No not rotten, I have looked in and they don't look horrible. Don't know how to get a better view at them
Don't think its a good test to peer in the cowl grill. On mine, the rusted out area was on the end where the cowl chamber floor flattens out and no doubt stayed wet with the collected debris. Even as bad as mine was, I couldn't see any problems by looking down the grill. You can see your driver's side of the cowl chamber floor without disassembling anything by looking up under the dash. Mine had a big hole that was easily seen under the dash. If you're sure the leak is not in the windshield I'd suggest removing the front fenders, shining a light down the grill and looking in the drains. You might be able to see something. Or even cut access holes in the ends of the chambers like was suggested in a previous post. I'd rather remove the fender than the heater/AC box to get a look at the passenger side. If your cowl is rusted out you can buy a MIG welder for a lot less than you can hire the repair work. Good chance to pick up a great tool and learn a new skill.
You going to need more than a welder. Welder, gas-tank, compressor, spray gun, hoses, line dryer, regulator, grinder, electric shears, plus materials. Also any tools and materials for removing the windshield and trim.
Yep, he'd need a gas tank as part of the MIG welder. But, he said he didn't care if the repaired area was left in primer. He doesn't need to acquire all those things to get the plug welds primed. BTW, I was fortunate to have a friend with a MIG outfit I could borrow. If I do another project like that I'll probably buy my own. Great tool to have around.
i found plenty of shells in Tucson, no rust, and they wanted $500-$800 usually. but that was 4-5 years ago.. shells still wont be rusted, if they are available.
hey mo, we can pull your fender and cut an access hole in the side of the cowel as described earlyer. we now have a good welder in the shop here. theres a paint store that sells por 15 products just down the street.
so that sounds like a good plan, I'll look into the cowel and I'll report back to you guys what I find.
Why wouldn't you fix a rusty car Craig? If it's the expense, restoring Maverick's really isn't a wise financial move anyway. If it's the work, isn't welding and bodywork part of the fun? Or is it just a time issue since rust repairs tend to be pretty time consuming? I'm curious about this, I have seen a few people say this.
Pretty simple: 1. NO rust repairs panels are made for a Maverick except for quarter panels and rocker panels, neither of which fit that well. so...in order to fix any rust, it requires lots of hunting and hunting of rust free parts. 2. It is not only the rust you see....but the rust you don't see. These are unibody cars. Lots of hidden rust. 3. Yes...the expense. One could spend $3000 just fixing all the rust on a moderate to really rusty car, and that doesn't include paint. Go out and buyt a rust free car for one third of that, and own a car that has NEVER seen rust. 3. Yes......it is the work as well. Buying a rust free car can put you at least one year closer to getting the car done....maybe even 2 years or more. 4. When it is all said and done, a rusty car that has been fixed has a lot more bondo in it that a rust free car. Metal is more desirable that bondo and filler. These are all general reasons. Friends don't let friends fix rusty cars.....like the one below.
There are no "Rust free" cars. These cars are almost 40 years old. It may look rust free under it and around the car, but unless its been garaged all its life the cowl is probably still rusty, its just that it hasent started to leak yet. The section that the water sits in the cowl on our cars never got the aluminum coating that ford used for rust protection.
Depends are your definitation of rust ... by my definition (and I'm pretty picky) my Grabber was 100% rust free without a single compromised piece of metal ... It was from California ... and stored under a carport since 1993 after the orginal owner died ...
Most of us have free rust. I'll go check my cowls now Mo, put paint on it, maybe flat black? Primer soaks water/moisture.
