Wet feet!

[restomod22]

I don't plan on driving in the rain much, but when I do get caught in it, I'd rather my feet not get wet. Can anyone give me some advice on repairing the cowl? I'm new to the whole resto thing (this is my first "project") and am learning as I go. I haven't researched this problem much yet and thought I'd start here, so forgive the ignorance . I've read where this type of repair is difficult and expensive. Does anyone have any tips? I've heard about some type of "rubber" paint that can be rolled onto the interior floor. I guess you tape the hole and simply paint over. Anyone ever heard of this? I was also thinking about fiberglass and such. This is not going to be a concours resto, obviously, and I don't mind "hillbilly" repairs that are hidden as long as it works. I have limited experience with body work and want to keep it as simple and inexpensive as possible.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Valaraukar]

I have a cowl leak, and I bought one of those covers you can put over the cowl. Its a cheap quick fix. To actually repair the cowl you have to remove the front fenders, then drill out the welds holding in the whole cowel area. Then sheet metal has to be bought and welded/sealed in. Obviously this would be quite a job, I plan on doing it someday, just not now. As for sealing from the inside, its actually hard to tell where the water comes in. Keep in mind your windshield could actually leak also.
-Tom

 

[Pakrat]

Very common problem and really not one to do ala "hillbilly" fashion since the reason it leaks is rust. In fact it is about the single most expensive repair to pay a pro to do. Rust is car cancer and a bandaid will simply stall your leak problem while the cancer turns into a far more serious problem to deal with later. The hardest part is getting at the cowl itself on your particular model year, and so once there, fixing it any other way but correctly really is not worth the time you already invested to uncover it. Of course that is just IMHO. Here is an informative link to give you an idea of your problem and what is involved. Good luck!

http://www.cox-internet.com/bjennings/cowlrepair.htm

 

[NorCal66]

I put in a "cowl repair kit" which is just a hollow plastic cylinder that bolts up into the vent area. Your just susposed to use caulking all over the thing and it will stop the leak for a while...but as pakrat said, it's just prolonging the inevitable.

All the big mustang part vendors should carry em

 

[65straightsick]

Cowl covers are $22 bucks well spent, mine is on the way. My friend has one and it works GREAT! get one. The only purpose of the cowl is to get fresh air into the interior, my windows will be down all the time so no worries there. Plus there will be no flatulence (spelling?) in the car, Rule #1. Haha Good luck

 

[restomod22]

Thanks, guys. Where can you find the cowl covers? Are they hard to install? How long will it take to repair?

I checked the link, thanks Pakrat......wow, what a job! What can happen over time if I leave this unrepaired? Obviously the rust may spread, but where and how serious could it turn out to be??

Thanks for the info.

 

[Pakrat]

Just remember though that is only a bandaid, fresh air or a lack there of is not the biggest concern, the reason for the leak is, and rust is the reason. While your feet may be dry for the time being, the rust never sleeps and continues to eat away more and more and more of your car until it breaks in half. Spending only $22 now will surely cost you thousands more later.

My philosophy is generally that I am only the current caretaker of this piece of automotive history and I hope that it will be around long after me. Therefore if i can not afford to or be responsible enough to tend to it's needs, then I really shouldn't be in the hobby and am not ready to be an owner. Of course that's me, but I can't help but to think of ownership as an honor and a priviledge as it has far surpassed simply being just a car.

 

[restomod22]

I agree Pakrat that it should be done right....but like you said, this is the most expensive repair for pros to do, and I'm sure there is a reason for that! I'm very inexperienced with this type of stuff, but hope to gain more knowledge over time and be able to tackle such a job. But, for right now, I want dry feet. I HATE to think of my car just rusting away, but I hate to think of it sitting in my garage undriveable for a long period of time because I don't know what the hell I'm doing when I just got it on the road again!

 

[Pakrat]

Well then here you go: http://johnsmustang.com/Catalog/557/ it's will certainly keep your feet dry provided that your leak is in fact from the cowl.

Did you look at the walk thru I posted above yet though? It's pretty step by step and could be done in a weekend with a little effort and determination for a few hundred bucks. Labor is the biggest cost when letting someone else do it, and trust me, this is only the first step. If you don't start learning how to maintain your car yourself it will not be on the road for very long, trust me, it will ALWAYS be something, and having towed to the mechanics once a month will nickel and dime you to death and eventually leave a sour taste in your mouth on what should be the best experience of your life. If you think I'm kidding, look in the classifieds some time and see hom many project cars are for sale from folks who have lost interest.

 

[restomod22]

Thanks, Pakrat. I did check the how to link and think it's something I can definetly do "someday".

Believe me, I understand what is involved in owning a 40 year old car. This is acually my second classic stang. I had a 69 when I was 16 and a lot "dumber" than I am now.....having to have everything fixed by a mechanic.....$$$$$.....needless to say, mom got tired of picking me up all over town cause the car broke down, so I had to sell it. But now that I have a little more experience and knowlege I'm more willing to do work on the car myself. My current car was purchased with the idea of making slight improvements to it over time, as it was in fairly good shape and driveable. But, wouldn't you know it, after I put about a 1000 miles on it, (and after I drove it 600 miles home from Jersey with no problems) the valve on #7 dropped into the cylinder and destroyed the engine. I just got done buying a brand new block and building off of that. First time I've ever tried to do something like this and the car is running great! So I guess the point is, you can learn anything you want and the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself!

Thanks for all the help!

 

[94CobraPace]

There is another band aid fix to repair the cowl leaks which does not require to replace the whole cowl. Remove the 2 front fenders and you can see the cowl ends. Use a cut off wheel, plasma cutter & open the ends up so you can see & work inside the cowl. If it is not too bad, you can get in there, very limited though. I did this by using a drill with a wire brush on the end & cleaned it up as best as I could. Then used epoxy puddy to fill in some small holes and then some epoxy (POR 15) to seal it all up. Close the end caps up & weld close (or could epoxy it closed).
This is not for major rust in the cowl area, but for someone with minor holes. It is not a permanant fix either, but can keep your feet dry & not drive around with the cowl cover on.

 

[65straightsick]

No no no, i missunderstood the question. The cowl cover is meant to keep rain out. You are looking for a repair kit. My bad.....once you have the vent repaired and would like to keep it that way....buy the vent cover. It sits on top of the vent and screws down using three bolt/screws....hard to explain but it works... Sorry for the confusion.

I agree with pakrat, fix-it right, then maintain it for good..nice philosophy.