Hey All!
JP here again! I picked up a 71 Sedan de Ville w/ low original miles, however I missed an extremely odd rust spot. On the cowl, drivers side where the rubber topped post is that the hood rests on. All around the low spot around the base of that post is completely gone! I discovered this when I was under the dash and noticed the fuse panel was rusty!
Anyone know if this is repairable? Do I need to have a piece of steel welded in? Its the ONLY place there is rust on the entire car! Odd isnt it???
Thanks all!!!
Take care of yourselves and best wishes to all!
JP
Dear John,
Yes, another Dear John letter.
It may be that the car left the factory minus the necessary sealant for the area in question, but, I wouldnt be surprised if the car had been parked somewhere leaf litter was allowed to collect, or in such a manner that water was allowed to settle. The car may also have been in an accident and not properly repaired in that area.
But, in your case, I am sure that the rust spot could be rectified with a simple cutting out the bad area, and welding in replacement material, once each piece is fitted. Further, if it isnt too far gone, and you have access to a wrecking yard with simmilar vehicles, you can cut out the required section and trim it to fit into your car.
But, to get to the root of the problem, and the necessary clear access to fix it, I can envisage a fair bit of disassembly. Like the Hood, the Fender, and even possible the Dash, Wiring and Carpet that would be in the way of sparks and flame from the welding process. And, whilst the wiring is out of the way, you have good access to the rusty fuse panel for repairs to that.
When the rust is replaced with good stuff, dont forget to prevent the repair from rusting away again gy painting on both sides.
Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV
My 76 Regal coupe did the same thing - on both sides, but was much worse than that. It was also rusted out (pinholes) under the drip rail moldings. Check the floor pans under the carpet, too. It shouldnt be difficult to repair if that is the only spot.