backmarker 10 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Starting a 69 Convertible project. Picked it up last summer in Nashville. It was a project car someone else had started. The body was disassembled and started replacing floors. Still need more sheet metal-inner rocker Left side, front inner apron Rs, trunk floor, and probably more as I dig deeper. Love this forum. Already have learned lots from it. Will be needing lots of advice later for the assembly since I did not take it apart. Currently working on posting pics to share. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69droptopgt 10 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Welcome to the site! Looks like my gt with all the fenders and stuff removed. Were the torq boxes and frame rails ok? Mine were good. Only thing I need to do is fix the foors. I only need to patch it but probably will replace the whole thing. Tell us more about your car. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Sure its a 6-cyln car that spent its life in the south, mainly AL and TN. I had been looking for a solid project that's not rare so I can modify it without people yelling at me. Looks like the top rotted and did in the floors. Previous owner had thrown out most of the interior. Came with two dynacorn full length floors. Rh already welded in. Lh side has inner rocker lower half rotted away. Torque box has little rot in corner where it attaches to rocker. Thinking of replacing inner rocker and patching torque box. Going to start with front inner apron to get started. Looks like good job to get feet wet. Will work on pics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69droptopgt 10 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Make sure all the torq box issues and frame rail issues are taken care of before you work an the rest, if possible. Best to start with good foundation. Tie the front to the back if you are gonna be putting a monster engine and plan on pushing the car. I have read the verts have a pretty strong frame assembly b/c some extra stiffening of the verts (Pontiac did the same things with the GTO verts by boxing their frames the racers would take the vert frames and put then into non verts) WHatcha gonna put into it? You gonna do suspension modification? I know what you mean about modifying a non 6 cylinder car. Some people get so huffy and puffy about it lol. If I do a restomod I would upgrade those. I probably will get some crap from people because it is an scode mach but I don't care b/c it is my car lol. And I wont be putting a 390 in it. But that will have to wait for a gto vert or 2, a boss 302 and possibly the firebird vert (yes I know I love verts lol) to get done. What all do you have planned? What color was it, and what color will it be? Look forward to watching your thread. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rcodenewf 44 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Looks like a previous boss stripe on that left front fender...no?? John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69droptopgt 10 Report post Posted February 15, 2014 Looks like a previous boss stripe on that left front fender...no?? John Now that you mention it, that does look like it had a boss stripe. Compare both fenders and see if they have rolled wheel well. If so, you may have a boss fender. Take it off and sell it if so and buy a normal fender. If they are both rolled then you could use it but worth more money to someone with a boss. Search into boss 302 fender to confirm one way or another. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted February 18, 2014 I agree you should focus on the frame rails, rockers, and torque boxes first. But since I don't have a lot of experience welding sheet metal, I want to start with an easier, less critical part. So I started with the front fender apron. Went well so I will be working on the rocker next. I looked at the fender and the lips are not rolled. The former owner thought the fender was from a mach which could explain the stripe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike65 475 Report post Posted February 18, 2014 You r/s front inner fender panel looked exactly like mine did. They still look the same. Nice work you are doing. :thumbup1: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69RavenConv 286 Report post Posted February 18, 2014 Looks like a nice project, actually looks better than mine when I started in on it. Take lots of pics and don't throw any parts away.:thumbup1: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) Now I am starting to decide how to fix the inner rocker. The bottom half of just the inner panel is gone. The outer and the middle panels appear solid. I am debating cutting the inner panel out up to the rockers and patching or cutting off the whole rocker and transplanting the outer rocker on a new inner. Anyone have experience with either approach? Edited December 17, 2014 by backmarker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rcodenewf 44 Report post Posted March 10, 2014 Hello backmarker: My build thread of a 70 convert is on this site. Here is the link to the repairs to the inner rocker. http://www.1969stang.com/mustang/forum/showthread.php?t=9160&page=2 I'm assuming you have MR. Mustang inner rockers. I found that the ones i received were spotwelded together without adequate clamping as they 'pulled' during the welding process and were bowed. I drilled out all the spotwelds and separated the two. This gave me the opportunity to prime and coat the insides which were in raw metal. Let me know if you need any better pics and i'll do anything i can to help you out. Regards......John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted March 12, 2014 Thanks for sharing the photos. I noticed you replaced your front torque boxes. Should I be replacing mine instead of patching? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rcodenewf 44 Report post Posted March 12, 2014 Hello backmarker. Glad you liked the photos. I'm not big on 'patching' anything. If i were you i'd replace them. As they come in raw steel make sure you scuff them on the inside (you'll have to take them apart anyway) and put a good quality primer on them and /or a durable undercoating. Regards....John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted March 23, 2014 Finished inner apron today. Now to focus on Inner Rocker repair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted July 24, 2014 Cut out part of the inner rocker and found more issues. I plan to go ahead and remove the entire rocker panel already have complete new inner rocker. First need to add more bracing and maybe lift car up higher. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted September 14, 2014 Cut the rocker panel out. Since I left the torque box on, I had to cut the side cowl off to get at some of the upper spot welds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted October 13, 2014 Finished drilling out all of the rocker panel spot welds to save the outer rocker. Was surprised to find most of the outer rocker still had the original galvanized steel showing on the inside. New inner rocker setting on left. Already know that it is longer for use on 71. Plan to cut it to length leaving tabs to bend over for attaching to the torque box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) Been working on inner rocker panel. Cut the rocker to length leaving material for tabs. Didn't turnout to bad for just having a crescent wrench and a hammer. Like others have said in this forum the panel was crooked. Looks like it pulled in at the seem welds. My plan is to cut these seem welds and leave the rest welded. Then weld the outer rocker to the inner which should straighten everything back out. Then go back and re-weld the seems. The inner rock was missing the extra strip of material on top near the front. So I extended it about an inch. Edited December 17, 2014 by backmarker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) Been working on inner rocker panel. Cut the rocker to length leaving material for tabs. Didn't turnout to bad for just having a crescent wrench and a hammer. Like others have said in this forum the panel was crooked. Looks like it pulled in at the seem welds. My plan is to cut these seem welds and leave the rest welded. Then weld the outer rocker to the inner which should straighten everything back out. Then go back and re-weld the seems. The inner rock was missing the extra strip of material on top near the front. So I extended it about an inch. Edited December 17, 2014 by backmarker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ridge Runner 1,112 Report post Posted December 17, 2014 Been working on inner rocker panel. Cut the rocker to length leaving material for tabs. Didn't turnout to bad for just having a crescent wrench and a hammer. Like others have said in this forum the panel was crooked. Looks like it pulled in at the seem welds. My plan is to cut these seem welds and leave the rest welded. Then weld the outer rocker to the inner which should straighten everything back out. Then go back and re-weld the seems. The inner rock was missing the extra strip of material on top near the front. So I extended it about an inch. Wow! that is a lot of bow .That came that way? they must not use a jig or clamp them to a table when they are welded . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ridge Runner 1,112 Report post Posted December 17, 2014 Been working on inner rocker panel. Cut the rocker to length leaving material for tabs. Didn't turnout to bad for just having a crescent wrench and a hammer. Like others have said in this forum the panel was crooked. Looks like it pulled in at the seem welds. My plan is to cut these seem welds and leave the rest welded. Then weld the outer rocker to the inner which should straighten everything back out. Then go back and re-weld the seems. The inner rock was missing the extra strip of material on top near the front. So I extended it about an inch. Wow! that is a lot of bow .That came that way? they must not use a jig or clamp them to a table when they are welded . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted December 18, 2014 I made it look worse by taking pic from end. I can't confirm but I think it got worse when it experienced the bitter cold of my garage. I will take more pics after I weld it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted May 18, 2015 Slit the butt welds then clamped to the outer rocker. This straightened things out. Decided to replace torque box instead of patching. Pic of new torque box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted January 7, 2016 Not sure why previous pics don't come up. Here are pics of rocker before and after. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
backmarker 10 Report post Posted January 7, 2016 Decided to replace torque box on the drivers side. Found more rot behind the torque box in the frame rails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
