into a lake and fly out west to find one that is worth fixing.

 

[SHOVNST]

What he said ^^^

 

[SHO Continental]

I can't even tell what part of the car those pictures are of!

I would roll that one into a lake and fly out west to find one that is worth fixing.

Indeed, what he said!
I have a rust-free '93 MTX. Good body, perfect interior. Cobra brakes, SHO Shop springs. It's BYO-engine though (or just a head swap). If someone were to offer to buy it I might say yes.


I also chopped up a rust free '92 a few months ago. No one local wanted a shell. We're swimming in good bodies out here, and also rust free SHOs.

 

[Checky314]

All the shock towers are perfect, the rockers are fine. Underneath the car is fine, it originally looked like the just the floor pan only where your feet are in the front. The rear is perfect, barely surface rust. The floor pan was already cut out by me last week, in case you thought it had just rusted away. I am trying to remove as much as possible and at least slow it down. Just wanted to know if I caught it early enough... I guess not!

PS. For some reason I only get 300x190 pic size

 

[SHOdded]

For larger pics, you have to upload them offsite and link back here. photobucket, flickr, shospeed are commonly used for this purpose.

 

[sperold]

There is lots there to work with, surface grind the frame metal and attach your new floor sheeting. You can even go up a gauge or two if you are so inclined.
Put the seam sealer to it and paint with the POR-15 (excellent choice).
When you are done it will be as good as new. It is a lot of work, but well worth it.

 

[Checky314]

Here we go! Sorry I was so boneheaded (read lazy) with the last posts. Anyway, yes, as I said. There is a lot of good material to work with, it looks like only a piece of the floor board support rusted away. Underside looks like the bottom right picture. There is some gray with speckled rust. I feel add some material and POR it.

If it is still the majority vote for driving it into a river, so be it :shakehead

Thanks everyone. This forum has been and is awesome.

 

[rubydist]

seriously, these cars are not worth enough to justify the hundreds of hours you will need to make that one decent. for every spot you have rust holes, you have at least 10 spots that you have serious rust that has not yet perforated but is nearly impossible to stop and has already degraded the structure of the vehicle.

there are plenty of solid bodies out there, no need for the brain damage to fix one like this.

 

[sperold]

You have already accomplished the hardest part of the job - removing the front seats, console, and peeling back the carpet and all that black plastic shrouding. By now you have broken off all kinds of attachment screws and suffered the shock of seeing no floor panel. You are at the absolute low part of the project.

Keep going.

Make cardboard panels of all the floor pieces you will be fitting together and welding, buy the steel in 3 X 5 foot sheets and start fabricating the pieces. The body metal that I have bought from UAP does not rust, even where you cut it with the shears, so whatever you do, will be there a long time. I am old school, so I would weld the pieces in place, drill some holes in the hat section (your frame lol) and plug weld that thing in. The pros now use adhesives to bond panels together, but I have no advice on that, but I would consider it to fill in any gaps that occur (but that is what the seam sealer is for).

Take your time, you have about a day for each side and another day to put everything back together, and that is not including the time it takes for things to dry between operations (like your paint and seam sealer).

Good luck and keep up the good work.