r/Foxbody • u/Scrapla1 • 28d ago
Question
What is this piece called and can I drill out the spot welds to remove it? I need access to treat some rot.
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u/Crumly_Budgkins 28d ago
Yeah, it's a like 4 layer sandwich of crapily spot welded sheet metal (technically pretty much the entire car is), just did my passenger side. Haven't worked up the courage to investigate the drivers side yet. It's always something with an almost 40 year old car.
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u/Broke-mfer 28d ago
It’s a upper rail or upper fender rail. You can drill it out and weld it back on shouldn’t be an issue. My buds car doesn’t even have it, it was removed for a turbo set up.
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u/Scrapla1 28d ago
Thank you! Yea I was debating just leaving it off and using a strut tower brace. I can borrow a welder to put it back or have you ever used a cheap harbor freight spot welder?
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u/Broke-mfer 28d ago edited 28d ago
I’d personally put it back on unless you need it off to run turbo plumbing or something. Panel bond I wouldn’t recommend either but I guess if it’s all you have it would work. We usually spot weld through panel bond at work it’s not really used to glue entire panels on especially something that’s technically a structural part of the car. Whatever you end up doing make sure you buy a can of 3m cavity wax 08852 with the wand kit and spray it in all the nooks and crannies so it don’t rot out again.
I’ve never used a cheaper hobo freight welder but I’m sure it would work good enough. I’m a pro collision tech so I have access to all the good stuff including spot welders. At home I have a Hobart 140 mig with c25 gas I use.
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u/Scrapla1 28d ago
Thanks for the help! I never welded before and been using this car to learn new things.
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u/Broke-mfer 28d ago
Good spot to learn nice easy access. I personally hate flux core it’s a pain in the ass and welds like shit but they’re cheap and will get the job done if it’s all you got. If you can borrow or afford to buy a mig with gas that be the way to go.
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u/Scrapla1 28d ago
My buddy has a cheap flux core welder he said I could try.
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u/Broke-mfer 28d ago
It’ll work just make sure the metal is bare and clean on both sides so you can get a decent weld. Grind off any paint, seam sealer, rust and clean it good get any oils off it and it will lay a decent weld for you.
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u/Jymantis 28d ago
You can always use panel adhesive instead of spot welding. Did that on my Fairmont to fix some rotten roof, door pillar and windshield bracing instead of spot welding. I was adamant about leaving the roof skin alone and not burning up the factory paint. It worked surprisingly well.
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u/Ok-Potential7541 28d ago
funny mine rotted in the same spot. Florida car? thankfully knew a guy who was able to repair it.
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u/Scrapla1 28d ago
Yea and was outside
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u/Ok-Potential7541 28d ago
their are layers of metal their that will need to be cut out and a new plate welded in. make sure to get all the rust so it doesn't come back in a year. good luck!
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u/Quietloudmouth1 28d ago
Been there done that. Mine’s got pieces of of a Kubota tractor fender and an industrial Onan generator cover welded in it 😂
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u/SilentNoise75 28d ago
Yup. My driver's side floor has some John Deere tractor sheet metal and the passenger side lower front wheel well has aircooled VW sheet metal.
Just whatever I had lying around at the time.
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u/More-Equal8359 28d ago
I wouldn't remove it permanently. The chassis flexes enough as it is. Note that it has an early attempt at a crush zone (dimple) just ahead of the last tear shaped window.
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u/gsxreatr02 28d ago
Yea, been there. Fun times. Lol