Frame rail rust repair

General karthief said:

Story time:
How I found this car: following a guy in an 88 mustang hatch, I noticed something flapping around under the car, thinking he had something wrapped around the driveshaft, I followed him to a parking lot and told him he had a possible problem, he laughed, the 'rag' flopping around was the carpet from the back seat floor pan or I should say lack of a floor pan! This stang was rusting from the inside out. Wheel wells, roof and frame around the shock towers, the last is common with our cars. Car had just under 100k miles.
Fast forward a couple months I spotted the car in the back of the parking lot where he worked with a serious nose job. Ugggggh!
Of course I stopped. And yes I bought the wreck for parts.
He told me his son was driving (he was riding shot gun so the story is accurate) and struck the back of a car at about 25-30 mph at a slight angle, left side of the front end.
The damage was unexpected, the rail behind the shock tower was split at the seams, rail crushed letting the shock tower move to within a few inches of the cowel and even impacted the toe pan, the cowel was split at the seams, the windshield post was even split and bent. The drivers door would not open, the door sill on that side was even split at the seams.
He did not realize how extensive the rust was and it's effect when an impact occurs.
wish I had taken pics

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