Paint and Body Strut tower beginning to break apart, how long do I have ?

[AnthonyA1234]

A little backstory on my car, both frame rails were rusting from the inside out but the metal was all still solid. I treated both frame rails on the inside with Eastwood rust encapsulator inner frame rail spray just to buy me a few years until I’d have to pull the engine and have some metal work done on the frame rails.

Well, I was looking around in my engine bay today and unfortunately my strut tower lost a decent size chunk of metal on the front side of it. See pic below. Besides that, the entire frame is still hard (on the outside at least). At what point should I stop driving the car and fix this?

 

[Bullitt347]

Today would be a good day to stop driving the car and fix it, or at least start the process.
Waiting until after the accident is not a good idea.

 

[rednotch]

I've been driving a beater with worse for over 3 years off and on, as long as nothing hits it in a wreck I'm not worried, fixed many before, I'll fix these when I pull the motor next, looks like yours is just starting to bulge the inside rail a bit, as long as the k member is secure and that section of rail is not completely rotted away from the tower the rest of the apron and upper rail will support it.

 

[AnthonyA1234]

I've been drive a beater with worse for over 3 years off and on, as long as nothing hits it in a wreck I'm not worried, fixed many before, I'll fix these when I pull the motor next, looks like yours is just starting to bulge the inside rail a bit, as long as the k member is secure and that section of rail is not completely rotted away from the tower the rest of the apron and upper rail will support it.

So how do I go about fixing it? I pull the motor and then buy those lmr frame rail repair kits and have that cut and welded in?

Is removing the fenders required ?

 

[rednotch]

Lots of cutting, spot weld drilling, some fabrication and welding. No kit is really complete as there mostly patches for the rail and support inside it but ignore rebuilding the tower it's self. If I don't use a nos full apron I prefer fox rails smooth kit since there oe style one is pre cut for early 80's rails, not the late years that didn't have the big circle cut out in the middle where the tower is. Dude had a good write up on one of the face book groups fabbing his own patch for the tower and was one of few repairs done that even someone who knows all the miniscule difference between the years couldn't spot it when done. Ill see if I can link it later after I find it.

 

[rednotch]

 

[Noobz347]

Wait.... Didn't I recently see a kit for this?





Aha! Here's some James Bond for that:

Welcome to Fox Rails rust repair for your Mustang frame rail

For Your Fox Body Solutions

foxrails.com

 

[AnthonyA1234]

So I’m getting ready to pull the trigger on some donor frame rails / strut towers from a scrap car. My only concern is the tiny amount of rust inside of these that in the future will give me tue same issue.

How can I treat and protect the inside of these rails to prevent rust? Would I need to cut the frame rail to gain access to all of the inside? Or could I pour something through the frame rail to treat it? What do you guys think?

 

[evintho]

POR-15.

https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-45208-Gray-Preventive-Coating/dp/B00J6DIEIW/ref=asc_df_B00J6DIEIW?mcid=b25bafaee2b03e61be3e2485eb2e3f24&hvocijid=10652995723359373245-B00J6DIEIW-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10652995723359373245&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032306&hvtargid=pla-2281435180218&th=1

 

[AnthonyA1234]

So what needs to be done in order to do the job? I wanna do it the simplest way possible. Engine obviously needs to be removed, does the k member need to be removed as well? Front bumper/ fenders?

Also, when one side is cut out, does anything need to be done to support the chassis? Or is it ok?

 

[rednotch]

get them blasted or buy $10 Kiddy pool, 5 gallons of vinegar, mix with with water in the kiddie pool and let them soak over night, pressure wash then dunk in clean baking soda water mix.. That will kill the rust and neutralize the acid, Blow dry them, scuff and spray down with a good two epoxy primer to seal them a cheapy small China spray gun works fine for small.stuff like that, welder can trim back the primer where he needs to. Then typical paint blending and cavity wax the k member pocket once it's burned in.


Best to drop out the K member and engine as unit, fenders can stay but more room with out them. It helps to brace Lower rail if cutting and sectioning it but the rest of the apron will support it fine.

 

[AnthonyA1234]

get them blasted or buy $10 Kiddy pool, 5 gallons of vinegar, mix with with water in the kiddie pool and let them soak over night, pressure wash then dunk in clean baking soda water mix.. That will kill the rust and neutralize the acid, Blow dry them, scuff and spray down with a good two epoxy primer to seal them a cheapy small China spray gun works fine for small.stuff like that, welder can trim back the primer where he needs to. Then typical paint blending and cavity wax the k member pocket once it's burned in.


Best to drop out the K member and engine as unit, fenders can stay but more room with out them. It helps to brace Lower rail if cutting and sectioning it but the rest of the apron will support it fine.

How would sandblasting them work? Would they have to cut windows in the rail to gain access or could it be done as is?

 

[rednotch]

Spot blaster... The rail isn't fully sealed off by the spot welded top plate where the k member bolts go or could even drill those and pop it off you wanted to to access to every part on the inside..... I much prefer soaking stuff vs blasting.

 

[AnthonyA1234]

Spot blaster... The rail isn't fully sealed off by the spot welded top plate where the k member bolts go or could even drill those and pop it off you wanted to to access to every part on the inside..... I much prefer soaking stuff vs blasting.

Yea soaking sounds like the way to go. And then after I could use something like Eastwood frame rail treatment since it has a tube with a 360 degree spray nozzle and I’ll coat all of the insides

 

[rednotch]

2 part epoxy is better the any junk in a can that doesnt have an activator. Whole point is to seal the surface.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Need to pull the engine, and drop the K-member. Then you gotta access what is rusted/rotted out and make a plan on how to fix it.

The thing is, every single one of these repairs is going to be slightly different based on what is rotting and where. For instance, if you buy a rail repair kit, none will address the metal that makes up the strut tower that is failing. You may have to buy some sheet metal and fab up that portion of the tower. The rain kits mostly address the "U-channel" that runs from front to rear of the bay. Now, you may find out when you pull the K0member that this is also gone and needs to be replaced. At that point you are getting a good spot-weld cutter and going to town.

When i did mine, i thought the pass side was OK, until i put a screwdriver through the wall and found it all rotted out inside. Took me months of delicate cutting and welding to fix it.

This is what it took on my car. I ended up using donor rail/tower from a 99-04 car. Personally I wouldn't do this job again, but i have sentimental attachment to this car

Pass side already done. I had hours into this job.

 

[AnthonyA1234]

Need to pull the engine, and drop the K-member. Then you gotta access what is rusted/rotted out and make a plan on how to fix it.

The thing is, every single one of these repairs is going to be slightly different based on what is rotting and where. For instance, if you buy a rail repair kit, none will address the metal that makes up the strut tower that is failing. You may have to buy some sheet metal and fab up that portion of the tower. The rain kits mostly address the "U-channel" that runs from front to rear of the bay. Now, you may find out when you pull the K0member that this is also gone and needs to be replaced. At that point you are getting a good spot-weld cutter and going to town.

When i did mine, i thought the pass side was OK, until i put a screwdriver through the wall and found it all rotted out inside. Took me months of delicate cutting and welding to fix it.

This is what it took on my car. I ended up using donor rail/tower from a 99-04 car. Personally I wouldn't do this job again, but i have sentimental attachment to this car

Pass side already done. I had hours into this job.

I went ahead and bought some donor strut towers. I’m gonna drop the k member and engine and then ill have the donor frame rails and the parts of the strut tower I need swapped in.

 

[Trogdor]

Here's the damage that my towers had, not pretty. It is worth to do it correctly as suggested.

Those are the K-Member bolts. Yes, I bought new ones from LMR.

And coming back together.

 

[Noobz347]

Hey so, I came across these images from another thread.

I had to drag them over here. What great shots of that entire area from sub-frame through the tower:

Progress Thread Post in thread '“Rising from Ashes 17” 85 4eye notch build'

Apr 14, 2025

getting the engine bay going.

• 95steedamustang

• 

 

[AnthonyA1234]

One thing I’m still not fully sure on, what’s the best way for me to coat the entirety of the inner frame rail? I plan on acid dipping it in vinegar so if I do that it’s going to leave all the surfaces bare so it’s crucial that i coat everything so that it doesn’t rust. Being that the inner frame rail has complex surfaces inside it, what’s the best way to fully coat everything so it doesn’t rust?

Would it be necessary to cut access windows to coat everything or is there a simpler way?