Getting an antique convertible back into top shape is no easy task. By far the worst part of it is stripping down the car and seeing first hand what years of damage and neglect have done to a once beautiful car. It’s also difficult to bear in mind that before I started stripping down the car, it was actually a decent looking driver with crummy looking paint.
At any rate, I’ve managed to document the damage to the car that rust has caused, and I’ve outlined a plan of action in order to get the car back into shape:
Left Hand Rear Quarter Panel
Bottom of quarter panel is completely rusted out, White Paint indicates small rust hole
Inner Drop-Down Panel is rusted out as well
Slight Rust Out on Lower Side of Wheel Well (Passenger Side Rear Quarter Panel)
Slight Rust Out on Lower Side of Wheel Well (Passenger Side Rear Quarter Panel)
Tail Light Panel
Taillight Panel. No Rust, but lot's of little damage
Panel Between Vert Top and Trunk
This Panel is Just Ugly. Best to chop it out and replace completely.
Front Drivers Inner Fender
Another Shot of this Hole. It looks like it was Sealed Up with a Rust Encapsulator at one time, preventing it from getting any worse!
Engine Bay
The battery trays commonly rust out because the old batteries had a tendency to leak. It's a low visibility area, so the plan is to seal it and put some metal filler in.
Underneath The Car
The Convertibles had a unique panel below the door that was designed to add rigidity to the weak body structure. The panel on the drivers side is completely rusted out. Fortunately, the passenger side is solid.
Drivers Side Door
Leaky Seals caused water to pool in the bottom of the drivers door, rusing out the inner panel. Although the outer skin is fine, the inner panel will need to be repaired/replaced. A New Ford Tooling door will cost nearly $400, so I need to decide if it's more cost effective to replace the door or repair it.
All in all, not too bad!
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