Mustang5l5's Progress Thread - Archived Progress thread '08-'20.

Mustang5L5 · May 26, 2020

OH boy Mike. Hope you know what you are doing.

Mustang5L5 · May 26, 2020

Good news is the crust stops right at the strut tower area.

Bad news is it was starting to rust though to the outer rail in the strut tower area. So I chose to use the donor part

Strut tower was rusted on the outside as well. I couldn’t get to it.

Anyway. Time to start trimming the donor piece to shape. I need a small cutoff wheel to trim the top cap and rear apron out of the way. Then I need to cut the rail in the car square right in the middle of the sway bar mount. The plan is to make in inner sleeve to plug weld in place, but weld the rail, and then spot weld the sway bar mount and MM sway bar reinfornebt in place. Should make it strong. I may also do a staggered butt weld on the rail

2Blue2 · May 26, 2020

Holy cow that is a big hole you cut in you car
nice to see it getting fixed

Mustang5L5 · May 26, 2020

2Blue2 said:
Holy cow that is a big hole you cut in you car
nice to see it getting fixed

Trust me. Not an easy thing to see all that sheet metal cut out.

Needless to say I’ll be taking my time trimming the new piece into place and welding it in. Can’t rush this part.

Rdub6 · May 26, 2020

Mustang5L5 said:
Trust me. Not an easy thing to see all that sheet metal cut out.

Needless to say I’ll be taking my time trimming the new piece into place and welding it in. Can’t rush this part.

I was scared cutting out my floors. This is another level! Love watching the progress!

JustinL · May 27, 2020

02 281 GT said:
Thanks. I went with the cutter kit: Amazon product ASIN B002XML5HKView: https://www.amazon.com/Blair-11096-Cutter-Set/dp/B002XML5HK/

People seem to like this one, and it has a built in pilot drill.

Same one I'm using but I also grabbed their cutting paste as well. I'm on probably spot weld number 150 by now, still going strong.

Amazon product ASIN B002YKH8L8View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKH8L8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mustang5L5 · May 27, 2020

Rdub6 said:
I was scared cutting out my floors. This is another level! Love watching the progress!

It's kinda fun somewhat. Really at this point, small cuts til i get the donor piece in. I just ordered some steel to make the sleeve to splice the rail together, and have a nice brake at work to bend it. Should go together nicely. Just going to take some time.

Mustang5L5 · May 27, 2020

JustinL said:
Same one I'm using but I also grabbed their cutting paste as well. I'm on probably spot weld number 150 by now, still going strong.

Amazon product ASIN B002YKH8L8View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKH8L8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I didnt even know there was a lubricant. I was just using WD40 before cutting the welds.

To get that rail out, there was maybe 30 spot welds to cut, and 18 additional for the sway bar mount.

Rdub6 · May 27, 2020

Mustang5L5 said:
It's kinda fun somewhat. Really at this point, small cuts til i get the donor piece in. I just ordered some steel to make the sleeve to splice the rail together, and have a nice brake at work to bend it. Should go together nicely. Just going to take some time.

I agree with the fun part! Addicting even. I was never expecting to the passenger side floor the way I did (was just going to patch), but once I did the drivers side, I had all the confidence to keep cutting.

JustinL · May 27, 2020

Mustang5L5 said:
I didnt even know there was a lubricant. I was just using WD40 before cutting the welds.

To get that rail out, there was maybe 30 spot welds to cut, and 18 additional for the sway bar mount.

I was a sucker for one of those amazon “buyers of your item also bought this”

Willybill32 · May 28, 2020

mikestang63 said:
funny how all the parts we used to toss in the garbage 30 years ago are now in demand
Air Silencers
Distributor Boot covers
Smog equipment
Original Catalytic Converter H pipe
Heater coolant tubes
A/C parts
Stock Stereos
Dare I say Turbine wheels?

I still have all the stock original parts off my '86 except the heads, which went to the scrap yard as no one would ever want them...

General karthief · May 29, 2020

CarMichael Angelo · May 29, 2020

JustinL · May 29, 2020

Willybill32 said:
I still have all the stock original parts off my '86 except the heads, which went to the scrap yard as no one would ever want them...

I've noticed there's some purists out there that will always want stock/oem parts for some reason. But they usually come knocking after you throw out your stuff.

Willybill32 · May 29, 2020

kendawg73 said:
you would be surprised, I finally sold my stock e7 heads off my '90 back in the fall.... someone wanted/needed them... I forget what car he needed them for... but few $$ in my pocket and I didn't have to dispose of them... win,win

‘86 heads were apparently a low point for 5.0 V8s. ‘87s used different heads and were rated +25 HP vs. ‘86, which is why I ditched mine.

Willybill32 · May 29, 2020

JustinL said:
I've noticed there's some purists out there that will always want stock/oem parts for some reason. But they usually come knocking after you throw out your stuff.

Yeah, I’ve sure had that experience!

02 281 GT · May 29, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:

Speaking of derailing, and rails in general, and frame rails particularly, any progress on the donor frame rail, @Mustang5L5 ?

Mustang5L5 · May 29, 2020

02 281 GT said:
Speaking of derailing, and rails in general, and frame rails particularly, any progress on the donor frame rail, @Mustang5L5 ?

None right now. Before I can start trimming it in, I need to remove the rail top cap. I've got the metal for my inner sleeve. I need to trim it to shape, and bend it in the brake I have at work. I'm basically making two L-shapped brackets to plug weld in on both sides, and then finish off with a butt weld of the original rail. That's the plan at lease. My final cut should be where the black sharpie mark is on the rail. Then the sway bar mount will be additional reinforcement.

I neeed to trim it at the blue tape. It’s a U shape so I need a small cutoff to get in there. That’s all that it holding me up right now. Searching for something I can use. I have an air powered cutoff with 2” disk but my compressor isn’t big enough to run it continuously.

I also need to trim the rear apron back slightly, but thinking about where i want to make my cut as the brake booster reinforcement box slightly interferes.

I also need to cut the spot welds on the SN95 sway bar mount plate inside the donor rail and remove it. There's a pair of holes on the bottom that I want to fill.

I should have some time this weekend to sit and stare at it and make some progress. This is purposely going to be slow as I want to do this correctly and have it look professionally done. Way I see it...I have one shot at this.

At some point i'll go back and clean up the banter. This 180 page (with my settings) thread could probably be shortened to 100 pages.

Mustang5L5 · May 29, 2020

Ok, top cap removed. Now I just need to carefully trim out the rear apron and im ready to start fitting the donor piece in.

You can see in the rail that inside, there is a reinforcement plate for the front tow strap tie down point. This may interfere with my sleeve so I need to think about how I want to section that part. I may have to have my butt splice up about 1" towards the firewall than originally intended to sleeve around that. I def need to think this all out before cutting the rails to final shape.

Now to trim out the rear apron. I need to cut it up near the two cut out spot welds. As you can see, the brake booster reinforcement plate makes things tight on the inside. I need to carefully cut it out somehow so it can easily be rewelded later.

Also, I just upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone Pro. Difference in picture quality is absolutely amazing. You think?

Can't wait til the driver's side looks as good as the pass side does.

JustinL · May 30, 2020

Stupid question, what are you using to make the cuts on the apron/rails? Just a simple die grinder?

Mustang5l5's Progress Thread - Archived Progress thread '08-'20.

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

will be trying this sex one when I can find it

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

So while I wait to figure out my rear end issues

Member

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

So while I wait to figure out my rear end issues

Member

But at least it's tight!

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

Member

But at least it's tight!

But at least it's tight!

Agreed...My wife has great Boobs

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency