[Blado]

Hi Guys, my first post here! I am in the process of purchasing a 6cyl 1966 mustang, in pretty clean shape in Florida. You see I am on holidays in sunny Florida and found a decent car. All the usual problems are either done, or look good. Floors in great shape, and all the frame pieces except for the front left and right frame where it meets the rad support. There is a few holes on the top side of the square frame, but the strong side, on the bottom it looks fine. Is this normal, or should I be concerned about this? This only seems to be a problem for the first few inches, then after that it looks good. Thanks.

[60's Refugee]

Of course it is a concern. Any rust holes in the load bearing areas will eventually cause a problem. I hope you are planning to return this car to a safe condition. For holes thru a body part (especially frame rails) there is no substitute for cutting out the rust and replacing it with new steel.

However, this being said, it depends upon how bad the rust is and how big those holes are. I know people who drive classic cars of all kinds as daily drivers. Some of them are better than others. I guess as long as parts arn't falling off and the car will pass a safety check then you are probably OK. One of the guys I mentioned drove an unrestored 67 stang until the idler arm rusted off the frame! I expect you will know when your car needs to be parked and fixed.

What I AM suprised about is that the previous owner(s) did all the work you mentioned and didn't repair these holes.

Harry

[Blado]

Thanks for the reply. The holes on the drivers side are about the size of a quarter, and under the battery tray, (which was replaced) its about 2 inches long. Would a half assed patch welded in suffice for a few years? I could make up a patch and blend it in well, but I am concerned about other areas I just can't see well.

[snaranjo]

A good body man can easily patch in new metal where needed without necessarily replacing the whole frame rail or rail section. Mind had rust in exactly this area and a frame rail patch took care of the issue. Like 60's refugee says, you want the frame solid.

[60's Refugee]

Since the area with the holes is not readily visible, then a "half assed" patch will probably do. The important thing is to get all the rust cut out and that the patch be welded all around, not just a few spot welds. Be sure to paint the repair when finished. That should hold you for many years.

PS, you will love that car!

Harry

[Veronica]

Hello. What you are describing sounds like, at some point, the car had a bad voltage regulator causing the battery to over-charge and boil over, causing battery acic to drip down on the areas you mentioned. If that's the case, then a patch in the affected areas would work, as long as you do basically a four-sided enclosure. The top part of the bottom rail, the part that's inside, directly underneath the holes that you can see, probably isn't in much better shape than the part with holes in it, so you would definitely want to reinforce that also.

[andrewmp6]

Veronica a old car restorer i know use to always say if its got a battery tray there will be rust in it and under it.

[Blado]

I plan on going back in the next few days to take an even closer look at it. Thanks for your replies, as I feel that cutting the rust section out and adding a patch should fix it up. I just want to be sure the rest is as solid as I had seen, and no signs of rust anywhere else.