Russ, step away from the Pinto.
I can't help it. I need a 12 step program.
I took the fenders off tonight. BTW, thanks for nothing Ford, nowhere in the body manual does it show how to remove them.
Everything else yes. Down to the littlest piece of trim, but no fenders.
Anyway, I wanted to see just how bad the damage was on the driver's side. yes, it is on both sides of the frame. I guess worrying about it is worthless. It looks reasonably well done. I hadn't noticed before that the radiator support has been repaired, about 2/3's of the way towards the passenger side. Guess that was why I hadn't seen any repairs to it near the driver's side.
So having taken off the driver's fender I figured why stop now? I had wanted to take the passenger side fender off to route the starter cable a different way but had decided not to at the time. But being in the mood now I went ahead. I found some damage that I had noticed before, but I hadn't really seen how much there was.
Under the battery tray and behind the spot welded support piece ( or whatever it is called) there is corrosion damage to the fender well from battery acid. Where it "L's" from vertical to horizontal. So now I guess I finally get to use the spot weld cutter I bought years ago to take that panel off, and then I'll probably have to cut out a section of the fender well and try to make a patch panel. You would think that someone would sell those.
The fenders themselves seem to be in pretty good shape. I just need to find a better storage place for them than what I did tonight.
So I guess the new plan is to remove all the wiring I just did, along with pretty much everything else that is attached to the firewall or fender wells. Then go to town on the metal, cleaning and repairing. Then paint it. I guess it will be the somewhat normal semi gloss black. I'd rather do body color, but painting the car is probably years away yet and I don't even have a clue about what color. Then reattach and reroute everything. I am hoping that this shouldn't take more than a few weeks, if I can get a cheap welder and learn how to use it. I really don't want the car stripped like this for very long, and I for sure don't want to have to redo it properly later just because I got in a rush now.
The good thing about all this is that my $500 Pinto is actually in better shape than the $3000 Lemans I bought in Ohio. I just didn't know how bad that one really was until getting into it. I just wish I had the kind of money that I had when I was doing the Lemans. I hate having to scrimp and make do.
And I can't do a frame off on the Pinto. It doesn't have a frame!
Anyone know what this bracket is in the first picture? I am guessing starter solenoid.
And shouldn't there be a grommet on the mirror cable in the second?
Thanks,
Russ