My new 71 SSP! Any advice accepted!

[DudeBroDerk]

Do ac cars still have the stacks? I don’t have vents since it’s a ac car. I have always wondered that. I know it has one on the passenger side where the ac box gets fresh air. But no drivers side I think.

No rust inside these holes where the wiper motors are and I stuck my hand back around the inside and didn’t feel anything

 

[DudeBroDerk]

No rust inside these holes where the wiper motors are and I stuck my hand back around the inside and didn’t feel anything

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The flaking stuff you see I. The 3rd pic that’s grey is factory silicone or something like that cause it’s rubbery and bendy not rust

 

[YY1]

Looks "ok" from here.

That area is a royal pain to get clean even with a high capacity sand blaster.

...and then it's hard to paint.

 

[71Beeper]

Two things you should do:
1. Clean out that space below the wiper motor linkage as that is a drain port that comes out thru the firewall in the engine bay, here's a shot of the drain port in the engine bay.

2. Remove the wiper arms and then remove the big stainless cowl trim - there may be some surprises underneath.

 

[DudeBroDerk]

Two things you should do:
1. Clean out that space below the wiper motor linkage as that is a drain port that comes out thru the firewall in the engine bay, here's a shot of the drain port in the engine bay.
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2. Remove the wiper arms and then remove the big stainless cowl trim - there may be some surprises underneath.

A slight surprise indeed! Well I’m a little at a loss of words here now. How fucked am I here?

 

[whayden2003]

All depends. Need to get 71 Beeper and a couple other 71 b body guys options. I’ve never done any body panels on a 71 body. I have heard some say the firewall and cowl area on 71 b bodies are the same as e bodies. Not sure. Other than cutting up a e body part next option is making patches. Or finding a parts car with a better piece.

 

[DudeBroDerk]

Cleaned it up some and took more pics

 

[whayden2003]

Getting that upper cowl cut off and everything cleaned out of it will most likely greatly increase that ole girls life span. That area is a moisture trap.

 

[DudeBroDerk]

Getting that upper cowl cut off and everything cleaned out of it will most likely greatly increase that ole girls life span. That area is a moisture trap.

After looking at it, yeah it seems like this spot just holds water like crazy! That’s unfortunate wish I was more aware before I purchased but that’s how these things go! I’ll get it there eventually!

 

[whayden2003]

Other might say I’m suggesting half assing it. But if it were mine and I wanted to slow it down this is what I would do.
1. Clean the mess out of it. Get that drain opened up that 71Beeper was talking about after.
2. Rust convert it. Eastwood or Por-15
3. Put that stainless piece back on wipe me a little nice bead of the silicone across it and the windshield.
4. Drive that sucker till I got a pile of new or used parts waiting.
Don’t shoot the messenger lol.

 

[Manfred]

That is a very fair price on the cowl replacement. You are already "into" it, what not pull the trigger and get it right. I'm all for patching stuff to get on the road , but the area around the wipers looks so weak it will fail during a rain storm. Plus you are not on your back trying to do the repair.

 

[71Beeper]

My cowl area was not as bad.
It had pock marks on it.

So I sanded them smooth and applied some All Metal.

And then primer.

 

[Manfred]

All Metal is very good product, its all about the surface prep to make it last. I like good ol OSPHO , its reasonably priced and goes a long way in a spray bottle. I don't think it will save the OP's cowl in this case

 

[threewood]

I dealt with that rust issue on my GTX. The above posters are right. You need to cut out the floor above the crossmember, cut out the rot, and scab in new metal.

 

[threewood]

On the cowl rust. Pull the windshield to see what you are dealing with. I would bend up patches to weld in. When I patched the trunk seal area of my car, I used two pieces of angle iron to form the bends.

 

[DudeBroDerk]

How can I get in my glovebox if it won’t open without making it not close again? Any ideas? The Nob just doesn’t seem to grab when I turn it

 

[YY1]

There's a sliding adjustment.

 

[ct71rr]

On the cowl rust. Pull the windshield to see what you are dealing with. I would bend up patches to weld in. When I patched the trunk seal area of my car, I used two pieces of angle iron to form the bends.
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Having replaced the firewall and patched my cowl in several places on my '71 Road Runner, I agree with threewood. You need to remove the windshield to getter a better assessment of the rot. The E Body cowls are not a direct match to ours. There are a few differences. I believe the vent openings are very different and the windshield area is too.

 

[DudeBroDerk]

There's a sliding adjustment.

Unsure what you mean. Can’t really access anything internally as I can’t open it to adjust if that’s what you mean?

 

[DudeBroDerk]

I dealt with that rust issue on my GTX. The above posters are right. You need to cut out the floor above the crossmember, cut out the rot, and scab in new metal.
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Honestly these pictures make this seem very doable. How long was this process and how was it lining everything up correctly after, (putting torsion bars back through)